Chapter 15: The Final Step

When David emerged from his room, the girls were urging him to hurry up, and a minute later they walked along the narrow alleys heading for the neighborhood basketball court. They were among the first to arrive, save for Ante who had been waiting for Dani impatiently. She walked up to him to give him a shy hug and a very chaste kiss.

"Ante, this is David's girlfriend Mel. She's short, but she's a really good player."

"H-hello, it is nice meeting you," Ante said shyly.

Melanie gave him a friendly smile. "Hi, Ante. I hear you and Dani are close?"

Ante shot a nervous glance at David who grinned. "Breathe, Ante. You think I didn't notice?"

The poor guys blushed. "She is nice."

"No argument from me," David grinned again. "And she likes you."

"Davy!" Danielle squeaked.

Luckily for her, the next players arrived, Paco Ramos and his sister, the infamous Cecilia. Melanie recognized her immediately, simply from the way the young woman goggled at her sight. Yep, that girl was not into guys.

"Hi, you must be Cecilia," she offered. "I'm Mel, David's girlfriend from California."

"H-hi," Cecilia stammered, unable to take her eyes off Melanie, making her brother chuckle.

"Hola! I am Paco. Be careful of my sister. She likes girls."

"Idiota!" Cecilia spat, blushing purple.

Impulsively, Melanie stepped close and hugged Cecilia, in part to make good for all the nasty names she had given her over the last weeks.

"It's okay. I may not swing your way, but I take your looks as a compliment."

David watched all this with amazement. This was Melanie? Who had replaced the shy, introverted, guilt-ridden girl he'd known with this social butterfly pod person? Suddenly, he knew the answer. Like he had felt cooped up in that garden house on Josh's estate, Melanie too had been locked in with him, unable to develop any meaningful social interactions. His leaving must have freed her too. Perhaps that was why she had broken away in her quest for the perfect role to play?

Meanwhile, Cecilia had recovered somewhat. She gave David a mock-angry look.

"Why you come here to Spain when she's back in California? Zombi, you are idiot."

David nodded ruefully. "No argument from me."

Melanie disengaged herself from Cecilia to stand close to David. "I pushed him away. It was only after he left that I realized what an idiot I'd been."

Their hands joined unconsciously as David shook his head. "I let myself be pushed away. So we're both idiots I guess."

Before more could be said, the rest of the regulars arrived. More introductions were made and then teams were selected. They were twelve this day, meaning there would be some rotation. Melanie ended up on David's team but opposite Dani. She volunteered to sit out the first minutes wanting to get an idea of the way this group played. Mostly, however, she wanted to watch David.

It was true, he moved a bit sluggishly, or rather carefully. Yet, she could see his quality in the way he anticipated the opponents' plays and in the way he seemed always open for passes. He did not, could not, play his old position of small forward, but he played a pretty good point guard, feeding passes to both forwards, but also blocking for the shooting guard.

On the other side, Dani was playing David's old position as the small forward to good effect. She had improved since the last fall, and she had developed quite a jump shot. Paco Ramos was playing power forward while the tall Ante was their center. Cecilia filled the point guard position.

After ten minutes, the team captains called for rotation. To Melanie's surprise, David rotated out and she had to come onto the court to play point guard. She was quick, she could pass accurately, but with her lack of height she was immediately seen as the weak spot in the team. Paco tried twice to muscle her away, but Melanie had learned to handle bullies on the court, and she managed to draw fouls forcing Paco and Cecilia to ease up on pressing her.

The scoring was about equal for both teams during this period until David came back on during the next rotation. The center had rotated out and David had to replace him. He wasn't the tallest player in the zone and he couldn't jump to save his life, but his innate sense of position and his excellent ball protection allowed him to score three times in just as many minutes. This forced Paco to play man-to-man, effectively shutting David out, but leaving glaring holes in their defense that Melanie used for well timed passes to their forwards.

