by Lanee Lane
He looked so sweet and genuine when he asked her. She wanted to stick to her guns and say no, but she couldn't. Not when he was so adorable.
"Ok, I'll think about it, but don't get your hopes up, Sky."
He gave her another small smile.
"You called me Sky. I like it when you say it."
He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek and told her goodnight.
With that, she knew that she'd be going to the wedding no matter if she wanted to or not. He was too charming for his own good, and she was too dumb for hers. The least she could do to make herself feel slightly better about it all would be to make him wait for her answer.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Mel stayed busy at work the next day. They didn't have many appointments, but they did have a lot of walk-ins. Jade and Melanie had made plans with Claudia to meet up for their weekly drinks. Instead of going out, they decided to meet at Melanie's apartment for takeout and wine.
Once their last customers were gone, Melanie and Jade did their closing duties and left together. Claudia was going to pick up the takeout so they headed straight to her place. When the three of them were all there, they crowded around her coffee table and turned on some reality T.V. It was a guilty pleasure for all of them.
"So, guys," Claudia said around a bite of fried rice. "Work has been so crazy lately. There's been talk about layoffs and everyone's on pins and needles."
"That's awful, Claud. Are the layoffs a sure thing? Will it affect you directly?" Jade asked.
"I'm not sure. There are several of us that do similar jobs, so I'm a little worried."
"You're great at what you do, and no one is a harder worker. I can't imagine they would get rid of someone like you," Melanie said.
"I hope you're right. I don't know what I will do if I lose my job. I won't be able to stay in my apartment. It will just mess everything up. I am going to start getting my resume out there just in case."
Jade and Melanie agreed that being proactive would be the smart thing to do.
"You know," Melanie spoke up. "You could always focus more on your photography and get it off of the ground."
"Yeah, I guess so. I don't know."
"Well, if you do get laid off, you always have a place to stay here. I'd be glad to help promote your photography business."
"Aw, thanks, Mel." Claudia gave her a small smile.
Melanie worried about Claudia. She was usually the upbeat one of their group. To see her down and stressed was not the norm. Melanie prayed that her job was not at stake, but she meant what she said. If Claudia needed her, she would be there. Claudia had been her backbone when she didn't have one. Claudia had helped Melanie become the confident woman she was, and she would do anything in her power to help her friend.
The conversation moved to the show they were watching. It was one of the Real Housewives franchises. They talked about how they would act if they were housewives. Being stuck up and spoiled was something they all agreed that they wouldn't be. Remembering their humble beginnings would be a must. Jade and Melanie both decided that they would have a stellar wardrobe though.
A knock at the door interrupted their conversation about which housewives they could be friends with and which ones they couldn't stand. They all looked up in confusion. Melanie headed to the door. When she checked the peephole, she wasn't surprised by who she saw.
"Who is it?" Claudia yelled from the living room.
Instead of answering, Melanie opened the door for Skylar.
"Hello, Skylar. What are you doing here?"
"Hello to you too. Just in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by."
She looked at him with a blank stare. "You live in the neighborhood, Skylar."
"Technicality. Can I come in?"
"Sure, why not."
Skylar scooted past her smiling as he went. She heard him rustling around in her refrigerator before he emerged into the living room.
"Hey, ladies. How's it going?" He asked popping the tab on a can of coke.
Jade muttered a greeting, but Claudia was much less subtle.
"What are you doing here?" she asked echoing Melanie.
"Jeez you and Melanie sound like a broken record. Can't I stop by to see a friend?"
Claudia squinted at him.
"When did you become friends? I thought you guys didn't get along."
"We get along just fine. Mel spent Saturday with me and my family. She's going to my sister's wedding with me in a couple of weeks."
Melanie stared at him with her eyes bugged out. This man was so exasperating. She had never agreed to this wedding ordeal and she knew he was up to something by telling her friends. Claudia turned her head slowly to look at Melanie. Jade was sitting in the oversized accent chair trying to hide a small smile. Melanie tried to busy herself by cleaning up some of the mess they'd made.
"Melanie Alyse Nova, don't you try to avoid me. Why didn't you tell us about this past weekend and the wedding?" Claudia was using her best mother voice.
Melanie groaned. She knew that the rat fink was up to no good when he came over. She knew that Claudia would take his side and guilt her into going. Jade would be the sensible and compassionate one. Claudia was relentless, and she knew that they were about to battle. She turned around to face Claudia.
"Yes."
"Don't ‘yes’ me. You know what I'm about to say. Why the hell were you holding out on us? You spent the day with a guy's family and didn't think to tell your BFFs? To top it off, you’re going to a wedding with said guy. Next thing I know, I'll be getting a phone call saying you eloped in Vegas."
Melanie looked at Claudia with a bored expression. When Claudia got on her soapbox, it was best to let her run out of steam before even trying to say your piece.
"Are you finished being dramatic?" Melanie asked when Claudia was quiet for a few seconds.
"I'm not being dramatic, oh Keeper of Secrets. We're supposed to be besties, and you failed to mention some very big pieces of your weekend."
"For one, his family had a barbecue with their friends. It wasn't like I received a VIP invite to some exclusive party. Second, I never officially agreed to go to a wedding with him. He's delusional."
