A couple of days later, Melanie was making a list of the furniture she wanted to look at, when the doorbell rang.
Melanie flung the door open, and was surprised to see Dex leaning against her doorframe negligently.
"Hi, you busy?" He asked looking over her shoulder.
He was dressed in jeans and white shirt and looked very handsome. He didn't dress up a lot from what she'd seen, but preferred a casual way of dressing. She liked that. Brad had been a stiff shirt about wearing suits all the time and never wanting to get his hands dirty. It irritated her. Funny that she should think of Brad at a time like this. The contrast between Brad and Dex was startling though. Bringing herself back to the present, she stepped back a bit and as he came through the doorway, she got a mild whiff of aftershave as Dex straightened up and a slow smile curled his lips.
"Not busy at all, come on in. What's up?" She asked as she followed him into the living room. Strangely she felt more at home with Dex than any man she'd met recently.
Unlike Brad he was clean shaven and didn't have a shadow on his cheek. She liked that too. She used to get such a whisker burn from Brad's kisses. But it was nonsense to compare him to Brad. Dex wouldn't be kissing her.
"Nothing, just thought I'd check on you. Saw you had company the other day so thought I'd wait a bit and come see how you are making out in your new apartment." He took the rocking chair and she grinned. He liked that chair.
"Fine. As you can see, I haven't done much else to it since you were here last except clean and hang a shower curtain. I can't afford drapes just yet, so the windows will stay bare a while."
He frowned for a minute but didn't say anything.
"Your living on a tight budget or something." He asked.
"Pretty much, yeah." She smiled.
The puzzled expression faded from Dex, but Melanie had seen it.
"All in good time. Rome wasn't built in a day. You getting nervous about starting your new job?" He asked.
"No, not nervous, but I'm sure the day of, I will. I haven't allowed myself to even think of work yet. I guess that sounds weird since it is my first real job. But this week was just for me to fix my apartment so it would be livable. When I start, I'll have plenty of time to worry about it. So…" she plopped herself in the old bean bag chair and pulled her knees up so she could wrap her arms around her legs, "what can you tell me about the hospital and the people that work there? Maybe if you can fill me in on a few things, I won't be as nervous" she scrunched down.
He put one leg up on his knee and thought about the question for a moment. "Let's see, I've been there about three years now. I like it, got into a real routine kind of thing, as much as you can in a hospital. I've got a lot of nice people to work with and I enjoy working there. Usually the heads of the departments are stuffy and a bit hard to get along with at first, but everyone else, the regular people are great. I've got one more year of residency and then I'll either get my own practice or work there. I'd rather work there. The hospital is very busy."
"Who do you work with?"
"Dr. Sanders on the fourth floor, he's a heart specialist and I'm learning a lot." Dex smiled. "That will be my special when my time is up. I am hoping to get on as a doctor there too. You know what department you'll be in?" He asked. "Maybe I could give you some pointers about it."
"I ask for Pediatrics, I like working with babies. Back home I volunteered at the local hospital and worked with the Pediatrics department, it was so much fun. I learned a lot and decided then that was where I wanted to work. " She smiled. "I'm hoping that's what I get, but whatever I get will be an experience for me. Just hoping it isn't ER, I've heard nightmares about that."
"Oh yeah, you're right about ER, it can be a nightmare for a beginner. It's hectic and hard for someone to start out in. But Pediatrics is great. You'll probably be working with Julia Myers, she's a head nurse in the nursery. She's good, really good, but she's tough too."
"Really? How so?" She stared at him as he talked.
"Julia's a compulsive when it comes to being clean and routine things. She's got it all mapped out for her girls and if you stray, you pay."
Melanie nodded with a grin. He seemed to know a lot about this Julia, she mused. "That's interesting. I guess the head nurse would have to be pretty strict, I mean think of the mix-ups you've heard of and you don't wonder why."
She glanced down at herself. She didn't look her best today, but he hadn't seemed to mind. She had on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and had been arranging her pantry before sitting down and making out her furniture list. It seemed she never looked her best when Dex came around. "Julia Myers. Is she young, old or what?"
"She's thirty, but a young thirty, she's never been married, never had a kid, but she really loves working in the nursery. She said it makes her feel as though she is a mother. She's often rocking the babies to sleep, if they are cranky and she insists on doing things her way, but once you get used to it, it should come natural to you. If you don't talk too much about your love life around her you'll probably get along fine." Dex smiled. "She doesn't date at all. Rumor has it she's sweet on Dr. Michaels, but he just lost his wife and isn't ready to dive into the dating game. So that isn't progressing any."
"Oh, that's sad." Melanie soaked all the information in for later.
"Sounds like you know her pretty well." Melanie chuckled.
