that bubbling pride in himself.
I pull
her back to me and hug her again, I'm just too damn excited.
Melissa
whispers in my ear, "Oh my fucking God—he's a pantry-dropper!"
We both
turn and look at him.
"He
is, isn't he?" I agree.
"What?
What am I?" he asks, curious.
We
laugh at him instead of answering. He turns back to my parents. "I'm in
trouble here, aren't I?" They laugh and nod.
"Come
on all the way in. Let's finish the presents," my mom orders.
For the
next few hours we catch up over a few glasses of wine and then some coffee.
Eventually, a car arrives and it's time to go. The hugs take a long time, and
they are bittersweet. At least I don't have to say goodbye to Melissa, not yet.
Shain
and his lady are waiting when we arrive. Justin in his JP personality moves
right past them to his seat without a word, but Melissa says hello as she
passes, and I ask his fiancé how her afternoon was.
"It
was wonderful," she exclaims excitedly before I notice Shain signal her to
be quiet.
I wave
him off. I want to know. "It's okay," I demand. "Tell me, what
did you guys do?"
She
checks nervously with Shain. He doesn't know what to tell her now, he's never
been in this position in front of us and so he shrugs absently and keeps an ear
on us as he prepares the plane. Now she becomes a waterfall; obviously it was
killing her to tell someone. She describes in detail all about the private dinner
that was waiting for them. And after that, their driver took them around to see
some amazing light displays and finally to the Hampton Inn where they had a
room waiting with champagne and flowers, and private use of their indoor pool
that had been surrounded in candles.
I
winked at Justin for that one. He tries to pretend that he didn't see it.
They
had an amazing time, and so did we, and that was all that mattered. Shain got
the Hawker cleared for takeoff, and we were headed back to New York with my
oldest friend beside me.
I need
her so much, more than they know—more than Justin can know.
CHAPTER
V
" S o the place is all yours," I
announce to Melissa, showing her around my apartment. "Just don't let
anyone from back home know I'm living with Justin. I'm not ready for that
yet."
Justin
and I brought her upstairs just for last night making her feel welcome and at
home. The three of us drained a bottle of wine while we caught up and she got
to know Justin. When I could tell she was getting tired, I had her crash in a
spare room.
Today I
brought her down to my apartment. "It's still mine, I just don't sleep
down here anymore." I checked even though I'm sure Justin would have
planned well. Everything is stocked and ready to go. The cabinets are loaded,
and so is the refrigerator. "Everything in here is yours. Don't ask, just
use it or eat it. I'll probably crash here with you once or twice just to have
some extra girl time. But now you can come and go without worrying about
us." I turn to her with a wicked smile. "And down here, you won't
have us waking you up at night."
"Oh
my God, you're so bad—and lucky! Could he be any hotter?" she
croaks.
"No,
I don't think so," I laugh.
"I
need to find me one of those while I'm here."
"My
friend, Trisha, is already working on that," I joke. "She's dying to
meet you, says we have to hook you up while you're here."
She
laughs at me again.
"Seriously,
Charity, he seems so wonderful and he literally worships you. You can see it in
his eyes when he looks at you. I couldn't be happier for you. And your mom,
holy shit! I think your dad needs to be worried—she was totally smitten."
I
snort-laughed so hard I'm worried Justin heard it upstairs. With Melissa, I
couldn't be more comfortable, even with my snort.
"Gawd,
Woman! I missed that laugh," she sighs, hugging me for like the hundredth
time since we've been together.
"Did
you see how much my dad likes him?" I asked. "I wasn't expecting that
to come so easy."
"Right?"
Melissa agrees, her eyes
I pull
her back to me and hug her again, I'm just too damn excited.
Melissa
whispers in my ear, "Oh my fucking God—he's a pantry-dropper!"
We both
turn and look at him.
"He
is, isn't he?" I agree.
"What?
What am I?" he asks, curious.
We
laugh at him instead of answering. He turns back to my parents. "I'm in
trouble here, aren't I?" They laugh and nod.
"Come
on all the way in. Let's finish the presents," my mom orders.
For the
next few hours we catch up over a few glasses of wine and then some coffee.
Eventually, a car arrives and it's time to go. The hugs take a long time, and
they are bittersweet. At least I don't have to say goodbye to Melissa, not yet.
Shain
and his lady are waiting when we arrive. Justin in his JP personality moves
right past them to his seat without a word, but Melissa says hello as she
passes, and I ask his fiancé how her afternoon was.
"It
was wonderful," she exclaims excitedly before I notice Shain signal her to
be quiet.
I wave
him off. I want to know. "It's okay," I demand. "Tell me, what
did you guys do?"
She
checks nervously with Shain. He doesn't know what to tell her now, he's never
been in this position in front of us and so he shrugs absently and keeps an ear
on us as he prepares the plane. Now she becomes a waterfall; obviously it was
killing her to tell someone. She describes in detail all about the private dinner
that was waiting for them. And after that, their driver took them around to see
some amazing light displays and finally to the Hampton Inn where they had a
room waiting with champagne and flowers, and private use of their indoor pool
that had been surrounded in candles.
I
winked at Justin for that one. He tries to pretend that he didn't see it.
They
had an amazing time, and so did we, and that was all that mattered. Shain got
the Hawker cleared for takeoff, and we were headed back to New York with my
oldest friend beside me.
I need
her so much, more than they know—more than Justin can know.
CHAPTER
V
" S o the place is all yours," I
announce to Melissa, showing her around my apartment. "Just don't let
anyone from back home know I'm living with Justin. I'm not ready for that
yet."
Justin
and I brought her upstairs just for last night making her feel welcome and at
home. The three of us drained a bottle of wine while we caught up and she got
to know Justin. When I could tell she was getting tired, I had her crash in a
spare room.
Today I
brought her down to my apartment. "It's still mine, I just don't sleep
down here anymore." I checked even though I'm sure Justin would have
planned well. Everything is stocked and ready to go. The cabinets are loaded,
and so is the refrigerator. "Everything in here is yours. Don't ask, just
use it or eat it. I'll probably crash here with you once or twice just to have
some extra girl time. But now you can come and go without worrying about
us." I turn to her with a wicked smile. "And down here, you won't
have us waking you up at night."
"Oh
my God, you're so bad—and lucky! Could he be any hotter?" she
croaks.
"No,
I don't think so," I laugh.
"I
need to find me one of those while I'm here."
"My
friend, Trisha, is already working on that," I joke. "She's dying to
meet you, says we have to hook you up while you're here."
She
laughs at me again.
"Seriously,
Charity, he seems so wonderful and he literally worships you. You can see it in
his eyes when he looks at you. I couldn't be happier for you. And your mom,
holy shit! I think your dad needs to be worried—she was totally smitten."
I
snort-laughed so hard I'm worried Justin heard it upstairs. With Melissa, I
couldn't be more comfortable, even with my snort.
"Gawd,
Woman! I missed that laugh," she sighs, hugging me for like the hundredth
time since we've been together.
"Did
you see how much my dad likes him?" I asked. "I wasn't expecting that
to come so easy."
"Right?"
Melissa agrees, her eyes
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