"Why aren't you going to the wedding?"
"What do you mean why am I not going to the wedding? I don't know him that well, I have a job where I work weekends, and I don't want to."
The last one was kind of a lie, but she would keep that piece of information to herself.
Skylar was sitting on the couch helping himself to their leftover takeout. He had a smug look on his face. The little stinker knew what he was doing. Melanie wanted to strangle him, but she didn't have bail money.
"You spent time with his family, Mel. You've been on a blind date for crying out loud. I know you, and I know you are just making excuses."
Melanie rolled her eyes at Claudia. Crossing her arms over her chest, she looked at her best friend. Or, at this moment, maybe her former best friend because she wanted to kill her. Couldn't she be on her side for once? Claudia was always throwing her under the bus.
Claudia just stared back at Melanie with her eyebrows raised. This wasn't the first time they had a stare off, and it most certainly wouldn't be the last. That was if Melanie let Claudia live. Jade and Skylar just sat silently watching the exchange. Jade was used to the two of them.
"These are not excuses, Claudia. These are objections any sensible person would make."
Instead of addressing Melanie's concerns, Claudia turned her attention to Skylar.
"You need a date for your sister's wedding, right?"
"Right," he replied around a bite of food.
"And you want Melanie to be your date?"
"She already agreed. My whole family is expecting her. They loved her, by the way."
Melanie eyes turned to slits directed at him. She stormed over to where he was sitting and snatched the takeout container from his hands. There was no way she was going to let him eat all the
ir food when he was there to stir up trouble. He could get his own dang General Tso’s.
"You put me on the freaking spot! I didn't know what to say, so I agreed."
"A promise is a promise, Mel. My sister is expecting you. Would you want to let the bride down?"
She wanted to put him in a headlock. Lucky for him, she knew she wasn't prison material. Maybe she could hire a good lawyer. Yeah, that's what she'd do, because Skylar Stillman was a dead man.
She needed a drink to deal with all the madness. She stormed out of the living room and into the kitchen. She pulled her sparkling grape juice from the fridge drank it straight from the bottle.
Skylar sauntered in while she was taking her first swig.
"Drove you to drink, huh?" He walked over and stood in front of her. "Got the hard stuff, too, I see," he said with a laugh.
She finished her swig and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Her inner savage had come out because Skylar was incorrigible. Before she could take another drink, he snatched the bottle from her hand and started chugging the contents. Her mouth gaped at his barbaric behavior. What the hell did he think he was doing? There was one thing you did not do and that was to come between her and her bubbly. She put both hands on the bottle and snatched the bottle from his lips.
"What's wrong? Don't like sharing?"
"I. Hate. You."
"No, you don't."
"Oh, but I really, really do."
Melanie stomped back into the living room where Jade and Claudia were sitting too close talking in hushed voices. They both looked up when Melanie entered the room with Skylar not far behind.
"So," Claudia started. "Jade and I were talking, and you are definitely going to the wedding. Jade said she will cover your shifts for that weekend if you are scheduled. We can go shopping this weekend for something to wear."
"Sweet," Skylar said giving the two traitors high fives.
"You know what? Fine; I'll go to the wedding, but not for any of you. I'm going because Sam is a sweetheart."
"I don't know how sweet she is, but she will be happy to see you there. My mom will be too. She keeps asking me about you."
Melanie couldn't resist an eye roll. She didn't know why his mom was asking about her, but what she did know was that after this wedding she wouldn't be seeing any more of his family. What she really wanted to know was why did he want her to go so bad? She was sure that he had his pick of women and could find his own date. Whatever ; after this, she was done with his shenanigans.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The next week went by in a blur. Between working shifts at the boutique and working on her blog, Melanie had been going non-stop. Before she knew it, it was the Friday before Sam's wedding. She'd laid out her clothes for the wedding and twisted her hair prepping it for a cute twist out in the morning.
She curled up on the couch with her e-reader and a fresh glass of juice. Her phone buzzed. It was a new text message. She scooped her phone up from the coffee table and swiped her thumb against the screen to unlock it.
Skylar: Ready for the big day?
Melanie: I guess.
Skylar: Don't sound so excited.
Melanie: I'm over the moon with excitement.
Skylar: I sense sarcasm...
Melanie: Whatevs
Skylar: Are you twelve?
Melanie: Bye, Skylar
Skylar: Be ready by ten. See ya in the morning.
Melanie woke up at eight the next morning. She gave herself enough time to make breakfast and to do her makeup. As she flipped her omelet, she heard a knock at the door. The clock on her microwave read eight-thirty. Still in her bathrobe, she looked down trying to decide if she had time to change. Another knock sounded. Nope, no time to change.
Skylar was on the other side. He was wearing running shorts and a t-shirt he'd cut the sleeves off of. Sweat covered the shirt. She drank him in. His body was worth perusal. What the heck was he doing there so early though? His message said ten. Opening the door just a crack, she peeked her face out.
"It's not ten, Skylar."
"Good morning to you too, sunshine. I know what time it is."
"Then why are you here?"
