She sat at the computer during her lunch break and brought up Delta’s website. John had texted Mel his itinerary earlier, and she wanted to check for availability on his flight. She typed in SAV to STT. She found John’s flight was leaving Saturday morning. Humph, it connects in Atlanta… whatever. Yes, there are still seats available. Yay! I guess nobody goes to the Caribbean on vacation during hurricane season. That’s okay. John will protect me against any storm. He already said so. Mel quietly chuckled, reminiscing about last night. “Man is he hot!”
“Who is?”
“Jill!” Mel jumped, not knowing anyone was standing behind her. “Crap, I didn’t realize I said that out loud. The guy I’m going to St. Thomas with, that’s who. Actually, he lives there, so who knows how this will play out. I’m going for fun and relaxation. Everything else is unplanned. Anyway, I have to pay attention and book this ticket without screwing up. I’ll talk to you after lunch.”
“Okeydokey, but just so you know, I’m jealous.”
Mel smiled, then went back to focusing on the ticket she was about to purchase. She chose a return flight, too, and clicked on the seat selection diagram. Crap! I have no idea where John is sitting. I guess I’ll just have to beg and plead with someone to switch seats, at least on the last leg of the flight. She picked a seat for each flight, confirmed one checked piece of luggage, and then typed her credit card number into the box. Okay, here goes. She hit the blue purchase ticket button and waited. The next screen popped up, giving her a confirmation number and the ability to print the itinerary and receipt. She did both. Woo-hoo, I did it. I’m actually going to St. Thomas with John. I’ll see Magens Bay and Abby’s house up close and personal. It’s like living in Abby’s shoes for a few weeks. I’ll tour the entire island with John and shop in Charlotte Amalie. We’ll go snorkeling, and maybe I’ll even get a damn tan. No fake tanning beds for me. A flash of Dr. Dan entered her mind when she thought about tans. Oh yeah, Lucy has an appointment with Dr. Gorgeous on Wednesday. I’ll make sure to look beautiful that day. I have to keep all my options open. Mel pulled the copies out of the copier and tucked them safely into her purse. She had just enough time to eat the turkey and cheese sandwich Betsy had made that morning before she had to get back to work. “Bless her heart. Betsy is the most considerate woman ever.”
***
Mel had to check the appointment card for Lucy’s scheduled time Wednesday morning. Her mind was rattled with delicious thoughts of Dr. Dan on the day Lucy had her wellness exam. She couldn’t remember much of anything after meeting him. Oh, okay, her appointment is for eleven o’clock, just like last time. I bet he takes a lunch break at noon. Maybe that’s why he had time to show me pictures of his dogs without seeming rushed. Crap! I have to scoop up Lucy’s crap and take it with me. How disgusting. “Come on, Lucy. We need to go for a walk.” Mel jammed a plastic bag in her pocket, clipped Lucy’s leash to her collar, and took off out the door. She looked both ways before stepping off the curb and running across the street to the park. “Okay, babe, do your thing, and hurry up. You don’t have time to sniff dog butts this morning. We have somewhere to be, and I still need to get ready.” Mel circled the park twice before Lucy got busy. “It’s about damn time.” She scooped up the poop, tied the bag tightly, and sneered at the pup. “I can’t believe I’m taking this crap with me like it’s some kind of gift. How utterly gross.”
Lucy looked up at Mel and wagged her tail.
“Yeah, if you weren’t so precious, I’d probably puke right now. What am I supposed to do, put this shit in my purse? Come on. Let’s go home.”
She threw the bag on the veranda and went inside. She had just enough time to make a cup of coffee to take upstairs, then shower and dress to impress. She had a hot veterinarian awaiting her arrival.
“I’ll be back for lunch, Betsy. Lucy and I have a doctor’s appointment. See ya.”
The wrought-iron gate slammed shut behind Mel as she and Lucy headed for her car. In ten minutes, she would be staring into the face of the most handsome, tanned vet she had ever met. Hmmm… I wonder if all vets are gorgeous. Dr. Dan is the only one I know. After they arrived at the vet, Mel said, “Let’s go, Lucy. We’re here.”
