by Ginny Aiken
“It looks nice,” Melanie said, observing the very short, casual cut that allowed her hair to be easily maintained.
“You have a Southern name,” Julie said, whipping onto the interstate, even though traffic was heavy. “I love it, though.”
“Actually, I was named after my grandmother,” Melanie said, leaning back against the thick leather seat and relaxing a bit. “She was Melinda, and Dad was insistent about my being her namesake.”
“It fits.” Julie shot her a quick glance before careening into another lane, barely missing an SUV roaring up just behind them and responding with an ugly screech of brakes. “Guess you’ve read Gone with the Wind?“
“Half a dozen times,” Melanie laughed. She found it so easy to talk with Julie whose chatter and laughter was infectious.
“I always think of myself as Scarlet,” she whipped her head toward Melanie, sending her short waves toppling about her face. Above the faint glow of the dashboard, Melanie could see the twinkle in the wide blue eyes and could only imagine how crazy Tom was about her. She decided to get to the point, since Julie was an easy conversationalist.
“So tell me about Dave’s friends. I already like you and Tom and—”
“You do?” She giggled. “Tom said I would talk your ear off but he knows I’ll just be me and can’t help it. Tom and I are probably the most liberal of Dave’s friends. As you must know, he’s a bit conservative, works too hard, never plays, all that. Tom and I barely get through the week until Friday and then its nonstop playing until the weekend’s over. He’s usually at my place or I’m at his, but it seems to be no problem for Dave because he works all the time. Too much,” she said, frowning for the first time since Melanie had met her. “We’ve been relieved to see a more relaxed, happy Dave since he returned from Paris. Actually, since he got out of the hospital. In fact,” she stopped at the light and took the opportunity to give Melanie an appraising eye, “we all think you’ve been very good for him. That’s why it was so important for us to get you down here for his birthday party. We wanted it to be perfect.”
Melanie liked the sound of that. “What do you have planned?”
“I’m going to get you settled in, and then let you shower and get comfortable, then I’m dashing back out to meet Tom at the Party Place. We’re buying some stuff for tomorrow. As usual, Dave is working tonight and probably plans to go into the office in the morning. Because he was out sick for a week, he feels he’ll be letting his coworkers down if he doesn’t catch up on his part of the project by yesterday.” She paused and shook her head as if she found him hopeless. “But that’s Dave. Dedicated and conscientious. I used to complain to Tom that Dave was boring, but I’ve seen a different side of him lately. I hope we can be good friends,” she said, tossing a glance at Melanie as Julie steered her little car into the driveway of a huge apartment complex.
“I’m sure we will be,” Melanie said, turning to survey the nice surroundings. “I’ll grab a luggage cart from the garage closet and we’ll dash on up to my place.”
Melanie had already figured out that Julie did nothing in slow motion, so she hurriedly got out of the car, hooked her shoulder bag on her arm, and ran a hand over her hair.
“You look great,” Julie said, not missing a single gesture as she managed to find the cart, roll it to the trunk of her car, and pop the lid. “Love your hair. The length is right, and those highlights compliment your facial features and those fabulous gray eyes.” She stopped suddenly in the midst of her fast-forward movements and peered closer at Melanie. “Do you wear contacts?”
Melanie laughed. “Yes, I do.”
Julie nodded, turning back to her task of pulling out Melanie’s bag, though Melanie tried to assist her. “That’s why your eyes look so clear and gray. Thank God, I’ve never had to bother with glasses. I’m too scatterbrained to keep up with them.”
They were practically racing toward the elevator, and Melanie grabbed a breath, aware that the humidity was causing her to move slower. Her clothes suddenly felt slightly damp, as did her skin.
“What’s your part of Ohio like?” Julie asked, as they stepped onto the elevator and she pushed a button as she rearranged her ring of keys.
Melanie was fascinated at how Julie always managed two things at once. “It’s a small town, but we’re not too far from Cleveland.”
