Three weeks went by. Mel broke up with Eric, She actually gave Joe a raise for going grocery shopping (Actuallly, she liked his colongne), and Lennox and Ryder both got an F for english on their report card. Nice. Mel wiped the sweat off her forehead after she entered her loud home. Joe was in the kitchen, Lennox yelling at her friend Natalie on the phone, and Ryder sleeping soundly on the couch. Joe walked out of the kitchen, wearing a dirty apron, and totally ignoring the kids.
"Hey, Mel. Have you seen my-"
"No Joe." Mel said, rubbing her forehead,"No. I am tired, I have a headache. Oh, and you must be a very secure man to walk around like that." Joe snickered and laughed.
"Are you going to cook?" He asked slyly. Mel immediatley shook her head and threw her bag on the couch, ignoring the taunting and yelling coming from her big mouth.
"I'm guessing the office isn't as 'Magical' as you always explain it to be?" Joe taunted. Mel laughed and smiled at Joe. He always made her feel better.
"Yes, today was a freaking nightmare. A new girl, Kyra Sameuls, is a teenager that I have to mentor. It's...this new mentor thing where us responsible women mentor teens who are envolved in drugs and alchohol." Mel mumbled, with a sigh.
"Why so sad, the new responsible Mel Burke?" Joe asked, laughing. Mel coughed out a fake laugh and continued speaking.
"She's coming over hear tomorow."
"How old is she?" Joe leaned in colse to Mel. She made a sick face and moved back.
"Why? Does it REALLY matter?" Mel yelled. Joe nodded, smiling.
"She is 18. 3 years older than Lennox. What if she influences her, Joe?" Mel layed her hands forcefully on his shoulders. "What if she hands her a bag of pot and says,'Lets go smoke this'?" Joe shook his head.
"Nah. An iresponsible teenager who is in trouble with drugs and the freakin' law won't influence her." Joe said with sarcasm.
"Seriously, Longo? Anyway, I know. You are right. Take Lennox out tomorow." Joe turned his head.
"What? I told you, Burke, that Emma is coming over for a date with the one and only Joe Longo." Mel rolloed her eyes.
"I guess you are going to have to change it," She enforced lightly. "Isn't Lennox more inmportant to you than some 20-something you met at a bar?" Joe frowned and nodded.
"Yes, yeah she is. Fine Mel." Joe smiled at the thought of how silly he was being.
Mel sat at her soft chair in her office. Stephanie was running very late and she was getting disgruntled. Mel retrieved her laptop in her bag and opened it as the desktop apeared. Mel's heart fluttered as she saw a photo of her and Joe...without Lennox and Ryder. Why did she put that as her wallpaper? She looked at Joe's expression; It was happy and warm..and Mel was staring up at him. If only Mel would stop smiling, glaring at the photo...
"Hi Mel!" Stepanie yelled with a jolly tone. Mel jumped out of her skin and looked up at Stepahnie.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Stephanie began, sitting in the chair by Mel's desk, "Did I frighten you?" Mel rolled her eyes.
"Yes. But, I need to say something. It's about...Joe." Stephanie turned her head to one side.
"What?" Mel glared directly up at her as she felt her stomach turn into knots.
"I..I have developed a few tiny...tiny...tiny..like MICROSCOPIC feelings for him.." Stephnaie smiled as far as her face would allow her.
"Really, Mel? Do you mean that?" Did she mean that? She said it herself that night with Joe and Elena...
'I didn't realize until just now how much I care about you..'
Mel nodded.
"Joe and I are just...buisness partners. I can't tell him and risk having our realationship ruined...the way it is right now." Mel stated clearly. Mel got up.
"But Mel, if you don't tell-"
"Sorry, Stephanie," Mel began, shaking her head, "It's not happening." Stephanie nodded and grabbed her belongings. Mel motioned for her bubbly assistant to come and get ready for her meeting. Mel stopped in her tracks and turned to Stephnaie.
"I can come to one conclusion on this whole Joe buisness." She said. "Opposites attract."
Joe sat at the table in the kitchen in the Burke household. Rain pounded against the window as the sun hid from it all; Ryder was over Holly's, Mel was at work and Lennox was watching The Realy Housewives of Beverly Hills in the living room. Joe took a sip of his now cold coffee, cringing at the fading flavor. He got up and placed his cup in the sink and went in the living room. Lennox was on her knees and staring at the TV screen closely.
"Oh Lisa, you did NOT just say that!" Lennox shouted at the bright screen.
"Don't go to clost to the TV." Joe advised. Lennox backed away and plopped back on the couch.
"Ok." She answered. A soaked Mel walked through the door and smiled at Joe.
"Hi." She said. Joe kindly waved and got up to take her dripping florescent blue umbrella. Joe followed Mel into the kitchen.
"So, You do remember," Mel said, "That my student Kyra is coming over tonight, right?" Joe threw his hands in the air.
"What? Your telling me that I have to take Lennox outside in..." Joe pointed to the wet window, "that?" Mel nodded.
