by Rita Hestand
Was this secret message that she belonged at home?
"So, are you and Brad still dating?" Her mother asked on their way back to the apartment in the car.
The car grew silent now, for her answer.
Why were they bothering to ask in front of Jesse?
"No, we broke it off. I told you that mother, on the phone." She told her, not daring to look at Jesse.
"How come?" Her father chimed in. "You never said why? I mean you dated the man for four years. What could possibly break you up after all that time?"
"We were going in completely different directions, dad. And I don't think there was much left of the relationship." Melanie explained. "Toward the end, we were both concentrating on maintaining our grade average and passing the tons of tests. There was a lot of tensions for everyone. He was offered a job in Chicago, he wanted it, and I told him to go. And we broke up. You know I don't believe in long distance relationships."
"That's too bad." Her mother didn't sound too concerned though. "Do you still hear from him?"
"No, as I said we broke up, mother. You don't usually call someone when you break up. He's moving on with his life and I will too, eventually."
It grew tense and quiet again.
"How about you Jesse, got a wife and kids by now I'll bet?" Melanie asked, trying to include him once more.
"No, I've been kind of busy getting my business going to worry about dating much." Jesse explained.
"He dated your friend Maureen for a while. But that didn't pan out either. Did it?" Her mother looked adoringly at Jesse who sat in the front seat with her father, who drove his new car, a silver BMW.
"No, and I thought everyone knew I was trying to help her get over Carl. I mean, I liked her, but she really wanted to get married, and it didn't seem to matter to who. If you know what I mean. Not after Carl."
Melanie chuckled. "Maureen was always the homemaker. I figured she'd have married Carl by now. Did they break up or something?"
Her parents glanced at each other awkwardly.
"Oh no, I guess you didn't hear." Her mother's face screwed up in a frown. "I'm so sorry to tell you but Carl was killed in an auto crash six months ago."
"Oh, my God! That's terrible." Melanie sat stunned. The way they told her, hit her hard. She hadn't expected that. Carl was still a very young man. It peeved her a bit that they hadn't bothered to tell her about his death. She would have come home for the funeral.
But then there it was. Her parents didn't like her living here. They really thought their daughter belonged home, and making a home for someone. Surely they didn’t' think she was interested in Jesse now that she'd broken it off with Brad.
It seemed clear that Jesse wasn't interested.
"Jesse was there to console her, and I guess she got a bit pushy. Anyway, Maureen so wanted to marry and have children. But we all knew she wasn't truly over Carl's death yet. Jesse was just there as a friend mostly."
"She always was the home maker. I'm so sorry to hear about Carl though, it's kind of a shock. I wish you'd have told me, I'd have come home for his funeral."
"Well, you were busy with your studies and it was the middle of winter when he died. Not the best time to travel."
"Did Maureen take it hard?"
"Of course, she blubbered about for some time. Then one day Jesse asked her out and she went. She seemed to be getting over him then. At least that's what we all thought. But I'm not sure she'll ever get over him."
"So, you aren't seeing Maureen any longer then?" she glanced at Jesse.
"No."
"She was always dreaming of the day she'd marry and have children. It's hard to put your dreams away sometimes."
"Yes, I know dear. I almost wish you'd been that way."
A deep sense of despair spread through Melanie's body as she tried to clear her throat of the tears. Disappointment lingered for a second, then Melanie squashed it like she had so many times before. Her parents would never understand her need to get away from them. But being an only child they tended to smother her and control her to some extent. Now she was on her own. Even though it was scary, she needed to break away from them, and although school had furnished her a way to do just that, she was no longer in school and she guessed they thought she'd return home.
Melanie glanced at her mother strangely, wondering if she ever really knew her. After all, it had been her mother who had encouraged her to go to college, had that changed too? "You know I've always been interested in nursing Mom. And I'm finally going into the professional world of nursing. I like that. Once I'm settled in at the hospital I'm sure I'll start dating again too, but right now, I've got to concentrate on knowing what I'm doing."
