Recap of Chapter 24: No one was ready to end the fun time they’d had in Maine, so Chloe and Penny met up for a glass of wine, and Matthew arranged to meet after closing time in the pub. Their reunion ended in a steamy encounter in the bedroom.
Chloe was having a great time, hanging out with a few friends at the Little Bear. A fun band kept the atmosphere lively and the little group of women just came back from the dance floor, pulling at their tops to cool off.
“This round is on me!” Chloe announced, jumping up to order from the bar.
“Matthew and the blonde looked very comfortable together. Lots of laughing and verbal teasing back and forth.”
The bartender was cute, and he flirted with Chloe, who didn’t mind at all. She was having a good night. Her outfit was getting the right kind of attention, and she was even having a great hair day. She ordered and then leaned her elbows against the bar, looking around the room. Everyone seemed to be having fun, causing her to smile from ear-to-ear. She bounced to the beat of the song, as people headed toward the dance floor.
The door swung open and in walked Matthew. Pleased to see him, Chloe raised her hand to get his attention. His arrival just made the night even better. She couldn’t wait to drag him back to her table and introduce him to her friends. She wondered if Penny was coming too. Before he saw her, she realized that he wasn’t alone. He was leading a young, beautiful woman by the hand.
Chloe’s wave froze in midair, and her smile dropped as she watched them. The woman wore her blonde hair long and straight, cut in layers that framed her face. She was dressed casually in skinny jeans and a white flowing halter top. Turquoise cowboy boots finished her outfit. Her look was not dissimilar to Chloe’s own, which was a little disarming. She looked down at her outfit. She was also wearing jeans and cowboy boots in a fun color, and a cute top. It took seconds for her expression to change from a welcoming one to arms crossed and a scowling face. She watched through squinted eyes as Matthew leaned in and whispered something in the woman’s ear—something that made her giggle and toss her wispy hair. In an instant, anger washed over Chloe. She could feel the heat rising in her face.
The bartender interrupted. “Here you go, Sugar,” he flirted. He took a look at her and added, “Are you blushing?” Suddenly not in the mood, Chloe grabbed her drinks, threw money on the counter, and stomped off without a word.
She reached her table and passed out the drinks. She sat down and took a big gulp of her whiskey sour. Her friends could tell something was off and insisted she tell them what changed. “See that guy?” she snarled, pointing. “That one with the cute young thing on his arm?” All heads at the table turned to stare. “She kind of looks like you with long hair,” one said, and the others agreed. “Well, he either has a twin or he is the boyfriend of my friend, Penny—the one I told you about. He’s the guy I went to Maine with just a couple weeks ago. You remember.” They acknowledged they knew who she was talking about. With that established, she leaned in conspiratorially. “Here’s the thing: That girl he’s holding hands with is not Penny.” All three ladies whipped around to glare at him, instant disdain showed in their expressions. They watched like hawks as Matthew and his date walked past their table heading for the bar. He didn’t notice the glaring looks and didn’t see Chloe at all.
Fuming, Chloe picked up her phone to text Penny. “What are you up to tonight?” she typed. She put the phone in the center of the small table, where all eyes trained on the screen, waiting for a response. In a couple minutes, Penny answered. “Getting ready to call it a night. What about you?”
“Tell her that her man is stepping out on her,” someone said angrily and the others agreed. Chloe shook her head and narrated what she was typing. “I’m at the Little Bear with the girls. Wanna join us?”
“Oh, I dunno,” came the reply. “I’m kinda tired. Maybe not great company.”
Chloe tried again. “Oh, come on! The band is really fun.”
“Ask her where Matthew is,” someone suggested. Chloe agreed that was a good idea. “Are you with Matthew?” she fished, fingers flying.
“Not tonight,” came the reply. “He had other plans.”
“Other plans,” she sneered. “That’s a polite way to put it. I’ll just bet she has no idea what he’s up to.”
They craned their necks to locate Matthew and his date in the bar, eventually spotting them on the dance floor laughing and enjoying the vibe. “Look at them acting like they don’t have a care in the world,” she snarled. “Bastard.”
A cute guy in a cowboy hat approached their table. He stuck his hand out to Chloe. “Hey, Beautiful—wanna dance?” She started to say no, that she wasn’t in the mood, and then realized she could let Matthew know she was onto him by bumping into him on the dance floor. “Sure,” she said, flashing a smile and taking his hand.
The song ended just as they reached the dance floor and a slow song started. Matthew and the blonde left the dance floor and as the cowboy pulled her into his arms, Chloe realized she missed her chance. The ladies shot her a look and gestured toward a table at the corner of the room where Matthew pulled out the chair for the blonde. A waitress stopped by their table, and they ordered food. The ladies watched their every move and reported back to Chloe when she made her way back to the table. Matthew and the blonde looked very comfortable together. Lots of laughing and verbal teasing back and forth. At one point, the blonde hit him on the arm, and he pretended it hurt. How long had this been going on?
Chloe’s phone buzzed. It was a text from Penny. “Are you guys still gonna be there in 20 minutes?”
“Yes,” she replied. “Come join us.” They grabbed the waiter and ordered another round of drinks, sure they would be seeing some fireworks very soon. Chloe watched the door, the time, and Matthew, all the while seething. His back was to her so he still hadn’t spotted her giving him the evil eye from across the room. Penny was taking a long time to arrive—35 minutes had passed, and she still hadn’t shown.
When Matthew and the blonde stood and began making motions to leave, Chloe got panicky. “What do I do? What do I do?” she muttered, standing. “Penny isn’t here. He’s getting away. They’re both getting away.” She grabbed her fresh drink from the table and took off navigating through the tables, aiming for a collision with Matthew.
He didn’t notice her until she was standing right in front of him. She was a sight—red-faced and blocking his path. She was scowling and breathing hard.
“Chloe!” Matthew exclaimed, surprised to see her. It took only moments to go from pleasantly surprised to wary when he noticed her stance and expression. “What’s going on?” he asked, nervously. Instinctively, he tucked the blonde behind him.
“You bastard!” Chloe hissed. “You dirty, lying, cheating, rat bastard!” she said, eyes darting over his shoulder at the blonde. Then, she viciously threw the drink in his face. He had no time to react except to squeeze his eyes shut purely by reflex. The blonde shrieked. People nearby gasped and gawked at the scene. A few clapped. The bouncers flexed and stood ready to intervene.
Just then, Penny walked through the door. She took in the scene: An angry Chloe stood squaring off with Matthew who inexplicably looked wet. “What the hell is going on here?” She rushed up to Matthew who had grabbed some napkins off the table next to him and was wiping his face.
“Ask him!” Chloe spat. “The rat bastard! Ask him what he’s doing here with her, behind your back!”
“Excuse me?” the blonde objected.
“What?” Matthew said. And then he started laughing. The blonde started laughing too. Chloe was confused. She looked to Penny, who was chuckling behind her hand.
“What is going on here?” Chloe demanded.
“Oh, Chloe,” Penny said, opening her arms. “I love you for trying to protect me.”
Matthew collected himself enough to say, “Chloe, let me introduce my sister, Erin.”
