I DO NOT OWN ANYONE OR ANYTHING IN THIS STORY BESIDES THE OC'S.

Week Later (The BBQ)
Melanie's Point of View-
The week had gone by quicker than it had, I spent a lot of time with Corey, the few days he said he had to go to Florida for his other job which I understood. I wanted to know about his second job but he wouldn't budge, I felt like he was in the same predicament with my ex-boyfriend situation. I waited outside on the porch helping Kevin grill up some of the hamburgers and hot dogs while Anita was playing great host and Jack, well he was playing in one of those family pools you could buy from Wal-Mart. it wasn't as nice as the installed professional ones, but it had to do for the time being and Jack had fun in it regardless. I heard the doorbell ring from the inside, I put the plate for the meat down on the side of the grill so Kevin could continue his routine, then I went to answer the door knowing who it had to be since all the other guests had arrived. I checked through the peephole to be sure of myself before I pulled the door open seeing Corey standing there in skinny jeans, a white shirt with a grey suit jacket and the black framed glasses resting on his face and a grey beanie. He was semi dressed up but yet dressed casual, either way it was a good look for him. He had that unique style to him oddly which I found cute in a sense and up my alley.
"Hey beautiful, I've missed you." He said with a smile as I smiled and blushed, he stepped forward to break the distance between us and his hands slowly slipped around my waist pulling me closer to him. He leant down pressing his lips to mine for a kiss, one that we haven't been able to exchange for hours.
"I've missed you too, everyone is out back." I said as he nodded, he stepped aside clear of the door so I could shut it. Corey followed behind me to the backyard where everyone else had gathered making small talk with others.
"Hey Corey, how was Florida?" Kevin asked as we had approached him first, I stood beside Corey wanting to hear more and trying to decipher anything he says to get clues to understand more of what he does besides entertain.
"It was the usual, beautiful weather and work…" He said with a shrug.
"You told Melanie what you do?" Kevin asked intrigued as his one eyebrow cocked up.
"Yeah, he told me he is an entertainer on a local Florida channel." I answered for Corey and Kevin nodded as he glanced to Corey. Maybe there was something more to the way Kevin looked at Corey and Kevin knew what it was. I knew Kevin won't tell me because he will say it's the whole 'it is not in my place to tell you' like he always says.
"Melanie, could you go tell Anita that I'm almost done here if she wants to go finish that potato salad?" Kevin asked as I nodded, I knew that they were probably going to talk about whatever it is that Corey does and as much as I wanted to just hang around and eavesdrop I knew that Kevin would know. As a trusting girlfriend I knew that Corey will tell me more as time passes, at least that is what I would hope he would do. That is what people do, don't they? I thought to myself as I went over to Anita telling her what Kevin had told me and she asked me to go inside with her to help finish up.

Kevin's Point of View-
I couldn't believe that Corey went with the lie 'being an entertainer' to Melanie but then again, I am sure if he had flat out told Melanie 'hey, I am a wrestler and I beat up other men for a living,' Melanie would have flipped out on him ending the relationship before it even had a chance to begin and make Corey drive her home that instant.
"What is with the decoy? Making her go help Anita with the potato salad thing?" Corey asked as Corey knew me by now that I only ask others to leave if I had to talk to them about something or about the person I had sent out.
"Look, you need to tell her what you do or I will. She needs to know Corey."
"Please, don't tell her. I promise you I will tell her when the time is right but…right now isn't that time." Corey said as I let out a sigh, I watched Anita and Melanie slide by to go through the sliding door behind us. Corey didn't know her history or the type of guy her ex-boyfriend was, I knew that Melanie would explode when she hears what he does and she wasn't going to like what he does.
"I know she hasn't told you about her ex, I just…you need to tell her and tell her gently…tell her that it is sort of entertaining and acting…" I said as Corey looked at me weirdly.
"I will, trust me…I've had to tell many people this." Corey said as I mentally thought to myself, 'Yeah, I'm sure he has but not to those that have been so physically abused by their significant other that they were in the hospital for three days hanging onto their lives.' As a bystander looking in, I wasn't sure how these two were going to clash. I knew that if Corey found out about her ex, Corey was going to be so pissed. He will become so angry that he could get violent if he wanted to but mainly wanting to go kick Alex's ass for what he did than towards Melanie or anyone else. Corey usually knows when to step away and go for a walk, I've seen him leave on many occasions due to this. If Corey finds out before Melanie knows he wrestles I can see him not telling her at all about him wrestling because why would he want to tell her that? Wrestling isn't violent per say but you could consider it violent if you weren't into it, looking from the outside in. It is two men beating the crap out of each other. True it isn't UFC but still, she could think of Corey as a violent man. But it can go the other way around, Melanie finding out about Corey wrestling before he finds out the extent of her ex and his abusive ways, she may want to end things and never tell him why. "You okay man?"
"Yeah…yeah, I'm fine." I said as I flipped the one burger that was on the grill.
"I'll tell her man, just it's hard to bring that up in a conversation…it's not really a good conversation starter nor easy to slip into a conversation…" Corey explained I knew he was right, as much as I wanted and needed to stay out of this relationship that they had but I couldn't. I cared too much about both to see either of them hurt. I wanted to step in but I also wanted to step back and let those two figure everything out and be there for either of them when they needed it.
"I understand Corey, do what you have to do man." I said as Corey nodded.
"So her ex, what is his name?" Corey asked as I glanced to him.
"That's all you want to know? His name?"
"Yeah, I know you won't tell me much more than that." Corey said as I chuckled.
"His name is Alex." I answered as Corey chuckled.
"You got any beer?"
"Yeah, in the blue cooler. Can you grab me one?" I asked as Corey nodded, he walked over grabbing both of us a beer. The rest of the BBQ went great, it was so cute seeing Corey letting Melanie sit on his lap being all relationshippy with each other and it was nice that she was warming up to him to the extent of being affectionate with him. It was sort of surprising that she was at that with all that she had gone through with her ex. I think she has taken to him because I trust him, and have been friends with him for years so I think my judgment has really played a factor in this. "Come on Corey, we have to get to work." I said as I stood up smacking at Corey's knee as I walked past him and Melanie.
"What about her?" He asked as he looked up at me, his arms still snuggled around her waist holding her close to him and she was laying back against his upper body.
"She has enough work here helping Anita clean up and when she is done if she wants to come in she can." I stated as she smiled and looked back at him.
"No rest for the wicked…got to keep those hands busy or they will become idle hands." She said with a chuckle.
"What are idle hands?" Jack asked.
"Good one Melanie, try teaching that to the kid." Corey said with a chuckle as he kissed at Melanie's neck and she giggled as she slowly stood up letting him stand, "I'll see you later hopefully." He said as she nodded giving him another kiss, this time on the lips.
"Let's go lovebird." I said as I leant against the wall and the sliding glass door.
"Only if you were still like that with me Kevin, what happened to that?"
"We had that little nightmare running around."
"You don't want a second one?" Corey asked with a smile.
"Maybe, we'll fight about this later baby." I said giving my wife a wink before I led Corey through the house. "I'll meet you there?"
"Where else would I be going?" Corey asked sarcastically as I rolled my eyes as he already started heading to his car.