Chapter 1
Melody
The wind was blowing through my hair. I had the top down on my black 65 Mustang. My two best friends were in the backseat bickering as usual. They never could get along.
This was our last chance to blow off some steam before tackling the real world after college. The road trip was my idea. They were reluctant and never were much for stepping outside of their comfort zone.
“I don’t know why I put up with the two of you. We are going our separate ways and who knows when we are going to see each other again. We’ve been on the road for 12-hours. We have no destination and the adventure is only beginning. Can’t you feel it in the air? The universe is telling us big things are in our future.” I used one hand to grab the length of my blonde hair and I twisted it into a knot to keep it from blowing in my face.
September was known for its Indian summers. We had taken the summer to prioritize and get ready for the next phase of our lives. The colors changing on the trees were mesmerizing. The nip in the air at night was a respite from the stifling humidity during the day.
I had a job waiting for me in Washington clerking for one of the chief justices. It was an amazing opportunity and I wasn’t going to let it slip through my fingers.
“Melody, that’s easy for you to say when you have had your whole life mapped out for you from the moment that you were old enough to know any better. My plans are to join the military and to find some structure and discipline. I’ve never been the girl that wears dresses.” Angel had short white hair out of the bottle and the most hypnotic green eyes I had ever seen.
“Don’t listen to her. She’s just jealous that we know what we are doing with the rest of our lives. My next stop is Paris during fashion week under the tutelage of a famous designer. He was impressed by my designs and wants me to oversee his entire collection.” Ginger was a redhead with the temperament of Jobe.
We had met in high school and became fast friends doing everything together including losing our virginity on prom night. Their experience was more rewarding than the awkward and clumsy hands of my date.
The towns had come and went. We had stopped to record certain moments for posterity. My best friends had touched me deeply with their gift of a brand-new leather briefcase. I was ready to jump into the deep end of the political landscape of Washington. This road trip was to solidify our bond.
“We wanted to stay together for the rest of our lives, but it looks like destiny has other plans for us. This is my chance to tell you how much you both mean to me. You’ve been there through the good times and the bad times. I couldn’t ask for two better friends. We’ve never been shy to tell each other how we feel about our decisions. I may not agree with a military future, but I will always stand by you both with the necessary support to hold you up.” I was the party animal and it was kind of ironic considering my first time was a dismal disappointment.
“We came with you for one last game-changing moment in our lives. By this time next month, I will be neck deep in the obstacle course during basic training. Truth be told, I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on some of their guns. I was born to shoot from the moment I was old enough to go hunting with my father.” Angel was quite proficient in using a weapon and used her newfound skills to intimidate a girl that was bullying me.
One shot over her head had put the fear of god into her. She never did raise a hand or say a disparaging word about me again. I was one of the lucky ones to escape the purgatory of high school unscathed. I had my friends to thank for that. We had our strengths and weaknesses and knew how to use that to our advantage.
“I remember those times we substituted for each other.” I was the intellectual of the three of us and I helped them navigate the choppy waters of whatever class that was making them tear their hair out.
They somehow convinced me to take tests in their place. A well-placed wig and some makeup fooled the teachers. We still had a good laugh about that.
Ginger was a consummate flirt and drew the boys into her gravity with one look. Angel was tough and carried the big stick of her attitude into any fight. The one thing we had in common was our dysfunctional families of broken homes and no siblings. We became the sisters we never had. I could choose my friends, but I couldn’t choose my family.
They were more than my family. The bond we shared went beyond the quarterback trying to break apart our close-knit friendship. No boy was going to separate us when we were stronger together than apart.
“It’s past lunchtime. Melody, I saw a sign a few miles back indicating there was a diner boasting one of the best hamburgers in the county. I know you’re watching your figure, but I can eat anything I want without gaining an ounce.” Ginger had taught the two of us how to eat healthy without losing the indulgence of sweets in our lives.
It was all about moderation and finding those super foods to burn off those excess calories. Exercise had become a strict regiment. That was courtesy of Angel and her desire to stay in tiptop shape. She was a tomboy, but her figure was hard to ignore when she was busting out of her tight fitting clothing.
“There’s no reason to remind us. We have the tools going ahead to keep living a healthy lifestyle. We all have the book you had self-published. The recipes are easy to make for anybody that has a modicum of sense when it comes to what they’re doing in the kitchen.” We were all basically the same height, but our weight did fluctuate from time to time during the holidays.