“I’ve never been to Cleveland,” Julie glanced again at her.
“Then I’d love for you to come visit.”
Julie smiled at her. “I like you, Melanie.”
Her honesty almost startled Melanie, but then she remembered Dave explaining that some of the people he knew were outspoken and frank, but everyone was friendly and to some people almost seemed insincere because of their responses. Melanie realized Julie was being honest, and she smiled and accepted the compliment.
“Thank you. I like you too. Bet you wondered what kind of person Dave had met?”
Her thin blond-brown brows shot up and down. “I wondered that any woman could steal his heart so fast. I’ve fixed him up so many times that I finally gave up. He was too hard to please.” The elevator door slid open and they stepped out onto the soft, plush beige carpet. “But I see why now. The right person is worth waiting for, don’t you think?”
Melanie looked at her carefully, wondering if she should commit herself to that. “When you’re sure it’s the right person.”
Julie was unlocking the door but just before she pushed it open, she shot a questioning glance at Melanie. “Haven’t made up your mind yet, huh?”
“Well, we’ve only known each other a week,” Melanie tried to be rational, though Julie obviously believed in love at first sight.
She hurried on ahead, switching on lights, and Melanie looked around, impressed with the nice furnishings and the good taste of the decor. “This is your room,” she said over her shoulder, leading the way into a comfortable room done in soft blue with an adjoining bath. “If there’s anything you can’t find, just prowl through my room across the hall.” She waved a little hand in that direction. “The fridge is stocked, so help yourself.” She paused to draw a breath.
“Thanks, Julie. You’ve been most gracious. I’ll be fine. You go on and meet Tom and do whatever you need to do about tomorrow. I’d like a hot bath—about half an hour in that tub.” She glanced toward the bath.
“We knew you’d be tired after working all day, driving into Cleveland, and then the long flight. It’s after eleven,” Julie glanced at her watch, “so I have to hurry. The party supply store closes at midnight, and I have to call Tom on my cell phone to say I’m on the way.”
“Go ahead. I’ll be fine.”
“See you in the morning,” Julie called over her shoulder, grabbing her purse from the hall table and rushing out the door. The latch clicked loudly, assuring Melanie that she was safely secured.
She found the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of milk and located the cereal, dishes, and flatware. She had a bowl of cereal with a banana from Julie’s fruit bowl, feeling the weariness of the strenuous week and the long trip settling into every bone of her body. And yet her mind was wide awake and spinning with everything Julie had told her and the awesome realization that she was in Atlanta, near Dave, and that she would see him tomorrow. After a relaxing bath and a couple of aspirin, she crawled between the smooth, crisp sheets, turned off the light, and dissolved into the softness of the bed.
The distant bounce of music reached her slowly. She noticed her door had been closed sometime during the night, a thoughtful gesture on Julie’s part. As she lay there luxuriating in the soft bed and wondering what the day held, she recognized the music as a popular group whose songs were not particularly to her taste, but she realized that Julie’s quick personality would respond to that type of beat. The bath had eased her sore muscles, and now her eyes moved toward the closet and the clothes she had brought—those she had worn in Paris. She remembered exactly the ones Dave had complimented.
She had already planne
d to wear the skirt and blouse she had worn when they met. And if they went out for dinner, she would wear the dressy jade number. She hadn’t brought heels, because Dave was only a couple of inches taller and she wisely chose dressy flats and gold sandals.
Tossing the covers back, she rushed to the bathroom to wash up, pulling on her new terry cloth robe as she went. After quickly freshening up, she wandered out into the living room where she spotted Julie perched at the eating bar, the wall phone cord stretched to accommodate her as her hand sped over the notepad.
The smell of fresh coffee filled the air. Since meeting Dave, Melanie had developed a taste for coffee, so she quietly crossed to the kitchen with a brief wave at Julie, not wanting to interrupt her conversation.