"I know, but going to college and nursing school at night was a heavy burden for you. Even though you managed it. It has left little time for you, dear. Probably why you and Brad broke up."
"Maybe, one of the reasons. You only met Brad a couple of times Mother, and you had very little to say about him. But I'll admit, you are right about that, only, Brad spent the last six weeks of school concentrating entirely on his studies so he could get that fantastic job in Chicago. We're both to blame for the break up, mother, and I'm not sorry I broke up with him." Melanie said methodically, thinking about how little time they had at the end. "But you must sacrifice to get things done Mom. And we both chose to. I just spent four years in college and three in night nursing school. I can't waste that, and I don't want to. Now, I've got a position at one of the biggest hospitals in Houston. I'd think you'd be very happy for me Mom. It was very hard to manage. But I did it. I was determined. It's probably what broke Brad and I up, you're right of course but me going to school so much and him so determined to be at the top of the class graduating created a riff. Brad and I were just not meant to be. We parted friendly though, and I'm glad of that."
"That would break anyone up. But obviously, Brad wasn't who you were meant to be with."
"I agree." Melanie relented.
Heat stole up her face as she realized she was trying to explain too much. "I don't think that gentleman has come along yet, Mother." Melanie informed her.
"Well dear you are twenty-three years old now, and you haven't found the man you want to marry it will be even later when you have your first child." Her mother frowned.
"I know mother, I can count. But lots of young people are marrying later now, wanting to get their education out of the way first." How many times had they had this conversation. But bringing it up in front of Jesse was so out of place. "Let's don't spoil the visit with this. Can't we be happy that we are all together and all doing well?" Melanie asked.
"Of course. I simply worry about my only daughter."
"Well stop, I'm fine." She glanced hesitantly around the room.
She glanced at Jesse, but he wasn't paying much attention to their light bantering back and forth.
She studied him for a moment, out of the corner of her eye. Jesse was the kind of guy who put first things first. He had his business, why didn't he want to settle down with Maureen? She was a sweet girl and very pretty. It wasn't her concern and certainly Maureen hadn't had enough time to get over Carl yet. She just figured in her home town that Jesse would be settled with a girl by now. He certainly knew everyone.
The real shocker though was that Jesse seemed totally uninterested in her or her new life. She wasn't sure why. There was something about his lack of interest that puzzled her. He used to be all over her, wanting her attention. Now, he was standoffish. He'd changed, or she had one! Perhaps it was her as she began to see her parents in a different light now too.
Chapter Five
A couple of days later, Melanie was making a list of the furniture she wanted to look at, when the doorbell rang.
Melanie flung the door open, and was surprised to see Dex leaning against her doorframe negligently.
"Hi, you busy?" He asked looking over her shoulder.
He was dressed in jeans and white shirt and looked very hands
ome. He didn't dress up a lot from what she'd seen, but preferred a casual way of dressing. She liked that. Brad had been a stiff shirt about wearing suits all the time and never wanting to get his hands dirty. It irritated her. Funny that she should think of Brad at a time like this. The contrast between Brad and Dex was startling though. Bringing herself back to the present, she stepped back a bit and as he came through the doorway, she got a mild whiff of aftershave as Dex straightened up and a slow smile curled his lips.
"Not busy at all, come on in. What's up?" She asked as she followed him into the living room. Strangely she felt more at home with Dex than any man she'd met recently.
Unlike Brad he was clean shaven and didn't have a shadow on his cheek. She liked that too. She used to get such a whisker burn from Brad's kisses. But it was nonsense to compare him to Brad. Dex wouldn't be kissing her.
"Nothing, just thought I'd check on you. Saw you had company the other day so thought I'd wait a bit and come see how you are making out in your new apartment." He took the rocking chair and she grinned. He liked that chair.
