If Tomorrow Never Comes
Chapter 10
“Morning…” Melanee said groggily, walking into the kitchen to find Shane eating breakfast
in his bathrobe. “Morning, Hun,” he said brightly, “how are you feeing?”
“Crap, actually,” Melanee said, before coughing loudly into a tissue, “you?”
“I’m pretty good,” Shane said, looking up at Mel, with milk dribbling all down his
chin.
Mel spluttered and started laughing, “Shane, you’ve…” she pointed to his chin, then
laughed some more, before being cut off by the door bell.
“I'll get it,” Melanee said, trying to control her laughter, “you just wipe that
milk off your face, Hun.”
Shane shook his head, and grabbed a tissue, while Melanee answered the door.
“hello?” she said, pulling open the large, oak door.
“Hi Melanee,” a nervous looking Nicky said, on the opposite side of the door, “May
I come in?” “Sure, Nicky,” Melanee said, letting him in, and closing the door.
“I’m sorry to just drop by without calling…” Nicky said, clearly embarrassed, “but
we all tried to call Shane last night and he didn’t seem to answer, at his home or
mobile, and we were wondering if you knew where he was?”
“Oh,” Melanee said, smiling at Nicky, “he spent the night here, and I turned off
his phone, because… I was doing something with him, that really couldn’t be interrupted.”
“Who is it, Melly?” Shane called from the kitchen.
“It’s Nicky,” Mel called back, gesturing Nicky to follow her to the kitchen.
“Oh,” Shane said, surprised by his friend’s unexpected visit, “hi Nicky, what are
you doing here?”
“Hi Shane,” Nicky said, “the lads and I were just a little worried about ya, cos
you weren’t at home, and you weren’t answering your mobile.”
“Oh yeah,” Shane said, nodding his head, “Mel and I were…doing something… last night,
so I had the mobile off.”
Shane smiled over at Melanee, who returned the smile, widely.
Nicky looked at Mel and Shane in turn.
Shane was wearing a white bathrobe with nothing but boxers on, as far as Nicky could
tell, and was just wearing a small singlet and a pair of underpants, not that she
seemed bothered by it.
Nicky remembered Shane’s and Mel’s words, ‘we were doing something’, Nicky wondered
what could have been so important that Shane couldn’t have his mobile on.
He looked back at what Melanee and Shane were wearing-or what they weren’t wearing.
“Nicky?” Melanee said, looking across at him worriedly, “Are you okay, you’ve been
staring at us for a couple of minutes now.”
Nicky quickly straightened up and put his hand through his hair, “oh, well, I’m just
gonna go now,” he said, quickly, walking toward the door, “I'll tell the lads you’re
fine and that you were just…. ‘with’ Mel.”
Nicky walked out without saying goodbye.
Melanee looked strangely over at Shane, who also had a puzzled expression on his
face.
“What was that all about?” Melanee asked, “why did he say ‘with’ so strangely?”
Shane shrugged, “I have no idea, I mean it was as if….”
“What?” Melanee said, looking at Shane, “oh you don’t mean?”
“No,” Shane said, quickly, shrugging off the idea, “he knows that were not…”
“Yeah,” Melanee said, nodding her agreement, “he wouldn’t think that, just because,
we’re here, together…. Half dressed….”
Shane frowned, “no, because Nicky wouldn’t….” he said slowly.
“Shit,” Melanee said, rubbing her temples with her hand.
They both just sat there in silence for a while, until the phone startled them both
back into reality. “I'll get it,” Shane said, slowly walking toward the phone.
“Hello?” he said, slowly, still a little dazed.
“Er…hi,” a girl said on the other line, “may I speak to Melanee Spencer, please.”
“Sure, may I ask who’s speaking,” Shane said, signalling to Melanee that it was for
her. “Well, I’m an old friend,” the girl said, “my name’s Gillian.”
Shane froze to the spot, and started breathing heavily.
“Who is it?” Melanee whispered, to Shane. “Gillian!” Shane mouthed back.
“Oh my god,” Melanee shrieked, taking the phone out of Shane’s hand.
“GILL!” Melanee said, in a high pitched girlie voice.
“MELLY!” Gill said in the same sorta voice, “how are you?”
“Oh, I’m good,” Melanee said, excitedly, “wow, I can’t believe it’s you!”
“Wow, me neither,” Gillian replied, “we have to meet up.”
“Yes, we do!” Melanee said, flipping open her dairy that was by the phone, “I’m free
on Thursday?” “Cool,” Gillian said, “I’m so looking forward to it.”
Melanee checked her watch and nearly dropped the phone, “oh, crap, Gill I gotta run,”
Melanee said frantically, “I have to be at a photo shoot in 15 minutes.”
“Photo shoot?” Gillian said, surprised, “what are you doing with yourself, Mel?”
“I'll explain on Thursday, luv,” Melanee said, “I really have to run.”
“Okay, I'll call you,” Gillian said, before hanging up.
Mel hung up the phone and cursed numerous times, before she noticed Shane’s lost
expression. “What?” Melanee said, pulling on a short, blue skirt.
“That was Gillian,” he said, smiling.
“Oh god,” Melanee sighed, grabbing a brush and doing her hair.
“Wow…” Shane murmured.
Melanee checked herself in the mirror, and cursed again.
“Oh well,” she said, grabbing her cell phone and keys, “Shane I gotta go, I'll call
you, okay,” With that, Melanee ran out the door to her car.
Inside Shane was just smiling happily to himself.