“Yes, I am. Is there some place I can hide? I’m going to get somethin’ to eat first, but I’ll be back.”
“We can put you in the back room. We do that a lot.” The woman changed the ticket and handed it to Melody. “When you come back, see me and I’ll hide you. There’s a great pizza place around the corner.”
“I love Tony’s pizza.” She took her suitcase with her and walked outside to Tony’s place, entering to the wonderful scent of Italian food. He was working at the counter, with many customers sitting at the tables.
“Hey! How are you doing?” he asked.
“I’m headed home. Can I get one of those slices like I had before?”
“Oh, the works. Sure, but why are you headed home? Rumor had it you were getting married to John.”
She shook her head. “No, just a rumor. I have to go home to take care of my father. I can’t stay here.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. John’s in love with you, you know.”
Melody stared at him. “How do ya know that?”
“Hold on.” He turned around and yelled into the back. “Ralph! I need a slice with the works!” He faced Melody again, leaning on the front counter. “I know John. He’s tried to run away before, but this time was the real deal. He’s a changed man, and I’ve never seen him as down about tennis as he was the night you were in here. But I saw him staring at you, and you grounded him to the important things in life. He’s not going to do well without you, and I’d bet he even quits tennis. Now that his parents are split, it’s not good for old John.”
“His bodyguard and I going to make him think I’ll be back,” she said. “Just so he has something to look forward to.”
“Good idea. You will be back, right?”
She lowered her eyes. “I doubt it. His bodyguard doesn’t want me back.”
“Ted? He’s a pain. I see him a lot with John, and the man never smiles. He taste tests everything and if I were John, I’d fire him.”
“Well, it’s for the best.”
Tony stared at her for a moment. “Just tell me this. Do you love him?”
Melody wiped a tear. “Sure, but it doesn’t matter anymore. I’m not right for him and it’s obvious to everyone. I’m from the back hills and he’s from the big city. How could that ever work?”
“I understand.” Ralph brought him the pizza, and Melody just stared. “Your new brother-in-law is cooking?”
“He’s actually good at it and enjoys it. He hates to clean, but he can cook.”
Melody got out her wallet. “How much do I owe you?”
“Nothing. You’re my guest and any time you need a shoulder to cry on, I’m here for you, Melody.”
She faced him, stunned. “You know my name from the paper, don’t you?”
“I know all about you from the paper, and I bet you never read the articles, did you?”
“No.” She handed him ten dollars. “I also pay my way, so please take it.”
“No way,” he said, pushing her hand away. “I’m still dealing with the fifty extra dollars from the other night.” He handed her the pizza and drink. “Enjoy the meal and have a safe trip back.”
“Thank you, and I really appreciate it. Is there something I can do for you in exchange, like get your employees to work?”
Tony grinned. “Actually, there is. Come back here for John. Give him a reason to smile again and do it for me.”
“I can’t do that,” she murmured. She handed the money back to him. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I’m very grateful.” She went to an empty table in the back and ate her pizza.
Tony walked to her and sat down beside her. “Talk to me.”
“Why?”
“I get really lonely back there, and Ralph’s an idiot. You’re the only real person I’ve seen all day long.”
“What do ya want to talk about?”
He put his hand in his palm, his elbow on the table. “What are you going home to, really?”
“Why?”
He leaned up to her. “Does your father beat you?”
“He used to,” she said, taking another bite. “He can’t any more. He’s disabled.”
He shook his head slightly. “Not really, from what I read. He’s nothing but a nasty man. What made him so mean?”
“I guess he was born that way.” She took another bite. She hated being questioned, and had to change the subject. “Great pizza, by the way. It’s better than what they had at the wedding.”
Tony sat back with a slight grin. “That’s right. You had a wedding to go to tonight. How did that go?”
“You know, the usual. A man showed up with a gun, and I distracted him while John’s bodyguards took him away.”
His eyebrows hit the ceiling in surprise. “A gun? Was anyone hurt?”
“No. He didn’t even have the safety turned off or have any bullets.”
“Have you seen guns before?” he asked.
“Sure. My daddy has tons of guns. So does my brother.”
Tony shook his head. “If you want to come here to run away, I can give you a job. I’d even give you a place to stay. My wife and I have an extra bedroom.”
She smiled. “I appreciate the thought, but I have to go home.”
He was quiet for a while, then looked at her empty plate. “What did they have at the wedding to eat?”
“Fish. I hate fish, but those sardines are good.”
“Did they have anything other than fish?”
She nodded. “Sure, but everything tasted and smelled like fish. It was awful.”
“Where are you headed next?”
She studied him for a moment. “You’re not going to tell John, are you?”
He chuckled. “No, you’re allowed to do as you wish.”
“I’m going home. My train leaves at three.”
“Where will you stay until three?”
She sat back and studied his face. He wasn’t going to tell, and she knew it. “I have a secret place in the train station. There’s a really nice lady there who wants to protect me from the news media.”
