Catching Up With Chloe Ch 01

Author's note:

This is a story with a long genesis. I started writing it in August 2021 on The Changing Mirror, trying for the first time to write a story a little each day without the benefit of a plan to guide me. I'm normally very structured, and I won't touch stories without a semi-set idea in my mind of where the story should go and many of the key scenes along the way - well, that experiment demonstrated to me that I stick to plans for a reason. I hit roadblocks, I didn't know where I was going, and begrudgingly, I put the story to one side.

But I knew that I wasn't going to leave it, not at all. I knew that there was a good story there, this tale of Jessica and Chloe and the kind of role reversal that I love could all click together if I just knuckled down and figured it all out. In a wonderful turn of events, my work inspired others to write, and then their work inspired me in return to revisit this story in the hopes I could put it all together. Well, that time has come, and hopefully it will be worth the wait - finally, it's properly time to catch up with Chloe!

***

This was not a meeting that Jessica Beckinsale wanted to have at all.

She was sitting at a table outside a funky coffee bar near to the office where she worked as an HR manager, waiting for her twelve o'clock appointment to turn up. He was a creep - a guy called Jeff who didn't quite understand where to keep his hands - and she thought that a public setting was probably a safer one.

He wouldn't try anything too lecherous here, she'd hoped.

She sipped her coffee, and caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror.

She was young - she'd only just turned 25 a few weeks ago - and she was beautiful. Her brunette hair, usually long and flowing, was held up in a bun, and her face was tastefully made-up. Everything, from the small hoop earrings to the nude lipstick shade to the determined expression, was intended to convey professionalism, and that applied to her outfit too.

Jessica wore a business suit - it was charcoal grey, sleek and tailoring to her, and a crimson blouse that oozed both power and style. She paired them with some two-inch black heels - again, dominant and stylish while appropriate for work. She dressed to impress, and she'd perfected that ability.

She checked her watch again - Jeff was now six minutes late. No texts, no calls, nothing to let her know - that was typical of him.

She hated timewasters - if you were working, or a professional person, you should act like it.

"Jess?" came a voice from behind her.

A woman's voice - that certainly wasn't Jeff, then.

"Jess, is that you? Jess Beckinsale?"

She turned her head, intrigued, and looked at the woman. She struggled to place her, but the woman stepped in to fill the blank: "Jess, it's me - Chloe Wilson. You remember?"

Chloe Wilson - wow, it

couldn't

be. The moment she'd heard the name, she'd placed her - they were friends at school, and had been thick as thieves at one time. But, after Jessica had got top marks and moved across the country to a top university, the two friends fell out of contact. There was nothing malicious about it - Jessica met new people and moved on, while Chloe - well, in all honesty, she didn't

know

what had happened to Chloe at all.

She realised at that moment that she rarely thought of her old friend, and felt a little guilty.

"Of course," she got to her feet with a smile, masking her shame, "Chloe - how are you?"

Chloe smiled, and wandered over, giving Jessica a big hug.

Jessica gave Chloe a once-over when the hug finished.

Her former friend had had black hair when she last knew her, but it was clearly dyed blonde now (there was just a hint of black in the roots), and it hung over her shoulders. Her face was pretty, but she'd clearly had some work done - her lips were plump, and her eyebrows plucked down to the bare minimum. She, like Jessica, was 25.

On her legs, she wore dirty black leggings that led down to distressed brown military boots. On her top, a loose white top that exposed her midriff, and barely seemed to pass her decently-sized breasts, and a cheap leather jacket that had clearly seen better days.

Looking at her, it was hard to imagine that she'd come from the same background - they had moved into two different worlds, and they'd probably never have met again outside of a coincidence like this.

"I can't believe it," Chloe said, "how long has it been?"

"Too long, Chloe."

"You look so

good

," the blonde said, enthusiasm in her voice, before seeming to notice Jessica's attire and the extra chair at the table. "Oh fuck, sorry, I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Despite herself, Jessica laughed.

"I wish - my appointment didn't even bother to show up. I'd rather catch up with you, Chloe - if you're not busy, pull up a seat."

She checked her watch: "Well, maybe I've got time for a quick coffee."