The dog jumped out of the car and walked toward the front door. Mel remembered how just a week earlier, she’d had to carry Lucy inside. “Wow, you’re really making progress, babe. Dr. DoMePlease is going to be impressed.”
She checked in at the counter and asked what she was supposed to do with the poop.
“You can give that to the doctor when you see him,” the receptionist whispered. “For now, you and Lucy can take a seat. I’ll call you when it’s your turn.”
“Okay, thanks.” Mel found a chair facing the TV and got comfortable. Oh, cool, it’s turned to my favorite soap. With her focus on the television show, Mel didn’t notice the two other dogs who sat beside Lucy, pawing and sniffing at her purse.
“Ollie and Bucky, get back over here. Ma’am, excuse me. Do you have treats in your purse? My dogs are going nuts.”
“What? Treats? No, I don’t have any treats in my purse. Oh, crap! Sorry, I have… never mind, I’ll hold my purse. Can you get them off me, please?”
“Melanie and Lucy, come this way,” the receptionist called out.
“Come on, Lucy. Let’s go.”
“The doctor will be with you in just a minute.” The receptionist closed the door behind her, and Mel hung her purse on the back of the chair. “Stop sniffing my purse. Geez, Lucy, will you get a grip!”
The door opened, and the god of all vets walked in with his assistant.
Damn it, why is she with him? I wanted Dr. Feel-good all to myself.
“Hello, Melanie. How are you and Lucy doing?”
“We’re fine, and how are you, Dotty, and Dixie?”
He laughed and raised his right eyebrow. “Wow, I’m impressed. You actually remembered my dogs’ names.”
“They were hard to forget as beautiful as they are.” And you, I must admit, are pretty damn good looking, too. “I had no idea that curs originated as mongrels. I’ve heard there’s quite a few on the islands in the Caribbean.”
“Yeah, it’s unfortunate there’s so many strays. Poor people can’t afford to feed them, let alone have them spayed or neutered. It sounds like you’ve done a little research.”
“A friend of mine from Florida bought a female cur last winter. I’ve never seen a picture of her, so I had no idea they were such pretty dogs.”
“Mel, do you plan to have Lucy spayed?”
The assistant lifted Lucy onto the exam table and checked her heartbeat.
“Yes, definitely, but when is a good age?”
“Anytime from now until she’s a year old would be best. Did you bring the stool sample with you?”
“Yes, and I’m glad to get rid of it,” Mel groaned. “The dogs in the waiting room were very interested in my purse… gross.” She pulled the knotted bag out of her purse and handed it to the assistant.
“Go ahead and test this quickly while Melanie is still here.”
“Yes, Doctor. I’ll be right back with the results.”
“Her blood work came back fine. We’ll just start with the regular puppy round of vaccinations. The stool sample will tell us if she has any worms. That should only take a few minutes. All in all, Lucy looks really good. You must be feeding her well. Is she getting plenty of exercise?”
“Well, I work every day, but I take her for a walk in the morning and in the evening.”
“Bring her to the park on James Island or Folly Beach sometime. I bet she would actually enjoy running and swimming. Who knows, maybe we’ll see each other out and about.”
I could only wish. “Absolutely. I’ll do that really soon.”
“Okay, let’s get her up on the scale and see what we have. Last week she weighed in at three pounds. Now she’s almost four pounds. A healthy weight for a full-grown female is between six and eight pounds. She has some slow and steady growing to do over the next six months, but I think she’s right on target to develop normally.”
The door creaked open, and the assistant peeked in. “Excuse me. I don’t want to bump anyone when I enter. Good news. The stool sample is negative for any type of worm.”
“Yay. Did you hear that, Lucy? You don’t have worms,” Mel said, laughing.
Dr. Dan joined her with a chuckle of his own. “Okay then, I’m going to release you two on good behavior for now. Set up an appointment for next month. Lucy will need her nails trimmed and her first round of vaccines. See you soon. Don’t forget, she needs to run and play. Walks are okay, but Lucy needs vigorous exercise now and then, too.”
“Okay, thanks. Goodbye.”
***
Later that evening after dinner, Mel started packing. Two more workdays remained before she and John would fly off to the beautiful island of St. Thomas. Who’s more gorgeous? Who’s sweeter? What are the pros and cons of each?