"I've worked with and around her for a while now. I guess you could say that." He smiled.
She chuckled.
"What's so funny?" He asked when he saw her smile.
"I'm afraid I don't have a love life right now. I broke up with my boyfriend when he left town for a new job. So, that won't be a problem keeping quiet." She smiled.
"What about the guy that was here the other day."
Melanie looked serious for a moment, surprisingly he seemed to notice all her visitors. "Oh, Jesse? The one that came with my parents?"
"Yeah, I guess so, tall, didn't smile much."
"Jesse. He's not a boyfriend. At least not anymore. I quit going out with him years ago. We just didn't have enough in common and I moved on to college and he stayed in our hometown to work."
"Oh, so what happened to the romance with him?"
"The usual thing, we were drifting apart, you know, like you do when you both have different interests. It was never a serious relationship, at least on his part" She explained, as she curled her feet under her. "We were best friends, I guess we still are. Would you like a coke or something?"
"Sure, got any?"
"Yeah," she started to get up but he flagged her down.
"Don't get up, you look too comfortable. I can get them." He insisted.
He went in her kitchen and made himself to home. She kind of liked that. He was low maintenance.
He brought her one too, and sat down again.
"So, you are foot loose and fancy free, are you?" He smiled.
"Yeah, it's just as well, new apartment, new job, I don't need a boyfriend right now." She told him as she took a sip.
"Well, what about a friend then?" He asked.
"You offering to be my friend?" She asked with a slight curl to her lips.
"I'm unattached too, why not." He studied her reaction.
"I could use a friend, Dex." She told him. "You know you are easy to talk to, and I'm not at all sure why. I don't know if you noticed but I'm a bit spooked right now."
"Oh, anyone would notice that," He grinned. "So, why's that?" He acted as though he hadn't noticed, but she knew he had. "Something happen?"
"I'm not sure, ever get that hair on the back of your neck to stand up?"
"Oh yeah, a time or two. But, why would you?"
"I'm not at all sure, Dex." The easy way she used his name now astounded even her. "I mean, I can't put my finger on anything definite. It's just a feeling…"
"What kind of feeling?" He frowned a bit.
"Like someone's watching me. I'm probably imagining things, but every now and then, I feel a chill, and I have to go looking in my closet to make sure the boogie man isn't there."
The way she used his shortened name had him smiling.
"Do you ever get that feeling that someone is watching you?" She asked him.
"Watching huh? Uh…no I haven't but you obviously have." He smiled. "Well, don't worry about it, unless you catch someone. I mean, you're a pretty girl. I'm sure some do watch you."
She looked at him and shook her head, "It's not that kind of watching."
He sat up straight and stared into her brown eyes.
She shook her head. "I can't explain it. I felt it the night I moved in, but I've got an idea it has nothing to do with this place, only that I live here. I can't really give you a reason for it. But I get the creeps every now and then and don't know why. Every little sound makes me kind of jump. To begin with, the dorm was rather loud and people were all around. But here, I can hear every little sound, and there's no noise."
"Wow! You make someone mad lately?" He asked seeing the serious expression on her face.
"Not that I know of, no."
"Are you ticked off at someone?"
"No. It's probably nothing. It's just I've had the willies since I left the dorm." She explained. "There's an older man that works at the college, he's a maintenance man, and he leers at me. He did it for four years. Maybe that's when it started. He's married and I don't know why he stares so, I've never given him any encouragement. I wouldn't want him anyway. He's older and married to boot."
He studied the floor. "Some people can give you the creeps, it's just the way they are. Maybe it's just being new to all of this."
"Maybe. But, I'm probably just a bit paranoid."
"Well hey, if you need me, I'm down the hall and just give me a jingle I'll be here in a flash."
"Thanks, that's sweet of you. Now, tell me about you. The other day when we first met you were meeting someone, a girlfriend maybe?" She asked curiously.
"Darlene, that was my sister. We're good buddies. We help each other out a lot."
"Where does she live?"
"With my parents but she wants to move out and get a place of her own. She has a boyfriend and they have no privacy. She also works at a department store downtown and wants to move that way so she doesn't have to drive so far. Problem is Mom and Dad want to keep an eye on her too much and she's having a time trying to convince them she can make it on her own. She doesn't make that much money, but I think she could manage, I'm sure her boyfriend would help her out. He's crazy about her. I think they'll be getting married before too long." Dex explained.
"How old is she?"
"That's the problem, she's only nineteen. Mom thinks if she moves out, she's liable to marry Charlie. Which she'll probably do anyway."
"Do you like this Charlie?" Melanie asked.
"He's a good guy. But, he doesn't make that much money. You know how mothers are, they want you to marry a doctor or lawyer." Dex chuckled.
"And do you run interference for her?" Melanie asked with a slight snicker.
