Melody: A Novel Part 4

"Do you know why?"

Lucas moved back. "How come I get the feeling you're doing a little detective work on my man in there?"

"I was just wondering. A girl has the right to know about her sister's boyfriend, doesn't she?" She swung her purse around. He pulled her close once more.

"You are so beautiful, Melody." Lucas gently pushed her against the door. Melody eagerly awaited the kiss. Keith opened the door before they got the chance to enjoy it. Lucas rubbed Melody's cheek. She nuzzled against him.

Keith stared at them. "Well, I guess Sarah and I aren't the only ones falling prey to pa.s.sion tonight." He dug in his pockets. Just looking at Keith infuriated Melody.

"Well, I guess we'd better go then, huh?" Lucas whispered.

"Are you talking to me?" Keith grinned. "You're looking at her but are you talking to me? Come on, let's go, man. I think we both need to let the ladies have a little rest and relaxation."

Melody didn't know what the h.e.l.l Keith meant by that line, but she'd do her best to ignore him.

Lucas held her. "If you want to do this, we can take it slow, okay?" Melody nodded. "I don't want this to end, okay? I really want us to spend time together like we used to."

"I know." Melody kissed him. The action seemed to surprise Lucas and Keith.

"Thanks again for the lovely evening, Lucas."

"Shh." He held his finger to her lips. "Don't ever thank me for allowing me to spend time with you. Besides, the loveliest thing about this evening was you." He looked back as he stepped off the porch. "Good night, Melody."

"Good night, Lucas."

Keith grinned and followed Lucas to the car.

Melody leaned against the door when she got inside. She couldn't explain the hold Lucas had on her already. She couldn't wait to see him again. She'd find any excuse just to get another sample of the excitement they shared tonight.

Sarah guffawed. "Oh yeah, baby!" she teased.

"Oh yeah, what?" Melody ripped off her shoes.

"You know what!" Sarah laughed. "Now tell me I was right! Tell me you had a wonderful time tonight."

She shrugged. "Okay you were right. Lucas is even more terrific."

"Told you." Sarah headed to the kitchen. "You want a snack? I'm dying for an ice cream float."

"Sarah, we just had a five-course meal and you're still hungry? I'm beginning to wonder." Melody rested on the arm of the couch to rub her feet.

"Wonder what?"

"Well, with the signs I'm seeing...are you pregnant?" Melody laughed.

Sarah popped into the room. "Girl, don't even play like that. If I was pregnant, it was because a pig flew somewhere around here."

Melody laughed. "What should I think? Your clothes are tight. You're eating even more than usual. You're complaining about weight gain. Maybe you should take a test to be..."

"I'm not pregnant!" Sarah guffawed from the kitchen. "Besides, this night was about you and Lucas. Don't try to change the subject."

"Oh Sarah, it was amazing. He kissed me. And it was like a kiss, a kiss you couldn't even invent. I swear my hair almost melted!" Melody fiddled with her hair.

"And he's so gorgeous. He looks even better than he did in school." She kicked her feet playfully. "And another thing that makes him really great!"

"What?" Sarah walked in with an overlapping mug of vanilla ice cream. Root beer slithered from the sides of the gla.s.s.

"He thinks I'm prettier than you." Melody laughed. "Na, na, na, na, na!"

"Like I give two s.h.i.ts what Lucas Lawson thinks." Sarah chuckled. "So, is he a good kisser?"

Melody sighed. "I can't even describe what it did to me. And you know I needed something, seeing how I haven't had s.e.x in what...s.h.i.t, I can't even remember."

Sarah laughed. "I don't know how you do it, girl. I go three days without s.e.x and I'm practically climbing the walls." She slurped some of the float. "I mean, getting d.i.c.k on a regular basis keeps you grounded. You should try it, Mel."

Melody threw a pillow from the couch. "f.u.c.k you." They laughed. "But I tell you, when Lucas kissed me, I felt like getting on my knees right then and there. That's how h.o.r.n.y he made me."

Sarah laughed. "I bet that would have been a sight. You going down on Lucas on the dance floor." She squinted. "Would you go down on him?"

"Sarah, such personal questions." Melody pretended to be offended. She laughed. "Maybe." She slipped off her stockings. "Would you go down on Keith?"

Sarah contemplated the question. "Well, you gotta understand how Keith works. With him, it's not like s.e.x is anything ordinary, you know?" She sat on the edge of the sofa.

"What do you mean?"

"Keith is into a lot of things, s.e.xually. I mean, he's a freak, to say the least."

"Well, you always loved the freaky white boys."

Sarah grinned. "You say that like it's a bad thing. Seriously, Keith brings out something in me I didn't know I had. The s.e.x is incredible, and the things he can do with that tongue..."

"Sarah, please." Melody held her stomach. "That's a little too much information, okay? I just wanted an answer, not a visual."

"I'm sorry if talking about that rapist ruined dinner for you, Mel. You're worried about Aileen, right? I'm sure she'll be okay."

"How can we be so sure, Sarah? I mean, she fits what he looks for and the police haven't come up with squat. I wonder if they're even trying."

"Well, the mayor did put the city on curfew a few weeks ago hoping that helps. Hey, I feel sorry for the women who are raped out of bad luck, but I can't feel sorry for the ones who aren't being careful."

