Take Two (The Jilted Bride #1)(43)
She turned red and nodded.
I laughed. “You could’ve just told me you didn’t feel like a date today.”
“Would you have showed up anyway?”
YES.
“Probably.”
She shook her head. “I’m gonna put this up and get this stuff off my face. There’s cheese puffs on the couch in the living room. I made them myself.”
While she made herself “un-sick,” I took out the soup and bread. For some reason, being around her still made me nervous. I could still feel the unresolved tension between us.
“What type of soup is it?” she actually sat beside me.
“Chicken noodle. Since you’re not really sick, I figured we could share.”
We ate several spoonfuls in silence—she was blushing more than usual, and looked as nervous as I was.
“You’re early,” she muttered. “I didn’t have any time to put myself together so excuse how I look.”
“You look beautiful, Melody. You always do.”
She blushed and turned away. “Thanks.”
“Where’s your movie collection? Do you have one?”
“Of course I have one. What type of question is that?”
“Well where is it?”
“It’s in black boxes in two rooms to the right.”
“Of course it is,” I stood up. “I’ll be right back.”
I was convinced she was never going to completely unpack her things. The room was full of stuffed garbage bags, suitcases, and plastic bins. I climbed over stacks of books and held myself against the wall.
There were at least twenty black boxes in the corner alphabetized and separated by genre. I searched for the “romantic comedy” box and thumbed through the W’s.
“What’d you pick?” she looked up from her soup.
“When Harry Met Sally. Have you watched it this month?”
“Not yet…”
I popped it into the DVD player and wrapped my arms around her. “I’ve never watched this all the way through.”
“How is that possible?”
“I don’t know. I never finished You’ve Got Mail either.”
“We have to watch that next then,” she leaned against me and I buried my face in her hair.
“I cry at the end every time,” she wiped her eyes. “I can’t help it. I really like the way they spread the story out over the years.”
“It was really good. I should’ve watched it a long time ago.”
She looked up at me and smiled. I bent down and pressed my lips against hers.
She immediately broke away. “You’ve Got Mail?”
We really need to break that habit today…
“In a minute. Where’s your spa?”
“It’s down the hall.”
“Can you show me?”
“Sure,” she quickly moved away from me and stood up.
She led me through a long corridor and down a couple steps. The room was pitch—black until she clapped her hands and hit a couple switches.
“Wow,” I ran my hand against the grass and flagstone that surrounded the pool. As the room brightened, I noticed that there was a Jacuzzi, a sauna, and a small waterfall.
“I said the same thing when I first saw it. It reminds me of the lakes in Tennessee.”
“I’ve never been,” I pulled off my shirt and jeans. “I’ll take your word for it though.”
“You brought your swim trunks?”
“I told you I was going to,” I stepped into the pool and felt warm waves moving across my chest.
“Give me a second. I’ll be right back,” she slipped inside the sauna.
She came back out several minutes later, wearing a bright yellow bikini. Her body was more amazing than I remembered. She slid into the pool and paddled on her back.
As she brought her right hand over her head, I noticed faded black ink on her wrist. I thought back to our encounter at the launch party, to our time in St. Barts. She’d always worn a bracelet on that arm.
“What’s that on your wrist?” I stood her upright. “Notes?”
Stop turning away from me…
“It was where a tattoo used to be. I had the first layer removed last week.”
“What did it say?”
“It was just something stupid,” she rubbed it with her thumb.
“Tell me.”
“It said ‘when you know you know,’ and it had all these little intricate stars around it. My ex and I both got it earlier this year. I can’t believe I actually bought into that crap.”
“You don’t believe in love anymore?”
“It’s not that. I think love exists. I just think men don’t really know what love means. No offense.”
“None taken. Do you have any other tattoos?”
“No. Why?”
“Melody,” I softly tugged her hair. “We’ve already established you’re a terrible liar.”
“There’s one on my right ankle,” she smiled.
“What’s it say?”
“Nothing. It’s a tiny dolphin.”
“Interesting,” I couldn’t hold back anymore. I lifted her onto the edge of the pool and grabbed her face with my hands. I traced her lips with my tongue and kissed her deeply, barely giving her the chance to breathe.