Romancing the Fashionista (3 page)

So yeah, Lexi had hit a little too close to home when she brought up Mel’s control issues with men. Mel was sure a therapist would say her mess with the professor was her working out, in the worst way, her daddy issues and the manageable boyfriends were her way of working out home issues yada, yada. She inwardly snorted. No way was she spending money or wasting work time for a diagnosis on something she already knew.

Mel eyed the door joining her and Nolan’s room, and some of the old feelings bubbled in her stomach, threatening to make their way up towards her chest as her internal thermostat rose.

Uncertainty.

She frowned. It wasn’t the same kind of uncertain feelings she had that she associated with her father or her old home life, but still it was uncertainty nonetheless. That feeling of being slightly out of control.

But there, behind that feeling of uncertainty, was something else. Exhilaration and maybe perhaps… anticipation? The same feelings she used to get when she turned in her seat in class and saw that yes, Nolan was indeed watching her. It was that same delicious tingle she would get when he’d capture her in his beautiful honeyed gaze. And now, here he was giving her that same ridiculous thrill, that silly longing and that lovely anticipation of something just out of reach, but not really since he was right here, only a few feet away on the other side of a closed door.

Mel could feel Lexi’s smile before she saw it. “Not one word,” she warned.

Lexi held up her hands. “I’m not saying a thing. Well, maybe one thing.”

Mel felt her shoulders tense.

“Oh stop being so serious, this is supposed to be a fun weekend.”

“That’s what I’m talking about,” Mel said. “The weekend. A weekend is all I’m prepared for. Nothing more. My life is complicated enough.”

Lexi gave her a long look and Mel let out a huff. “Just give it to me. You’re going to say what you want whether I want you to or not.”

“So a weekend hit it and quit it, huh?” Lexi grinned. “Well, I hope you packed really good underwear because that man over there is worthy of that thong, tha, tha, tha thong!” her friend bellowed, mimicking the song they used to sing and dance around to when they were feeling ridiculously playful.

Mel picked up a pillow once again and threw it, but this time there was no anger in the throw. “Haven’t you heard, the thong is out, and good for us, the granny panty is back in?”

Lexi made an overdramatic horror-stricken face, and they both fell backwards onto the bed in a pool of laughter.

Chapter Four

Nolan paused in his unpacking as Mellie’s, no, he had to correct that, Mel and Lexi’s giggles reached his ears. He wished in that moment that with the décor updates the Lodge had gone in with soundproofing their rooms. So Mellie wasn’t looking for anything more than a weekend fling? He shook his head as the words he now regretted hearing replayed in his head. Oh well, what did he expect, some grand declaration of love after all these years?

He took a moment and let the sound of their laughter wash over him and take him back, back to the time when things were, if not simpler, at least known. Known and laid out. There was no uncertainty in his life like he had now. Back then, his life was set. Or at least it should have been, if all had gone according to his family’s plan.

Take the baseball scholarship at State. Sign the contract with the team his father picked out. Marry the girl who, on paper, was supposedly perfect for him, already vetted by Mom, Dad, Coach, hell just about everyone. What did it matter that, though he enjoyed the game, the game wasn’t his full heart? What did it matter if he didn’t love the oh-so-perfect girl? None of those things mattered, so long as he towed the line and made everyone happy.

He never told anyone the tears he’d cried when he tore his ACL were both tears of pain and tears of joy when he was told he wouldn’t be able to go pro, and the contracts with the majors were now just dreams of the past. In that moment a new world had opened to him, a world where dreams of his own were suddenly a very real possibility. And now another very real dream of his was on the other side of a hotel room door. Everyone thought when he got his degree in medicine and later went off to work for Doctors Without Borders, he was running away from his past and his sports dreams that never materialized. But no, he was running towards his new life. Doing something for himself that he finally wanted, working with his hands and using his brain and his skills in a way he finally felt could be helpful to others.

Not that he shared those feelings. Instead, he put on his mask of a smile, which hid it all and said nothing. Nolan let them talk and think what they wanted as he ran off to his new life and away from confrontation. But now he was back. The bills had piled high, and his dad was sick. The reality hit him hard, as he knew there was no way his mother could or should handle it all alone. Not when he could help. Besides, she didn’t need the extra worry of him so far away, and despite her controlling nature, he knew she did worry.

So yeah, it was time to come home. Time to be back closer to his family. The stop off in Timber Falls was temporary as he made his way to New York City where his parents now lived to be close to his dad’s doctors. He hoped he’d be able to find a balance between city living and being able to keep his conscience doing some form of good works.

But, for the time being, he would focus on this weekend. The good boy had come back home to wave and shake hands and show everyone how much he had of that old school spirit. Though in reality, what he really came for was out of reach but only just right there on the other side of the door.