“Oh, I see.” He looked back at the kitchen where smoke was starting to pour toward the front counter. “I think I have a fire back there!” He stood up and ran into the back. Melody grabbed her paper plate, threw it away, and walked to the front.
“Bye, Tony! Thanks for dinner!”
“Any time,” he replied, holding a fire extinguisher and aiming it somewhere out of her sight. “When you come back, make sure you come to see me!”
“Thanks! I will!” She took her suitcase, her purse and her drink and walked back to the train station.
Just as she entered the front door, some people turned and yelled for her. “Melody! Are you leaving John?”
She ran to the counter, searching for the woman who was to help her, but no one was there. She rapped on the counter, just to see if anyone was around. “Excuse me! I was to meet someone here! I need help!”
The woman popped up from a chair in a corner. “Melody! I was waiting for you!” She glanced at the reporters surrounding her, yelling questions. “Come back here through the door,” the woman said.
Melody ran to the door, and the woman opened it for her, then shut it just as the reporters pushed from the other side.
“Come with me,” the woman said, pulling on Melody’s arm. She took her to a break room in the back and shut the door behind her. “You’ll be safe in here.”
“Thank you so much for helping me.”
“It’s the least I can do for you. I read your story in the paper and think it’s horrible how your father treated you. Are you sure you want to go back home?”
“I have to. Do you happen to have a copy of that paper? I haven’t read it, and was wonderin’ what they printed.”
“Sure.” She left the room, then returned with the tabloid, handing it to Melody. “I have to see if I’m needed out there, but make yourself at home. If there’s anything I can do for you, let me know.”
>
These people were insane. She opened the paper and stared at the picture on the front page, of her at the Statue of Liberty being protected by Dennis. He was leaning down and talking in her ear, with the Statue of Liberty in the background. The headline read, “The Nobody Everyone Wants’ and the caption underneath read, ‘Give me your tired, your poor, and someone for John Spencer to love.’
“Oh great,” she muttered.
The article went on to say that Melody was such a stunning woman, that John had no idea what had hit him. However, once he found out her background, he’d be running for the hills. It said his parents even split over John’s love for Melody, and that she was quite a heartbreaker and home wrecker. It described her childhood, told how her mother died when she was young, and how she was outspoken and had a tendency to cause problems wherever she went. She was a poor girl battling against the odds, and the odds had won, the paper said. It also said she was only in town for a short time, but should be leaving soon.
This reporter was insane. He didn’t even know her or her family and she wasn’t a home wrecker. It made Melody angry, wondering who’d they’d interviewed to get their story. But knowing she couldn’t do anything about it, she read through the rest of the paper instead, checking her watch frequently.
She must have dozed off, because sometime after 2:30, someone walked into the room and shut the door. “Who are you?”
She lifted her head. “I’m Melody and have to leave for West Virginia.”
The woman studied Melody’s face. “You’re the girl from the newspaper!”
“Yes, but they didn’t print the truth.”
“What time’s your train?”
Melody stifled a yawn. “Three.”
“I think they’re ready to board, if you’d like to go.”
“Are the reporters gone?” she asked the woman while covering another yawn.
“I have no idea, but you can go out the back door if you want.”
“Thank you,” she answered. She got her things, slipped out the back door and walked up to the train. The porter helped her inside and stowed her luggage, then she got to her seat, put back her head and closed her eyes.
She heard a commotion outside the train, and opened her eyes to see two police officers showing Melody’s picture on the tabloid to the porter. He nodded and pointed toward the train.
She had to hide. There was no reason they’d be hunting for her unless John had sent them.
She bent down, got out of her seat and ran to the bathroom, then locked the door behind her. She heard the police walk through the train, asking people if they’d seen her, but everyone said they hadn’t. She was indebted to the fine people of New York for keeping her safe.
“All aboard!” someone yelled.
“I bet she ran off,” someone said. She heard a few things that sounded like the train was ready to leave, and sighed deeply. Once they were underway, she could go back to her seat.
The train began pulling out of the station, so she opened the door a crack and glanced out into the car. There were only four other passengers, and they were either asleep or reading. She slipped out and back to her seat, then closed her eyes. She could only think about how she’d done some stupid things while in New York, happy to be leaving. But John’s face filled her head and she couldn’t stop her tears. She missed him already, but knew it was for the best. Who would want someone who made a mess of everything?
She dozed off, trying to stop crying, and woke with a start when they got to Washington D.C.
After getting off the train, she realized she had about four hours until her next train left. So, she walked out of the train station and headed down Delaware Avenue then Constitution Avenue until she got to the National Mall. She passed many buildings she’d seen on television, but the most impressive was the Capitol building, sitting so regally against the backdrop of the early morning sky and many green trees.
As she sat on a bench on the grassy area of the National Mall, she contemplated everything she’d been through. Her whole life was ahead of her. If she never went home, would her father even notice? Would anyone care? Would John care if she just disappeared? She could hide out in Washington, get a job somewhere and become someone else.