“She’s up now,” Julie said, looking fresh and bright-eyed in a short white sleep shirt that showed off her deep tan. “So we can get right on with it. This is Tom,” she explained to Melanie. “Yep, we can be there in an hour.”
An hour? Melanie hastened her movements around the kitchen, wondering what time it was. She spotted a kitchen clock and noted that it was only eight, which meant this was the earliest Saturday morning she had seen in awhile. But she’d had plenty of sleep, and she didn’t want to waste another second of her short weekend.
“Okay. Love you,” Julie said sweetly and hung up. “Glad you found what you needed,” she said, as Melanie poured cereal into a bowl. “I never eat breakfast. Well, maybe a banana on the run.”
“That’s how you keep your nice figure.” Melanie glanced at her, amazed at her perfect size.
“Now, here’s the plan. Dave just left for the office, so we’ll get dressed and Ginny and Chad, that’s our two other mutual friends, will meet us at the apartment, and we’ll string up the decorations we got last night. Tom is blowing up balloons already.”
Melanie smiled at her. “Dave is going to be so pleased.”
“And so surprised, I hope. The pleased part will take place when he sees you. I’m so glad you came,” she said on a slow romantic sigh. “Well, I’m going to shower and dress. Is forty-five minutes too soon?” she asked suddenly, as though aware she might have acted hastily.
“No, that’s fine. I’m accustomed to hurrying to get to school.”
“That’s right!” Julie suddenly looked amazed. “Second -graders, right?”
Melanie nodded, amazed that Julie and Tom knew so much about her.
“I work over in Buckhead. Assistant manager of a little boutique in the mall. It’s fun.” With that explanation, she hopped off the barstool, and her bare feet with their bright red toenails padded quickly toward her room.
“I’ll be ready,” Melanie called after her. It seemed the appropriate thing to say. They had all gone to so much trouble for Dave’s party. She only hoped he would be surprised and pleased at their efforts. What will Dave really think about my coming? she wondered as she finished her breakfast and put away the cereal and milk. Would he think she was being too presumptuous? Julie and Tom didn’t seem to think so, but knowing them, he would understand that maybe they had pressed her to come. The truth was, it had taken very little persuasion.
After washing her bowl and drying her hands, she hurried back to her room to make her bed and begin dressing.
Chapter 11
Between Julie and Tom and Ginny and Chad, whom she also liked, they seemed to have thought of everything. Melanie relaxed and began to enjoy stringing up the Happy Birthday signs, then joined Ginny in putting out a lunch buffet they had picked up at a local delicatessen.
Ginny was easier to be with than Julie was, because, like Melanie, she ran at a slower speed. She was a physical therapist at one of the hospitals where Chad worked as a medical technologist. Their tie to Dave was first high school and then Georgia where they had all gone to school.
“We’ve been friends for years,” Ginny said, arranging the finger sandwiches on a platter and then glancing up at Melanie, who was about the same height and size. “Dave is a great guy. We just want him to meet a girl deserving of him.”
Melanie didn’t know how to respond to that, because she didn’t know if she was that girl, so she merely smiled at Ginny and spread dip on crackers.
“And you seem deserving,” Ginny added thoughtfully.
“Thank you. But we really haven’t known each other very long.”
“I know. But it doesn’t take long to know, does it?”
Their eyes met and Melanie knew exactly what she meant. She decided to be honest with her. “No, it doesn’t.”
“Hurry up, you guys!” Tom called from his perch on the ladder where he was adding one last cartoon sign to the chandelier. Melanie had thought him the perfect match for Julie; he was tall and lanky, calm when she was in high gear, yet aggressive when she couldn’t make a decision. They looked at each other with adoring eyes, and that fascinated Melanie. To have been blessed with a good relationship for so many years seemed strange to her. When she considered her short time with Dave, the first twinge of doubt crept in.
Were they rushing into this? They didn’t really know one another, she hadn’t met his family, nor had he met hers.