Her personal highlight was when she managed a steal from Paco and streaked down the line for a picture-perfect lay-up. When she turned to face the court, she saw David beaming at her and she launched herself into his arms for a celebratory kiss.

For the rest of the game, they held on to their 6-point lead, varying their game and never allowing Danielle, Paco and Cecilia to overpower them physically. David had to run far more than in the previous games and he was completely wiped out when Danielle managed the final basket to close to a 68 to 63 score. Paco shook hands with them all, but when he came to Melanie, he shook his head.

"Never tell anybody that you whipped my ass or I'll kill you. You are how tall, one-sixty-five?"

Mentally, Melanie translated the metric numbers to 5'5" and corrected him. "One hundred sixty-two."

"Mierda! Please don't tell anybody."

The group split up then, but most of them would meet for dinner. The three Americans returned to David's apartment where Dani called dibs on the shower while David and Melanie sat on the kitchen chairs gulping down fruit juice.

"Dani told me of course, but I never knew you were such a good player," David smiled.

"I like to play, but I'm too damn short. The Freshman coach wanted me to join the team, but first I was in my Heart of Glass mind set, and then after I'd wrecked your career, I couldn't do it. Besides, I didn't have time."

"But you've been playing some this summer," David insisted.

"The last three months, after I got the revised script for Lockout. The coach let me join for practice. It helped me and I found a few new friends. You were right. We were so cooped up in that garden house, we never met people outside the classes. I joined a study group too, and it was fun."

"I never asked you. How was your life before that evening."

"You mean before Brentano waltzed into my house again? I pretty much kept to myself. I had two or three friends at USC, nothing serious, no boyfriends, not even fellow actors to hang out with. Let's face it – who wants to hang out with a moody, anorexic bitch?"

"So you've been catching up socially?"

"In a way, yes. The study group is nice. Some of the players on the JV team are fun too. In a way, I've been growing wings."

"Yes, I noticed the change."

"And you?"

"You mean in LA? Nothing much. The varsity team invited me to a function and we had a party afterwards." He chuckled. "I met Marsha. She's with Adam Woscinski now."

"Second round draft heading for Detroit?"

David could not quite hide the nasty grin. "Bwing her to Detwoit!"

Melanie giggled, recognizing the quote as one of the running gags from Kentucky Fried Movie, a movie they had watched during David's recovery.

"They'll be married and divorced within a year and she'll pursue her dancing with half his signing bonus."

David shrugged. "Whatever. She tried to needle me about our breakup, but I couldn't even work up a feeling of annoyance."

"I caught some shit over our breakup. People mostly blamed me."

"Yeah, well, the story got around that I had left you, so quite a few people questioned my sanity."

Melanie fixated him over the juice glass. "Can we repair things? I don't mean going back to where we were, 'cause that really wasn't a healthy relationship. I mean, trying to build something mature."

"Do you want that?"

"Absolutely. Davy, I know you have those issues about our different social positions. But there's also so much we have in common. I ... I've been on a few dates with guys." She saw David flinch. "I thought, hey, let's see who's out there. Only, there was no spark, not even curiosity. I know what I want and it's you!"

"I know what you mean. It's been the same for me. Boy, I screwed up things by moving here."

"Not really. Let's face it. With you in Med School and me in undergraduate classes, we would not see each other for days on end, even if we both attended USC. This way we can both focus on our education without feeling snubbed or having a bad conscience. We just have to focus on spending the breaks with each other."

"You think we can survive a four-year separation?"

"We can be in Clearwater for three weeks over the holidays, I can come over here during spring break, and for the summer we can go somewhere together. I'll have Dani living with me to keep me straight and I'll cut a deal with Cecilia to run interference for you."

"A committed, long-distance relationship?"

"Yup, with intermittent, very close-up periods," Melanie confirmed. "I'm game if you are."