“Ginger gave us a gift we can never repay. I had weight issues all of my life until she taught me how to use the foods in the right way. It was liberating to enjoy meals without worrying that I was going to wake up like the Michelin man. I look back at the photographs before high school and I don’t recognize myself. I have loads more confidence, but I have never been able to take the initiative when it comes to approaching a man.” This trip would allow me to reinvent myself.
I could be an entirely different person without being judged for it.
“I couldn’t help myself. I wanted everybody to be healthy and looking their best. I may not follow my own advice from time to time, but I don’t remain off the wagon for very long. Physically, I don’t worry about gaining weight, but the toxins I put in my body is something that does worry me.” Ginger had seen her mother decline in health from obesity and diabetes.
She did not follow in her footsteps and was blessed with a very fast metabolism.
The diner was up ahead and it promised to have an eclectic mix of people. I was always fascinated by every walk of life. I could live vicariously through their words. Stories were meant to be told and appreciated by the audience. I wanted to know the path people took to get to where they were today. It was a guilty obsession and drove my friends crazy every time that I befriended a stranger.
There was a parking spot right in front of the door. The light was blinking with the letter E blacked out. It had this quaint old-fashioned feel of stepping back in time to the sixties. The poodle skirts of the waitresses made me smile. There were old-fashioned miniature jukeboxes on the tables. It might have been a greasy spoon, but the atmosphere was a blast from the past.
I stopped dead in my tracks. At the table in the back, there was a delicious piece of eye candy. His dark locks fell over his eyes, but I could see his chiseled body through his denim shirt. I was witnessing my wet dream come true. He would’ve made any woman of discriminating taste pant after him like a starving dog.
My tight black leather skirt and red panties were sticking to my skin. I was pulling at my sun-bleached halter top to relieve me of the heat he was generating from being in close proximity. The first couple of buttons were undone and I could see his well-defined pectorals. This guy would’ve been hard-pressed not to have his dance card full on the weekends. There would’ve been no shortage of women vying for his attention.
He was eating what looked like meatloaf and had liberally poured enough ketchup to drown it. There was a cool and refreshing beer within reaching distance of his hand.
“Are you through daydreaming about sex? I don’t blame you. He would make a wonderful distraction for a few hours. I could seriously leave a few marks on his body that wouldn’t fade for quite some time.” Ginger was a heat-seeking missile and could easily pinpoint an available looking stud from across the room.
“I’m calling dibs on this one. I know that’s a little out of character, but I feel empowered to throw caution to the wind. He doesn’t know me. I can cast aside the shy girl looking for acceptance. Do you think that he has in his possession something worthy of contention? The rest of him is a delicious appetizer before the main course.” We sat at a booth and I was situated in a way that I could watch him without being too obvious.
“I’m glad you said something. I could be convinced to be your wingman on this one occasion. I’ve always been about making my friends happy. He has the earmarks of someone that could easily put a smile on your face that you wouldn’t be able to wipe off for days. He’s got my motor running and I’m not the only one. Look around and you’ll see others have the same idea that you do.” I was too distracted by his masculine beauty to notice the leering glances of interest from those females including the waitresses.
“I have this plan of accidentally bumping into him. I could be more brazen and flash him by pulling down my halter top.” I wanted to, but my mind was telling me that it wasn’t a good idea to make that kind of introduction.
“I double dare you. I would love to see you take a chance. You wear your heart on your sleeve. You’ll always get into trouble falling in love too quickly. This can be one of those passing ships in the night. You don’t have to have any expectations. Be the lion and not the prey.” I took a deep breath and put both hands on the top of my halter.
“He’s not going to notice. I can’t believe I’m doing something so wildly unexpected.” I pulled it down not expecting Ginger to play a major role in getting him to blink something more pleasant into focus.
It was a classless and impulsive thing to do.
A loud whistle from Ginger made him look up from his plate in time to see my bold move. His eyes were not looking above my neck. The telltale sign of his arousal came when he licked his lips and smiled. His attention made my nipples become hard enough to cut through glass.
My chest was flushed with embarrassment along with my cheeks. He was fully engrossed with the rest of the diner unaware of what he was looking at. I wasn’t prepared for him to shuffle out of his seat with his jeans showing the outline of what he was sporting.