Chapter Nine

Nick sat down behind her on the bed. He wanted to pacify her, but he was at a loss for words. While he had much to say, his thoughts were too garbled to make sense. “Hey. . . yo, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry and all. . . and it’s. . . uhm. . . just that. . . uhm. . . ah, forget it.” It didn’t matter anyway. She wouldn’t look at him or acknowledge his presence.

Finally, he gave into the notion that he was doing more harm than good, and wisely got up to leave. He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before slipping out of the room. Melanie pretended not to notice. She wished she could hate him, and maybe she did. It was too unfamiliar a sentiment for her to recognize. He evoked far more emotion than her sheltered little world had prepared her for. She liked feeling in control, and when he was anywhere near, she was in a state of perpetual turmoil. Now, that, she hated.

He flopped down on the couch in the girls’ living room and returned several calls on his cell phone. His eyes drifted over to Brent and Sam who were saying a rather passionate goodbye in the doorway of the kitchen. This would be the first of many times, he thought wryly. Although he felt a twinge of envy, he wasn’t going to allow himself to wallow in self-pity. Brent deserved to find a nice girl and Samantha was a sweetheart. Nick wasn’t ready for anything that would tie him down. He had it made - success, money, fame and women everywhere, willing to fulfill his every fantasy. His life was fucking perfect, thank you very much. At least, that’s what he told himself.

"Do you want to tell me what that was about?" Brent asked as they left.

"What?"

"Yeah, whatever! You know. What was going down between you and Melanie?"

"Nuthin' much. . . we got a little closer before she split with Howie, is all."

Brent smirked. Although Nick’s demeanor made it abundantly clear that the topic wasn’t open for conversation, Brent persisted.

“How much closer?”

"None-of-your-fucking-business closer." Nick answered matter-of-factly.

A heavy silence surrounded them. Nick's uncharacteristic rudeness was embarrassing. "Damn. . . that close, huh?" Brent replied at last.

Nick glanced over at his friend without saying another word.

*************************

Melanie's eyes stung from the dim, artificial lighting in the library. She'd been at it all day, painstakingly researching her paper on the history of the novel. As engrossing as it was, fatigue and hunger were beginning to distract her. She was ready to pack it in and checked the time on her watch. It was 5:45 pm. She had put in enough hours and carefully closed the delicate antique book with its age-stained pages. It had been a productive day, she thought as she gathered her papers. A brief glimpse of a tall blonde male, walking through a nearby aisle reminded her of the weekend’s events, and her mind began to wander.

A throbbing band of tension formed around her forehead, nearly blinding her with its intensity. Her need for fresh air and food was more immediate than she had realized. An escape into her studies had also made her forget the other reason her eyes were sore. She hadn't cried as much in the last two months as she had this past weekend. She pondered the unlikelihood of a chance encounter with Nick, and marveled at the cruelty of fate. She'd been able to lie to herself and to people who didn't know “her and Howie” that their parting was amicable and civil. It had been nothing at all, except heartbreaking. Nick's presence held up a mirror to her when she had become so skilled at avoiding the truth. Denial was no longer a safe haven.

Standing outside the library doors, she scrounged around in her backpack for the apple she’d tossed in that morning. When, at last, she found it, she sank her teeth into it, tasting the sweet juices trickle down her throat. It would have to do until she could grab a quick dinner. She swung the bag onto her back, and walked down the street, in the direction of the place she called home.

Between pangs of guilt, Nick admired her brisk, purposeful strides. He felt like a stalker. Hell, he was a stalker, even though it was Brent who called to tell him where she was. Sam had suggested that Melanie might welcome a nice meal and pleasant company after a long day at the library, and provided him with the address.

Brent and Sam had it wrong, but that didn’t matter. He did want to talk to her. He owed her an apology, for one. After yesterday’s parting, Nick had thought of little else but how to make things right for Melanie and Howie. If only he could find the words to express himself without hurting her feelings or getting himself in trouble. Until he could trust himself not to be moron, he wouldn’t get out of his truck.

It was only when she stopped suddenly at a small diner, within the next block, he re-evaluated his decision to remain in his vehicle. After fifteen minutes, impatience won out, and he found himself walking into the college hangout. Nick immediately felt conspicuous. Although no one approached him, he nervously sensed recognition in some of the female faces. Mel was at the counter, eyeing a lackluster menu, and nodding half-heartedly at an eager male who was trying to engage her in a conversation. It was rather one-sided and Nick almost felt sorry for the guy.

