Chapter 65 Melody #2
They spent a couple of hours working their way through the museum.
Melody had never been, so she found herself drawn to both the permanent and temporary collections.
Every artist had their own unique flair, but the displays were bold and thought-provoking overall.
It was a cultural immersion that she enjoyed very much.
She had a great time both observing the art and hearing Nolan’s take on it. Who would have thought he had such an eye for artistry?
“Are you still up for some Mexican food to cap off our evening?” Nolan asked as they were putting their coats on and preparing to venture back outdoors.
Melody couldn’t stop a laugh from escaping her. “Definitely,” she assured. “After all of the food art featured in that last exhibit, I’m feeling kind of ravenous.”
Nolan grinned in shared good humor. “How are tacos for you? I was doing some research earlier and there’s a well-rated taco place not too far from here.”
“That sounds great,” Melody consented. Guacamole was calling her name.
With a little help from their cellphone maps, they found the restaurant without too much trouble. To say it wasn’t what they were expecting was putting it mildly.
“Are you still up for this?” Nolan asked as they made their final approach.
Melody understood why he was asking. The restaurant looked like a hole in the wall. And yet, the aromas escaping through the front door were just short of heavenly.
“I’m game if you are,” Melody replied. “I mean, if worse comes to worst, we’re both medical professionals with up-to-date CPR training, right?” She was mostly joking, but not fully since the place really did look a little dilapidated.
Nolan rubbed the back of his hand against his forehead and chuckled lightly before reaching out to pull open the front door.
“There is that,” he affirmed as he held the door for her.
“I mean, I wouldn’t say no to a little mouth-to-mouth, but I’d rather it not be because I needed to be resuscitated. ”
Melody smiled but rolled her eyes when Nolan angled his head over his shoulder to wink at her.
Things didn’t improve once they stepped through the front door into the restaurant proper.
Nothing matched, the wallpaper was peeling, and the tables were all scratched up.
To call the place shabby chic would be a great compliment.
And yet, nearly all the tables were filled with seemingly happy patrons—none of whom were displaying overt signs of food poisoning.
A hostess arrived quickly and led them to one of the few empty tables. “I’ll give you a few minutes,” she said before pouring them each a glass of water and leaving two simple laminated menus on the table.
Melody perused the offerings, quickly deciding on a traditional beef steak taco with a soft blue corn shell. And an extra side of guacamole. She looked around the restaurant as she waited for Nolan to make his selection.
Her attention caught on a small television screen behind the bar. From her angle, she had an almost unobstructed view of it. And wouldn’t you guess, it was tuned to the Challengers game.
Nolan must have followed her gaze because he whistled when the game coverage showed Ben carrying the puck up the ice, deking around the opposition, and making a flawless straight-line pass to Kyle Knight, who didn’t waste a second before snapping the puck into the net.
“I have to give the man credit,” Nolan commented, confirming her suspicion. “He’s a great hockey player. The way he dealt with the pregnancy scandal was also very classy.”
Melody turned her head to look at Nolan. “Did you watch the press conference he gave?” she asked curiously.
“Yeah, I looked it up after you told me about it,” he revealed. “I couldn’t help but want to see it all for myself.”
Melody nodded in understanding. She could appreciate that.
“Especially after that picture of you and me found its way into the media,” he added with something of a look of awe on his face.
Melody squirmed uncomfortably. She’d been so caught up in her upset over the tumultuous turn her relationship with Ben had taken that she’d somehow overlooked the way that Nolan must have felt finding a picture of himself in the paper, linked to her relationship with Ben. Talk about behaving like a bad friend.
“I’m so sorry about that, Nolan,” she apologized. Honestly, how could she not have thought to check in on him when their picture had landed in the paper? She felt awful. She prided herself on being thoughtful and considerate, so it definitely stung to feel like she’d dropped the ball.