Mel couldn’t stop comparing John to Dan. The Google search she had conducted last week on Dan mentioned only that he lived in Charleston and had had a thriving veterinary practice for the past eight years. His personal information stated that he loved to run, kayak, hike, shop, go antiquing, and explore new areas, and he had two dogs, Dotty and Dixie. Mel was certain that if he did have a wife, she would be fuming that her name wasn’t mentioned.
I haven’t talked to Dan about anything other than dogs, worms, and stool samples. So for now, John wins by default. The only con I can see with him is that we won’t see much of each other. How could either of us expect the other to give up their life? Whatever… I’m not going to worry about anything yet. This, by far, is going to be my best vacation ever!
A knock sounded on her bedroom door. Mel slipped her bathrobe over the bikini she had just tried on. She had several that she hadn’t worn in two years, so she was unsure about them. She needed to see if her figure was holding up before packing either—or both—of them.
“Who’s there?” she asked as she cinched the belt on her robe.
“It’s Ellie. Can I come in?”
“Sure thing, sister, what’s up?”
Ellie stepped over the threshold and smiled at Mel. “Whatcha doing?”
“I’m starting to pack. That way, I’ll have time to do some last-minute shopping if I have to. Can I have your opinion?”
“Sure, on what?” Ellie sat down at the table. She couldn’t help looking out the window. Even the nighttime views were wonderful, especially from the third floor.
Mel opened her robe and twirled a few times. “Be honest with me. Will this pass or not? Is my ass beginning to flatten with old age, or is it still perky? And what about my waistline? Is my stomach smooth and svelte or lumpy and bloated?”
“Are you on something? You look hot and sexy. For God’s sake, Mel, you’re twenty-eight, not seventy-eight. We’re the same age, and I’m still sexy… I think so anyway. Don would tell me if I looked like crap… I hope. Anyway, back to you, you’re beautiful. I don’t see cellulite anywhere on your body. You’re good to go, girl.”
“Cool, thanks. So what did you want to talk about?” Mel stepped into her closet to change out of the bikini and back into her cutoff denim shorts and a T-shirt.
“Well, Don and I confirmed the hall for the twenty-fourth of October. That means our wedding is absolutely going forward on that day. The Angel Oak Park is reserved for the real ceremony, and a pretend one will be at St. John’s Chapel on Calhoun Street to satisfy everyone that can’t come to the park. It sucks that only twenty-five people can attend the Angel Oak ceremony, but I really do understand the logic of those in charge of the park. I guess they need to limit the guests to make sure the park stays beautiful and clean. Anyway, I know I’m blabbering too much, and you have a million things to do, but I want to confirm that you’ll be one of my bridesmaids. You will, won’t you?”
“Of course I will.” Mel set down the tank top she was folding and hugged Ellie. “I love you, El, and I’m really flattered that you want me in your wedding. I’d be honored. Who am I standing up with?”
“I haven’t thought that far ahead. Don just got the confirmation for the hall today. Since I don’t have many friends in town yet, I want everyone from the house to be in the wedding. It’s going to be my dream come true. This will be the best wedding I’ve ever had, considering the first one was without a groom. Okay, thanks. I’ll let you get back at it. After you return from St. Thomas, we’ll go dress shopping.”
The door closed behind Ellie, and Mel continued to pack, checking outfits off her list as they went into the suitcase. I wonder if I’ll ever get married. I guess I’ve never given it much thought. Abby and Erik seem super happy. Even after all the crap she had to deal with because of Remy, she still got married again. She is definitely living her dream.
Mel’s cell phone rang just as she crossed the last piece of clothing off her ‘to pack’ list. “Hello, Abs. Why are you calling me?”
“Because walking up three flights to your bedroom is way too much work. Calling you seemed a lot smarter. Anyway, get down here. We’re on the patio having pecan pie and vanilla ice cream. John just got here, too, so hurry up.”
“Okay, see you in a minute.” Awesome, John is here. Mel ran the brush through her hair and rinsed with mouthwash. She powdered her face to get rid of the summer shine from humidity and applied a fresh coat of lip gloss. Good enough. She did a final check in the mirror, turned off the light, and ran downstairs.