"I wanted to see what color your dress was. I want to make sure my tie matches."
Melanie stared at him. The man was crazy. Why had he waited this long to find out the color of her dress? He could've texted her to ask.
"Seeing as it is the day of the wedding, does it matter? You waited until the last possible second."
"I have a lot of ties. I'm sure I have something that matches. Let me see it." He put his hand on the door and pushed it open.
"It smells good in here." He tilted his head back slightly and took an audible whiff of the air.
"Thanks. The dress is pink. Now you can go so I can finish getting ready."
Skylar ignored her and followed the smell of food to the kitchen. He sat down at a stool that lined her breakfast bar. He gave her puppy dog eyes. Melanie huffed out a loud breath. She walked over to the plate where her fresh made omelet laid and placed it in front of Skylar. He gave her a big smile.
"Aw, we really are friends."
"You are testing my patience, and it is not even nine a.m."
She got the contents out to make herself another omelet. While she whisked the eggs in a bowl, Skylar stuffed a huge bite in his mouth. A moan escaped his lips.
"This is fantastic."
"Thanks," was all she gave in return.
"So if anyone asks, you are my girlfriend. My parents wish we were dating and, technically, this is a date. So..."
Melanie slid the fresh omelet onto a plate for herself and took the stool next to him.
"Why should I lie? Isn't it enough that I’m going? We don't even know that much about each other."
"You know about my family and what I do for a living. My family already knows we’re neighbors, and that we met in the building. We'll tell everyone that’s how we got together. It isn't even a complete lie. I'd say the basics should be good enough."
Melanie just shook her head. There was no point in arguing with his logic. She wasn't the one with anything at stake, anyway. They finished up their breakfast, and Skylar headed to his apartment to get ready.
At ten, she met him down at his car. He was leaning against the passenger side door in a tailored suit with a pink tie and handkerchief. When he spotted her coming out of the building, she could see an odd look cross his face. It looked like confusion and, if she wasn't mistaken, a little appreciation. When she reached the car, he stayed there a moment still leaning against her door.
"Um, are you ok?"
He shook his head and blinked his eyes. "Yeah, fine. You look pretty, Melanie."
Melanie rarely got shy, but she found her gaze move to the ground. If her brown skin would have allowed, a red tint would surely have graced her cheeks.
"Thank you. You don't look half bad yourself."
Skylar pushed off of the car door and turned around to open it for her. Once she buckled up, he shut her door. As he backed out of the parking spot, Melanie fiddled with his radio. A few seconds later, the sounds of a boy band blared through his speakers. When he turned his head to glare at her, she was bobbing her head and mouthing the words.
"What are you doing?"
"What do you mean ‘what am I doing’? We're in a car, Sky. There isn't much to do."
"I told you about messing with my radio."
She snapped her fingers and did what he assumed were dance moves in her seat.
"Hey, I'm doing you a favor by going to this wedding with you to keep the blonde bombshell at bay. I think the least you can do is let me pick the music."
"Blonde bombshell?"
"Yeah, the pretty blonde you were screwing and are afraid of."
"I'm not afraid of her. She doesn't take ‘no’ for an answer."
"I hope you don't think your little plan will work."
"Why won't it?"
"Because no one, es
pecially Candace, will think you would date someone like me."
His head jerked in her direction before he remembered he needed to keep his eyes on the road.
"What do you mean ‘someone like you’?"
"Come on, pretty boy, you know what I'm talking about. You're handsome, fit, and seem to have a good job. You're what some would call ‘the total package’. I’m short, plus-sized, and black. Your polar opposite."
"I don't know what any of that has to do with me dating you."
"Have you ever dated a black girl?"
Skylar's neck turned scarlet. "Um, I've slept with a few."
"Gah, Skylar, you're a pig. That doesn't count! Have you dated a big girl?"
"No, I guess not. That doesn't mean I wouldn't."
"Riiiight." Mel crossed her arms over her chest.
"It doesn't! I don't discriminate when it comes to beautiful women."
"Mm hm."
Skylar thought about what Melanie said. He had dated and slept with his share of women in his day. He'd never thought about the race or size of the women he dated. Well, that wasn't completely true. He was typically attracted to tall women. He was tall himself, so it seemed to make sense. Other than that, he didn't discriminate. He had been with some women with a few curves, athletic builds, and 'normal' physiques. No, he hadn't dated a black woman before, but it wasn't because from lack of attraction to them..
Skylar pulled into his parents’ driveway. He walked around and opened Melanie's door and led her up to the house. It felt like they had walked into a circus. There were people running around with decorations. Caterers were hustling around with trays, glasses, and utensils.
Skylar's mom swept into the room wearing a beautiful, midnight blue, floor-length dress. There were tiny crystals scattered across the top. It tapered in at the waist and flared into a slight A-line skirt.
"Oh, Melanie, you look absolutely beautiful!" Skylar's mother brought her in for a tight hug.
"Thank you, Mrs. Stillman. You look lovely yourself."
"Call me Arabella, sweetie. No need for formalities. There will be eligible bachelors here tonight. I hope my son here is smart enough to keep you close by so none of them grab you right from under him." She gave Melanie a conspiratorial wink.