---

Chloe sat down with her cup, and then pulled a pack of cigarettes from her jacket pocket. Jessica watched on, curious and a little bemused, to see her friend lighting up.

"How long have you smoked, Chloe?"

"A few years now - I just fell into it, really. Shit happens. Never mind that - what's happened to you? You look so snazzy - I knew you were moving on to big things."

"Well, not really," she was modest but proud of her achievements. "There was an internship in the final year of uni - I went for it, got it, and then I've stayed with the same company since. I found a good thing - I just got lucky, really."

"So what do you do?"

"I'm in HR - I like dealing with people."

Chloe smiled: "And, in a few more years, you'll be running your company, I know it!"

Jessica smiled in return - her friend's flattery was very sweet.

"Please, enough about me, Chloe - I haven't seen you in ages. What have you been up to?"

She took another drag from her cigarette, and casually exhaled. Jessica instinctively recoiled a little - she didn't overly like the smell, and didn't want it on her clothes.

"Not much, really," Chloe shrugged. "I've gone from job to job - I've always had something to pay the bills, and a little extra for fun. I've been with this place for a just over a year now - a club here in town - but I'm thinking of moving on." She smiled. "Moving up, really, just like you - you've always been a bit of a role model, you know."

Jessica blushed a little.

She was flattered - she didn't know Chloe felt that way at all. The memories of their time together had come flooding back, and she remembered Chloe being at the centre of their social circle. If anyone was a role model, it was Chloe - all the girls wanted to be like

her

. They wanted to be part of Chloe's friend group, and for Chloe to like them, and they'd do anything she asked of them if it meant they'd be close to her.

Jess was no different - she knew that their friendship was largely Chloe-oriented when they were at school, and she was stunned that her friend thought otherwise.

Chloe suddenly changed the subject:

"You know, it's the funniest thing - I actually have an interview in a few hours. Scary times, but then I bump into you. I don't suppose, Jess, you'd help me out a little bit? If you've got HR skills, you're

bound

to be able to give me some tips."

Jessica smiled, and placed a hand on Chloe's in a friendly gesture.

"Of course I will, Chloe. What do you need?"

"Well," she rubbed her head and took another drag, "for a start, when the interviewer asks me about my weaknesses, what the

fuck

am I actually meant to say?"

***

They sat at that cafe for a long time, Chloe drilling Jessica on any interview question she could think of and taking notes on her phone of every answer her friend provided. Having an actual HR manager on her side to tell her the kinds of answers a professional company would expect was

invaluable

- thank fuck, she thought, that Jess recognised her and was happy to help.

"I'm walking to the interview, Jess," Chloe said, rising to her feet, "and I should probably make a move now. Get there nice and early, you know - I knew that one even before you told me. I don't know if you have to go back to work, but I'd love you to come with me if you can?"

Jessica checked the time - it was a few minutes past one and, if she was honest, she'd prefer the walk. She wasn't one for skirting on work, but the afternoon was slated for dealing with everything Jeff-related, and he hadn't showed up.

"You know what, Chloe - the office won't need me this afternoon. Let me just call my secretary for a sec, and then we can walk and talk."

---

A casual stroll through the city in the sun gave Jessica and Chloe the opportunity to speak a little more, but both women agreed that it wasn't enough - they needed to have a night together, and soon, to properly catch up.

Chloe wasn't saying too much about herself, but Jessica suspected that was just down to worry about the interview. If she knew her friend, when they met up in a social setting, Chloe would be in her element. So she didn't push it for now - she knew how awful it was, that feeling of going for a new job.

They stopped outside a building that Jessica knew - it was a media firm that operated in tens of countries around the world, and was a major name in the field. Her company had done some accounts for it last year - if Chloe had an interview

here

, she was on her way up, and Jessica really hoped that she'd get the position.

But what were they doing here

now

? She assumed Chloe was going to tidy up a little bit first, not come straight to the business. Jessica asked her friend the question.

"I told you, Jess - I've got an interview - I'm gonna be a receptionist in a fancy place like this, thanks to you."

Jessica arched an eyebrow:

"But, I mean, you're not going in dressed like that, are you?"

"What d'you mean, Jess?"

