Chasing Clouds Read online

  “Is there anything else?” Elodie asked somewhat awkwardly, partly in an effort to fill the silence and partly to try and find out exactly what this was about.

  “That was all I wanted. Goodnight.” Chase hung up with these final words, the point of the conversation still unclear.

  She pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it.

  “Well, that was surreal,” she said aloud, questioning what on earth that had actually been about. Shuddering, she wondered why it was she suddenly felt even more pressure bearing down on her? Sure, Chase had pulled some strings, but really, how far out of his way had he actually gone? Elodie thought not far enough to warrant a call like that. “I want to make sure you do well.” Had they been words of encouragement, or a well- veiled threat?

  Elodie didn’t have time to dwell; the hour was late and she needed to get plenty of rest in order to be at her best for the following day. Putting her phone back down she settled into bed and drew the covers around her tightly before turning off the light and rolling over. Tomorrow was going to be a big day and she was going to need all the sleep she could get, especially now.

  Chapter 10

  Elodie’s hands were shaking even more now than they had been when she had sat the exam. Against her better judgement, she tore the large brown envelope open but found herself unable to go any further.

  “Go on then,” urged Carla. The two friends looked at one another, Elodie’s eyes meeting Carla’s.

  “Hey, Hey! No, don’t!” Elodie shouted as Carla ripped the envelope from her hands and took out the letter within.

  Elodie’s protests fell silent as she watched Carla’s eyes scan the document in front of her. Carla folded the letter in half and put it on the table next to them, Elodie felt her spirit dip as she saw the look on her friend’s face.

  “I knew it,” Elodie said, a stony tone to her voice. “It took me three attempts to pass my bloody driving test, in an automatic! Well, I’ll just have to try again. I’ll ask Betty for my job back, I’ll work every hour, I’ll save and I’ll just have to take it again. I really want this, Carla, and I’m not going to let one measly failure stop me.”

  Carla nodded before turning away from her friend. She opened the fridge and took out a giant bottle of Champagne and turned to Elodie, unable to suppress her smile for a moment longer.

  “Are you kidding me?” Elodie said, not knowing whether she should fling her arms around Carla or slap her. She instead opted to snatch up the piece of paper lying on the table and read it for herself. “I got a distinction!” she said, her voice trailing off in amazement. Elodie couldn’t believe it: the result that lay there in black and white, mere inches from her face, was something she had never expected, not even in her wildest dreams.

  Suddenly, and without warning images of an older man flooded her mind. She thought about their bodies writhing together, about being lifted from bed to dresser in an effortless movement that made her feel as light as air. She couldn’t seem to escape these thoughts of Chase; she had managed to push them to the back of her mind whilst she concentrated on passing her course, but now that was behind her it seemed that now he was only ever absent from her mind momentarily, concealed by a thin veil of self- control.

  “Earth to El,” Carla said, her voice bulldozing into Elodie’s consciousness.

  Elodie looked up and saw Carla’s face smiling and holding out a glass of Champagne, which Elodie took without question, despite it being eleven in the morning.

  Steph joined them a few hours later. Things had been frosty between her and Elodie since Steph had all but accused her of robbing the café. Elodie still couldn’t quite believe that one of her oldest and dearest friends could jump to that conclusion so easily. Carla agreed, it hadn’t looked good, but Steph should have known instantly that Elodie would never, and could never, do anything like that.

  “Congratulations,” Steph said, holding up another bottle of fizz and smiling at Elodie wanly.

  Elodie returned the smile, took the bottle from Steph’s hands and without looking into her eyes stepped aside to let her in. Carla was in the bathroom and as such meant that the two women didn’t have their mediator to navigate them through the tricky rivers of best friends that have fallen out.

  “So, how are you?” Elodie asked as she placed the bottle of Champagne in the fridge. She was trying so hard to be friendly, but somehow she was only just managing to be civil. There was an awkward silence that filled the room and Elodie internally begged for Carla’s speedy return.

