"Four Seasons Atlanta." The hotel operator answered. "How may I direct your call?"

"Mel Karnofksy's room please."

"One moment, sir."

He waited patiently, trying not to let his thoughts drift to the angel who was sitting on his sofa working on the puzzle… alone.

"Sir, I don't have a Mel Karnofksy registered at this hotel."

"What? But that's impossible! She told me… Can you check again, please?"

"Just a moment."

Another pause and then…

"I have a Melinda Karnofksy, is that who you needed to speak to?"

"Um yes. I'm sorry. I didn't realize that she'd used her formal name. May I speak to her please?"

"Of course. Let me connect you. One moment."

He found himself smiling. Mel rarely if ever used her formal name, but truth be told he wished that she would. Melinda was such a beautiful name; much more pleasing to the ear than Mel, which sounded like it could be the name of one of his father's detective partners or his fishing buddies. Oh, if Mel could read his thoughts at that moment, he'd be in big trouble.

"Hello?"

Her voice was groggy, indicating that she'd been asleep. That was certainly odd. For Mel was not normally a woman who went to bed at such an early hour. Then again, the three-hour time difference would alter anyone's sleeping habits.

"Hello Mel. It's me."

"Niles, what in the hell?" She snapped, jarring him a bit with her abruptness. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"O-of course. And I'm sorry it's so late. I just-."

"Why haven't you called me? I told you to call the night you dropped me off at the airport!"

"I know, Mel. And I'm sorry. It's just that…things got in the way."

"What things, Niles?"

"Well…"

"Did you get the rings?"

"Yes, of course. But-."

"And you went to Bergdorf's like I told you, right?"

"Of course Mel. And I spoke-."

"With Bryan. I know. I called and checked."

Anger surged through him. "You what?"

"I called and-."

"Damn you, Mel! You had no right to check up on me like that! I'm a grown man and when I said that I'd go to Bergdorf's and speak with Bryan I meant it! How dare you?"

"Um, calm down, Niles! The maids can hear you!"

"That's nonsense, Mel! The Four Seasons is a four star hotel. There's no way that housekeeping can hear our phone conversation through the door."

"Well..."

"Damn, I can't believe you would call and check up on me like that!" he shouted. Yes, I got the damn rings and yes, I spoke to Bryan and yes, I got a plain gold band for myself and a diamond cross setting for you, just as you asked! Is there anything else I missed? I –how can you… How…"

"Calm down, Niles! I merely wanted to make sure that everything would be perfect for our wedding. Unexpectedly I've found that I have a lot of free time here in Atlanta. These conference speakers are such a bore and they drone on and on and well… to tell you the truth, I wish I'd never come to this conference. I'd rather be back in Seattle planning the perfect wedding. And it will be perfect, Niles. Just leave everything to me and it will be so. But fortunately the free time has given me a chance to do some planning here in the hotel room."

While he wasn't fully paying attention to her before, he was now listening to every word intently.

"Planning?"

"For our wedding, Niles. Haven't you been listening to a word I'm saying? Honestly Niles, after we're married you are going to have to start paying closer attention to me. Surely you haven't been so caught up in… well whatever it is that you've been doing that made you too busy to call me-."

The wedding… Suddenly he hated the sound of those words.

"Um, Mel… about that..."

"I've purchased an off the shoulder white gown at the hotel bridal boutique here in Atlanta and tomorrow I have an appointment to have it altered. And Niles, I need for you to-."

He tried again. "Mel... about the wedding."
"Now don't interrupt me, Niles. This is important!"

"And what I have to say is important too, Mel!" He shouted.

"Oh for God's sake, Niles! What can be more important than our wedding-?"

He sighed, no longer able to contain his composure. The headache that had been forming in his head as nearly a full blown migraine. The pictures on the wall in his small study were now blurred images in front of his eyes. He couldn't take it any longer.

"Mel, there isn't going to be a wedding!"

The silence that followed was deafening, lasting several seconds until she spoke again.

"What in the hell is that supposed to mean? Is this your idea of a joke? Well, I don't find it very funny, Niles!"

He swallowed hard. "It wasn't meant to be funny, Mel. I-."

Another pause, as though his words were finally starting to sink in.

"What, Niles? What are you saying? Are you saying that you don't want to marry me?"

"Well, I-."

"Just say it, Niles! Just say it, all right?"

The pounding in his head increased. "Look, maybe we should discuss this when you get back."

"NO, Niles! NOW!" She screamed, making him cringe. Surely the housekeeping staff heard her ridiculous outburst.

"Mel, look… this is not the time and I'm sorry I brought it up. I should have waited till you come back, but now that it's out… I'm staying at the cabin for the week, which is longer than I had planned, but I need to go back to Seattle for a while to make arrangements for my patients. Why don't we meet and we can discuss this further? I'll call you when I'm finished with my work and we can-."

"DAMN YOU, NILES!" She screamed. Her sobs did not tear at his heart the way that Daphne's sobs had done, but rather, they reminded him of how selfish his soon-to-be ex-fiance had been.

"Mel, I'm sorry. I-."

"TODAY, Niles!" she screamed.

"What? But Mel-."

"We'll discuss this today, tonight at the latest! Am I making myself clear?"

"Mel, I-."

"TODAY, Niles!" She screamed again, as though he'd not heard her the first time. "So you'd better get here as soon as you can! Call me the moment that you get in! Swear it!"

"I-I will, Mel. I swear. I'm sorry. I just-."

The drone of the dial tone in his hear was deafening and he wearily sank into his leather chair, wishing that he'd never proposed at all.