Chapter 9 Melody
Melody
Melody smiled to herself as she walked through the imposing stone archway of Cellars and descended the stairs to where a hostess was taking names and trying to organize the people seeking entrance.
It was apparent from first glance that Cellars was upscale.
It didn’t take a trained eye to note the finely appointed furnishings set against a backdrop of rustic elegance.
The exposed red brick walls and wooden beams were striking, but it was the gorgeous bar that appeared to have been fashioned out of a collection of premium wine barrels with a glass top that really drew the eye.
Somehow, Cellars seemed to convey the impression of both a down-to-earth eatery and an upper-class bastion. It was both striking and welcoming.
Melody had looked up Cellars after Eric’s implication that it might not be as classy as Pam had thought.
While there was every possibility Eric was correct about its popularity for “high-end hookups,” whatever else Cellars was, it was also a hot spot for Chicago’s well-to-do gastronome scene.
Most especially for those who enjoyed fine wines and signature cocktails.
Not wanting to be rude and push her way through to the front of the line, Melody went up on tiptoes and tried to see above the group of guys in front of her as she waited to be acknowledged by the hostess.
She craned her neck this way and that as she sought to find her friends.
She spotted them at a corner table just as she advanced to the front of the line.
“Good evening and welcome to Cellars,” the hostess greeted cheerfully. “Do you have reservations this evening?”
“I do, yes,” Melody said. “I see that my group has already arrived. They’re just over at the corner table there.” She gestured toward the table as politely as possible.
The hostess glanced at her seating chart. “Ah. You must be Melody,” she said as she hailed a colleague to escort Melody to her table. “Mrs. Phillips told me to expect you.”
“Rachel,” the hostess said to the other attendant with commendable dignity for a woman who Melody doubted had even attained the legal drinking age, “please show the lady to table nineteen.” And to Melody, “Have a lovely evening!”
Melody followed Rachel to her table. While she could have easily navigated herself there without assistance, she’d been to enough upscale restaurants to appreciate that this was just the way it was done.
“Your table, miss,” Rachel announced. “Chelsea will be along shortly to take your drink order.”
“Thank you,” Melody acknowledged.
The girls wolf whistled as Melody drew up to the last empty chair at their high circular table set for four. She noticed they’d already ordered a round of cocktails.
“Daaamn, but you clean up nice.” Shawna Gower, the Challengers’ PR manager, whistled. “It’s a good thing you don’t wear stuff like that to work or you’d be responsible for some near-fatal heart attacks.”
“Wow, Mel. You really do look gorgeous,” Pam complimented. “That dress looks divine on you.”
“Thank you,” Melody said as she smoothed down her fitted all-black cocktail dress before taking her seat. She enjoyed the way the floral lace overlay added that little extra something to the standard LBD. It was basic, but also that little bit more.
“Seriously,” the final lady in their group affirmed. “That V-neck does such awesome things for you that I’m feeling practically hypnotized by your boobs.”
“Annie!” Pam shrieked.
“What?” Shawna put in. “Annie’s right. Mel has a killer rack and that dress showcases it to perfection.
Suggestive, but not slutty.” Shawna drew the tips of her thumb and index finger together in positive affirmation.
“If I were into ladies, I would totally do her.” Shawna turned to Melody and gave her a flirty wink.
“Me, too,” Annie giggled. “Maybe I should leave that door open. I might have better luck if I dated women.”
“Awww, sweetie,” Pam said sympathetically as she reached over to lay her hand atop one of her sister’s. “Mark obviously just wasn’t the right guy for you.”
Annie grimaced in acknowledgment of her recent breakup.
“I guess not. Still. It seems like it takes forever to meet anyone in this city. By the time I actually meet someone interested in dating, it feels like they’re such a precious commodity that I spend way more time giving them a chance than I probably should. ”
“I get that,” Melody sympathized. “It isn’t easy to meet eligible men when you spend most of your time around septuagenarians. I don’t imagine it’s any easier for you as a grade schoolteacher.”
“It really isn’t,” Annie grieved. “I’ve been feeling so demoralized that I was thinking of going to a speed dating event tomorrow night. At least, that way, I would have a chance to meet a bunch of single men who are actually interested in dating.”
“Do it,” Shawna encouraged. “Speed dating is a great idea. It’s the perfect way to feel out a bunch of guys and determine whether you might be compatible without any real commitment.