“There you are!”

Melanie looked up to see Nick, but the look she gave him made him think he had grown horns.

“Why are you here?” She asked frostily.

“Did it get cold in here or what?” Nick enlisted the sympathy of the poor sap, sitting next to her at the counter. “Baby, don’t make me beg. I’ve got dinner waiting for you. Your favorite, too.”

She could have quite happily strangled him. He had been recognized, and instead of making a scene, she went quietly with him. She might have known he would show up. Nothing surprised her anymore about him. How had he known where she was?

“What was that about? You, of all people, should know how it feels when someone invades your space. Pardon my bluntness, Nick, but leave me alone. I have nothing to say to you. I just want to lick my wounds and move on. Is that so hard to understand?”

Nick allowed her to talk, uninterrupted, while they both walked in the direction of his truck. She climbed in without thinking, and waited for him to get in before she spoke again.

“I’ve almost got my shit together again, then you show up. You and I fucked, nothing more, nothing less. No offense but as nice as it was, it cost me. . . everything I wanted, only I was too stupid to see it at the time.”

And I had been worried about hurting her feelings again, Nick thought sarcastically. He couldn’t deny how she felt, but Nick remembered their night together as more than “nice”. He held his wounded ego in check, and reminded himself that seeing her and Howie together would be worth the venom she was directing at him now.

“Listen. I have an idea. Hear me out, okay. I promise, no come-ons. I feel real bad about you and D. Both y’all are miserable. Don’t argue. You are.” He added, when he saw she was about to interrupt. “I have someone who cooks for me and leaves these amazing meals. Come have dinner with me. Hear my plan. You can even relax in the hot tub or pool for a while. I bet you could do with a nice break.”

Melanie raised a cynical eyebrow at him. “Hot tub, Nick ?”

“I promise you. . . no hands.” He let go of the steering wheel in a symbolic gesture. “I will behave.” To Melanie, the whole exercise seemed pointless but that Nick had given it so much thought made her curious. She hoped she wasn’t being naďve. Her gullibility was legendary.

They pulled into the gated community, and drove for a few minutes before they reached his home. It’s shrouded entry was set back from the road; in all likelihood to secure his privacy. The home itself reminded her of a sprawling Spanish hacienda with its off-white stucco exterior and red clay roof. Nick seemed pleased that she’d noticed and try as she could, she couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm.

“Wait till you see the view. That’s why I bought this place. I don’t get here as often as I’d like cause we’re on the road all the time, but I’m glad we have a little break right now. Wait till you see it.” He repeated himself.

He was bursting to show off the spectacular seascape, knowing she shared his love of the water. It was important to him that he impress her and even the most committed landlubbers were awestruck by the magnificence of his surroundings.

She peered longingly through the sliding glass doors at the beautifully landscaped pool enclosure. And magically, just beyond the manmade glory of Nick’s pool was nature’s perfection, a multi-colored sun setting over the expansive ocean. She regretted not having a bathing suit.

Nick had left Melanie to explore while he checked in the kitchen for their meal. Anita had done exactly what he requested, right down to serving each portion. All he would have to do was heat and carry out. The woman deserved a raise.

He went in search of Mel, and found her where he should have looked first, his favorite place. She was captivated by the coppery sunset, which reflected off relatively calm waters. He watched her for a moment, equally captivated by her and almost forgetting his promise.

She sighed and said softly, “This view is to die for. It’s certainly your own little bit of heaven.” She had known he was there all along, feeling an unexpected camaraderie with him.

“Hey, you don’t mind dogs, do you? Can I let them out here?”

She turned to look at him sharply. “Like them? I love them. Where are they? I thought I heard some strange noises. Is it them? How many?”

She moved from door to door, looking for the elusive pugs. Nick almost burst out laughing. He hadn’t seen her this excited about anything. “You and Howie never bought a dog or even talked about it. I figured you weren’t dog people.”

“We’re planners. Howie even more than I am. Everything in its time. I suspect I’m more of a dog person than him.”

“Yeah, I think you’re probably right. You can get your dog fix with me. Tell ya’ what, I’ll give you a dog for an engagement present.” Nick laughed, but he immediately regretted his words when he saw Melanie’s face.