"Fine. As you can see, I haven't done much else to it since you were here last except clean and hang a shower curtain. I can't afford drapes just yet, so the windows will stay bare a while."
He frowned for a minute but didn't say anything.
"Your living on a tight budget or something." He asked.
"Pretty much, yeah." She smiled.
The puzzled expression faded from Dex, but Melanie had seen it.
"All in good time. Rome wasn't built in a day. You getting nervous about starting your new job?" He asked.
"No, not nervous, but I'm sure the day of, I will. I haven't allowed myself to even think of work yet. I guess that sounds weird since it is my first real job. But this week was just for me to fix my apartment so it would be livable. When I start, I'll have plenty of time to worry about it. So…" she plopped herself in the old bean bag chair and pulled her knees up so she could wrap her arms around her legs, "what can you tell me about the hospital and the people that work there? Maybe if you can fill me in on a few things, I won't be as nervous" she scrunched down.
He put one leg up on his knee and thought about the question for a moment. "Let's see, I've been there about three years now. I like it, got into a real routine kind of thing, as much as you can in a hospital. I've got a lot of nice people to work with and I enjoy working there. Usually the heads of the departments are stuffy and a bit hard to get along with at first, but everyone else, the regular people are great. I've got one more year of residency and then I'll either get my own practice or work there. I'd rather work there. The hospital is very busy."
"Who do you work with?"
"Dr. Sanders on the fourth floor, he's a heart specialist and I'm learning a lot." Dex smiled. "That will be my special when my time is up. I am hoping to get on as a doctor there too. You know what department you'll be in?" He asked. "Maybe I could give you some pointers about it."
"I ask for Pediatrics, I like working with babies. Back home I volunteered at the local hospital and worked with the Pediatrics department, it was so much fun. I learned a lot and decided then that was where I wanted to work. " She smiled. "I'm hoping that's what I get, but whatever I get will be an experience for me. Just hoping it isn't ER, I've heard nightmares about that."
"Oh yeah, you're right about ER, it can be a nightmare for a beginner. It's hectic and hard for someone to start out in. But Pediatrics is great. You'll probably be working with Julia Myers, she's a head nurse in the nursery. She's good, really good, but she's tough too."
"Really? How so?" She stared at him as he talked.
"Julia's a compulsive when it comes to being clean and routine things. She's got it all mapped out for her girls and if you stray, you pay."
Melanie nodded with a grin. He seemed to know a lot about this Julia, she mused. "That's interesting. I guess the head nurse would have to be pretty strict, I mean think of the mix-ups you've heard of and you don't wonder why."
She glanced down at herself. She didn't look her best today, but he hadn't seemed to mind. She had on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and had been arranging her pantry before sitting down and making out her furniture list. It seemed she never looked her best when Dex came around. "Julia Myers. Is she young, old or what?"
"She's thirty, but a young thirty, she's never been married, never had a kid, but she really loves working in the nursery. She said it makes her feel as though she is a mother. She's often rocking the babies to sleep, if they are cranky and she insists on doing things her way, but once you get used to it, it should come natural to you. If you don't talk too much about your love life around her you'll probably get along fine." Dex smiled. "She doesn't date at all. Rumor has it she's sweet on Dr. Michaels, but he just lost his wife and isn't ready to dive into the dating game. So that isn't progressing any."
"Oh, that's sad." Melanie soaked all the information in for later.
"Sounds like you know her pretty well." Melanie chuckled.
"I've worked with and around her for a while now. I guess you could say that." He smiled.
She chuckled.
"What's so funny?" He asked when he saw her smile.
"I'm afraid I don't have a love life right now. I broke up with my boyfriend when he left town for a new job. So, that won't be a problem keeping quiet." She smiled.
"What about the guy that was here the other day."
Melanie looked serious for a moment, surprisingly he seemed to notice all her visitors. "Oh, Jesse? The one that came with my parents?"
"Yeah, I guess so, tall, didn't smile much."