Since you’re only allotted five to ten minutes with each participant, if you aren’t feeling it, that’s a heck of a lot less painful to sit through than a whole coffee or dinner date.
Meeting a bunch of guys one after the other should also make the good ones stand out. ”
“So true,” Annie acknowledged, seeming to warm up to the idea. She took a thoughtful sip of her cocktail and appeared to mull it over.
“We were just about to order some appetizers when you arrived,” Pam said as she slid an open menu over to Melody and pointed at the heading that read “Bar Bites.” “We were thinking of getting the air-popped popcorn with truffle oil and cinnamon, the chocolate-covered bacon strips, and the barbecue cauliflower wings.”
“Sure. Sounds good,” Melody agreed as she flipped over to the cocktail menu. “What did everyone else order?” she asked curiously.
“I ordered a daiquiri,” Pam volunteered. “It’s not too sweet and has just enough lime to give it a nice tang.”
“I went for a cosmo,” Annie voiced. “I was hoping to harness my inner Carrie Bradshaw and bring myself some sex in this city.”
Pam snorted into her drink.
“Look here, you,” Annie scolded her older sister. “Don’t judge me. We aren’t all lucky enough to be married to sexy, virile hockey players who worship the ground we walk on.”
Pam appeared to choke on her daiquiri. “Did you just call my husband virile?”
Annie rolled her eyes. “Yes, Pammy. The man knocked you up with triplets. I think that it’s fair to say that, if anyone deserves the title, it would be him.”
Melody noticed that Pam didn’t argue with that. She focused instead on taking a careful sip of her drink. The slight blush dusting her cheekbones and secret smile playing at her lips weren’t lost on Melody. Lucky Pam.
“Eh,” Annie groaned. “You and Kev are so happy that it’s almost sickening. If I didn’t love you so much, I would be seriously jealous right now.”
“If it makes you feel any better,” Pam said encouragingly, “I was your age when I met Kevin. Maybe this will be your year.”
“And do you know how you could get there all the faster?” Shawna asked with a predatory gleam in her eyes. “Speed dating!” She lifted what appeared to be scotch in silent cheers before draining the last of her drink.
Melody couldn’t help but be impressed by the way Shawna seemed to do everything she did with near ferocious verve.
Whether it was using her influence as the team’s PR manager to sculpt the players’ images into the best they could be or knocking back her drinks, Shawna had a take-no-prisoners approach to life that Melody couldn’t help but admire.
Returning her attention to the drink menu, Melody skimmed through the list, running her finger down the printed options, until she came upon an intriguing mixture of sparkling wine, cognac, and fresh cherries.
Seeming to deduce that Melody had made her selection, Shawna lifted her hand and caught the attention of their server.
“Hi, ladies. What can I get for you?” their waitress asked.
“I’ll have another Macallan 15,” Shawna declared. “And we’ll take a popcorn with truffle oil and cinnamon, the chocolate-covered bacon strips, and some cauliflower wings for the table. Mel?” she asked, making it clear it was now her turn to place her drink order.
“I’ll try a ‘Mon Cherie,’ please.”
“Very good,” their server said as she jotted down their selections. “Ladies,” she asked, indicating Pam and Annie, “are you still doing okay for drinks?”
“We are, thank you,” Pam answered as she took in her and her sister’s glasses, which were both still more than half full. “But give us time.”
“Will do,” the server laughed. “I’ll check back in with you soon.”
As their waitress walked away to put in their orders, Melody’s cellphone trilled, indicating she’d just received a text message. “Oops. Sorry. Let me just turn that off,” she said as she reached into her purse to silence her text notifications.
As she did so, she couldn’t help but see the message that had come in.
Unknown Number: Hey there, beautiful. I just got home from a drink with the guys and couldn’t help but think how much more I would’ve rather seen your pretty face staring at me from across the table. When can I see you again?
Her phone trilled with a second text notification.
Unknown Number: In the event you’re more used to receiving such messages than I am to sending them, this is Benjamin Logan. :-)
“Well, hello hello,” Shawna intoned. “And just what do we have here?”
Melody glanced up from her phone to see Shawna staring at her like a cat who had just spotted a choice canary.
“In the year that I’ve known you, I’ve never once seen that smitten schoolgirl look on your face before,” Shawna commented. “Spill.”
“Who’s the message from, Mel?” Pam encouraged with an equal amount of curiosity.