And then Julie was motioning wildly toward the kitchen. “Everyone in there quick. He just drove up.”
Tom cast one last satisfied glance around the room, and Melanie had to admit it was perfectly decorated and was sure to surprise and please Dave. It was twelve o’clock, and Dave had told Tom he would be in to relax for a quick lunch before going golfing with Chad. But Chad was hiding in the kitchen with the rest of the conspirators, and they had something quite different planned. Melanie found herself extremely nervous. Her hands were cold and her throat dry, as they grouped together in a quiet little circle in the kitchen, awaiting the key in the lock.
All was silent, the music had been turned off, along with all the lights, and the cassette Tom had made of deep snoring was propped just behind the door so that would be the first sound that greeted Dave. When the door opened and Melanie glimpsed his crisp white business shirt and perfectly groomed hair, her heart jumped to her throat and her hands turned to ice. He had already heard the snoring and was quietly closing the door and gently opening the closet door to hang up his jacket.
At that moment all the lights went on, and everyone yelled “SURPRISE!”
He whirled, turning pale as his eyes widened on all the decorations and the sudden blare of a CD playing an old-fashioned “Happy Birthday.” One by one they moved into the living room, though Julie motioned for Melanie to stay in the kitchen.
Melanie waited, holding her breath, as he hugged Ginny and Julie and shook hands with Tom and Chad, thanking them for the party. “We’re on a budget and couldn’t afford a nice gift,” Chad began to explain.
Dave put up his hand, and now she caught a side profile of him, for he still had not turned toward the kitchen. She felt a surge of tenderness well up within her just at the sight of him.
“So we decided to try to get you something you really needed,” Tom said matter-of-factly, and Julie gave her the eye signal to come forward.
Slowly, Melanie came out of the kitchen, and Dave, following everyone’s gaze, turned around. For a moment, he could only stare as though unable to believe his eyes. Then he covered the distance between them in a few short steps and pulled her quickly to him, smiling into her face.
“Melanie. You came down for my birthday.”
She could only nod as she looked up at him and realized that nothing had changed. He was still just as she imagined him, except a bit thinner from his illness and a bit peaked. But the blue eyes that blazed into hers told her everything she needed to know. And then his lips were brushing hers, and she couldn’t keep her arms from sliding up his arms to his shoulders. The kiss deepened until someone cleared his or her throat and Melanie jerked back, startled.
What was happening to the self-conscious girl who never made a move without thinking it over at least half a dozen times?
“Okay, time to eat,” Tom bro
ke the moment.
Dave’s eyes still held hers, as though there were only the two of them in the room and the mood of Paris was still very much with them. The crowd was putting out the food, gathering around the counter, while Dave kept holding Melanie’s hand and thanking her for coming.
“You’ve lost weight,” she said, hoping to bring them both back to the moment.
“Yeah, but I’m fine now.”
“Come on, you two,” Chad nudged him. “Fill your plates. You’re too thin, Dave. See, Melanie has already noticed.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean …,” she began then stopped. Those days of apologizing for everything were behind her now, and standing next to Dave she felt herself being led toward a bright new and very different future. She took a deep breath and forced her eyes away from Dave toward the crowded buffet.
“We should at least be sociable,” she said gently. “They’ve really worked hard.”
Dave blinked and turned around, surveying the food, the decorations, everything as though for the first time. “You are the greatest friends a guy could ever have,” he said, and to everyone’s surprise it looked like businessman Dave was about to cry.
She slid her hand into his. “Come on, I’m hungry.”
They joined in then, filling their plates and joining in the conversation as Chad related news of the new golf course that was being built, knowing this would capture Dave’s attention. The meal went pleasantly and then they moved to the sofa, talking easily, the way friends who had known each other for a very long time often did. Strangely, Melanie felt as though she fit right in, because she could relate to some of the things they were saying. She was delighted to learn that Ginny enjoyed reading, knew where the best bookshops were located, and that they shared a fondness for the same authors.