Melody scoffed. "You mean by going off at night or going off to work alone?" Sarah shrugged. "Sarah, a woman has the right to do what she wants. No creep has the right to take that away. Is a woman supposed to stop living her life because this man is terrorizing people?"

"Yes, if they don't want to end up on the evening news as one of his victims. I know you don't agree with this curfew, but it's a guaranteed way to keep women safe."

"No, it's not. Sarah, a lot of the victims were raped at home. How the h.e.l.l is a curfew going to help them? It's not like the man is just picking women out on the street! I mean, you think it's fair that the mayor set rules for the women like it's their fault that this man is raping people? Come on, Sarah."

"Look, it may not be the best solution, but it will keep at least a fraction of women safe. That's better than nothing, Mel." Sarah finished her float. "If a woman expects to stay safe, sometimes she has to play by someone else's rules." She left the room.

Melody sighed. "Spoken like someone who's never been a victim."

Chapter Three.

Melody awoke to Sarah scrounging in her bedroom during the night. Seconds later the hall light popped on. Melody peeked from her room. She straightened the long T-shirt she wore as a gown. "Sarah, are you okay?"

"Ah s.h.i.t!" Sarah yelled down the hall. Melody rushed toward her.

"Sarah, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just stubbed my toe!" She shoved the chair out the way. "How many times I gotta tell you not to leave chairs in the hallway? It's too d.a.m.n narrow as it is."

"I had to change the hall light. It's your d.a.m.n fault since it was your turn to change it, anyway. Why are you up?"

"I heard something downstairs. I thought it was you." Sarah edged to the stairs. They heard a thunderous b.u.mp against the front door. "s.h.i.t, what was that?"

"I don't know." Melody shook. "Sounds like someone's trying to break in or something." Sarah ran downstairs. Melody tipped into the dark living room behind her.

Sarah listened at the door. They heard the sound again. She turned the doork.n.o.b.

"Sarah, what in the h.e.l.l are you doing?" Melody grabbed a book. "Don't open that door! You, idiot we could both end up on the news tomorrow! It could be that rapist."

The doorbell rang.

Sarah glared at her sister. "A rapist who rings the doorbell, Mel?" Melody lowered the book. She still wasn't convinced, and she didn't care how stupid she seemed. They weren't accustomed to late-night visits. These days a woman couldn't be too careful whether she fit a rapist's victim profile or not.

"Sarah, don't open it!"

She laughed. "Just keep the book high and hit him when I let him in."

"You think it's funny, but I'm practically p.i.s.sing here." Sarah opened the door.

Keith waved, drawing attention to his elaborate Cartier watch. Melody would have rather it been the rapist. "f.u.c.k," she whispered. She still wanted to hit him.

"Hey, babe." He stared at Sarah's flimsy nightgown.

"Keith." She brushed her hair down. "What's going on?"

"I'm sorry." He looked at Melody. "I must have scared the s.h.i.t out of you both, huh? Well, you won't believe the luck I'm having tonight. I had this killer migraine so I went to the corner store. Well, when I got home, I couldn't find my house key anywhere."

"Oh no," Sarah sighed.

"Yeah, so I am locked out of my house, and I still got this headache." He rubbed his forehead. "There was no way I was calling a locksmith or something at this hour so..." He looked at Melody. "What's with the book, Mel?" He grinned.

"Melody, put it down." Sarah walled her eyes.

"Maybe I don't want to."

"So your brother wasn't home either, Keith?" Sarah rubbed Keith's forehead.

"You have a brother?" Melody grimaced. She wondered if he liked to spy on naked women too.

"No, he had plans. I tried to call him but my d.a.m.n cell phone isn't working."

Melody crossed her arms. "How convenient." Sarah glared at her. "I recall your phone working this evening at the restaurant."

"Well, it's not working now." Keith smirked. He took Sarah's hand. "Baby, I didn't mean to wake you but I had no choice but to come here."

"Well, it's late. Why don't you stay?" Sarah smiled.

"Uh, Sarah, are you on crack or just crazy?" Melody walked toward them.

"He's staying, Mel." Sarah gritted her teeth. "This is my house, remember?"

"It's my home, too, since I live here! You can't just invite people to stay here, Sarah! Especially a strange guy."

"He's my boyfriend, Melody!" Melody shook her head in disapproval. "Why don't you just grow up, huh?"

"Why don't you get a f.u.c.kin' clue, Sarah? Can't you see he's lying?"

"Shut up! You have no right to say that about Keith! He's having a bad time. Can't you understand that? We have to help him!"

"I don't have to do s.h.i.t when it comes to this...this..."

"Watch your mouth, Melody." Sarah made a fist.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Keith waved his hands. "Ladies, please! Now I didn't mean to cause any problems."

"Ha! The moment you've been involved there have been nothing but problems, Keith."

"You have some sort of score to settle with me, Melody?" He put his hands in his pockets. "I don't see what the h.e.l.l your problem is."

She looked at Sarah. "I don't think you want me to mention it in front of Sarah now do you?"

He walked toward her. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to know."

"Go on, Melody." Sarah smirked. "You got a problem with Keith, then tell him." Melody turned away. "Keith, you can stay here. It's not a problem, believe me."

"I don't want to make Melody uncomfortable."

"Oh bulls.h.i.t! Your existence makes me uncomfortable, Keith!"

"Melody, stop it!" Sarah shoved her. "He is staying tonight and that's the end of it! I'll go get some blankets, Keith. You can sleep on the couch." She left the room.