by Elias Taylor
Both he and Mel were at least on the same page about how their date needed to be secret, at least for now. And if Mitch knew, the update would be all over Lyndon within days. Even if Mitch swore to keep it secret, Tripp wouldn’t rest easy. All it took were a few strong drinks to unlock Mitch’s secrets. He would be spilling the news within hours, and he would totally forget everything he had let slip by the next morning.
On top of that, Tripp wasn’t entirely sure how Mitch would react. Mitch was all for throwing caution to the winds, but even Mitch would question how smart it was to date your sister’s best friend. Mitch hated consequences. And getting involved with Mel reeked of something that was bound to have very serious consequences.
“I gotta help my parents with something,” Tripp said. “Cleaning out the garage, I promised I would stop by tonight.”
“Damn, you can’t do that some other time?” Mitch asked.
“Nah, my mom’ll have my head,” Tripp said.
To Tripp’s relief, Mitch nodded in acceptance of the excuse.
“Well, I’m gonna head out with the other guys,” Mitch said. “I’ll see you later?”
“Yeah,” Tripp said.
“Tell me when you hear from this super rich investor,” Mitch said.
“Will do,” Tripp said.
Once Mitch and the other guys were out of sight, Tripp hopped on his own bike.
As he hit the road, a stirring of excitement started in his stomach. Today had already been an amazing day. He was going to get in touch with a real investor, and if this didn’t work out, he could still keep in touch with Boots. And now he was taking Mel out to dinner.
Tripp felt like he had been waiting for years for this very day. All the nights with women he didn’t connect with; all the days cursing his job with his dad’s roofing company. He was so close to leaving all that in the past.
At last, everything was coming up roses.
Chapter Thirteen: Just a Guy
Mel huffed in frustration and tugged her shirt over her head. She tossed it onto her bed, where it joined a pile of other clothes.
Usually, Mel felt confident when putting together an outfit, whatever the occasion. Not today. She had spent her entire shift at the coffee shop trying to brainstorm possible options, and she still was at a loss. She had tried on about ten different things.
It was silly to be nervous. She had known Tripp her entire life. He had seen her in all sorts of clothes, the good, the bad, and the pajamas. In fact, given the amount of sleepovers she had spent at Christina’s house, he had mostly seen her in pajamas. So literally anything would be a step up.
Not to mention, she had been buck naked in front of him just a few days ago.
Mel’s face flushed with heat at the memory. The more time passed, the more she could not believe that the sex on the beach had really happened. It was starting to feel like a hallucination or a fever dream.
A dream that she wanted to repeat. Mel couldn’t deny that. She had tried to stop the wheels from moving, but now that the date was set up, she kept fantasizing about what it would be like to share true romance with Tripp. What their second time might be like.
Mel shook those thoughts from her head. She needed to focus, Tripp was due to arrive in half an hour.
She examined her closet and selected a classic black dress. It was sleeveless and hugged her torso before flaring out at her hips. She looked like dynamite in it, and the dress had never failed her. If ever there was a time when she needed a reliable dress, it was now.
Since the dress was black, Mel decided to make sure the rest of her outfit featured pops of color. She pulled on red strappy sandals with a low heel, as well as gold bangles. She finished the whole look off with gold sparkling earrings and a deep red lipstick. She kept the rest of her makeup simple. After fiddling with her hair and trying various hairstyles, Mel kept it down. She was having a pretty good hair day, so maybe the fates were smiling down on this brand new relationship after all.
Just as she was admiring the final result in her full-length mirror, the doorbell rang. Mel dashed across her tiny studio apartment and buzzed Tripp up.
Within seconds, she heard his knock on the door. Mel took a deep breath to calm her nerves.
As soon as she opened the door, her heart started fluttering again. Tripp looked great. He was all cleaned up, and his dark hair was even combed. He was wearing dark black jeans and a button-down.
“Hi,” Mel said.
“Hey,” Tripp said. “You look great.”
He held out a bouquet of daisies, and Mel grinned.
“Thanks,” she said.
She stood holding the flowers and staring at him for a few awkward seconds, and then realized he was waiting for her to either join him or invite him in.
“Oh, come in,” Mel said. “I’ll just put these in water real quick.”
Tripp stepped in and gazed around. The door opened right into the studio’s apartment, and Mel realized her bed was in full sight. Nothing to be done about that.
Mel dashed into the kitchen and pulled a glass vase from her cupboard. As she filled it with water, she saw that Tripp was not staring at the bed, but instead had his gaze fixed on her design board. She had the sketches for Mary Beth’s dress pinned up, with a few strips of the fabric.
“You sure you haven’t already gone to school for this?” Tripp said. “This is really impressive.”
“No,” Mel said.
Tripp raised his eyebrows at Mel’s emphatic answer.
“I mean, it’s good,” Mel said. “But there’s so much more to learn.”
Tripp nodded. Mel carefully arranged the daisies in the vase before setting it down on the small table.
“Ready?” Tripp asked.
“Yes,” Mel said.
They headed down the stairs, and Tripp led her to a grey car parked on the curb.