  “I’m not good, El,” Steph began. “I feel so bad about what happened at the café. I don’t know why I said the things I did. I was just, oh I don’t know, being a bit of a bitch, I guess. I felt like shit for ages about it, still do. I didn’t want to talk to you while you were on your course. Not over the phone or text and certainly not while you needed to concentrate. I thought I’d leave it till you were done; you know, damage limitation and all that. I’d have felt terrible if you’d failed.”

  “Yes. I’d hate for you to feel bad,” Elodie said sarcastically, then seeing the crestfallen expression on Steph’s face decided that accepting her apology would be the right thing to do. She obviously felt bad and Elodie couldn’t stand the idea of making her feel worse; and after all, what real harm had been done? Elodie was no good at holding a grudge, she never had been. Ill- feeling had always made her feel just that, ill.

  “I’m really sorry, El, please can we go back to normal? Please?”

  “Of course,” Elodie said after a pause, wrapping her arms around her friend and drawing her in for a hug. She was almost certain she had heard a stifled sob from Steph but, given Steph’s no- nonsense and steadfast demeanour, thought it best not to highlight it. Instead, she released her friend and turned quickly to the cupboard to retrieve a glass for her.

  “Thanks,” Steph said taking the glass from Elodie and raising it in the air. “Cheers, here’s to you, passing your course and all the exciting possibilities that lay ahead of you.”

  They clinked glasses just as Carla appeared from the bathroom; she broke out into a grin when she saw the scene in front of her.

  “Jesus, it took you guys long enough. I’m glad the claws are away and we’re all being a little more Katie Holmes and a little less Katie Hopkins now! You didn’t see me throwing my toys out of the pram when Elodie forgot to say good luck for my first ever, oh so important, best thing in my life, modelling job, did you?” she said, convivially giving Elodie a wink.

  Elodie’s mind flew back to that night: it had been that call from Chase that had done it. She had had every intention of wishing Carla the best, but once she’d got off the phone to Chase everything other than him had been flung from her mind. Carla had been annoyed, Elodie could tell, but she was so easy- going she didn’t make a thing of it and instead taunted Elodie by insisting that she took her out for a slap- up meal by way of apology.

  “Hello… earth to Elodie, come in Elodie,” Carla said, waving her hand in front of Elodie’s face. “Ah, there you are. Now, can we please drink ourselves into oblivion and order a god damn pizza?!”

  Elodie laughed: trust Carla to have her mind on food. She had never been able to work out how Carla managed to keep her figure; the odd run definitely did not cancel out all the booze and takeaways she consumed. Elodie made a mental note to rein in her own dietary extravagances, Gareth had issued words of caution about staying in shape, which now echoed in her mind. She didn’t want to give potential employers any reason not to take her on. She shuddered slightly as the realisation set in that the course had only been the first step. Now all the hard work would really start. Getting qualified was one thing, but finding a job was quite another.

  The evening passed by quickly. Carla had been sent a few of the raw shots from her shoot and, even though only her feet were in the pictures she proceeded to show them off proudly. Elodie and Steph made ‘oohin
g’ and ‘ahhing’ noises as each picture appeared, and after a while, Carla seemed to be satisfied because she slammed her laptop shut and exclaimed that she had had a fabulous idea that consisted of Elodie showing them what she had learnt on her course.

  “Oh go on El,” Steph said coaxingly, “let’s see what my mum’s money paid for.”

  Was that bitterness Elodie thought she could hear in Steph’s voice? She looked at her friend, expecting to see her tone reflected in her expression, but all that was there was mild curiosity and a half- smile. Elodie scolded herself for thinking badly of her friend and stood up.

  “OK then, passengers, if I can have your attention,” she said in an authoritative tone that made both Steph and Carla sit up straight and give Elodie their full consideration. “Welcome! We’re excited to have you aboard this ‘Elodie Airlines’ flight and we appreciate your attention as we demonstrate the safety features of this aircraft,” Elodie went on. She delivered a perfectly rehearsed speech and mimed her way through it in expert fashion. When she was done she gave a small bow to the applause of her friends, who both raised their glasses and with the last dregs of their Champagne toasted her performance.

