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by S. E. Rose

  “Wakey, wakey, sleeping beauty,” I murmur against her lips.

  “Please tell me that I’m actually smelling coffee and not dreaming that I’m smelling coffee,” she mumbles, her eyes still closed.

  I laugh. “Not a dream, beautiful,” I say as I pick up her cup and hand it to her. She brings it to her lips, her eyes still closed, and takes a sip.

  “Oh, that is soooo good! Thanks,” she groans as she continues sipping her caffeine.

  “You’re welcome. What’s the game plan for today?” I ask. It’s the weekend, and I’m not sure what she wants to do.

  She shrugs.

  “How about we go for a walk and figure out what you’re going to do?” I suggest.

  “I’ve sent about twenty emails already, while I was waiting to leave yesterday,” she says as she takes a bite of her chocolate chip muffin.

  “That’s a good start,” I tell her.

  “I guess so. I just hate not knowing where I’ll be going or what I’ll be doing next,” she sighs. “I always, always have a game plan.” She frowns.

  “Well, then today is about game planning,” I say with a grin. “Oh, and I should mention that my roommate, Colin, is home, and I think he wants to meet you.”

  She laughs. “Is that so?”

  “Get dressed and I’ll meet you out in the kitchen,” I say as I kiss her nose and head out of the room.

  Colin and I sit in silence sipping coffee and reading the latest sports results on our tablets. Some game replay from the day before is on the TV in the living room, although neither of us pays it much attention. About ten minutes later, Melissa waltzes out, and she looks fantastic. She has on shorts and a top that slides off her shoulder. Her hair is down, wavy and beautiful.

  “Colin, Melissa. Melissa, Colin,” I say.

  “Pleasure to finally meet you, Melissa,” Colin says as he stands and stretches out his hand.

  “Same,” Melissa says. “And thanks for letting me crash here,” she adds.

  “No worries,” he says with a warm smile. “So, what do you kids have planned for today?”

  “Well, I was going to give Mel a ten-cent Philly tour,” I say.

  “Sounds like a disaster in the making. Best of luck to you, Mel. It was nice knowing you. Do you have Uber on your phone?” he jokes.

  She laughs. “I suppose I should add you to Find Friends in case we get lost?” she returns his banter.

  “Of course, feel free. I hope your phone GPS is working,” he quips.

  “Thanks, Colin. You’re so helpful,” I say, my voice laced with sarcasm.

  “No problem, happy to assist,” he says.

  “Well, let’s get out of here before Colin bestows us with any more knowledge,” I groan, and Mel laughs and waves at Colin as we walk out of the apartment. Francine is on the front stoop, sitting in her chair when we walk out, and she gives me a hug.

  “Well, I’ve missed you, dear. Colin tells me you were visiting family and traveling for work. You’ve been so busy. You must stop by and visit soon. Who’s this lovely young lady?” she rattles on.

  “This is my girlfriend, Melissa,” I say, realizing that I haven’t introduced Melissa as my girlfriend yet. I cast a worried glance her way, but she just smiles and says “hi” to Francine who pulls her into a hug.

  “Well, you kids have a nice day,” she says.

  “Will do,” I reply as we make our way down the street toward the city center.

  I walk us around the historic area of town. It’s touristy, but it will give us time to talk.

  “So, what are the job prospects so far?” I ask her as I take her hand in mine and leisurely walk down side streets.

  “Well, some are just long shots at various projects. A whale project down in South Africa, one in Chile and a few in New Caledonia looking at both whales and whale sharks. Then there’s a study on dolphins in Colombia and a few manatee surveys off Belize and Mexico. I mean really any of them would be fascinating, but I really want to stick with dolphins and the dolphin species that I was focusing on in the Azores. There are a handful of projects funded through the military and Smithsonian that may be hiring, and I submitted my own proposal months ago to the government for full funding. It was a long shot, and I haven’t heard back yet, but it would let me continue my work on various Atlantic populations of dolphins. I’d be stationed out of the Annapolis area, but I’d do a bit of regional traveling on occasion. Plus, when some of the dolphins migrate, I could go back to the Azores to follow their progress. But I’m not going to get too overexcited about it since it’s unlikely to get funding,” she explains.