"Your outfit, Chloe - it looks good, but it doesn't look professional, and that's what you need. If you walked into my office dressed like that, angling for a job, you'd be out the door like

that

."

Worry crept into Chloe's face - she popped another cigarette in her mouth, and lit up. Jessica noticed a little tremble in her hands - she'd clearly upset her.

"Oh, fuck it," she sounded annoyed, and angrily stomped on the ground in frustration. "Oh, I knew this would go fucking wrong - I can never catch a break."

"Hey, it's alright," Jessica tried to calm her down, "this can be dealt with. Have we got time to go to yours and change into something else?"

She checked the time on her phone.

"I don't think so. No, I

know

so - my interview's in twenty minutes - there's no way we'd get to the flat in time. And I don't have anything else anyway - I thought

this

was good. Oh, fuck it. Why did I even bloody well bother?"

She took another drag - a big one - as Jessica took her by the arm and pulled her away from the building. If she was going to be cursing and smoking and making a scene, doing it right outside her potential place of work probably wasn't the best idea. Jessica led her across the street, to a nice green space, and the two women sat on a bench.

"Try not to panic, Chloe," Jessica offered her a reassuring smile, "there's always a solution to any problem. We just need to think - maybe you could call, ask to reschedule?"

Chloe appreciated her friend trying to help. After a final drag, she stubbed out the smoke with her boot and looked at Jessica - how could she be such a fuck-up when her friend was so smart, so on-the-ball, so professional.

Hold on a minute

, she thought. An idea struck her - a surreal, mad idea, but she liked it and she thought it might even work.

"I've already rescheduled twice - they told me I can't do it again or they won't even meet with me. But you know what, Jess? I've had an idea - I know what to do."

"Great," Jessica was pleased her friend was sounding better, "what are we going to do?"

"Don't say 'no' to this out of hand, Jess," Chloe sounded apprehensive, as though she couldn't believe what she was going to suggest, "but you don't need to go back to your office, and I need a business outfit now. How about, for the next hour or so, we swap clothes? I wear your outfit, blow the interviewer away and then we swap back.

"What d'you think?

***

'What am I doing?' Jessica thought to herself as she unbuttoned her blouse.

In an effort to help Chloe with her job interview, Jessica had agreed that she could borrow her work outfit for the next hour or so - with professional attire and a head full of the best answers that Jessica could provide to blow away the interviewers, there was no way that Chloe could fail.

On the walk to the media building, they'd passed a public toilet, and Chloe suggested they run back and make the switch there. There was something in her enthusiasm, her sheer belief that this would work, that convinced Jessica.

That didn't surprise her - when they were in school, Chloe was always really good at pushing her to try things. She was outgoing, and outgoing people tended to dominate - that dynamic seemed to have reasserted itself.

A sign on the toilet door indicated that the cubicle was a large, single space, and that paying a pound would get you access for five minutes.

"Fucking rip-off," Chloe said as she pushed a coin into the doorway, "but I suppose it'll have to do."

The door unlocked and swung open, allowing both women access.

They went inside, and Chloe locked it. There was a baby-changing station - she pulled it down, and looked to Jessica: "Here, you can pop your stuff on here, Jess."

Chloe was wasting no time - she hung her leather jacket on a hook on the back of the cubicle door, and then removed her loose top. She'd unzipped one of her brown boots and pulled it off when she noticed that Jessica hadn't moved - she was just standing there, watching.

"You better get undressed, Jess," Chloe said, "we don't have too long."

Chloe had removed both of her shoes and placed her socks on top before Jessica even removed her suit jacket. Her friend was just pulling down her leggings, and she looked to Jessica in exasperation.

"Jess, I'm not being funny, but you need to hurry the fuck up."

The comment shook her, and brought her back into the room. She realised that this was a 'now or never' situation, and she opted for now. She stepped out of her heels, and slid her charcoal grey suit trousers down her legs, placing them atop the jacket. She undid the top buttons of her red blouse, and slipped it off over her head - ordinarily, she'd have undone them all, but she just didn't have time. That left her standing there in her skin-tone sheer tights and a matching lace bra and panties. She couldn't wear the tights with Chloe's leggings, she thought, so they'd have to go too - she slid them down her legs as fast as she could.