  “Bravo, bravo,” Carla said, sidling up next to Elodie and placing a slender arm around her.

  Elodie returned the gesture, noticing that although Steph’s reaction had been one of warmth and pride, she did not get up from the sofa and join her and Carla in a celebratory hug.

  “I need to get to bed,” Carla said through a yawn. “I’ve got three castings tomorrow and a date afterwards. I figured, why waste a face full of makeup on auditions only?”

  “Three?” Elodie asked in disbelief. “Wow, that’s amazing, why didn’t you say anything?”

  “I didn’t want to steal your thunder,” Carla replied. “Besides, they’re only casting calls, I probably won’t get any of them.”

  “Not with that attitude you won’t,” quipped Steph as she zipped up her bag and slung it over her shoulder in a very final way. “I’m going to get a cab back, girls. I fancy waking up in my own bed in the morning.”

  “Sure thing, Grandma,” Carla said, giving Steph a kiss on the cheek and opening the door for her. “Let us know when you’re back home safe.”

  “I will,” Steph promised, although all three of them knew that she wouldn’t. As the door closed behind her Carla turned to Elodie with a stern sort of look that seemed alien across her features.

  “I need to talk to you, El. I don’t want to sound like a nag and I’m not having a go, but I don’t know if you remember when you moved in and we talked about you taking over Dora’s rent when it ran out?”

  Elodie nodded, she knew this had been coming. She’d shoved her money worries to the back of her mind; she knew that she should have earmarked some of Betty’s money for rent, but there just hadn’t been enough for that and the course. “Well, Dora’s rent runs out really soon and I don’t want to put pressure on you but I really can’t afford to cover both lots, even with ol’ Papa helping out. I don’t mind holding out for a little bit, say another week? I can put it on my credit card, but after that…” she trailed off. Carla really wasn’t good at this sort of thing.

  Elodie nodded morosely. She couldn’t expect a free ride from Carla anymore; she’d been lucky so far and she knew it. Feeling like she had only herself to blame, she decided that her number- one priority really had to be to find a job; the pressure to start earning was starting to loom further forward. She’d worked really hard to get qualified and she was damned if she was going to do anything other than chase her dream. The world was hers now and all she had to do was take it.

  As it would happen, taking the world for her own was far easier said than done. Elodie applied for job after job and for her efforts received rejection after rejection. She had aimed her bow high, to begin with: she had a strong desire to work with only the best, and despite her lack of actual experience she still applied. Living with Carla had begun to have an effect on Elodie; she no longer felt quite so useless and felt a fire, a longing within, that, up until recently, had been a completely alien feeling to her. Elodie found these new desires unnerving and empowering in equal measure and each fresh rejection letter only made her more determined.

  “Why don’t you just call that guy again?” Carla asked after Elodie slammed her laptop shut following one particularly blunt rejection email.

  “Because,” Elodie argued, “I am not relying on him to babysit every step of my career. I’ve done the relying on a guy, remember? It doesn’t work out so well. Besides, I don’t actually know him and I can’t keep begging favours from someone I don’t know.”

  “But you want to know him, don’t you?” Carla asked slyly as she sidled up next to Elodie who up until that moment had been happily sat on the sofa by herself.

  Carla took the laptop from Elodie’s lap and placed it on the coffee table.

  “Look, I know you like him. You do this thing whenever he comes up in conversation,” Carla fanned herself in a mock ‘hot under the collar’ kind of way and gave Elodie a coy, swooning grin.

  “Is that supposed to be me?” Elodie asked incredulously.

  “It isn’t supposed to be you, it is you!” Carla exclaimed. “Come off it, you know you do it. You go all gooey- eyed every time he’s brought up.”

  Elodie retorted by rolling her eyes, snatching the laptop back up and getting back to work.

  “I do not,” she said resolutely and just a touch haughtily. “Look, he did me a favour because he could and for that I’m grateful, but nothing else. I don’t want or need anything else from him! Now, if you don’t mind, I need to get back on the hunt.”

  Carla chose not to respond to this, she knew Elodie was kidding herself. It was obvious that she fancied the guy and her protestations only fanned the flames of Carla’s suspicion.