* * * * *

Mel stepped off the elevator and tugged a bit at the hips of her body-skimming black cocktail dress. She wondered once again if the simple dress with the ultra-low back was too sexy for this crowd. Well, too sexy was probably not an issue. She had a feeling showing up nude wouldn’t be a problem for them. But the dress was sexy in a subtle covered-up way…that was, until you got to the back. And then with the way it fit her body so perfectly it was bound to make people wonder how it stayed up. The answer: magic. Well, the magic of a good couturier.

Mel’s hands moved from her hips to her face, and she frowned, feeling exposed and vulnerable without the signature shades she wore to all public appearances. But she reminded herself that this wasn’t a public appearance. This was an informal gathering with old, so-called, friends. She nibbled at her bottom lip then abruptly stopped as she caught a glimpse of herself in the floor-to-ceiling mirror opposite the elevator.

“I was hoping you’d stop and get a look at yourself,” Lexi said, standing by her side. “Now cut it out with all the nervousness. You look fantastic. That dress is divine on you. You can thank me for it later. And sidebar, your body is banging. A fact that will not go unnoticed by every man at this party and make you the envy of every stuck-up chick that used to rag on us. Not to mention your hair and makeup is freaking flawless. Woman, you got it going on. They are going to hate you. This should be fantastic.”

Mel’s lips quirked upward. “Me? Look at you. This will be your night. They will rue the day they turned you down for the Timberettes,” Mel said, bringing up the name of Timber Falls’ old cheerleading squad and causing Lexi to do a major eye roll.

But she wasn’t exaggerating. Lexi looked fantastic. She was taller tonight, having perched her curvaceous petite frame up on almost impossibly high black patent stiletto heels, which she’d paired with an asymmetrical black lace dress that was all class, though dangerously close to the border of trashy. She showed just enough of her gorgeous glowing brown skin, highlighting her full lips with a bright red lipstick, bringing the focus up to her eyes with gorgeous smoky shadow. Her crowning glory was her gorgeous thick multi-hued hair, which tonight she wore untwisted and was now a riot of wild curls. They haloed out around her head over her shoulders, giving her the look of a sexy 70s disco queen, but updated for the present times. If anyone was stealing the show, it would be her.

Lexi pulled back and snorted. “Hmph. I didn’t want on their stupid Bimbette squad anyway.”

“Yeah, okay. Sure you didn’t.” She linked arms with Lex and nudged her forward. “Okay, let’s get on with showing them just how much we didn’t want to be part of the stupid clique.”

Mel could feel the exact moment she and Lexi’s bravado started to fade away. There was a slowing of both their steps as they rounded the corner and saw the little table set up and decorated in the school colors of blue and gold. A small crowd stood in front of it, bouquets of balloons on either side, and right in the center holding court, as they always did, was Ramona Spencer flanked by Kari Boyd and Vicki Redford, her pseudo Timberettes in waiting.

“Don’t slow down, ladies. It’s when they smell fear that they attack.” Nolan’s deep sexy rumble made the fine hair on the back of Mel’s neck rise and forced her back to straighten.

“Who said we’re fearing anything?” she hissed.

“I’m sorry, I just assumed it’s the normal reaction when one sees a pack of sharks.”

At that answer, Mel couldn’t help but smile. There he was, the old Nolan, quick with a quip—one of the only ones in this old town besides Lexi to ever make her really and truly smile.

Mel let go of Lexi and made a space for Nolan to step between the two of them. He looked effortlessly classic in his black pants and easy button-down white shadow-striped shirt and black blazer. She was sure some of the other men there would be in their mall suited best, but Nolan had a casual elegance that didn’t have to try too hard. He linked arms with both women then glanced at Lexi, who gave him a cheeky grin before turning back to Mel with a question, which wasn’t really a question in his eyes. “Shall I lead the way?”

Her answer was a nod as she took a moment to enjoy the warm feeling of just, for that second, being on Nolan’s arm. But the look on Ramona Spencer’s face as they approached the table was almost as good as the feeling of being on Nolan’s arm and well worth any and all bad press she may have gotten from the tagged Facebook photograph. Her spray-on tan went shades whiter, as her mouth hung open, forming a very unflattering slacked “O” shape.

Mel couldn’t help the smile that spread across her own face.

But Ramona got it together quickly and closed her mouth while simultaneously pushing her over processed blonde mane behind her shoulders. It was almost comical the way her sidekicks, Kari and Vicki, mimicked her actions. They looked like three soon to be, if not cougars, then cubs-in-training readying for the hunt. Mel’s eyes narrowed. Vicki even had animal-printed nails. That sealed it.

