“What’s going on out here?” Mel asked Wednesday morning after she walked out the front door. Ellie and Don sat side by side on the cozy cushioned veranda chairs with papers scattered across the table.
“Morning, Mel. Sit down and join us. I’ll share my coffee with you. We’re going over wedding plans.”
“Wow, that’s exciting. Can you really have a wedding ceremony at the Angel Oak?”
“Yes, but not under the tree itself, and only twenty-five people can attend. We wanted to get married there at sunup to represent a new beginning, but the park officials won’t let us. We’re going to plan a Saturday wedding with our very best friends at the park, have a pseudo wedding at a church so our family can attend, then later have a large reception with dinner and dancing for everyone.”
“That sounds beautiful. What Saturday have you decided on?”
“We’re shooting for October twenty-fourth, but we have to see what we can find for a reception hall. We need to get on this right away. That’s why we’re sitting out here. We’ll never figure anything out if too many people are adding their two cents.”
“Well, good luck.”
“Where are you going so early?”
“I’m meeting Jax for breakfast. I have some sketches to show him. See you later. Bye.”
Mel enjoyed having Wednesdays off. The house was quieter during the day, giving her plenty of opportunity to sit outside and work on sketches uninterrupted if she wanted. Jax was meeting her at Miss Ruby’s, a small diner on the north end of Meeting Street. She hadn’t seen him since Saturday and found herself looking forward to his delicious kisses again. She daydreamed about him as she drove, even though she would be there in less than ten minutes. His dark curly hair and those dimples made her knees weak with desire. What would it be like to make love with him? He’s so sweet and caring. Would he be gentle and loving or wickedly rad? She laughed at the thought and circled the block, looking for a parking spot. With her attaché case in one hand and her purse in the other, she had only a block to walk after parking.
Mel entered the tiny diner and found a seat facing the door. To get into Charleston, Jax had to cross the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, which often backed up in the morning rush hour traffic. She ordered a cup of coffee and asked to have the carafe left on the table. The clock above the door showed the time was nine a.m. He should be here any minute, she thought. She sipped her coffee and waited. By nine fifteen, she was getting concerned. Mel wondered if it was appropriate to text him. She didn’t want to seem impatient or come across as a nagger, but it seemed odd for him to be late. He was prompt on Saturday, but there wasn’t the morning traffic then, either, she told herself, trying to rationalize it. She didn’t know him well enough to feel comfortable calling and asking where he was. She continued to wait. Relief swept across her face when she finally saw the Expedition pass slowly by the diner. The clock showed nine twenty-five.
“Mel, I’m so sorry. I couldn’t text you since I had to watch the road. Traffic was a nightmare,” he said when he finally entered. He sat next to her in the booth and embraced her. He kissed her neck and whispered in her ear, “I’ve missed you, babe.”
“I’ll admit I was worried. Maybe next time, I’ll come in your direction. Traffic isn’t flowing east in the morning.” She gave him a kiss on the lips, and he responded eagerly with his tongue.
“I need to find a way to be alone with you, if you know what I mean. I live with my folks, and you live with everybody,” he said. “We need to be alone all day in bed. I fantasize about you a lot.”
What the…? Mel knew what he was getting at, but she wasn’t quite ready for sex, even though just thirty minutes earlier, she was daydreaming about making love with him. The reality of him suggesting it was completely different than a daydream and actually made her nervous. Mel hadn’t had a boyfriend, or even a one-night stand, since college. Wow… should that embarrass me? I guess I haven’t given it much thought. I wonder when Jax had sex last. How do I respond to his innuendo? Should I say anything or just smile? Crap! I’m acting like I’m fourteen.
They ordered breakfast, and Mel showed Jax the latest designs she had created.
“These are perfect. Do you know a professional seamstress that can get started right away?”
“Yes, but I’ll have to go over the designs and fabrics you want with her so I can get you a firm price and a completion time estimate. Of these and the designs I showed you last week, which do you definitely want and in what fabric?”
Jax went over all the costumes one last time and picked seven. Three would be to wear under hot lights, including a new tuxedo for large opening events in Vegas.
“The price doesn’t matter. Just have her start as soon as she can. This is great, and I’ll finally be able to retire those old costumes. Where should we go after breakfast?” he asked. He licked his lips and looked at her like a man with one thing on his mind.
“Um, I don’t know. I didn’t plan for anything else. Do you want to meet some of the people I live with?”
He laughed. “That’s not exactly what came to mind. Let’s find a hotel room and get busy. I want to be with you and explore every inch of your body.”
His gorgeous green eyes twinkled, and the corners of his mouth turned up into a grin. Mel began to fidget, and her mouth went dry. She gulped her coffee.
This doesn’t feel the slightest bit romantic to me, and I’m certainly not ready to get busy. I’m not even wearing underwear that’s the least bit provocative. He’s so damn cute, yet I feel like throwing up my breakfast. What happened to the sweet, respectful guy I thought he was? “I don’t think I’m quite there yet, Jax. We’ve only known each other for ten days.”
“Yeah… ten days is a long time. You stir me up, and I mean that in the most respectful way.”
Huh? She looked at him with a weak smile, trying to figure out what to say next. He has those youth hormones that are in overdrive. I’ve got to get out of here and rethink my decision to date a man-child. “I’m sorry, Jax, I really am. I think it takes me a little longer to get stirred up. I’m a girl, after all. We aren’t nearly as sexually driven as men are. Give me a little more time, please.”