"Mel, I can live with that, but I want to be clear. No flings, no flirts, no dates. No "Dear David" letter either. If you want out, you'll have to do it face to face. I'll promise you the same honesty."

Melanie nodded soberly. "Yes, that's a good provision. I mean, it's not enforceable, but..."

"I can always sick my mom on you," David smiled.

"Yeah, and I can promise Cecilia a hot date in return for killing you."

"Shit, you have the drop on me here," David laughed. "So, this is what we want?"

"Yeah, this is what we want. Now, how about we kick Dani out of the shower so we can get cleaned up? By the way, are you still needing help in the shower?"

"You volunteering?"

"I could be talked into it."

"Let's save some water then and shower together."

They could have had a very nice fifteen minutes to get reacquainted with each other, but for Dani banging on the bathroom door after five minutes to make them hurry up. Dani was impatient now that she was all cleaned up and primped. This was her last night in Granada and Ante was waiting at the restaurant.

Accepting the inevitable, David and Melanie dressed quickly. They left the apartment with wet hair as Dani brooked no delays and of course they arrived at the Italian restaurant being the first, almost ten minutes ahead of the next arrivals. Of course, this gave David enough time for razzing his sister who was ready to kill him when – fortunately – Ante burst into the restaurant. Dani was instantly mollified and the two sequestered to the far end of the table, away from David and Melanie.

There had been a brief discussion about the sleeping arrangements when Melanie had arrived but now she grinned.

"I think I'll have the pick where to sleep tonight." David looked up with alarm causing Melanie to giggle. "Oh, Davy! This is so funny."

"It's not," David protested. "Mom will kill me!"

"She won't. Dani is close to eighteen and Ante seems like a nice geek. Give them some space."

"What if..." he started.

"David! Stop it! How old were you when you got laid the first time?"

He looked sheepish. "Sixteen. And three months."

"See? Dani is already a year older and don't you tell me it's different. She deserves the same freedom you had."

"What's with you?" he asked a little surprised.

"I don't like double standards. I bet Dani is more grown up than you were at seventeen. Give her a break and be good about it."

"Okay, okay. I'll have a word with Ante though..."

"No, you won't! Keep out of it!"

"Jeez! You're bossy."

"And you're a butthead. I just want Dani's first time to be beautiful and without guilt. It's important."

David could read between the lines. "Mel, I hope you won't feel any guilt when it's going to be our first time, and I'm sure it will be beautiful."

"Well, then you better go it easy with beer or wine. It won't be beautiful when you're drunk."

"You mean..."

"Duh! You don't really think I'll let you off the hook tonight? I won't let your sister beat us to it either."

"Jeez! Take it easy on my ego will you."

Melanie checked. "Sorry. I don't want to sound like a bossy bitch, but I'm running out of patience. I fucked it up after the Oscars. That was supposed to be our night. I fucked it up in the next weeks. I fucked it up, period. I just want to ... I don't know. I want to seal this, our relationship. I want you to make me your girl. I thought I'd lost you, Davy!"

"Hey, Mel! Relax, please! Whether we sleep together tonight or tomorrow night or next week, it doesn't matter. I want you too, but I want it to be right. I want you to look back at that night with a warm feeling. I want you..."

"I will. Because it's you. Because I love you and need you. Get that into your thick skull! You don't have to light two dozen candles, you don't have to cook for me, you don't have to play Roy Orbison songs on the stereo. All I need is you, your hands, your lips, your tongue, and your ... your dick. There! I've said it."

David cupped her hands and pulled her close for a kiss. There were some tears in her eyes, so he kissed those away. "Melanie Renault, I will make you my girl tonight, if you promise to make me your guy too."

"I do," she said defiantly.

"Baby, I can't wait. Knowing that you want it makes me ... Well shit! Here the others come. We have to eat something before we can make an escape."

Indeed, the others now arrived. They lived in the same dormitory, hence their arrival together. The table filled, and a waiter distributed the menus. David ordered empanadas for starters and a platter of grilled meats.

