"I had completely forgotten this whole Lennox thing." Mel said taking a glass from the table and sitting on one of the deck chairs.
"The whole not going to college and travelling around the world? How?" Joe sat across from her. "How many glasses of wine have you had?"
"No!" she waved a hand at him "The whole us being together thing."
"oh yes. I forgot, maybe I should be holding your hand." He said reaching out and wrapping his fingers around his own.
"Joe. Lennox's room is at the other side of the house." She said looking down at their hands, a jolt of electricity jumping through her as his thumb started stroking the back of her hand.
"Maybe she's downstairs." He said his eyes drifting down to their intertwined hands as well.
"Maybe…" she said in barely a whisper. Looking up their eyes locked and her heart leapt. This had been a long time coming and she didn't know what to do next.
"Burke… Mel I have to say over the last few months…" Joe started, as he leaned towards her. She found herself smiling slightly as she followed his lead. There was barely an inch between them, all the years of electricity and arguments, and tiny moments had all led to this. Mel couldn't lie, she'd wondered that first time she'd seen him at her brother in law's Christmas party what it would be like to kiss him. He'd looked so sharp in his suit, and maybe the years of seeing him in rubber gloves had dulled that and made her forget it.
Joe couldn't stop looking at her, jumping between her eyes and her lips. He had so many things rushing into head to say to her, things that he had never even realised he thought.
"Joe just ki…" Mel said as the tension became too much, but just before she finished the sentence the back door swung open.
"Aunt Mel you're phone was going non stop, you're office is ringing some sort of pr crisis." Ryder said hurriedly. They jumped apart in a split second and Joe looked back into his wine, while Mel got up and ran into the house.
His heart was thumping unnaturally loud, he was sure Ryder could hear it. His head had gone slightly fuzzy and he found he couldn't stand up. What had just happened?.
/ / /
Mel grabbed her bag and shoved on a pair of shoes. As she ran to the back door she suddenly froze. What did she say, what had just almost happened. What do you do after it doesn't.
"Joe…" he looked up at her. "… I have to go to work. I'll see you in the morning." It was only when she sat in her car that she realised that she hadn't waited for an answer. Shaking her head she told herself that they'd just do what they normally did, they'd move on pretend that nothing ever happened.
/ / /
"Hey, hey baby I'll just be a little late. Meet you there at about eight. Ok ok yes gorgeous…" he grinned at the phone. Lennox stood at the bottom of the stairs; finally, he'd have to tell her now!
"So Joe. Hot date!"
"Oh yeah, I'm heading out in a while. Dinners almost ready though."
"So where's Aunt Mel…" she smiled sitting at the table.
"Having a shower I think." He said turning back to the stove. Lennox looked at him, did she see a blush on the back of his neck. It was hard to tell with his colouring but she was nearly sure.
"So… who were you on the phone to?" she blurted out.
"Oh no one, just a woman…" he said trying to remember the game he and Mel were playing. It was hard considering they weren't even talking. His phone started vibrating on the counter and before he scooped it up Lennox read the name. Patrice.
"Hey baby whats… ok that's perfect, tomorrow night at nine. See you then" Lennox felt her stomach fall.
"You're che…." She stopped herself. "I have to go."
"Lennox! Lennox what was that!" he called after her sounding completely puzzled.
Lennox sat on the edge of her bed her blood rushing. What was going on she had been so sure. There was no way they weren't together. Aunt Mel was pregnant how could he do that to her! Joe of all the people in the world to let her down. To let them all down. She stormed back down to the kitchen to give him a piece of her mind when she walked in on them.
/ / /
Mel had walked into the kitchen to try and talk to the man who become her best friend. But when she heard Lennox's unusually loud footsteps coming down the stairs she grabbed his hand across the counter to try and bring back the ploy they were using.
"Joe I need…" Lennox froze when she saw them. "JOE HOW CAN YOU DO THAT!" she snapped. "Aunt Mel he was just on the phone with another woman arranging dates! How could you of all people do this to our family!"
"Woah woah what's going on Len!" Mel said dropping his hand and standing up.
"He's cheating on you! He's seeing someone else."
"Lennox hang on a second!" Joe tried to cut in walking around the counter.
"No! I was so happy when I realised you two had finally gotten together! So happy we've been waiting years for this to happen! You two are so perfect, and then when I realised about the baby I just…."
"HANG ON!" Mel let out a shout as the colour all drained from her face. "Baby!"
"Look Aunt Mel I know, Ryder saw you two buying baby toys and you've been eating differently…"
"Oh god…" Joe couldn't suppress the laugh that was rising. "This may have gone too far Burke." She looked from him to her niece, still in slight disbelief. Then she looked down at her stomach flattening her dress and turning.
"Baby!" she repeated. Joe looked at her for some clue as to what to do next but she was frozen, eyebrow raised.
"Lennox listen…" he started.
"Why would I listen to you! You're no better than my father." She almost spat it out.
"Lennox wait just wait! This was all a big joke all of it! Mel and I aren't together, we never were, Ryder told us what you thought about the tape and we decided to mess with you a little. I'm not cheating because we're not together, and Mel's definitely not pregnant as far as I know!" he said holding up his hands.
"You tried to fool me. You messed with me." Mel finally woke up a little and opened her mouth.
"Well you were doing the same thing with us, trying to trick us into tell you we were together." Lennox too opened her mouth but fount she had nothing to say.
"Look we're sorry we let it get this far, but with the whole college thing and Xander we sort of forgot about it and…." Mel trailed off. Joe walkedover and took Lennox's arm.
"Look Len I promise you I am never going to let you down like your father."
"Well this is rather awkward." She said after a few seconds of painful silence. "too late to say I'm only joking?" she attempted a normal smile, and failed.
"Let's just forget this whole thing." Mel smiled at her and brushed the hair back off her face, the teen took this as her queue to turn and go back to her room.
/ / /
"That was crazy!" Joe laughed again going back to the food. Mel frowned and leaned on the counter.
"How can you say that to her!" she said quietly looking down at the countertop.
"Sorry?" he tried to catch her eye. He definitely wasn't used to seeing her being that serious.
"How can you say that to her?" she repeated louder. "You're going to let her down eventually Joe, but that's ok you're not related. I just wish you wouldn't make promises to her that you cant keep."
"Who says I can't keep it?" he put down the knife.
"Joe you're not going to stay as our nanny forever! They'll be gone to college, or you'll meet someone and get married, or you'll get a job because god knows you should be in some high powered job. You are going to leave us. You are going to let her down." Mel shrugged, she was acting so unlike her normal self it threw him for one. Taking a deep breath he tried to decide what to say. It was now or never.
"I will never let her down." He finally replied shaking his head. "I'm not going anywhere." She grit her teeth waiting for him to continue. "I bloody love you Burke! And I'm still going too long after our teenagers have left." A smile spread slowly across her face and she grabbed his hand finally pulling him in for a kiss.
"Guy's I just want to say…" Lennox came down the stairs. "Oh my god seriously!"
So guys that's it thank you everyone for reading! And for your comments really meant a lot!
Hope you liked it!
Grace :D