  “Okay then, suit yourself. I’m just saying that if you’ve got the option, why not use it. It’s not against the law to ask for favours from men, or does that offend your delicate, feminist sensibilities?” Carla laughed and ducked as Elodie threw a cushion at her.

  “Don’t you have an audition to get to?” Elodie asked, more out of hope than any real inkling.

  “No, actually I’ve got a job to get to and I’m late. Sorry, I don’t have any more time to try and beat some sense into you about this,” Carla said as she slipped on a silky- looking sports jacket and headed for the door. She was part- way through when she stopped and turned to Elodie. “El, don’t feel guilty about liking someone, of course I’d prefer it if you stayed single with me forever! But, you know, you’ve got to put yourself first sometimes. Just think about it, OK?”

  “I don’t, I don’t.” Elodie protested, pretty sure it was obvious that the only person she was trying to convince was herself. “He’s way too old for me.”

  She knew that even if she was interested in him in a romantic sense he wouldn’t be interested in her: she was young enough to be his, well, not his daughter – the idea of that was just too inappropriate. She shook the thought of Chase from her mind. The thought of the rent, however, seemed to be lodged there. It was due in less than a week and although Carla had bought her some time with the promise of putting half on her credit card, Elodie knew that she would have to step up sooner rather than later if she didn’t want to find herself homeless.

  A week later and with her rent now overdue Elodie opened Carla’s laptop and logged into her email account. She had been invited for several interviews and was awaiting the results. She didn’t hold out much hope; her confidence seemed to have taken a bashing. One of the women that had interviewed her had been more a little standoffish and Elodie hadn’t felt great vibes from her, and the others had been, at best, OK. But she was trying to stay positive and told herself that something great would be just around the corner. She just needed patience and a positive mental attitude.

  She scan
ned her inbox. There was the usual junk mail, fifteen per cent off her favourite clothing website and a whole host of stuff that she wasn’t interested in. There were also two rejection letters. Elodie sighed and thought that maybe she needed help with her interview technique. She scrolled down and about halfway down was an email from an address she didn’t recognise. Her pulse quickened as she double- clicked, before doing a double- take. She skimmed the email twice, and then a third time just to make doubly sure she had read it properly.

  Dear Miss Taylor,

  We are delighted to inform you that your application with ‘Zip Air’ has been successful and that we would like to invite you to join our team. An introduction day has been arranged for Thursday 1st June commencing at 9 am. Please phone the above number to book your place, cite your uniform requirements and your unique employee code as listed. We look forward to seeing you then.

  Warmest regards,

  Vanessa Jane Priestly

  Cabin Manager.

  Her hands shook slightly. The moment she’d been waiting for was finally here: the start of her career. All the rejection, the failed interviews and the feelings of being not quite good enough melted away as she re- read the email once more. She wished more than anything that Carla or Steph were here to share her news. A text message would have to suffice; she got out her phone, took a picture of the screen and sent it to her friends. Elodie waited, staring at the group chat, expecting any moment to see excited replies from her friends, but nothing came. The message had been delivered, and read, yet still, there was nothing. No words of congratulations, nothing at all. There wasn’t so much as even a thumbs- up emoji, which would have been insulting at first but now would be rather gratefully received.

  Elodie looked at her watch. She knew that both of them were at the café. Carla, although doing well with her modelling, wasn’t about to give up the comforting stability of a regular pay packet just yet. This was something Elodie had regretted doing up until this moment in time. Now, throwing caution to the wind, packing it all in and chasing her dreams seemed like the best decision in the entire world. She smiled to herself: she had an overwhelming urge to hang out of the balcony and scream at the top of her lungs that she had done it, but propriety forced her hand so instead she did a little fist bump as the word “Yes!” escaped her lips. She looked at her phone again, still nothing from the girls. ‘They’re probably busy, rushed off their feet or something,’ she thought to herself as she got up and poured herself a small glass of rosé wine. She leant over the kitchen counter and took a sip. She had done it, and not even being ignored by her friends could take that away from her.