After the orders had been taken, Cecilia turned to Melanie.

"I checked. You are Melanie Renault."

Melanie shrugged. "I never said I wasn't."

"But what ... Why ... I don't understand."

"Celia, I came here to see David. I was hoping to win him back. It worked too. That's all."

"I ... I saw your film, Corazón de Cristal, and I wept all through it. Then I read about that man, that cerdo sucio, who had..."

"He's dead now. He tried to kill me, but David stood up to him and I found the courage to fight him, and then David's mother shot him to death. He will never hurt women again, and with him gone, I can heal."

Cecilia nodded, her eyes brimming. "Thank you for giving me the strength."

Melanie's eyes flew open. "Pardon me?"

"When I read about you, how you went to the police, how he was arrested and charged, I told Paco about what our uncle had done to me. We both went to the Guardia Civil and I told on him, and he was arrested too. My mother won't ever talk to me again, but Paco is on my side and so is my father."

Melanie swallowed heavily. "Oh my God! I don't know..." But then she knew. She scooted closer to Cecilia and hugged the young woman. "That was brave of you. I hope that things will go better for you than for me."

Paco looked alarmed. "Celia, did you tell her?"

Cecilia nodded at her her brother. "Sí. Sin ella, no podría haberlo hecho."

"I won't talk to anybody," Melanie said quickly.

For the rest of the dinner, Melanie made sure to sit close to Cecilia. The Spanish girl was close to her own age if taller, and Melanie felt the kinship of their related fates. She also made sure to hold David's hand, not wanting him to feel left out again. They were so much wrapped up in the revelation about Cecilia that when Dani stepped close to David, he took some time to remember her big issue.

"Davy, I'm going to spend the night with Ante. Don't try to..."

Assisted by a gentle kick under the table from Melanie, David got his wits about him and he gave his sister an encouraging smile. "Hey, Beany, no sweat. Just have a good time and don't do anything Mel wouldn't do. Ouch!"

Melanie's second kick was not gentle at all. "Ass! Dani, have a wonderful night!"

Danielle grinned. "Same to you! Up with you!" Melanie rose and the two girls hugged. "Welcome back to the Olsen family!"

It was shortly after nine o'clock when David and Melanie said good night to their friends and walked home. Cecilia and Melanie had a long hug before they left, but on the way back to David's apartment, Melanie purged her thoughts of anything except David and herself. She snuggled as close to him as possible without tripping him and sneaked her hand around his back and into his front pocket.

"This means so much to me, that we can stroll along together. You must've worked so hard for this."

David gave a rueful smile. "When you were gone all the time, I let my frustration out on the rower. Things got better and I started leaving the wheelchair at home during the day. That gave me more practice. I guess weaning myself from you forced me to heal faster."

Melanie shook her head. "I was so obsessed with the negotiations that I missed that." She gave a snort. "Wanna know something funny? Those fucktards who wanted me to audition the kiss scene with Wolfson, they sent an urgent email last week, asking me to reconsider. They're hemorrhaging cast members since the news leaked that I'm not involved anymore. It was so funny. I did not even bother to answer. Clowns!"

"Huh?" David asked, and Melanie slapped her forehead.

"I never told you! I was in Vegas, the weekend when you left. I had finally pinned those two producers down and I told them to make a decision. I was tired of the endless discussions already and a little steamed. They told me I had to audition – a kiss scene with Ron Wolfson. With nudity!"

"You or him?" David asked with a grin.

"Urgh! I just threw up in my mouth!" Melanie laughed back. "Anyway, I had no scene with Wolfson in the script and I told them. They came with that lame story that they wanted to boost my presence with a seduction scene. I'd heard of Wolfson. He's known for going after his co-stars, the younger the better. I told them to go and fuck themselves and left."

"You were to play whom?"

"Iphigenia."