“Nick,” she stopped to touch his arm, “don’t play with me.”

“Girl, I’m not playing with you. You two belong together, and somehow, we’re gonna get you back together, okay?” He looked deeply into the tearful brown depths of her eyes.

The yelping of the dogs interrupted a very difficult moment. The four pugs leapt over each other to gain Nick’s attention. He let them outside before they were allowed the run of the house. Melanie roughhoused with them on the floor, permitting them to lick her face and climb onto her lap. They were an affectionate and noisy group who only settled down to a quiet time after an intensive play period and a bowl of their favorite food.

“Why don’t you take a swim while I get dinner ready?”

“I don’t have a bathing suit. Just a small oversight.”

“I bet I have some women’s suits here.”

“No doubt. . .” Mel answered dryly.

“Why do you say that?”

“You have a lot of lady friends and you’re a free agent of sorts.”

“You’ve got me all wrong.” Nick got up to check the pool cabana for extra bathing suits.

He returned with three outrageously tiny bikinis, one tankini, and a thong --none of which were great options.

“You’re kidding, right?”

“You would have worn one of these at Howie’s place.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve gained weight.”

“Yeah, and so what? My vote goes to the thong. There’s less to have to fit into.”

“You’re incorrigible, do you know that?”

“If I knew what the word meant, I might.”

“. . . beyond help, just bad.” She saw and heard him chuckle. “I know you mean well, but I can’t put on any of those bathing suits. I’d die of embarrassment.” Nick eyes appraised her as if he were seeing her for the first time. He seemed surprised to see the uncertainty there. He had always liked her feisty attitude, but also appreciated seeing the softer side. Howie liked really confident women, even a little high maintenance. This side of Melanie might not be as appealing to him.

“The first thing we’ve got to do, to get you and Howie back together, is to get you feeling good about yourself again. You’re beautiful. You probably weigh more than you’re happy about. Man, I sure know about that. I get picked on about it all the time. I hate it. Fucking AJ forgets to eat. Even Howie does. Brian too. How do you forget to eat?”

“Yeah really,” Mel agreed, “that’s a whole new realm of idiocy I haven’t explored.”

“Me neither.” They roared at the concept, enjoying the joke at the expense of the skinnies.

“Wear one of the bathing suits. The thong or this one might fit. And I’ll bring you a shirt of mine that you can use as a cover and then our dinner, to the poolside.”

Mel eliminated all three bikinis immediately. The thong gave her about as much coverage as a Band-Aid, and the tankini while, being snug and not particularly flattering, was the best choice. The bikini bottoms gave generous glimpses of buttocks and thigh but wasn’t obscene. The top was too tight. It settled on her mid-riff and clung suggestively to her full breasts.

She changed and jumped into the pool before Nick returned with the shirt. The water welcomed her. She had forgotten how good it felt to be immersed and stood enjoying the hum of the motor, and the feel of the rushing filtered water entering the pool.

Nick smiled indulgently when he saw her. He knew exactly how she felt. He dropped the shirt on a nearby chair and re-entered the house. He bent down to pick up one of the puppies who had followed him dutifully from room to room. He snuggled into the pushed in face of the pug, and nuzzled her neck, enjoying the little dog’s grunt of appreciation. They were that little bit of normal he had in his life, he reflected. They asked for so little and gave so much.

Caesar salad with wonderful homemade light dressing. Check.

Angel hair pasta, prima vera with olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Check.

No, wait. I have to heat it up in the microwave first, Nick thought.

Beer. Nope. Better not. Wine. Maybe one glass would be okay. Check.

Nick programmed his stereo system to play music while they ate, and then carried in their dinners on two trays. Mel was climbing out of the pool as he brought in the second one. She hadn’t noticed him yet, but he certainly saw her.

Jesus, he muttered. How was he supposed to think straight when that top fit like that? She was right when she said it wouldn’t fit. She must have gained half her weight in her breasts. This was fucking ridiculous. He placed the tray on the hand carved marble table, and rushed back into the house for the wine.

When he returned with the two glasses of chilled white wine, she was already seated. He sat down quickly, fearful that his pants would reveal his thoughts and scare her off. He really needed to find a woman soon. His own woman.

Nick wasn’t going to make a play for Melanie, regardless of what his body wanted. He was going to get her and Howie back together. They needed each other, and he needed to have things go back to the way they were.