  “Wow, that’s a lot of prospects,” I say. “Sounds like your heart is still with the pods you’ve studied in the Azores.”

  “Yep,” she admits.

  “Well, what’s your next move?” I ask her.

  “Honestly, it’s a bit of a waiting game at this point. I’ve literally applied to everything out there in my field. I was offered a low-level position looking at manatees in Florida, but the pay was just pathetic, and I couldn’t financially swing it without help from my family, and I just can’t bring myself to ask them.”

  “What’s up with that, your family that is?” I ask. She hasn’t spoken a lot about them, other than her parents are divorced and her brother she doesn’t seem super close to.

  She hesitates in her step but keeps going. “I’m just not that close to them anymore,” she says.

  “Because…,” I pester.

  She sighs. “Remember I told you about my older sister, right?”

  “Sure,” I answer.

  “Well, shit like that really fucks people up, and I guess over the years, we had our differences and I just don’t see them that much. I don’t hate them or anything; I just…we’re better apart,” she says.

  I shake my head. “I don’t get it.”

  “I can’t explain it, Nick. Just know that we aren’t close, and I’ve made my peace with that,” she says with a sigh.

  “OK,” I answer slowly, trying to accept this.

  “I know that this is probably strange for you. I mean shit, you seem really close to your family.”

  “I am,” I admit.

  “I envy you,” she says.

  “You want to go to happy hour tonight?” I ask her, deciding it’s best to drop this current subject.

  She raises an eyebrow in curiosity.

  “Zoe and Cody usually go and Cody’s sister, Chelsea, my cousin Rob, Colin, and a few of Zoe’s friends from work,” I explain. “It’s a fun group and even the ones I’m not related to have become like an extended family to me.”

  She squeezes my hand. “I’d love to,” she says.

  We finally reach our destination, and I take her around after she admits having only been here once as a little girl. It’s a fun day of visiting the Liberty Bell, Betsy Ross’s house, and Independence Hall. We’re sitting on a bench having an ice cream when her phone buzzes, and she looks down at it, pulling up her email.

  Her eyes light up further as she reads the email. “Oh my God! Oh my God!! Nick!! I got it!!” she yells, literally standing up and jumping up and down like a small child.

  I’m baffled and also amused by her childlike excitement.

  “The grant, my project, I got it!” she turns her phone around, and I read the email telling her that her project has been awarded some special grant and that she should complete the attached paperwork immediately.

  I jump up and pick her up, twirling her around. She giggles with glee, and I lean in and kiss her. “I’m so fucking proud of you, beautiful! Seriously, that’s amazing! And the timing…well, I’m relieved for you,” I say.

  She laughs. “Me too!!”

  “Well, let’s head back because now we really need to celebrate!” I say enthusiastically as we finish our ice cream cones and walk back toward my apartment. I send a group text to the happy hour bunch and surprisingly, every single one of them responds with a “yes.” Secretly, I think they all wan
t to meet Mel. Zoe does respond that she’s still not feeling great but will stop by for a few minutes before they go to some fundraiser. I’m beginning to get more suspicious. This will need a call to Lily to get intel.

  I FaceTime Lily when we get back to the apartment. She can’t hide anything if I can see her.

  “Lil?” I ask as I see her face fill the screen.

  “What’s up?” she says.

  “What’s up with Zoe?” I ask.

  She frowns. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean. Is she preggers? She is acting super weird and sleeping all the time and not drinking and says she isn’t well…I’m not an idiot,” I say with exasperation.

  Lily laughs. “Nick, you’re hilarious. Seriously, hilarious.” She’s dodging my question.

  I give her the “I am fucking serious” face, and she stops laughing but doesn’t wipe the shit-eating grin off her face.

  “Honestly, I don’t know?” she says with a shrug. “I mean, she’s been gone, and she didn’t say anything last week, but I’m all kids, kids, kids. Honestly, unless her baby bump was hitting me in the face, I probably wouldn’t have noticed, Nick.”

  “Damn woman, you are no help!” I say.