“Vick, you owe me a ten spot,” Ramona said in an overly loud stage whisper as she made her way towards the trio, clomping on god-awful, flesh-colored pumps—a trend Mel thought could not die fast enough.

“I should know not to bet against you,” Vicki said. “Of course he’d show. As if anyone could resist your call.”

“Oh hush,” Ramona said in a mock whisper. “You know how Jim is. He’d have a fit if he heard any talk like that.”

“Your Jim?” Vick replied with an unbelieving face on. “As if.”

Mel had to fight to stop her eyes from rolling, but she leaned forward and looked over at Lexi, whose expression showed all the emotion she was trying so hard to hide. Holding back a laugh, she steeled her shoulders and leaned back as they stepped through the small crowd to the check-in table.

“If it isn’t Mr. All-American, Nolan Parker,” Ramona said as she somehow simultaneously got the words out on an inhale while pushing her chest forward as she trailed her hands down her body, making sure to bring attention to her huge new assets. She looked Nolan up and down and for that moment, completely ignored Mel and Lexi, licking her lips and eyeing Nolan like the last crab leg at an all-you-can-eat buffet.

“It’s nice to see you too, Ramona, but I’m well past the old nicknames,” Nolan said.

It was then Ramona finally acknowledged Mel and Lexi with a cool up-and-down glance. “One would think so. Yeah, but it doesn’t look like Eenie or Meanie here have swayed too far from the good old Timber tree.”

Time stopped and did a fifteen year rollback as, in unison, both Mel and Lexi let go of Nolan’s arms, leaned back on their heels and looked at each other before looking back at Ramona and then looking at each other once more. It was Lexi who spoke up first. Her smooth smile went a long way in soothing Mel’s on-edge nerves. “You bring the bug spray? Because I hear bees buzzing around.”

Mel bit back a laugh and gave her friend a wink, signaling for her to cool down and take this one step at a time. She watched as Lexi’s shoulders visibly eased. And then Mel turned towards Ramona. “I see you haven’t changed. Though you probably could thank your dermatologist’s skill with the fillers for that.”

She caught a small snort from Nolan as Ramona frowned, though true to her comment, it was only the bottom half of her face that showed expression, since the top was indeed frozen stiff. But something in Mel sunk with her quippy triumph. What was it, ten seconds tops and she’d fallen into the Timber time warp? She was a grown woman for goodness sake. With a kid, no less. Her daughter would be mortified to see or hear her acting so childish. Not to mention she was doing it in front of Nolan. She felt her lips twist and her spine go rigid. Not that it should matter at all what he thought about her either way.

Ramona seemed to pull herself together at the same time they all remembered they weren’t in tenth grade anymore. She shimmied her way back around to the other side of the table, nudging her tight skirt down and putting on her best “I still think I’m running for class president” smile as she perused the table and picked up their nametags. “For you, Melinda. Don’t you think it’s fantastic how we put the old yearbook pictures on the nametags, so everyone can recognize each other? Totally Vick’s idea.”

“Gee thanks, Vicki. Aren’t you the original one?” Lexi said, totally deadpan from Nolan’s other side.

But Ramona did a good job ignoring Lexi’s comment as she continued. “I mean, some of us have really changed for the better since high school.” With that comment, she had the nerve to put her hand across her own chest while with the next comment of “and some others not so much.” She finally acknowledged Lexi with a pointed side-eye, which pulled Mel up short before she shook her head. Oh, Ramona really hadn’t changed one bit.

Mel looked down at her nametag and fought back a cringe. There was her younger self staring back at her. Face full of both hope and simmering anger, but more than that, hidden behind the asymmetrical hair, over-glossed lips and desperately needed to be plucked brows, was so much uncertainty. Uncertainty, fear and a desperate need to break away.

So with that, what was she doing? How was it she got convinced to come back to the place she so wanted to run away from?
Damn that Lexi with her armchair psyche and margaritas!

“I always did love your style,” Nolan said from her side, bringing her back to the moment at hand and giving her the answer to her silent question.

She looked at him, surprised to not see any hint of sarcasm in his expression. “Now I’m worried about your life choices. I was totally tragic back then.”

Nolan shook his head. “You were the least tragic of all of us,” he said, his voice low and more serious than the moment probably warranted.

“Okay, you all get on into the party!” Ramona chimed up, breaking the moment. “Nolan, I’ll be in soon so we can catch up!”

Mel couldn’t help but notice Nolan’s grimace at Ramona’s words.

There was no easy place to clip the nametag to her dress and no way was she going to loop it around her neck with the offered polyester lanyard. So she gave her old unibrow one last glance, slipped the nametag into her purse, and stepped into the Tahoe room.

Hello yesterday. Can’t say I’m glad to see you again.