The look of disappointment was clearly written across his face. “Okay, no rush. I guess I’ll just head back to Wando Crossing. I’ll call you soon.” He kissed Mel, laid twenty dollars on the table, and walked out of Miss Ruby’s.
“What the hell was that?” Mel whispered. “That was about the most awkward moment of my life.”
She drove home and quietly tiptoed to her bedroom to think. She was thankful Don and Ellie were gone, both probably at work by now. She was concerned about what she’d gotten herself into. Jax was generous with his free time and money, yet Mel couldn’t help wondering whether it was actually a relationship he was looking for or just a woman in the area to hook up with. He can’t possibly have such strong feelings for me yet, can he? He seemed serious about a relationship, but wouldn’t he actually want to know me better before he suggested sex? What am I thinking? He’s a twenty-two-year-old guy with way too much testosterone flowing through his body. We’re not on the same sexual page at all.
***
For now, Mel needed to find the best seamstress to make Jax’s costumes. She knew two women who were very capable, plus he didn’t care about the cost. She decided to call Emily Adams only because she was a close friend and lived in Charleston.
“Hi, Em, it’s Melanie. I have a friend who needs some costumes made. I already have the designs drawn up and would like to show you what he’s looking for. Do you have time to get together today?”
“Sure, come on over. I’ll be home all day. August is usually a slow month, so this could fit in nicely. I’ll put the coffee on.”
Emily lived north of Calhoun and just west of King Street in a cute turn-of-the-century red brick house with dark green shutters. She had a wonderful husband, Mike, and a three-year-old son, Jessie. Emily had worked with Mel at Collette’s Closet, but she’d quit two years ago to branch out on her own. So far, her business had been a great success, and most of her work was custom wedding and prom dresses. She occasionally made costumes for some of the small theater groups throughout Charleston and the surrounding cities.
Mel wanted to talk to someone about Jax and his proposition, and she would definitely get Abby’s feedback later, but bouncing his proposition off Emily, somebody unbiased, would be a good place to start. Mel knocked on the door of the small house only ten minutes away from South Battery. Emily answered, gave Mel an enormous hug, and welcomed her in. She pushed Jessie’s toys out of the living room as they walked toward the kitchen.
“It’s so good to see you. Where has the summer gone? I don’t think we’ve gotten together, even for coffee, since last spring.”
“I know. Just lately I’ve had Wednesdays off, so I’m usually trying to get dentist appointments, doctor appointments, and everything else that needs to be done during the week out of my way.”
“I totally get that. Sit down and have a cup of coffee with me. Let’s catch up before we get down to business.” Jessie jumped up on Emily’s lap, put his arms around his mother’s neck, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “He’s being shy.” Emily smiled at her son.
“He’s so adorable and growing up way too fast. Jessie looks more like Mike every day.”
Emily laughed. “Yeah, that’s scary. You know how many teenage girls will be banging on the door when he’s fourteen? So, has anyone swept you off your feet yet? Summer is always the best time to find some hot, hunky guy.”
“Funny you asked. I have a problem, and I don’t know what to do about it.”
“Jessie, go in the other room and play with your toys, sweetie. Here, have a cookie.” Emily turned back to Mel. “Okay, what’s going on?”
“The guy that needs these costumes is only twenty-two years old. We just met ten days ago, and he’s very charming but young, at least in my opinion. He’s ambitious, driven to succeed, and horny. He asked me to go to bed with him just this morning. Em, I barely know the guy. I have no idea if this is the way guys his age approach relationships or if he’s just looking for some action. Either way, I politely turned him down. It doesn’t feel the least bit romantic. Maybe I’m just old-fashioned in that department. I’m not interested in a guy to hook up with. If I ever wanted to be serious, get married, and have kids, I’m not confident that someone younger than me is the way to go.”
“Wow… I guess you have to decide where you are and want to be in your life right now. Are you looking for a serious relationship, a guy to just have casual fun with as a friend, or someone for sex with no strings attached?”
“That almost sounds disgusting.” Mel stirred creamer into her coffee and grabbed a cookie. “I think I’d like to try a relationship, but shouldn’t it feel like one before we get naked with each other?”
“Absolutely, if you’re both on the same page, but that might be where the age difference poses a problem. I think it’s easier when you’re both in your thirties and forties, but when you’re nearing thirty, and he’s in his early twenties, your brains and hormones might not be in sync. How many times have you gone out together?”
“The day I met him we hung out, and then again last Saturday. That was it until this morning when I showed him the designs at breakfast.”
“Then you don’t have any real time invested yet. If it feels wrong, nip it in the bud, but if it feels right, go with it. You may have to slow him down to your pace though. That would be a good way to see if he’s really into you or just wants sex. If he’s just looking for sex, he’ll be the one to bail if you don’t put out pretty soon.”
Mel shook her head. “This issue shouldn’t be consuming my time or my thoughts. No wonder I haven’t had a boyfriend in years. They’re a time suck. How long were you and Mike together before you had sex? I know, I’m getting way too personal right now.”
“We’ve been together for eight years, Mel, so it’s hard to remember. I know one thing though. It was at least three months. He met all of my friends and family before I had sex with him. I needed to know how he’d behave around the people that were important to me before I invested too much time in him.”
“That’s a bad sign. I asked him this morning if he wanted to meet everyone at the house, and he declined and went home. Anyway, enough guy talk. Let me show you what type of costumes he needs.”
“What does this guy do for a living?”
Mel laughed and pulled out the drawings. “He’s a magician.”