me in the kitchen. I dressed
simply, wearing the same eyeliner and red lipstick that I always did, but let
my hair down in curls. My new dress was light blue with polka dots, and a
modest halter top with a sweetheart neckline. It was funky and slightly retro
looking, perfect for the summer weather we were having.
“Hello, Jackson,” I said as I opened the door.
“Um, hi, Mellie,” he said, a little awkwardly. I almost
giggled like a schoolgirl at his greeting, but I managed to keep my composure.
“These are for you.” He held out a bouquet of poppies, the flowers a shade of
bright, cherry red. A simple sheet of brown paper wrapped around the two dozen
stems held the bouquet together. “They reminded me of you.”
I looked at him curiously for a moment before accepting the
gift. Red was my favorite color, sure, but I didn’t remember ever telling him.
“Thank you,” I said, taking the flowers from his outstretched hand.
“They’re the same color as the lipstick you always wear. It’s
beautiful on you, but I can’t help but admit you’re beautiful without it too.”
My eyes widened. Nobody ever saw me without my lipstick, but then
I remembered Thursday. My lipstick could last through a lot, but that make-out
session was far too hot and heavy for even the toughest lipstick.
“Oh,” I said. I was unnerved, but tried not to let it show.
“Please, come in while I put them in water.” I held the door open for him.
He followed me into the apartment, and stayed in the living
room while I went into the kitchen to get a vase. I loved my little loft, but
the thought of having Jackson Traver standing in my modest studio apartment
made me a little self-conscious.
Once I’d put the poppies in a vase, I brought them into the
living room and placed them on the glass table next to the couch. “Thank you
again,” I said, as I adjusted the stems into a better arrangement. “They really
are beautiful.”
“Like I said, they reminded me of you.”
I didn’t look up from what I was doing; I couldn’t look up, not when I felt as if my heart was about to beat out of my chest. I
knew that a flush had crept up my neck, and I felt my cheeks get hot.
“Let me just grab my bag and we can go,” I said. I left him
in the living room again so I could get my purse from next to my bed.
He wouldn’t tell me where we were going, only requested that
I bring a sweater with me. Eventually I just let myself relax in the plush,
comfortable front seat of his black BMW.
“So, tell me about yourself, Mellie,” he said, as I watched
the ocean pass by. I felt silly all of a sudden that I still hadn’t made it to
the beach.
“What do you want to know?” I asked. I wasn’t exactly the
most interesting person in the world.
He turned to me and smiled. I’m pretty sure I whimpered.
“Everything.”
Well then.
“Um,” I said, still staring out at the ocean in front of us
and to the left. “My full name is Melanie Rose Devlin, my parents are Lydia and
Thomas Devlin, and I have two sisters and a brother. There’s not much more to
me than that.”
“What do you mean there’s not much more to you than that?
Your parents and family don’t define you. You are your own person, with your
own wants and fears, passions and desires. Those are the things I want to know
about.”
I didn’t move. I didn’t breathe. I was far too afraid that he
could see right through me. But if he could, he didn’t say anything. He just
watched me from the corner of his eye as I tried to become invisible in his
front seat.
“So, Melanie Rose Devlin. Mellie Rose. I like it,” he said,
his concentration back on the road. I’d never had anybody call me that before,
but I liked it. I liked the way that it rolled off his tongue, the way he made
it sound like the sweetest name in the world.
I risked a quick peek in his direction, and saw him staring
at me again.
We didn’t speak for the rest of the car ride.
I thought we would stop near the
simply, wearing the same eyeliner and red lipstick that I always did, but let
my hair down in curls. My new dress was light blue with polka dots, and a
modest halter top with a sweetheart neckline. It was funky and slightly retro
looking, perfect for the summer weather we were having.
“Hello, Jackson,” I said as I opened the door.
“Um, hi, Mellie,” he said, a little awkwardly. I almost
giggled like a schoolgirl at his greeting, but I managed to keep my composure.
“These are for you.” He held out a bouquet of poppies, the flowers a shade of
bright, cherry red. A simple sheet of brown paper wrapped around the two dozen
stems held the bouquet together. “They reminded me of you.”
I looked at him curiously for a moment before accepting the
gift. Red was my favorite color, sure, but I didn’t remember ever telling him.
“Thank you,” I said, taking the flowers from his outstretched hand.
“They’re the same color as the lipstick you always wear. It’s
beautiful on you, but I can’t help but admit you’re beautiful without it too.”
My eyes widened. Nobody ever saw me without my lipstick, but then
I remembered Thursday. My lipstick could last through a lot, but that make-out
session was far too hot and heavy for even the toughest lipstick.
“Oh,” I said. I was unnerved, but tried not to let it show.
“Please, come in while I put them in water.” I held the door open for him.
He followed me into the apartment, and stayed in the living
room while I went into the kitchen to get a vase. I loved my little loft, but
the thought of having Jackson Traver standing in my modest studio apartment
made me a little self-conscious.
Once I’d put the poppies in a vase, I brought them into the
living room and placed them on the glass table next to the couch. “Thank you
again,” I said, as I adjusted the stems into a better arrangement. “They really
are beautiful.”
“Like I said, they reminded me of you.”
I didn’t look up from what I was doing; I couldn’t look up, not when I felt as if my heart was about to beat out of my chest. I
knew that a flush had crept up my neck, and I felt my cheeks get hot.
“Let me just grab my bag and we can go,” I said. I left him
in the living room again so I could get my purse from next to my bed.
He wouldn’t tell me where we were going, only requested that
I bring a sweater with me. Eventually I just let myself relax in the plush,
comfortable front seat of his black BMW.
“So, tell me about yourself, Mellie,” he said, as I watched
the ocean pass by. I felt silly all of a sudden that I still hadn’t made it to
the beach.
“What do you want to know?” I asked. I wasn’t exactly the
most interesting person in the world.
He turned to me and smiled. I’m pretty sure I whimpered.
“Everything.”
Well then.
“Um,” I said, still staring out at the ocean in front of us
and to the left. “My full name is Melanie Rose Devlin, my parents are Lydia and
Thomas Devlin, and I have two sisters and a brother. There’s not much more to
me than that.”
“What do you mean there’s not much more to you than that?
Your parents and family don’t define you. You are your own person, with your
own wants and fears, passions and desires. Those are the things I want to know
about.”
I didn’t move. I didn’t breathe. I was far too afraid that he
could see right through me. But if he could, he didn’t say anything. He just
watched me from the corner of his eye as I tried to become invisible in his
front seat.
“So, Melanie Rose Devlin. Mellie Rose. I like it,” he said,
his concentration back on the road. I’d never had anybody call me that before,
but I liked it. I liked the way that it rolled off his tongue, the way he made
it sound like the sweetest name in the world.
I risked a quick peek in his direction, and saw him staring
at me again.
We didn’t speak for the rest of the car ride.
I thought we would stop near the
Similar Books
