Five
“ S o, enough about me. How are you, girl?” Aileen grinned. “You haven’t been coming by as much. I miss my girl. Lately, I’ve been thinking of all the crazy shit we used to do. Remember that time we skipped school with Craig and Lucas?” They laughed. “We played chicken on that train, remember?”
Melody grinned. “How could I forget. I can’t believe we did something so stupid and dangerous!”
“Hell, we were teenagers. What do you expect?”
“And I can’t believe you of all people went along with it, Leen. You always seemed to be the one telling us not to do things, like you were our mother or something. What got into you on that day I wouldn’t know.” Melody cackled.
“Remember Lucas slipped and almost fell off?” Aileen shook her head. “Man, it was scary as hell back then, but it’s funny now!”
“Yeah.” Melody sat back. “We’ve been through a lot, Leen. It’s amazing that after all this time, we’re still friends.”
Aileen’s laughter settled into a calm smile. “And we always will be. You’re my sister, Melody. I love you so much.”
“Oh Leen, I love you, too.” They hugged. “That’s why I’m so worried.” Melody moved away. “I know I nag you, but I want you to be safe.”
“And I will be.” Aileen pushed Melody’s hair behind her ears. “So how are you, Mel? I sensed the strange mood the minute we started talking. What’s the deal?”
She chewed her tongue. “I’ll be working at Caper Enterprises.” She braced herself for Aileen’s excitement.
“Caper Enterprises? You’ll be working for Lucas’s father?”
Melody nodded.
“Oh my God! Melody, Caper is one of the most successful advertising firms in the nation! How did you go from not having a job to all this?”
She shrugged. “Sarah and Lucas had been talking about it behind my back, and Lucas presented the idea to me. I need a job and his dad said I was qualified to work as an assistant, so there.”
Aileen grinned. “Uh-huh. So you’ll be working with Lucas, huh? Now that’s gotta cheer you up.”
Melody grinned. “Why do you say that?”
“Come on, Mel. You were in love with Lucas back then, and you’re in love with him now.”
“I am not!” She chuckled. “How can you be in love with someone you haven’t seen in years?”
“You tell me.” Aileen winked. “Be honest, girlfriend. Doesn’t working with Lucas, and the thought of being around him every day excite you?”
Aileen didn’t know the half of it. Lucas had to be the main reason Melody entertained the thought for a second. She must have been in love with him if she were willing to put up with being around Keith Taylor every day. She shivered. Aileen gaped. Melody gripped the table and she took a deep breath.
“Oh goodness, it’s okay, Mel.” Aileen held her. “Panic attack?” Melody nodded. She heaved for a moment, then her breathing returned to normal. “I thought you said you didn’t have these anymore.” Aileen rocked her.
“Well, I haven’t…for a while.” She exhaled. She touched her chest. “Just…when I get…frightened.”
“Mel, what’s the matter?” Aileen pleaded. “You’re shaking like a leaf. You’re splitting in two before my eyes. Look at me, honey.” Melody did. “What’s going on? You know, you can tell me anything. Did something happen to you?”
“Where’s…Dan…Danielle?” Melody wheezed. She glanced around for the adorable two-year-old.
“She’s sleeping.” Aileen got a glass of water. “Here drink this, Mel. Take your time, honey.” Melody sipped the water. She leaned back in the chair. “You’re sweating a river, Mel. You’re burning up.” Aileen felt her forehead. “Maybe you should go to the doctor.”
“No, I’m all right, Leen. It’s just a panic attack.” She sipped more water. “I’m doing fine, now.” At least she thought so before she began thinking of Keith again. “Just so much on my mind, you know?”
“This stuff on your
“ S o, enough about me. How are you, girl?” Aileen grinned. “You haven’t been coming by as much. I miss my girl. Lately, I’ve been thinking of all the crazy shit we used to do. Remember that time we skipped school with Craig and Lucas?” They laughed. “We played chicken on that train, remember?”
Melody grinned. “How could I forget. I can’t believe we did something so stupid and dangerous!”
“Hell, we were teenagers. What do you expect?”
“And I can’t believe you of all people went along with it, Leen. You always seemed to be the one telling us not to do things, like you were our mother or something. What got into you on that day I wouldn’t know.” Melody cackled.
“Remember Lucas slipped and almost fell off?” Aileen shook her head. “Man, it was scary as hell back then, but it’s funny now!”
“Yeah.” Melody sat back. “We’ve been through a lot, Leen. It’s amazing that after all this time, we’re still friends.”
Aileen’s laughter settled into a calm smile. “And we always will be. You’re my sister, Melody. I love you so much.”
“Oh Leen, I love you, too.” They hugged. “That’s why I’m so worried.” Melody moved away. “I know I nag you, but I want you to be safe.”
“And I will be.” Aileen pushed Melody’s hair behind her ears. “So how are you, Mel? I sensed the strange mood the minute we started talking. What’s the deal?”
She chewed her tongue. “I’ll be working at Caper Enterprises.” She braced herself for Aileen’s excitement.
“Caper Enterprises? You’ll be working for Lucas’s father?”
Melody nodded.
“Oh my God! Melody, Caper is one of the most successful advertising firms in the nation! How did you go from not having a job to all this?”
She shrugged. “Sarah and Lucas had been talking about it behind my back, and Lucas presented the idea to me. I need a job and his dad said I was qualified to work as an assistant, so there.”
Aileen grinned. “Uh-huh. So you’ll be working with Lucas, huh? Now that’s gotta cheer you up.”
Melody grinned. “Why do you say that?”
“Come on, Mel. You were in love with Lucas back then, and you’re in love with him now.”
“I am not!” She chuckled. “How can you be in love with someone you haven’t seen in years?”
“You tell me.” Aileen winked. “Be honest, girlfriend. Doesn’t working with Lucas, and the thought of being around him every day excite you?”
Aileen didn’t know the half of it. Lucas had to be the main reason Melody entertained the thought for a second. She must have been in love with him if she were willing to put up with being around Keith Taylor every day. She shivered. Aileen gaped. Melody gripped the table and she took a deep breath.
“Oh goodness, it’s okay, Mel.” Aileen held her. “Panic attack?” Melody nodded. She heaved for a moment, then her breathing returned to normal. “I thought you said you didn’t have these anymore.” Aileen rocked her.
“Well, I haven’t…for a while.” She exhaled. She touched her chest. “Just…when I get…frightened.”
“Mel, what’s the matter?” Aileen pleaded. “You’re shaking like a leaf. You’re splitting in two before my eyes. Look at me, honey.” Melody did. “What’s going on? You know, you can tell me anything. Did something happen to you?”
“Where’s…Dan…Danielle?” Melody wheezed. She glanced around for the adorable two-year-old.
“She’s sleeping.” Aileen got a glass of water. “Here drink this, Mel. Take your time, honey.” Melody sipped the water. She leaned back in the chair. “You’re sweating a river, Mel. You’re burning up.” Aileen felt her forehead. “Maybe you should go to the doctor.”
“No, I’m all right, Leen. It’s just a panic attack.” She sipped more water. “I’m doing fine, now.” At least she thought so before she began thinking of Keith again. “Just so much on my mind, you know?”
“This stuff on your
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