If you’ve missed any of Melody’s previous posts, click here for part 1, here for part 2, and here for part 3!
“Melody! There you are.”
Mel froze with her hand on her doorknob. “Mrs. MacCallister. You were looking for me?”
“No. Actually I was looking for Marco but I swear that boy is hiding from me.”
Mel laughed. “He might be. After all, you let Violeta in.”
“What?”
“You do know how Violeta treats Marco. He’s probably worried that you are looking for him to tell him that she’s back.”
Mrs. MacCallister pursed her lips. “Indeed?”
Mel swallowed a gulp. “He hasn’t told you?”
“Told me what, specifically?” Her smile seemed patient but Mel suddenly had an itch to be anywhere else.
“Did you want help finding him? Dinner with Valencia is tonight, right? Maybe he’s in his closet trying to figure out what to wear to impress her.”
“Mel, you would tell me if there was something I needed to know, right?”
“Like what?” Mel shrank, instantly recalling how Marco had been acting toward her lately. Would she want to know that her son was trying to convince Mel that he really liked her, in order to save himself from any other girls his parents were planning on foisting on him?
“Anything.” Mrs MacCallister shrugged. “I know that you and Marco no longer get along but I hope you still consider me someone that you can talk to.”
Mel immediately nodded.
“Oh, my dear.” Mrs MacCallister gave her a hug. “You don’t have to help me find Marco. Go ahead and do whatever it was you were on your way to do.”
Mel nodded again and silently went into her room. She didn’t close the door as she watched Mrs MacCallister walk away.
She did, however, slam it shut in surprise when Marco’s voice came from further inside her room. “Is she gone?”
“Marco?” She whisper-screeched. “What are you doing in my room?”
His chuckle echoed through her. “Would you believe me if I said I was waiting for my fair maiden to return in order to steal a kiss?”
“Ha.” Mel flicked on the light and looked around for him. He wasn’t visible. “We are not playing hide and seek.”
He emerged from her closet, holding up one of her dresses. “What were you talking to my mom about?”
“You.”
“Really?” His eyebrows shot up. “You talk about me with my mom?”
Mel crossed her arms, eyeing the dress he was waving around. “Not usually. She’s looking for you.”
Marco barked a laugh. “That’s why I was in your closet.”
“Because my room is the last place she would think to look?”
He nodded, smiling.
“Probably because she assumed you were too much of a gentleman to be in a young woman’s room.”
“What are you wearing tonight?” He asked, ignoring the jibe. “This dress?”
Mel shrugged, wandering over to her bed and flopping onto it. “What does it matter? It’s not like there will be anyone there for me to impress.”
“You don’t want to impress me?” Marco shot her an exaggerated pout.
She didn’t move. “If I was going to ever impress you, it would have happened already. You know me too well to be impressed by me because of a dress, even that one.”
Marco dropped onto the bed next to her, hands behind his head. “I didn’t know you could dance.”
Mel looked over at him. “And now you’re impressed?” She scoffed. “Yeah right. And before you even think to ask, no I will not dance for you. I know how that brain of yours works.”
He propped himself up on his elbow and smiled down at her. “Though I wouldn’t mind my own private performance, I wasn’t going to ask. You’ve always impressed me, El. I just never let you see it.”
Mel blinked, speechless. It took several seconds to find her words. “Why do you randomly call me El sometimes?”
It was his turn to stop and blink before smiling slyly. “You haven’t figured it out?”
“What?”
“You don’t remember?” His smile deepened further. “Sitting in the treehouse down by the lake? We were 8, maybe.”
“No.” Mel wracked her brain, trying to remember.
Marco sat up. “When you do, let me know. See you at dinner.” He reached the door and paused. Looking back, he winked. “Don’t forget, you’re sitting next to me.”
Mel rolled her eyes. “She’s just going to sit on your other side, genius.”
Shaking his head, he left the room.
Mel lay there on the bed, searching her memories for that one time in the treehouse. It didn’t help that they had practically lived at that treehouse that summer. Turning memory after memory over in her head she began to smile, remembering all the fun they used to have. Shaking herself free of the past, Mel glanced down at the dress Marco had left on the bed. Her brow furrowed as she tried to remember ever seeing it before, and she couldn’t. In fact, of all the dresses she had, she knew this wasn’t one of them.
Glancing back at the door, her eyes narrowed. Shrugging off her suspicions she tried the dress on, pleased to see that it fit and actually looked really good on her. On impulse she decided to wear it, even if Marco had been the one to suggest it. He couldn’t possibly have bought her a dress. Maybe Mrs. MacCallister had snuck it in her closet as a surprise.
However, when she walked into the formal dining room she immediately knew who had snuck the dress in, and it wasn’t Mrs. MacCallister. Marco’s eyes gleamed with pleasure as he drank her in. She was practically a puddle in her gorgeous high heeled stilettos by the time she made it over to the table.
“Oh Melody!” Mrs MacCallister exclaimed. “What a beautiful dress! You look so grown up, dear.”
“Thank you.” Mel smiled at her and moved to take her seat.
Mr MacCallister rose. “Now, Valencia Drent and her parents will be arriving any minute. Marco, you will be nice and be on your best manners.”
“Dad.” Marco protested, even as he stood to pull out Mel’s chair. His hand slid down her arm as she sat.
“Ah, see.” Mrs MacCallister chimed in. “Be sure to get Valencia’s chair as well. What a wonderful idea. I didn’t realize you had been listening when I made all those suggestions the other day. Did you perhaps get a gift for her as well?”
Mel’s eyes jumped to Marco’s at the question, glancing down at her dress. He held her gaze as he answered, “No, Mom. I didn’t get Valencia a gift.”
Mel blushed and hastily looked away, but not before she saw him smile. And that stupid smirking confident smile of his instantly set her heart and cheeks aflame.