"Oh, grow up. It's just rain. It won't bite." Mel squeezed Joe's arm and laughed.
"Fine. I'll bring Lennox to the movies." Mel held up her hand.
"You better not bring her to a movie with F-bombs and other inapropriate stuff." Mel emphasized on the word stuff.
"Okay, I'm not stupid. You got it." Mel smiled.
"Thank you!" Mel, without thinking, grabbed Joe and gave him a hug. Joe hugged back, and for once, didn't feel weird when Mel touched him. Mel awkwardly let go and smiled. She felt her cheeks turn red, and saw Joe's were very pink. She walked away, purposley sashaying. Joe smiled and laughed turned on the water to wash the dishes.
The doorbell rang as Mel fixed her Blonde locks in her bedroom mirror. She smiled and scurried down the stairs to see her student she was supposed to mentor. When Mel opened the door, she felt like she was experiencing dejah vou. She looked at the tall blonde teensager in front of her; It seemed that Kyra had light blonde hair, bright blue eyes that looked faded, tight purple jeans, and a top that cut off at her belly button. She had earings up her earlobes and she had a beautiful complexion.
"Hi. I'm Mel, and you must be-"
"Kyra. Can I come in now?" Kyra asked. Mel nodded and motioned for the tall teenage girl to come in fto her home.
"Thanks." Kyra mumbled.
"Where do you want to start?" Mel wondered, feeling a bit uncomfortable. Kyra shrugged. She turned around.
"Are you gonna ask me why I drink and smoke like all of the other crappy mentors? Not that...I think your crappy." Mel smiled.
"Not unless you want me to." Kyra quickly shook her head and sat on the couch and Mel did the same.
"So, Kyra. Tell me abou yourself. Do you have any siblings?" Kyra glared at Mel.
"3 Brothers. Mike, John, and Timothy. Mike is 14, John is 22, and Timothy is 6." She said, smiling. Something abou Kyra's family made her smile.
"Oh. That's great." Kyra shrugged at that comment.
"I guess. The reason I do all the 'bad' things I do is because I just get bored sometimes. It's not like I drink or smoke every day. It just... happens." Mel turned her head.
"How does it just...happen?" Kyra sighed.
"I just- well sometimes when my mom yells at me I go up to my room and pull out a cigarette from the side of my bed." Kyra said. Mel nodded. This night wasn't going to be so hard, was it?
Lennox cringed at the sight of slimy butter oozing out of the rusty tube. 'Aunt Mel works for the town. Can't she fix the Movie Theater?'
"Lennox! Come!" Joe yelled from the other side of the arcade. He just beat level 48 on a car video game, and he wanted to show off.
"What?!" Lennox yelled back, scurrying over.
"Look!" Joe excalaimed happily. "I-"
"I don't care, Joe. And anyway, we are gonna miss the first showing of "The Hunger Games"!" Joe rolled his eyes and got up from the game chair.
When they entered the Movie Theater, it took a while for the movie to come up. Lennox still wondered why Aunt Mel was acting SO weird.
She remembered how Aunt Mel asked her what she felt like when she likes someone. Why...did she do that?
"Hey...Joe..."
"Yes?" Joe asked impatietnly.
"Do you ever think... that maybe...you and Aunt Mel would be better being more than FRIENDS?" Joe looked at her quickly. Nobody has ever asked him that before; Nobody ever found out about his feelings for Mel, either.
"Personally, Lennox, I think it is none of your buisness." Joe said sternly. Lennox sighed and nodded. The movie began and Joe couldn't concentrate, with the thoughts that filled his head.
2 hours later:
"Thanks for coming, Kyra." Mel said, leading Kyra out the door. Kyra nodded and smiled. They said goodbye, and Mel dropped onto the couch with a bottle of wine. Her phone beeped; she was recieving a text from Joe. It read:
Hey, Mel. We are on our way home. And, ur not in trouble, :) we need to talk.
Mel felt her heart drop into her stomach. Was Joe finally going to realize his feelings for Mel? Mel thought what it would be like if she told Joe how incredibly sexy he looks when he walks around lifting weights...or how much Mel thought she loved- wait, that was going to far. Suddenly the door opened. Mel's thoughts were interupted as Joe and Lennox burst through the door; Mel sprung up and smiled at at Joe and her waving niece.
"Hey guys! How was the movie?" Lennox put a thumbs up and walked up the stairs like a zombie, on her phone. Joe proceeded in the kitchen, Mel impatiently following him.
"So..." She began. "You said...we had..to..t-talk?" She finished sounding more nervous than planned.
"Yes. About that... remember when you asked me to be your... you know," Mel nodded as Joe talked. "Plus one?" Mel's eyes widened.
"Umm, yes."
"Why-why did you do that?" Joe wondered, giving Mel a soft look.
"The truth is, Joe, when you were going to be moving out, it was hard for all of us... and I just wanted to keep in touch."
"Oh. Okay... hey do you want to actually follow through with it?" Mel gulped. She did not expect that.