offered Claire a driver, but she wanted to walk. The busy city and warm weather created an exhilarating atmosphere. She longed to be outside and on her own short schedule. Cartier was her first stop. She found another pair of sunglasses. They were like the ones from New York, except black, which would be better for winter. Although that was her thought, she wondered if she would really be with Tony all winter. Compartmentalize. Right now, her plan was to enjoy this afternoon and some shopping, the rest would work itself out.
Her familiarity with the magnificent mile proved advantageous to her goal. She didn’t have Eric to pick up packages, so she didn’t buy anything too bulky. However, she managed some smaller bags from Saks, Anne Fontaine, Armani, and Louis Vuitton. Claire approached the Trump Tower and her watch said she had thirty minutes to spare. She stopped in the coffee shop for a quick café mocha. In Iowa she mostly drank plain coffee, very high quality and amazingly delicious. This afternoon she was living and decided a little chocolate would hit the spot.
Sitting at the table surrounded by her packages, sipping her café mocha, Claire’s mind wandered. Her life seemed to have taken a turn. The last few weeks were much better than months earlier, so much better than she could have predicted. She had talked with Emily, if only for a few minutes. She thought about the rules: the speaker phone, limitations, and the briefness of the call. It took a magnitude of compartmentalization to concentrate on the affirmative aspect of the conversation. Nonetheless, she spoke with her sister and that made her happy. Then there was the barbeque, minus the unfortunate misunderstanding, which was a success. Tony introduced her to his friends and they were nice to her. The date with Tony the night before was romantic: dinner, walking, the play, and the activities until they fell asleep. Now she was sitting in Chicago, a destination she loved.
Smiling, she sipped her café mocha and thought about him. She hated him one day, then allowed her hair to change colors because he requested it. The more she thought about it, maybe allow wasn’t the appropriate word. Really, did she have an option? How could he hurt her one day and then make her feel so fulfilled the next? Her internal debate continued.
As she thought of him, feelings of lust pushed away the old feelings of fear. Remembering the sensation of his touch, the sound of his voice, and the taste of his skin, she wanted to believe this was a significant improvement. She wondered how she could be having these feelings, how she could enjoy his presence, and even look forward to being with him. She had read about Stockholm syndrome, maybe that was it. She knew it didn’t make sense, but she couldn’t deny the way she was beginning to feel. Preoccupied in her thoughts, she didn’t notice the woman approaching until she stood directly above her. “Claire, Claire Nichols is that really you?”
Claire looked up in disbelief, realizing that someone actually addressed her. She recognized Meredith Banks, a sorority sister from Valparaiso. It made sense, Valparaiso was nearby.
“Hello, Meredith, how are you?” Her voice reflected her genuine excitement and surprise at seeing someone from her past. They had roamed these streets together in another life.
“Gosh, I am great. How are you? You look amazing. I haven’t heard from you in ages!” Meredith looked at the other chair. “Do you mind if I join you for a few minutes?”
Apprehensively Claire looked at her watch. She needed to be upstairs by six, it was five forty. She considered appearances. It would be rude to not allow her to sit. Claire motioned with her hand. “Yes, please do.”
The two ladies talked about what brought them to Chicago. Meredith noted, looking at the booty surrounding Claire’s chair, she was obviously doing some shopping. She even noted that it was higher-end shopping than they did in college. Claire laughed it off, saying that even these stores had great deals. She couldn’t help think about Bonnie who had gauged the value of her clothing, wondering if Meredith was doing the same. Meredith asked if she saw any shows while in town. Claire told her she saw “Wicked” and enjoyed it very much. Did Claire remember the fun shows they used to watch and the concerts? Meredith mentioned she was in town for work. Where was Claire working? She seemed to know that