She was ready to change - she turned her attention back to Chloe, and saw that she was completely naked. She had her arms folded, just about covering up her breasts, and a confused look on her face.

"Why have you stopped, Jess?"

"You can't be serious," Jessica wasn't impressed. "You want to wear my underwear too?"

"I don't

want

to," she said, "but it's part of the outfit. Smart outfit, smart underwear - it all goes together, obviously."

Jessica didn't think that at all, and she would have argued but for the time factor. She was almost naked, Chloe was naked, and they didn't have time for an argument - the only thing that would get them both out of there in a few minutes, fully dressed, was fully swapping clothes, and Jessica was a realist about all else.

"Fine, here," she said, unclipping her bra. She passed it to Chloe, who set about putting it on as Jessica removed her underpants and placed them on the pile.

Now, fully naked in that bathroom, Jessica had one thought on her mind - getting dressed again, and fast.

She'd left her clothes on the baby-changing station, and hoped that Chloe would have done something similar. No such luck - with the exception of the leather jacket, hung up, the remaining clothes were in a pile on the floor. She would have passed a comment, but her mind had a sole focus.

She picked up Chloe's bra - it was simple, black and looked cheap, a marked contrast from her own - and put it on. She looked for the pants, and eventually realised that the flimsy piece of material on the ground - a string thong, and barely that was what Chloe had been wearing. Jesus, she thought, what was Chloe thinking?

But she didn't have time to complain - she looked at her friend, who was wearing her underwear and sliding her tights up her legs - and she could put up with it. It was only an hour or so, after all, but it'd be an unpleasant one - it felt like she was flossing her pussy when she put it on.

Jessica put on the dirty black leggings - they were plain and black, but they

felt

dirty. She didn't usually wear leggings - she was a jeans person in a casual setting - but they were comfortable enough, she thought. She'd have preferred to keep wearing the tailored trousers that Chloe had just put on, she thought.

Then, tops. Chloe pulled on the blouse, and flicked her hair through, before doing up the top buttons. Jessica watched as she grabbed the loose white top Chloe had tossed to the floor - she pulled it over her head, and could clearly detect the smell of smoke as it passed her face. God, why did Chloe touch those things, she wondered? She'd never have pegged her turning out to be a smoker. But then, people changed, didn't they? For the moment, she was thinking about this top - it hung loose, but felt tight at the top, as if accentuating her boobs for whoever wanted to look.

She sat on the ground to put on Chloe's socks and boots, and was next to her own heels as Chloe stood into them.

Jessica had just managed to zip the boots up when the five minutes were up - the toilet door unlocked of its own accord and swung open, revealing the two women to the outside world once more.

"Fastest I ever got dressed, Jess," Chloe smiled as she walked out. Jessica listened to the click of a heel on the pavement - her heels, but Chloe's heels until she got the receptionist job and they could change back.

Chloe had Jessica's charcoal grey blazer in her hand, and she put it on as Jessica left the toilet. Jessica followed with the leather jacket, and she followed Chloe's lead.

"Thank you so much, Jess," Chloe smiled, and gave her a big hug. "I won't forget this - I'll get that job and do you fucking proud, I promise."

"I'm sure you will, Chloe," she said. "Come on, let's get back - we can't go through all of this and then turn up late."

They walked back to the entertainment office - Chloe strode, a different form of confidence in her walk now she looked like a professional. Jessica instinctively fell behind, walking and not entirely appreciating the feeling of the thong she was wearing.

It wasn't far, and they were soon back, and Chloe looked a little nervous.

"Fuck, what if I blow it, Jess? Have I got time for a smoke, steady my nerves a little?"

"You're not going to blow it," Jessica was friendly but firm. "And I'd rather you didn't smoke in my clothes, please."

"Yes, yes, you're right," she said. "Sorry, I don't mean to panic."

She composed herself, and tried to exhale her worries away.

"Okay, I've got this - I'm going to go and fucking smash it, Jess. I'll see you on the other side."

The business-suited Chloe marched into the building, ready to get a new job. Jessica watched her go, and decided to wander around the area.

The thong rubbed her the wrong way.

"The sooner I'm out of these clothes," she said to no-one in particular, "the better."