"Jesse. He's not a boyfriend. At least not anymore. I quit going out with him years ago. We just didn't have enough in common and I moved on to college and he stayed in our hometown to work."
"Oh, so what happened to the romance with him?"
"The usual thing, we were drifting apart, you know, like you do when you both have different interests. It was never a serious relationship, at least on his part" She explained, as she curled her feet under her. "We were best friends, I guess we still are. Would you like a coke or something?"
"Sure, got any?"
"Yeah," she started to get up but he flagged her down.
"Don't get up, you look too comfortable. I can get them." He insisted.
He went in her kitchen and made himself to home. She kind of liked that. He was low maintenance.
He brought her one too, and sat down again.
"So, you are foot loose and fancy free, are you?" He smiled.
"Yeah, it's just as well, new apartment, new job, I don't need a boyfriend right now." She told him as she took a sip.
"Well, what about a friend then?" He asked.
"You offering to be my friend?" She asked with a slight curl to her lips.
"I'm unattached too, why not." He studied her reaction.
"I could use a friend, Dex." She told him. "You know you are easy to talk to, and I'm not at all sure why. I don't know if you noticed but I'm a bit spooked right now."
"Oh, anyone would notice that," He grinned. "So, why's that?" He acted as though he hadn't noticed, but she knew he had. "Something happen?"
"I'm not sure, ever get that hair on the back of your neck to stand up?"
"Oh yeah, a time or two. But, why would you?"
"I'm not at all sure, Dex." The easy way she used his name now astounded even her. "I mean, I can't put my finger on anything definite. It's just a feeling…"
"What kind of feeling?" He frowned a bit.
"Like someone's watching me. I'm probably imagining things, but every now and then, I feel a chill, and I have to go looking in my closet to make sure the boogie man isn't there."
The way she used his shortened name had him smiling.
"Do you ever get that feeling that someone is watching you?" She asked him.
"Watching huh? Uh…no I haven't but you obviously have." He smiled. "Well, don't worry about it, unless you catch someone. I m
ean, you're a pretty girl. I'm sure some do watch you."
She looked at him and shook her head, "It's not that kind of watching."
He sat up straight and stared into her brown eyes.
She shook her head. "I can't explain it. I felt it the night I moved in, but I've got an idea it has nothing to do with this place, only that I live here. I can't really give you a reason for it. But I get the creeps every now and then and don't know why. Every little sound makes me kind of jump. To begin with, the dorm was rather loud and people were all around. But here, I can hear every little sound, and there's no noise."
"Wow! You make someone mad lately?" He asked seeing the serious expression on her face.
"Not that I know of, no."
"Are you ticked off at someone?"
"No. It's probably nothing. It's just I've had the willies since I left the dorm." She explained. "There's an older man that works at the college, he's a maintenance man, and he leers at me. He did it for four years. Maybe that's when it started. He's married and I don't know why he stares so, I've never given him any encouragement. I wouldn't want him anyway. He's older and married to boot."
He studied the floor. "Some people can give you the creeps, it's just the way they are. Maybe it's just being new to all of this."
"Maybe. But, I'm probably just a bit paranoid."
"Well hey, if you need me, I'm down the hall and just give me a jingle I'll be here in a flash."
"Thanks, that's sweet of you. Now, tell me about you. The other day when we first met you were meeting someone, a girlfriend maybe?" She asked curiously.
"Darlene, that was my sister. We're good buddies. We help each other out a lot."
"Where does she live?"
"With my parents but she wants to move out and get a place of her own. She has a boyfriend and they have no privacy. She also works at a department store downtown and wants to move that way so she doesn't have to drive so far. Problem is Mom and Dad want to keep an eye on her too much and she's having a time trying to convince them she can make it on her own. She doesn't make that much money, but I think she could manage, I'm sure her boyfriend would help her out. He's crazy about her. I think they'll be getting married before too long." Dex explained.