"The Orestes saga, huh?"

"And the Iliad. The sacrifice at Aulis."

David grinned. "A few years ago, I would've loved to see you in stuff like that. You know, soft tone cinematography and wearing only those gauzy wrap-arounds."

"You're such a pig! And now? Now you wouldn't want to see me that way?"

"I think I prefer natural light and no gauze."

"Hmpf!"

"Honestly? I ... Oh, shit! Okay, here we go. I watched one of your old movies, one I'd seen with my buddies years ago. I hated it now. I hated how they made you look like an airhead. I hated it thinking how your mother probably coerced you into doing that crap. I hated it knowing how you had to hate it."

Melanie stopped in her tracks and faced David. "See? That's why I love you so much. You understand who I am, or who I want to be, and you acknowledge me. You don't paint me as the dumb little cutie. How on earth can I not love you?"

"And here I thought it was my manly looks," David joked. He shook his head. "I guess I couldn't love the Melanie you had to project in your movies. She was such a stereotype. I love the contradictions in your character. You're complicated, exciting and sometimes outright challenging."

"I am? How so?"

"Well, on one hand, you hate everything related to movie making. You have stage fright as you said yourself. On the other hand, when you see a good script, a good role, you dive into it with absolute abandon. Or your sexuality. You're a traumatized victim and it showed in many respects. Yet, when you allow your sensual side to emerge, you're all the woman a guy can handle. You're innocent, but you had no qualms about me seeing you in the buff."

"It felt innocent to me," she smiled shyly. "I was offering you some compensation for what you were missing. Plus it made me all giddy to have that effect on you. Remember, I had my sights on you already."

"That's what I mean – innocence and naughty girl all rolled into one delightful package."

"David?"

"Yeah?"

"Take me home and make love to me!"

"For sure?" he asked with a widening smile.

"F'sure! Screw innocence. I wanna be naughty tonight."

Back in the apartment, Melanie headed to the bathroom while David tidied up his room a little. When Melanie emerged, he kissed her briefly before going in himself and brushing his teeth. Returning to the bedroom he found Melanie reclining on the bed wearing a smile and nothing else. He swallowed heavily.

"God, you're gorgeous!"

"Don't just stand there," she smiled. "I need you."

David awkwardly pushed down his shorts and his briefs and stepped out them before he joined Melanie on the bed. Hovering over her, he gently kissed first her lips, and then, moving down, her throat, her collarbone and then her smallish breasts. He nibbled and licked on the tiny nipples and was rewarded by a deep moan. Her left hand grabbed for his head, pressing him against her chest, while the right hand reached down for his erect member. She gripped him tightly, squeezing and releasing the shaft, moving gently back and forth with her hand. David let go of her nipple and looked up.

"Mel, easy there or I'll shoot."

"Noooh!" she moaned. "Put it in now!"

"I wanted to..."

"No! Now! David, I know you've got great reviews from all your girlfriends, but I don't want a super stud tonight. I want you in me so I can feel you. I want you to make me a woman and I want you to ... to cum in me. Please, do me now!"

David swallowed heavily. He'd wanted to make this a memorable night for Melanie, not some slam-bam-thank-you-Ma'am quickie, but Melanie did not let go of his dick – in fact she was pulling him up to where she wanted it.

On the spur of the moment, he gave in and moved up. Her legs spread for him and he suddenly felt her wetness at the tip of his dick. Abandoning all conscious thought, he pushed forward. Melanie was not a virgin anymore he suddenly realized, not physically. She was tight, very tight, but his dick encountered no barrier on the way in, only the friction of her vaginal walls wrapped tightly around his straining member.

"Oh, Davy!" she squealed. "Oh yess! More, give me more!"

Her pussy was alive, pulsing around his dick, and the sensations were threatening to overwhelm him. With utmost control, he controlled the urge to let go. Not after just two minutes! Not during this precious first time with her!