  “Sorry. Rosa! Don’t do that!! Nick, sorry, Rosa is trying to put Frankie’s toys in the toilet again, I gotta go,” she says and promptly disconnects, leaving me staring at the blank screen of my phone and shaking my head. My sister desperately needs a vacation. I snap my fingers together as an idea comes to me. I call Lance.

  “Nick? Is everything alright?” Lance says as he answers the phone.

  “Yeah, fine. Well, actually no, not fine. You need to get Lily away from your kids pronto. Seriously, my sister is about to lose her shit. For your own good, make it happen,” I say to him.

  Lance laughs and then sighs. “Shit, you’re probably right. The twins are killing us both. It’s a total shit-show twenty-four seven. They are into everything. I mean seriously, nothing is sacred. Leidy might need a break from them too.”

  I laugh at that. “OK, just get on it sooner rather than later, because if you don’t Lil will combust, and you do not, I mean DO NOT, want to be around for that.”

  “I gotcha. I had been trying to plan a weekend away for both us before, well, everything happened,” he says.

  “Nope, no. You need a full week away from those leeches. I love Rosa and Frankie, but they are literally sucking the life force out of you two.”

  “OK, I’m on it. My gorgeous girl needs a vacay. Thanks, Nick,” he says. Hearing him call my sister gorgeous, makes me remember that my beautiful girl is in the next room changing.

  “I have to go. I’ll talk to you later,” I say.

  “Yep,” Lance says, and we disconnect.

  I find Mel applying some lipstick, and I come up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist. She feels so right, so perfect in my arms. I kiss the back of her head.

  “Ready?” I ask.

  She smiles and nods. I take her hand and head toward the bar. Colin and Cami are already there as is Lena. I secretly wonder if Cami and Lena know what’s going on with Zoe. They are her best friends after all.

  “Hey, Zoe and Cody should be here soon,” I say. “Zoe said she isn’t feeling well. I hope it’s nothing going around at the hospital,” I add, hoping to get someone to fess up to what is going on, but I’m greeted by blank stares.

  I make introductions. Chelsea and Rob appear a few minutes later, suspiciously together. I raise an eyebrow at Rob, and he gives me a grin. Fucker. I’ll need to get the inside story on that later.

  “This is Lance and Cody’s sister, Chelsea, and my cousin Rob,” I say, introducing Mel to them as Zoe and Cody sneak in next.

  Zoe actually looks a bit less tired than the other day, and I begin to think maybe she really did just have the stomach flu.

  I give her a kiss on the cheek. “Hey, glad you’re feeling better,” I say to her. She smiles at me.

  “Yeah, guess I just got a bug that knocked me good,” she says, shrugging her shoulders.

  Everyone launches into a million questions for Melissa, and she kindly answers all of them. You’d think that they never meet new people. But, I enjoy every minute of the banter and friendly atmosphere that only comes from hanging out with old friends and family.

  It’s late when we all leave. Colin insists Cami come back to our place. Cami insists Lena also come back to our place. Melissa and I stifle our laughter as Colin’s face clearly shows his heartfelt desire for a night alone with Cami, replaced with a clearly fictional look of concern for Lena, and then all-out resentment for Lena getting in the way of a booty call with Cami.

  Chapter 14

  Nick’s Playlist: “Lost Boy” by Ruth B.

  The smell of coffee wakes me in the morning. I reach over to find that Mel isn’t in bed. I hear laughter out in the main room, and I throw on some workout shorts and head out to see what’s going on. I find Mel, Lena, Colin, and Cami huddled around the kitchen island, sipping coffee and talking.

  “Well good morning, sleeping beauty,” Colin quips with a smirk. I promptly give him a finger and make my way over to the coffee pot. I can feel all three ladies’ eyes on me as I do so, and I realize I haven’t thrown on a t-shirt. Yeah, yeah, I think to myself, they’re just abs, ladies. I’m that guy the other guys hate because I barely do any ab routines at the gym, but I can maintain my six-pack just fine. Lily also hates me for it, but lord knows my sister’s body is one that is envied by many a woman, so I don’t understand why she even bitches at all.

  I feel something as it hits my back, and I turn and look down. It’s a t-shirt. I look up and see Colin smirking at me. I roll my eyes and put it on while quite aware of the audience I now have.

  “Better, Mom?” I ask Colin.

