"Smells real good out there!" Ryan yelled to Melissa from the bathroom. "Mushrooms?"
"Yup! Mushroom risotto, kale chips, and some spinach and squash pizza for good measure." Ryan had asked Melissa to come over and prepare some snacks for the impending brainstorming session.
Ryan snaked his arms around her waist. "I appreciate you doing this for me," he said. He kissed her neck as his hands fiddled with the straps of her apron. "So, you know how later tonight is all about me?" She nodded as he continued applying kisses down her jaw line. "Just wear this little number, okay?"
There was panic in her voice. "Only the apron?"
He broke away from her and popped a kale chip in to his mouth. "Yes, ma'am."
Melissa shrugged. "Okay." There was no reason to protest. Melissa felt more comfortable around Ryan than she had around anyone else. She didn't feel the need to worry about displaying any flaws or imperfections to him, he loved her all the same.
Ryan leaned back against the counter and picked up a handful of chips. "Really? You're not going to fight me on this one?"
"No, if it's what you want." She took his face in her hands. "Now stop eating all the food before everyone gets here."
He popped another chip in to his mouth and she put up her finger as a warning. Just as Ryan was about to punish her for putting him in his place, the doorbell rang. Ryan made his way over to the door.
"Brought some beer!" Tim entered the threshold and placed his six pack of beer on the counter. "Mel, looking lovely as always."
She blushed at his comment. "Well, well, well, Mr. Drake. Aren't we in an exceptionally happy mood today?"
"I met someone," Tim shared while surveying the food. "A lady."
"Do tell," Melissa encouraged.
Tim sat down on the couch and put his feet up on the coffee table. Melissa quickly swatted his feet away. "Her name is Ashley. We met earlier today at Hyde Park House."
Melissa cracked up. "Today? And you're already in love?"
"Whoa! I never said I was in love. Just in like." He popped a kale chip in to his mouth. "Oh wow. I haven't had these in forever."
"Ladies, do you think we could get started?" Ryan interrupted.
"And by started you mean tell you what twitter is?" TJ commented.
Melissa and Tim laughed at his remark, but Ryan was not amused. "He asked me if it was at all connected to AOL," Melissa added as the doorbell rang again. She opened the door and turned to see Stu Bennett standing in the doorway. Suddenly, her smile faded. Ryan should have told her that Stu would be there.
"Well, hello, sweetheart. All moved in are we?" he said, his lips curled in to his signature cocky smile. "Are you going to invite me in?" Melissa stepped to the side as Stu passed. "Gentlemen, let's create a program shall we?"
Melissa searched Ryan's bedroom for the remote control to his television. If she didn't want to hear about what they were planning, then she needed to block out the noise coming from the kitchen. Stu's booming voice in particular resonated off of Ryan's walls causing her to cringe. Patting the sheets and checking under the bed yielded no results. She carefully and quietly opened his nightstand drawer finding the remote in the process, but something else caught her eye. "What the?" she mumbled to herself. Underneath the remote was a small jewelry box. She felt her heart race as she toyed with the idea of opening it up. Melissa loved surprises and she didn't want to set up any expectations, but at the same time, how could she not open it? She listened to the boy's conversation intently before prying the small box open. She was relieved and disappointed with what she found inside. An oval cut blue sapphire was staring her in the face. Melissa had to laugh at herself. She knew it was far too soon for her and Ryan to get engaged to each other. There was a knock on the door and she struggled to put the box back inside before the door opened.
"Oh, sorry," Stu said. "I thought this was the bathroom."
Melissa couldn't help but crack a smile. "You've been here a million times. You know where the bathroom is, Stu. Don't give me that crap."
Stu chewed the inside of his cheek. He quickly shut the door and stood in front of Melissa at the foot of the bed. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to see you." She breathed deeply. Stu had no right being in Ryan's room with her. "Can we talk?"
"What do you want from me?" Melissa was not amused with the game Stu was playing. She stood up and moved to face him at the foot of the bed. "You're so hot and cold. One minute you're telling me you can't live without me and miss me and then the next you're going on about all your conquests and making me feel bad about the first truly healthy relationship I have ever had!" Stu stared down at her petite frame. Her eyes met his and she could see the hurt behind them. Stu knew he made a mistake by ending things with her, he just needed to show her how sorry he was.
"I'm sorry, Mel. I never should have ended it," he said. Melissa felt as though she was frozen in time. She hadn't seen him this distraught before. "I can't sleep."
"That's nothing new." Melissa laughed. Everyone knew Stu battled insomnia. He took a step closer to her and put his hands on her waist. "What are you doing?"
