Chapter 10

"OK, so you know about the plan," Melissa said after returning to her spot on my shoulder. She took my hand and placed it on her hip. "Now I want to tell you the rest of it.

"When I saw you walking into the room with Kellie holding on to you arm, I was worried. At least I thought I was worried. I didn't want you hurt again. The longer you stood talking to her, the worse it got. Then I realized that I had felt the feeling before. It was right before school ended when Ali Thompson asked about you."

My ears perked up.

"Ali Thompson asked about me?" I asked playfully. "And I'm just now hearing about it?"

Melissa gracefully plucked one of my few chest hairs. It hurt.

"She asked me if you and I were dating," she informed me. "I told her that we were just friends. She got a sad look and told me she wished she would have known that earlier but she would certainly be in contact with you as soon as she got back to Boston."

"OK," I said. "I'm not sure I see where this is going. But, OK."

"She is going to ask you out as soon as her summer teaching post is over and she is back in town, moron," Melissa said and another of my chest hairs was gone. "I felt the exact same way when Ali said she planned to ask you out as I did when I saw you standing with Kellie. It wasn't worry. It was jealousy! And not jealousy that someone else was going to be your friend. It was because someone else was going to be your girlfriend. You were right, Todd, when you said our friendship wouldn't withstand one of us dating someone else. I didn't realize it at the time, but it is a fact."

I groaned.

"So now I get to be celibate," I said. "Fantastic."

"You're not paying attention," she said. "You're out of chest hairs. But I'll go lower if I have to. Now focus."

I did my best to comply.

"I was jealous because I want to be your girlfriend," she said. "I was jealous because I am totally, hopelessly, desperately in love with you. I don't want you to date anyone except for me."

"Oh," I said.

"Oh," Melissa laughed and I felt her hand slide down my chest. I grasped it quickly. "I lay my heart bare and I get 'Oh'?"

"What changed your mind?" I said.

"Nothing changed my mind," she said. "I've always felt this way about you. It was just so different — so much better — than I've felt about another guy. I didn't see it for what it was. I was so scared of being hurt or of hurting you that I just closed my eyes. Even when we talked last week, I refused to admit it to myself. I'm sorry that I had to have someone make a play for you right before my eyes before it hit me."

Melissa's hand was tracing circles on my chest.

"Uh," I stammered.

I was met with the giggle that I so enjoyed.

"That's what I love most about you," she said. "You're so articulate. Your vocabulary leaves me speechless."

I chucked involuntarily.

"Are you serious?" I asked.

"Not really," she confessed. "Sometimes your vocabulary is a bit repetitive."

"Not about that," I said. "Is this still part of your plan to make sure I don't make a mistake? Because I got the point if it is."

Melissa's hand stopped abruptly and she sat up.

"No, Todd," Melissa said with tears in her eyes. "No. It was a bad idea, what I pulled tonight. But I would never toy with your emotions. I would never play with your mind this way."

"Just checking," I said. "Sorry. I'm a little off kilter. Things are moving a little fast. Let's set down tomorrow and figure out how your revelation affects things."

Melissa stared at me. More tears came to her eyes so I clarified.

"I don't want you to rush into anything," I said quickly. "I don't want you changing your mind about something you were so adamant about earlier this week — hell, earlier tonight — because of you had a couple of beers and got maudlin."

"I'm not maudlin," Melissa insisted in a sultry voice. "But sure, if I wake up after cuddling with you all night long and holding you close to me, feeling your body next to me and decide I've changed my mind, no hard feelings. Right?"

She put her leg across my middle and slid my hand back on to her hip. She left it there for a moment then slipped it into her shorts and under her panties.

"Don't you dare move that hand," she said. She tilted my head toward her and kissed me gently. "I love you. Night."

Amazingly, I awoke in the same position as I fell asleep. Melissa's head rested on my shoulder with her arm across my chest. The puddle of drool on my chest suggested she had slept soundly.

My hand had worked its way down and I had cupped her butt cheek. I started to slide my hand back to hip but she held it firm.

"Uh-uh," she said. "The hand stays — even if I have to remove it from your wrist."

Kellie was sitting at the table with Greg and Carrie when I came down the hallway. They seemed to be having an intense conversation.

She smiled brightly when she saw me. The smile faded quickly when she saw Melissa was tagging along behind me — pinching my butt as she followed me down the hall. I'm not certain Kellie saw Melissa pinch me. But she certainly saw me jump.

"Ah, hi," she said.

"Did you guys sleep well?" I asked.

I got two nods and a blank stare.

Kellie glanced toward Greg. Then she glanced toward Carrie. Then she glanced toward me. Then she glared toward Melissa.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Melissa asked sweetly. "What time do you guys have to back in the city?"

"We should be there by 5," Carrie said with a smile. "Do we have time for a tour of the city? I've always wanted to see the harbor and Bunker Hill."

I looked at Greg who was trying to stifle a smile.

"Yeah," I said. "We can do a tour, have some chadda, maybe even visit Hyannisport, you know the Kennedy compound. Hey Greg, you wanna check out Hahvid?"

OK, my Boston accent is awful. But chadda is chowder and Hahvid is Harvard. I'll try not to do that again.

"Not so much," he said. "Although ... I could find me a rich woman to take me away from all this."

Carrie coughed. It sounded like she said "bullshit" but I couldn't be sure.

"Why don't you call Mark," I suggested. "It can be family fun time. I tried to get tickets for a Red Sox game. They're in Baltimore this week."

"Maybe Kellie can score us some Celtics tickets next season," Greg said. "I mean, when the guy calls you."

Fuck!

"Greg," I said but Carrie cut me off.

"No, Tee," she said. "I'm interested in learning if we can get tickets. I'd love to see The King play in the Garden. Can you set that up for us, Kel?"

Kellie didn't know where to look.

"I just gave him a fake number to leave me alone," she said. Then she closed her eyes.

"I gave him my number," she admitted. "And I have no idea why. I certainly don't want to go out with him."

"Guys, it's OK," I said.

"It's not OK," Kellie screeched. "God damn it. Why in the fuck do I do things like this? What in the hell goes through my head? Jesus, Todd. I'm so sorry. That was so fucked up for me to act that way."

I shrugged.

"Actually, you probably did Todd a huge favor," Melissa said. "I know you did me a huge favor. Do you remember our conversation yesterday? Well, I come to a realization when I saw you with Todd. And I came to a bigger decision when I saw you dick Todd over for a douchebag from the Celtics. C'mon, a Sox player, I get. A Celtic, get real."

I tilted an eye toward Melissa.

"Oh, please, Todd," she said. "That closer comes on to me, you are toast. You can pick someone, too. It's fair."

"Ooh, ooh, ooh," Carrie said. "Pick me, pick me. We'll go straight to the bedroom. C'mon, Tee. You're my freebie with Mark so we can totally do it."

Kellie didn't seem amused.

"What? I'm a celebrity, too," Carrie insisted.

"Oh hell," Melissa said. "I forgot you actually have access to getting laid by celebrities. OK, the Red Sox closer is out. Carrie, put your panties back on."

OK, I actually looked to see if she was joking. Of course she was but Melissa still slapped my arm — hard.

"What?" I said. "I always pictured Carrie as a thong girl. I was checking to see if I was right."

"Granny panties," Kellie said. "Now if you would have checked mine out..."

Carrie tossed a piece of toast at Kellie.

"Grannies?" she asked. "I am so not grannies. But I'll admit that I don't like floss in my butt either."

Greg simply shook his head.

"So, you want to hit the harbor first?" he asked.

"Are you going on tour with them?" Melissa asked me after our day in Boston.