“It’s funny, you know.  Things can change like that.”  He snapped his fingers and stared at his audience.  “You know what, Jack.  It’s probably better this way. Let’s face it. She’s, well, she’s her, you know.” He sighed. Silence. “Yeah.”

He shifted in his chair. “I thought about it, you know. I figured out exactly when it started, and when it finished. 24 minutes. 24 bleeding minutes. Unbelieveable.”  He looked up from his glass.

“Thanks mate. You’ve been a great listener.”  He picked up the bottle of whisky and poured himself another glass.

Seven months earlier………

“Must we do this again? I’m in a hurry.” She glared at the man over her files.

“I’m sorry Miss O’Brian, but it’s protocol. No exceptions.”  She huffed at him before nodding sharply, dropping her files onto the desk.

“Fine, but make it quick, I have work that needs to be finished.”  She followed the man into the corridor.

“Chloe, may I call you Chloe?”  She glanced at him, then shrugged. “This isn’t just because of protocol. You’ve been through some very traumatic events in the last few years, and putting off our sessions isn’t going to help you in the long run.”

Chloe rolled her eyes at him, an exasperated look on her face.  “I haven’t been putting off our sessions. I’ve been busy. I do kind of have an important job to do.”  He nodded.

“I understand Chloe, but what you need matters.  You must learn to pull back from this place, your work.  I speak from experience, Chloe.”  He said as she turned her head to answer.  “I have seen dozens of employees of this office burn out from stress. They weren’t weak. They let this place become their world.”  She blinked at him before nodding once.

“I have a proposal for you.”  He continued, Chloe bit back a laugh.  “Sorry still married.” She raised her hand and wiggled her fingers at him, the ring glinting in the light.

“I propose that you take a vacation.”  She stopped walking suddenly, shaking her head at him emphatically.

“No time, totally impossible.”  He smiled sadly at her.

“That wasn’t actually a request Chloe.”  Her mouth dropped open, and then she glared at him.  “Ten days. No more, no less. No contact with the office. Effective immediately.”  Chloe looked about ready to hit him, and then suddenly shrugged her shoulders.

“Fine.”  She turned on her heel and stalked back towards the doors.  The man raised his eyebrow.

“That was easy.” He murmured, a puzzled look on his face. He glanced at his watch, 4:12pm. Then he headed back to his office to catch up on some filing.

‘I suppose this is a good thing.  Morris is always begging me to take some time off. That last brochure for Hawaii looked nice.  Hmmm.  Beach.  Sand.  Those cocktails with the little umbrellas.  We might be able to sort some stuff out.’  Chloe sighed as she picked up her phone and popped it into her bag.  Glancing over her desk, she switched off her computer.  She looked up.  “What?”  The tech glanced at her nervously.

“We lost some files in a routine update.” He said quickly.

“Not my problem.” She smiled at him, glancing at her watch.  “As of two minutes ago, I’m on vacation.  Have fun looking for them.”  She smiled evilly at him then, swinging her bag over her shoulder she moved around him and headed out of the room.

Ten minutes later Chloe was smiling to her herself as she drove along, for once enjoying the sunshine and complete lack of rush hour traffic.  The radio was playing some song she didn’t recognise, but hey, the tune was catchy.  She nodded her head to the beat, singing along with the chorus when she could.

Meanwhile………

“We don’t have time baby.  She’ll be home soon.”  A pout formed on her face.  “But I want you now.”  She smiled at him, unbuttoning her shirt.  He licked his lips.  “Well luv, if you insist.  Besides, rush hour traffic’s always bad on a Friday.”  He reached for her slowly.  “Plenty of time.”

Chloe blinked.  “Dinner.”  She said suddenly, indicating right.  Faced with the thought of having to cook something she grimaced.  “We’ll order out.”  She turned off the indicator.  The car behind honked at her angrily.  “Sheesh.  Take a valium, asshole.”  She murmured, speeding up a touch.   In ten minutes or so she’d be home.

They fell into the bedroom.  A trail of clothes left behind in their wake.  The phone had been knocked off the side table as they passed, unnoticed in their passion.

“Pick up damn it.”  She growled into the phone.  Fine.  She thought as she hung up the hands free set.  I’ll surprise him.  She turned the car off the main road and headed into the area where she lived.

“Yeah. Just. There, no there. Yes! Keep, going, oh god.”  Chloe opened the door and pulled out the key.  She heard a loud noise from her bedroom.  She frowned.  Gently, she placed her bag on the floor and moved towards the back of the apartment.

Anything but that.  Please.  Not again.  She thought as she slowly opened her bedroom door.  The light was on and she had a very good view of Morris and he lay sprawled on top of some woman.  She’s not as pretty as the last one.  She thought to herself. 

“Honey, I’m home.”  He turned slowly, a look of shock on his face.  He tried to speak but Chloe cut him off before he finished saying her name.

“Shut up. Just shut up.  You are so lucky I don’t have a gun right now.  I want you out.  Both of you.”  She turned around and left the room.  Morris stumbled after her, naked.

“Baby.  Wait.  It didn’t mean anything.  Chloe, look at me.  Please, I, I……”  She turned to him.  Her face blank.

“Did you memorise that, because it sounds like the same speech as last time.  This time, though, I’m not going to let you get what you want.  Get the fuck out of my house.  I don’t want to see you again.  Ever.  Understand.”  She shook her head, and looked at him, disgust written across her features.  She walked past him, heading towards the front door.  “I’ll be back in an hour.  If you’re still here I’m going to call the police and tell them you’re trespassing.  Goodbye Morris.”  She closed the door behind her, walked down the hallway and, picking up her bag, headed outside. 

When she finally stopped the car half an hour later her eyes were an angry red colour.  Oh god. Oh god.  Finally the dam broke, she curled up in her seat and cried.

Finally, when she stopped sobbing she started thinking.  Ten days, ten days.  Go.  Just go.  Where?  She frowned in thought.  “Nana.”  She straightened in her seat.  Turning the key she sniffed violently, glancing around for a tissue.  “Damn.”  She wiped her eyes on the back of her arm, leaving a streak of mascara on the white cotton.  She laughed to herself, a slight edge of hysteria tinged the sound.

She pulled out of the parking lot, and headed home to get her passport.