Tears poured down her cheeks. The thought was tempting, but she missed John terribly. He’d asked her to spend the night with him at his house the night before, but she knew he thought of her differently. He probably pitied her, and that was the one thing she couldn’t stomach.
She turned toward the Washington Monument at the other end of the Mall, and realized that people down through the ages had it much worse than she did. Sure, she had her problems, but if she wanted to, she could make it all go away. She could return to New York and stay with John, she could hide out in a different town, or she could go home to be with her father.
Since it sounded like her mother had died needlessly because she was a woman, Melody no longer felt it necessary to care for her father. She made her decision. She was going back to New York and stay with John.
Then it hit her. Would it really be any different than staying with her father? John traveled all the time and she’d be alone, all over again. He’d find someone else and she’d be left out in the cold. She’d been rejected all her life by her father telling her she wasn’t wanted every day. She didn’t know if she could handle that again.
“Are you Melody Gray?”
She looked up to see an older man in a suit. “Who are you?” she asked.
“I’m a friend. Do you mind if I sit here?”
“Knock yourself out. What kind of friend are you?”
He smiled. “I’m a reporter.”
She stood up and started to walk away.
“Please don’t go?” he asked, making her stop and turn around. “I’m not here for a story, really. I just want to talk to you.”
“I don’t have anything to say to reporters,” she replied, crossing her arms.
He looked up at her face. “I read your story in the New York papers, and I just want to know why you ran away.”
She lowered her eyes, the tears burning behind her lids. “I’d rather not say.”
“Please have a seat. You look like you need a friend.”
“I have no friends,” she answered, swiping away some tears. “I’m fine by myself.”
“I don’t think John thinks so. He’s been looking all over for you, and had the police searching everywhere in New York for you.”
She looked up at the museums in front of her. “I know. I dodged them.”
“Why?”
“Is this off the record?”
“Yes.”
Was he telling her the truth? She knew she couldn’t trust reporters. “But you could make your career if you had my story.”
“It’s not worth it at my age. I see a troubled young lady who’s in love with a man, and if I can get them back together, it would be worth it to me. Call me a romantic at heart.”
She glanced at his smile and sat back down beside him. She’d give him a chance.
“So why did you leave?” he asked.
“I’m not worth it to him. He has a rich lifestyle and I’m nothing compared to him. I’d never fit into his life, and never be his, really. No, I belong back in West Virginia.” She wiped another tear.
“Are you so sure?”
“Yes, I am sure.”
“Did you know that six different modeling agencies are also looking for you?”
She furrowed her eyebrows. “Why? I’m a nobody.”
“Not according to them. They saw your picture with the Statue of Liberty in the background and want to find you.” He pulled a newspaper out of his back pocket and handed it to her.
The headlines read, ‘Wanted: Redhead With An Amazing Glow.’
“Glow?” she asked. “Are they kiddin’?”
“I agree with them. You’re beautiful and have the prettiest skin and adorable smile. Any modeling agency worth its weight would pay you six f
igures to start with your look.”
She lifted her eyes to study him, stunned. “Six figures? As in a hundred thousand dollars?”
“For starters.” He pointed to the paper. “That’s what they’re saying in the article.”
“But I’m not a model. I’m hardly thin enough, and definitely don’t have the attitude to be a model.”
“You are thin enough, but they’re not looking for that. They want the wholesome look that can sell to the average woman.” He raked his eyes over her. “You’re perfect.”
What was his angle, anyway? She had to find out. “I bet you get a finder’s fee if you take me to them, don’t you?”
“They’ll give out a reward, but that’s not my drive, like I said before. I just want you and John to get together.” He handed her his cell phone. “Call him.”
“I can’t,” she said, pushing the phone away. “He’d hate me.”
“Do you have his number? I’ll call him and find out for you.”
“I have a better idea. I have his bodyguard’s number.” She fished around in her purse and took out Ted’s card, then handed it to the man. “You call him. I don’t want to know.”
“Just remember me at the wedding.” He dialed the number then handed the card back to Melody. “Hello, is this Ted?” He smiled at Melody and returned to the call. “I’m calling for Melody Gray. She needs to know if John still loves her.” He furrowed his eyebrows then faced Melody. “He wants to talk to you. He doesn’t believe I know you.”
She took the phone and put it to her ear. “Ted, it’s Melody.”
“Where are you?”
“John’s there, isn’t he?”
“Yes, he is. Want to talk to him? He’s a mess and needs to hear your voice.”
“Fine. Put him on.” She waited, heard someone mumble, then take the phone.
“Melody!” John said. “Where are you? I’ve been worried sick about you. I even had the cops looking for you.”
“I’m in Washington, D.C., on my way home.”
“Why did you leave the wedding?” he asked.
“I can’t talk right now,” she said.
“Oh, someone’s listening.”
“Yes, sir.”
“A reporter?” he asked.
“Yep.”
“Call me when you get a chance and reverse the charges.”
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