Nolan brushed her apology aside. “I won’t lie,” he teased, “there are far worse things than finding yourself touted as a more appealing romantic option than a professional athlete.”
Nolan gave her a winning smile that did much to assuage her guilt.
“I must say, though,” Nolan continued, “I was kind of blown away when he said his lawyer had ordered a paternity test to lay all doubts to rest, and he could guarantee he wasn’t the father because only one woman had caught his interest since moving to Chicago, and he would never disrespect her by stepping out on her with someone else.
” He raised his eyebrows as he finished recounting.
“Can I assume he was talking about you?” Nolan asked directly.
“Probably,” she admitted. She couldn’t say with one hundred percent certainty, but the odds it wasn’t her were slim to nil.
Melody’s discomfiture was pronounced enough to leave her skin feeling itchy. Ben’s words hinted that their relationship had been a physical one. It had been, but it felt awkward to acknowledge it to Nolan.
Melody brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. As she did so, she couldn’t help but remember the way Ben’s fingers felt when he did it for her.
Melody shook herself out of her reverie.
“Ben is a good person,” she told Nolan simply.
Nolan inclined his head in thought.
His eyes glanced back at the television screen. “Is Ben really not going to press charges for slander?” he asked.
Melody shook her head. “He isn’t planning to press charges for slander or anything else, no,” she confirmed.
Shawna had dropped that little tidbit of information while they’d been out dancing the other night.
“Apparently, he feels like being publicly branded a liar is punishment enough. Anything else he could do would just adversely impact the baby, who is an innocent party in all of this.”
Nolan whistled. “Damn. He really is a good guy, isn’t he?”
“He really is,” Melody confirmed. No matter their relationship challenges, Ben’s character wasn’t in question.
“I kind of wish I could dislike him for reasons other than that he managed to capture your interest before I could,” Nolan commented with twisted lips, “but he isn’t giving me a lot to work with.”
“I’m sorry?” Melody offered, not sure what else to say. A feeling of déjà vu overtook her. Hadn’t she just had this very conversation with Eric?
Nolan looked down at his hands before giving his knuckles a conscious crack. “I didn’t want to ask before,” Nolan stated as he lifted his gaze back up to hers, “but maybe I should have.”
He eyed her curiously before asking, “Do you love him?”
Melody felt like his question had knocked the wind out of her. “I might,” she managed to eke out despite her breathless state.
Nolan studied the hockey game for a moment—gathering his thoughts, she suspected—before returning his full attention to her.
“I like you a lot, Melody,” Nolan declared openly, “but I deserve more than playing second fiddle to your feelings for another man.”
Melody moved to speak, but Nolan stopped her with a silencing hand.
“This isn’t your fault,” he reassured. “You may not have used fancy words or titles, but you told me you were involved enough with someone that you weren’t available to date me or anyone else. I just didn’t want to see the signs.”
“As awful as it sounds,” he continued, his facial expression self-deprecating, “I guess I was kind of hoping the article was right and that the whole pregnancy scandal had been enough to dissuade you from continuing to pursue a relationship with him. I thought we might have a chance at something real if I just gave you a bit of time to get over him.”
Nolan surveyed her with shrewd eyes. “Looking at you now, though, I can see that isn’t the case. Your feelings for him don’t look like the fleeting kind.”
“I’m really sorry, Nolan,” she offered up in sympathetic apology. The last thing she’d wanted to do was mislead him or string him along in any way. “I hope you know that you’re a really good guy, too.”
“I do,” he said with confidence. “But maybe I’m just not the right good guy for you.” He smiled wistfully. “Unfortunately.”
Melody’s lips twisted in a combination of regret and apology. Her feelings for Ben were so strong she seemed to be wearing them more openly than she’d realized. But what was she going to do about them? That right there was the million-dollar question.
The waitress chose that moment to return and take their order. Maybe her tacos would hold the secret to her romantic woes. She seriously doubted it, but a girl could dream.