  He has the audacity to laugh. And I give him another finger before pouring cream and sugar into my coffee.

  “So, ladies, what’s the game plan for today?” I ask them.

  “Well, we were thinking perhaps we’d go shopping,” Lena says with a grin.

  “Shopping?” I ask, rolling the word around as though it was foreign.

  “Yes, shopping. You know when—” Cami starts in a sarcastic voice.

  I stop her by holding up my hand. “Thanks for the vocab lesson, but I’m good.”

  It’s then that I notice that everyone is already dressed and showered. I look over at the clock on our microwave and see that it’s nearly ten in the morning.

  “OK, well, we are off,” Lena says. I wonder if she borrowed some of Cami’s clothes since she crashed on our couch and didn’t have an overnight bag.

  “Have fun,” I say as Mel comes up to me and wraps her arms around my neck. She has to stand on her tippy toes to do this, and I smile at her.

  “Thanks,” she whispers as she pulls me down and plants a kiss on my lips. And then they are gone, leaving Colin and me standing at the island with our coffees.

  “I like her,” he says.

  “Me too,” I say with a shit-eating grin as I take my coffee and head back to my room to shower. I decide to spend my morning working on some preliminary reports for this new project I’ll be working on. By mid-afternoon, I hear a raucous in my front room, and I save my file and walk out to see what’s going on.

  “I’m never shopping again,” Cami huffs as she sinks onto our couch. “OK, at least not for like two more weeks.” She has at least six bags draped over her arms. Lena takes the seat next to her, similarly weighted down with bags. Mel sits on the recliner chair next to them. She has two bags at her feet. I smile. Thank God, she’s not a shopper, I internally cry out with joy. I loathe shopping. Lily also is not a shopper. The mere thought of having to accompany a girl on a day-long shopping trip makes me want to die, literally, to die. It’d be like my own personal hell.

  “How was shopping, ladies?” I ask them as I pop open a chardonnay in our wine fridge and pour them glasses. I pass them out, and they all thank me and launch into the
great deals they got. I half listen, while watching Mel. Her eyes meet mine, and she gives me a shrug and grin. I note that one of her bags is from a very pricey lingerie shop. I raise my eyebrows, and she gives me a shy smile. Well, well, what do we have here? I walk over and examine the bag, and she quickly pulls it from my hands and grabs the other bag.

  “I’m just going to put these away,” she announces and flees to my room. I take her seat.

  “We love her,” Lena and Cami both whisper simultaneously.

  “Well thanks, cause if you didn’t I was calling the whole thing off,” I say sarcastically.

  Lena rolls her eyes and tosses a hand at me. “Men,” she huffs.

  We banter for a few moments until Mel comes back in and sits on my lap. We decide we all need a day with cheesesteaks and beer. I yell out to Colin to get his butt in gear, so we can grab tables early. It’s unusual that Colin has off for so many hours in a row. He begrudgingly complies, and we spend the early evening chatting and drinking at Colin’s and my favorite local pub for the classic Philly cheesesteaks.

  Three rounds in, my phone buzzes, and I see Jack’s name.

  Jack: Call me.

  I curse and excuse myself as I walk to the back of the open patio to call him.

  “What’s up?” I ask.

  “Everyone needs to get back down to Jesse’s house now,” he says. His words are so tense, that I can envision his jaw clenching as he speaks.

  “Why?” I ask.

  “I have intel, Nick. Just get your arses down here,” he says.

  “Fine, but I’m bringing Melissa,” I announce.

  “What? I…that’s probably a bad idea,” he says.

  “I don’t care. She’s associated with me, and I’m not leaving her up here unprotected,” I say to him, my inner caveman sounding a bit harsh.

  “She’s not involved. She’d be fine. We’ll have a detail staying up in Philly to monitor your aunt, Rob, Chelsea, and Colin since he lives with you.”

  “I don’t care, Jack. Either she comes, or I stay,” I say to him.

  He sighs. “Fine.”

  “We’ll leave tonight,” I tell him.

  I hang up and frown. I want to know what his intel is, but I know there’s no way in hell he’d give me that over the phone. I’m not sure how to break this news to Melissa, but after dinner, I’ll have to.