“No bike tonight?” Mel teased.
“The bike is only for spontaneous trysts,” Tripp said. “Not real dates.”
Mel slid into the passenger seat. She hadn’t realized Tripp owned a car. She was just glad Tripp hadn’t shown up in his parent’s car. That would have been too strange, given the amount of times she had ridden around with Christina.
“Well, I don’t mind the bike,” Mel said. “Just as long as you give me advance warning so I can dress accordingly.”
“Of course,” Tripp said.
He pulled out and steered the car towards the highway. Mel breathed a sigh of relief. She would feel much better once they were out of town. Even walking from her building to his car had been nerve-wracking. Who knew who might spot them and tell a friend who told another friend who told Christina?
Tripp had made a reservation at a steakhouse. Mel was impressed by the ambiance once they got there. It was definitely a nice place. Tripp probably didn’t make much at his dad’s roofing, but Mel was flattered that he was willing to splurge on a first date with her.
They were seated at a table in the corner. Looking him straight in the face was almost too difficult. Mel kept having the insane urge to reach out and touch his jaw or dip her finger in the little hollow at the base of his neck.
“So what else have you designed, besides the dress for your boss?” Tripp asked.
“Mostly just stuff for friends,” Mel said. “I like doing dresses, but I want to get more into casual wear.”
“Can I see some of your other designs?” Tripp asked.
Mel smiled and pulled out her phone. She wasn’t a natural bragger, but she did love to show off her work to people who had genuine interest. She scrolled through her photos and chose a few pictures of dresses that had not been designed for Christina. Tripp looked at them with an appreciative eye. Mel knew he didn’t know much about fashion, but she could tell he was impressed by her talent. It made her happy.
“I just can’t believe you make things so complex from scratch,” he said.
“It’s what I love,” Mel said. “And the great thing about the LA Fashi
on Institute is all the mentorship. They have courses about branding and how to figure out which kind of designers you want to intern for so I’ll have a better sense of how the fashion world operates by the time I graduate.”
“That’s gonna be really cool,” Tripp said. “You gotta make connections in most industries these days.”
“What about you and your bike designs?” Mel asked.
“I actually just got a lead on a possible investor earlier today,” Tripp said. “A guy from the club liked one of my bikes and is gonna put me in touch. It might not pan out, but it’s a start.”
“That’s amazing,” Mel said. “Can I see the bike?”
As Tripp pulled out his own phone, Mel reflected on how nice it was to just get to know him, away from all the drama.
She liked the way they conversed. It was the type of discussion that might happen between two real people on a real date. At this restaurant, far away from Lyndon, they were free of all the awkwardness and history that came with him being her best friend’s brother.
Tripp handed her his phone, and it was Mel’s turn to be impressed. Tripp had photos of both his gleaming bikes and the sketches he had started with. He had a really steady hand, Mel could see from the way he outlined each bike. He was also organized and analytical, as each sketch was accompanied with a list of materials needed. Mel had always known he designed bikes, but she had never witnessed all the work he put into his craft.
“These are amazing,” Mel said. “I never realized you were so good.”
Tripp shrugged.
“Seriously,” Mel said. “You’re better at sketching and planning than I am with the dresses, half the time I have to wing a lot of the details, but you have every part broken down right here.”
“Thanks,” Tripp said.
“So who’s the investor?” Mel said. “Are you gonna meet with him?”
“I don’t really know much,” Tripp said. “Boots is sending him photos of one bike, and then we’ll see if he wants a meeting.”
“He’ll want a meeting,” Mel said. “I know it.”
“I have to be specific with the sketches,” Tripp said. “Since I put the bikes together and a lot of the pieces are expensive, a mistake due to poor planning will cost me.”
“Make sure you tell the investor that,” Mel said. “He’ll feel better about giving money to someone who doesn’t waste it.”
“Good point,” Tripp said.
Mel beamed. She enjoyed how the two of them could talk about their separate endeavors. It felt like a kind of kinship. They were both trying to turn their passions into a lifelong career. It was terrifying, but also exhilarating, especially when you met someone who could relate.
When the waiter came over, Mel ordered the salmon, and Tripp ordered the filet mignon.
Over the delicious meals, the conversation ranged from their designs to their feelings about their current employment.
“I like working for my dad,” Tripp said.
Sensing there was more, Mel raised her eyebrows.
“Or at least, I like that it makes him happy,” Tripp admitted. “As for the roofing, I’m getting pretty tired of that.”
“Huh,” Mel said. “I never knew that.”
She had always figured Tripp liked the roof company, or else why would he have spent years doing it? Now she realized it had a lot more to do with pleasing Mr. Reynolds.
“What about you and the coffee shop?” Tripp asked. “Don’t you get sick of that?”
“I actually kinda like it,” Mel said. “I obviously don’t want to do it for the rest of my life, but for now it pays the bills, and I like the customers and the people I work with.”
“See, but everyone knows you’re going to leave to be a big glamorous designer,” Tripp said. “I’m terrified to tell my dad I don’t wanna do the roofing for much longer.”