Stu leaned forward and pressed his lips softly against hers. "Whatever it takes." Stu hovered momentarily waiting for permission from Melissa. She pulled back briefly, her eyes scanning his face. She shook her head in disbelief at what was happening. Looking back up at him, her nose touched his and a familiar warm feeling flushed over her body. Everything about Stu was the same. His touch, his smell, his speech. That was what was worry some. He was the same man that broke her heart weeks ago, but that didn't stop Melissa from still harboring those same feelings for the Englishman.
She swallowed back the lump in her throat. "I have to, uh, go to the grocery store...snacks. We need more snacks."
Stu moved a hand to her face. She fought eye contact, but eventually gave in. "No, you don't." His advances were too much for her to resist. Melissa knew if she stood there for a second longer she would give in to temptation. And that is exactly what happened. She quickly moved her hands around his neck and pulled him towards her, roughly kissing him on the lips. His hands squeezed her sides as her hands moved down from his neck to his chest.
"I love you," she breathed against him.
Stu responded favorably. "I lov-"
Melissa pulled away "No. Oh shit. Fuck!" She paced towards the window.
Stu glanced at the bedroom door. "Mel, keep your voice down."
"I can't believe...What are we...You need to leave." She turned her back towards him. Stu didn't need to say anything. She already knew how he felt and, thanks to the moment, he knew her true feelings as well. She heard the bedroom door shut behind her. Melissa plunked down on the edge of the bed and turned the television off. She ran her hand over her face as tears formed in her eyes. "Fuck..."
"Hey man! We thought you fell in!" She heard Tim yell from the kitchen.
She grabbed her purse and headed into the living room. "Hey Ry, I'm just going to grab some things from the store for later. Does anyone need anything?" She glanced over at Stu, who was fighting making eye contact with her and looking incredibly guilty.
"Nope. Just you back in one piece," Ryan responded. Mel picked her keys up off the coffee table and headed towards the door. "Since when don't we kiss each other goodbye?" Ryan asked.
"Gross," Tim whispered in TJ's direction.
Melissa turned and smiled. "Just kidding," she said as she bent down and placed a kiss square on his lips. Stu had already moved in to the kitchen, away from watching their awkward affection for each other unfold.
"Love you!" Ryan called out to her.
"Love you, too" Melissa needed to get out of that apartment as soon as possible. She knew if she turned around to talk to Ryan, she would start crying again, or worse - disclose what had just happened in his bedroom.
Stu walked back in to the living room with four beers. "You bought shit beer, mate," he directed at Tim.
"I'm not at your level yet. All I can afford is Bud Light," Tim shot back.
"Okay, look, I think there needs to be some real conflict here," TJ said. "Is it possible for us to revisit the Nexus angle?"
Ryan leaned forward. "How so?"
"Well," TJ continued. "There had always been this assumption that Stu left you in Hawaii when you broke your ankle. Could you be seeking revenge?" Stu and Ryan looked at each other. Stu was lost in his thoughts. His thoughts about Melissa. "Stu?"
Stu blinked back in to reality. "Hmm?"
"TJ was saying that maybe we could bring back the Nexus angle. Talk about how you screwed Ryan over when he broke his ankle," Tim said.
"That's a good place to start," Stu said.
"Now, where do I fit in to all this?" Tim asked. He was still always out for his best interested.
"Stu was your mentor. Obviously you'd like to help Ryan exact revenge on him for beating the living crap out of you."
"And you?" Ryan asked.
"Well, I'm just aligning with Stu." He pointed to Ryan and Stu. "If you two just start barking at each other on twitter and Tim jumps your defense, I can come to Stu's. It's just heels supporting heels and faces supporting faces."
"It's brilliant," Tim said.
"This was easier than I thought," Ryan said.
"Now we just need to show you how to use twitter," Tim said throwing one of Melissa's kale chips in his direction.
"What do you think, Stu? Stu?" All three men stared at Stu waiting for some sort of reply. He was staring at a tiny crumb on the coffee table completely lost again in his thoughts.
"Brilliant. I think it's brilliant. Should we get this thing going now?" Stu asked, reaching in his pocket to pull out his phone.
"I think Ryan should start," TJ suggested. "Tweet something like 'I'm stronger than I've ever been before. I'm ready to handle some unfinished business.'"
Ryan sat down at his computer and pulled up twitter's website. "Yeah, that's good. Now, someone please show me how to use this thing."
Thanks for your patience, everyone! I've been struggling a little bit as to where to take this story but I have a good idea - I think! Any and all feedback is welcome. I love hearing what you all have to say. Also, check out my other stories I've completed in the meantime. I'd love some feedback on those as well!
Happy Thanksgiving!