"Absolutely. Someone has to. She's known Charlie half her life, and she's crazy about him. I'd rather see her get married than get pregnant or something without the benefit of marriage. Besides, they are good for each other. Darlene has a bad temper and Charlie knows how to diffuse her. Charlie spends too much money on things he wants, not needs. Darlene curbs that urge. They complement each other." Dex went into detail telling her about his overbearing mother and his stoic father. Melanie relaxed and enjoyed his company. She seldom met a man that would share so much details about his family and life.
"How come you don't live at home?"
"Not me, I moved out as soon as I got out of high school, I got a job and never looked back." He smiled.
"You know," she crooked her head and smiled at him, "I wouldn't have taken you for a romantic." She blurted then blushed. "I'm sorry, I haven't known you long enough to judge that, have I?"
"That's interesting. I feel like I've known you all my life. You're so easy to talk to. And yeah, I am a bit of a romantic. Say, I didn't ask, but am I keeping you from anything?"
"Nope," She stretched and leaned back a little to get comfortable. "It's Friday and I'm relaxing as much as I can until I go to work on Monday." She told him. "It's like taking a mini vacation from all the headaches."
"Good, say, while I'm thinking about it. Want to go with me to a Chinese Restaurant tonight?"
Melanie smiled at him, he was obviously a fast worker. "Sounds great, I won't have to cook or dirty up my kitchen."
"And my company is to be treasured." He chuckled.
"Then how can I refuse." She laughed, but their eyes met as she said it.
"I like you Melanie, you don't seem to be a game player. Your direct and honest. Kind of refreshing these days." He rocked a bit on his heels.
"You like my chair?"
"Very much. I love rockers myself. So, you plan on buying any more furniture?"
"Not right away. Gotta save up for that. I'm sure it will be a while until I get a check and I don't want to overspend."
Again, his expression changed as though he was rolling that statement around in his head.
"You stretched for money?" He queried.
"No," she answered quickly. "But I've been taught to manage my money wisely and I try to at all times. After all, I'm singled and I have to take care of myself. I'm sure my folks would help me out, if I needed it, but I don't want to need it."
"Ouch, you are on a tight budget. Independent."
"Very much so." She smiled.
"Oh, while I'm thinking about it, I should tell you, that if you want extra time, at work, I'm sure you can get it. Like all big hospitals, they are under staffed, so overtime is a given. But unfortunately, they might stick you in ER, so be prepared."
"Really, that would be great for a while at least. Get me on my feet and able to do something nice here. And I suppose ER is where to learn most everything. At least that's what I was told in nursing school. They said it gives you an education, fast."
"That's true." He finished his coke and looked at her, "Well, I'll let you get back to your rat killing. See you about sixish?" He asked.
"Sounds great. Not a dress up place, is it?"
"No, come as you are." He smiled. But he did pause at the door and look at her as she got up and followed him. "I guess if we move up to actually dating, I could spring for a more expensive and exotic place to eat though." He winked at her and left.
She tossed him a flirty smile. She liked him. As much as he found her open and honest she felt the same about him. He didn't put on airs, or pretend to not be interested. She liked that. Maybe he wouldn't play cat and mouse with her like Brad had. Still, she wasn't one to latch on to a guy quickly. She liked to get to know them first.
Since her breakup with Brad, she had done some serious thinking. But there was more to her breaking up with Brad than she wanted to admit. She flopped back on the bean bag and ran her fingers through her hair. She hadn't wanted to think about Brad anymore, but it was time to re-evaluate her feelings and what had happened between them. She hadn't told anyone about her and Brad yet. Brad had become overbearing with her before they broke up and quite demanding. She didn't like pushy men. Funny it took her nearly four years to get to know Brad at all, and then when she did, she realized she didn't care for his attitude.
That's one of the things she liked most about Dex, he was laid back and relaxed, and interested if she was reading him right. That might be okay too. But she wanted to get to know him better. One thing about him, he worked at the hospital too, so they'd have a lot in common. She liked that.
Unlike most the men she had any dealings with, Dex didn't give off any strange vibes. He wasn't moody or quick tempered it seemed. Although he seemed curious about her money situation. His expression changed every time she told him she was on a budget. Perhaps he was freer with his own money than her. That made sense.
Funny, but the only man she ever trusted aside from her father was Jesse. But Jesse acted strange with her the last time he was up. He'd matured nicely and filled out even better. But he'd been very quiet. She didn't realize how much she missed Jesse until she saw him again, and then to be treated almost coldly stunned her.
Maybe there was something wrong with her. After all, Brad had no trouble calling it quits with her. Her next relationship would be different, she vowed. She'd get to know him well, before she decided if she was serious about him. No jumping right in there. No parading around.