“Well, the more you put it off, the worse it will be,” Mel said.
Tripp regarded her with a twinkle in his eye.
“Mel Reynolds, when did you get so wise?” he asked.
Mel smiled down at the table. He was flirting with her. It was amazing. Well, she could flirt back, no problem.
“I’ve always been wise, you just never realized it because you were too cool for me,” Mel said.
“No,” Tripp said. “I always knew.”
He met her eyes, and for a minute Mel was stunned by the intensity of his gaze. She held herself perfectly still and looked back.
“Have I mentioned you look beautiful tonight?” Tripp asked.
“You might have,” Mel said.
Tripp gave her a devilish grin, and Mel knew exactly what he was thinking about because she was thinking about the same thing: the two of them, kissing in the darkness, wrapped in each other’s arms.
“I like this,” Mel said. “Seeing you, out of Linden.”
“Me too,” Tripp said.
As the waiter cleared the plates, and Tripp took care of the bill (he insisted despite Mel’s protests), Mel reflected how nice it was to just be another couple on a first date. In that restaurant, they weren’t two people lying and sneaking behind everyone’s backs. They weren’t playing a dangerous game that was destined to blow up in their faces.
He was just a guy, and she was just a girl. And they were out on a date. And they liked each other. They really, really liked each other.
Mel wanted a second date. She wanted to continue to get to know Tripp. She wanted to share more of herself with him. She didn’t want to do anything halfway. It all felt too special to reduce their relationship to only hooking up or nothing at all.
It was going to be hard though. They couldn’t run away to a different town all the time. They would have to be careful. At least for a little bit, they would need to sneak around.
Mel didn’t know how she was going to get used to that. She nearly had a heart attack the other day at the coffee shop when her phone buzzed and Tripp’s name flashed on the screen. He had been texting her details about the date. Christina hadn’t even been there. But Mel’s co-worker who sort of knew Christina was there. She could have seen the name and told Christina.
Mel knew she wasn’t sly enough to come up with excuses forever.
But if she wanted Tripp, she was going to have to be slightly more cunning.
“You ready to go?” Tripp asked.
No, Mel thought. I don’t want this to end. I want to sit here with you at this safe little table forever.
“Yes,” she said.
She stood up and took his hand. As if it was the most natural thing in the world, Trip enmeshed his fingers in hers as they walked out the door. Mel pondered over how holding someone’s hand could be so very thrilling, even after they had already had sex.
“I know you have to work early tomorrow,” Tripp said. “But do you have time for ice cream before I drop you off? There’s a good place down the street.”
Mel’s heart soared at the idea of spending a few extra minutes enjoying this date.
“I would love some ice cream,” she said.
Chapter Fourteen: Lucky
Tripp wasn’t walking on the ground. He was sure he was floating a few inches above it.
He couldn’t stop turning his head to assure himself that Mel Reynolds really was right next to him. When they got in line at the ice cream shop, he took the opportunity to admire her beauty yet again.
She looked gorgeous in her simple black dress that fit her like a glove, with her hair fanning out like shimmering flames around her face.
He wanted all of her. He wanted to take her home and make her cry out over and over again, and then he wanted to hold her warm body in his arms all night.
She had work early in the morning though, and she had mentioned that twice already. He had work as well, and his dad would kill him if he showed up too tired. Anyway, Tripp didn’t want to risk falling off a roof twice in one week.
Besides, Tripp wanted to get this right. He wanted to take the time to get to know Mel on
a new level. The physical stuff was all too easy with her. And they clearly had chemistry. All Tripp wanted was to keep learning new things about this remarkable girl who had grown up by his side.
Like the fact that she preferred chocolate ice cream. Tripp had never known that.
“Do you always order chocolate?” Tripp asked as they carried their cones to a bench outside.
“Yup,” Mel said. “I always think of trying something else, and then I always come back to chocolate.”
Tripp took this new factoid in with a nod.
When they got back in the car, Tripp turned on the radio, and Mel bobbed her head along to the music. She was quiet for the first five minutes of the ride.
“You ok?” Tripp asked.
He knew he had badgered her into this date. She had seemed happy for the most part, but he was worried she was having regrets. He wouldn’t push her for a second date, no matter what. He wanted her to choose it.
“Yeah,” Mel said.
She hesitated as if weighing her next words. She kept her eyes straight ahead.
“It’s been an amazing evening,” she said. “I’m just a little sad it’s ending.”
Happiness bloomed in Tripp’s chest. She wasn’t regretting the date. She had a good time as well.
“Me too,” Tripp said.
When they arrived at her building, Tripp walked her to the door. He wouldn’t go up to her apartment. He would say goodbye to her before she went inside, nothing more. It was the right thing to do, he knew it in his gut.
She turned to him. The streetlight above illuminated her face with a golden shimmer.
“I know I was reluctant to go on this date,” Mel said. “But I would really like to do it again.”
“Me too,” Tripp said.
He reached up to her face and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He leaned down and kissed her on the lips. It was a gentle touch of a kiss. He restrained himself from doing anything more.