Chapter 19
A week went by and Melanie was so sexually frustrated that she was ready to pull, not only her hair out, but everyone's that she came in contact with too. And yeah, she’d had orgasms. So many orgasms. Logan knew what he was doing when it came to making her come. But she wanted more.
She wanted him inside her.
Hard inside her.
And, holy shit, she needed to stop thinking about it because she was turning herself on.
“Hey, Mel, maybe you could stop daydreaming and join us here in reality.” Carly was shaking her head at her.
“Do you think there’s a reason why Logan won’t have sex with me.” She hadn’t meant to blurt it out but it had been long enough and now she needed her friends' insights.
“Woah, woah, woah,” Carly held up a hand. “You two haven’t had sex yet?”
“No.” She felt silly saying it.
Leah, always the wise one, asked, “What’s he saying the reason is for waiting?”
“He says he has some voice in his head that he can’t explain, but it’s telling him to wait.”
“You are doing...other things, right?” Leah asked
“Other things are not the problem. We’ve done so many other things that I think we’ve made up a few new ones.”
“Oh do tell,” Carly said. “Wait no, don’t tell. Why do I keep forgetting that you two are sleeping with my cousins? Ugh!”
“Technically, she’s not sleeping with Logan,” Leah pointed out.
“Can we please not joke about my lack of sex. I’m dying here.”
“Against my better judgment, I am going to give you some advice,” Carly said. “You need to seduce him. Like seriously seduce him. Don’t give him an option.”
“Oh I like that,” Leah said. “He said he is waiting for a voice to tell him it’s time, and maybe you initiating, will make that voice speak up.”
“I don’t know. It’s not like I haven’t initiated some of our encounters.”
“Oh my God,” Carly shouted. “Did you just say encounters?”
“What the hell am I supposed to call them?”
“I don’t know, but not encounters. Please anything but that.” She shook her head. “It creeps me out.”
Leah looked at her. “I think we need to get Carly laid.”
Melanie laughed. Leah was not wrong. Carly was wound tight and she was going to combust soon if she didn’t take care of it. “Did the batteries in your vibrator die or something?”
Carly flipped her off. “My vibrator works just fine, in fact it gets a workout every night.”
“This I’d like to see.” All three of them turned their heads at the voice. The very male voice.
“Hey, Tony, “ Leah took the lead, not at all embarrassed that Tony had just heard them talking about vibrators. “What brings you here?”
“I just needed to do some maintenance on the security system.”
Melanie looked over to Carly, who had gone completely pale. Having someone hear her talking about her vibrator was not something that Carly would normally have a problem with. But this was Tony. And because she liked him, even if she wanted to hate him, Carly was finding it hard to be herself around him.
Leah stood up. “I’ll come out with you.”
Alone, Mel looked at Carly. “Why won’t you just admit that you like him?”
She looked away, not making eye contact. “I do not like Anthony.”
Melanie sighed. “Really? You’re gonna lie to me? Me, your best friend since we were born?”
“Why do you even care?”
“Because you’re my friend and I can tell that you are hurting.”
Carly slammed her palm against her desk. Then, just as fast, seemed to calm and sat back down. Looking up at her, she said, “Maybe I do like him, but I’m not going to do anything about it.”
“Why not?” Tony was a great guy as far as Mel could see.
“I just don’t want to start anything right now. It’s not the right time.”
“So don’t start anything. Have hot sweaty, curl your toes sex and be done.”
“He’s friends with Logan and Brandon and he’s around all the time. It’s not like he’s a stranger who I’ll never see again.”
“So find a stranger.” Melanie wasn’t usually an advocate of one night stands, but Carly clearly needed sex.
Carly laughed. “I wish I could. Actually I’ve tried.”
“You did?” This was news to her.
“I couldn’t do it. All I could fucking think about was him.” She flicked her hand to the doorway.
“Let me get this straight, you tried to pick someone up to have sex with but backed out because you couldn’t stop thinking about Tony?”
“You say it like you think I’m insane.”
“Oh, I do think you’re insane. For God’s sake Carly, you want the man, and more than that you like him.” Melanie wanted to keep shouting at her, but her face, and the look of fear, stopped her. “Tell me what’s wrong?”
“I haven’t liked anyone in years, not since—” She didn’t say it, but Melanie knew what she was talking about. In college she’d had a boyfriend that she thought she’d loved. Only he was cheating on her. But the real kicker was who he was cheating with.
It was her very own mom.
It was devastating for Carly. Because that day, she not only lost the boy she thought she loved but she also lost her mom.
“Not every guy is like Rob. There are some good ones out there.”
“But how do I know? I can’t give my heart away again only to have it shattered into a million pieces.”
“You don’t know, that’s why people say stupid things like you have to take a chance on love.”
“You’re super helpful in my hour of need.”
That was the Carly Mel knew and loved. Brash and to the point. “I can’t tell you what to do. One, because you have not once in twenty-eight years taken my advice, and two, this is a decision you have to make yourself. You have to be ready to try. And if you aren’t, it’s not fair to yourself or to Tony.
“Why’d I have to go and like him? He’s so cocky and self-assured. It really drives me up a wall.”
“Really? I’d think you’d love those traits seeing how you are the exact same.”
“I am neither of those things.”
“You go ahead and keep believing that.” Mel laughed. How Carly didn’t—or couldn’t—see that she and Tony were so alike, was beyond her.
Once her day ended, Mel drove home but only to grab a few things to have at Logan’s. She had been sleeping there almost every night for the last week and she was sick of not having her own clothes.
But when she pulled in, she was surprised to find Logan sitting on her porch swing.
“What are you doing here?”
He was petting Max, Carly’s dog, and he continued as he answered. “We have been at my house all week, I thought you might like to stay here.”
Damn him and his mind-reading. She came up the steps and sat down beside him. “Was I complaining?”
“No. I just know that you love this house and I don’t want you to think we always have to be at mine.”
She sighed and leaned back. “You constantly surprise me.”
“I just want you to be happy.”
She turned her head to look at him. “I am happy.”
He leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips. “Do you also happen to be hungry, cause I made dinner.”
She pulled back, surprised. “You made me dinner?”
“Well, you and Carly. I assume she is coming home?”
“Yeah, she had to run to the store quickly, but should be home soon.”
He stood, pulling her up with him. “I’ll finish dinner, while you tell me about your day.”
She took a seat at one of the stools at the counter and sipped the glass of wine he’d poured for her. She loved watching him move and when she saw his camera sitting just a few feet from her, she got an idea.
She grabbed his camera, and after removing the lens cap and turning it on, she snapped several pictures of him.
“Hey,” he said when he heard the clicks. “What are you doing?”
“It’s only fair. You are always taking pictures of me.”
He shook his head and laughed. “That’s because you’re gorgeous.”
“You’re pretty gorgeous yourself.” She loved it when they had playful banter.
“Keep talking like that, and dinner will have to wait.”
She laughed but kept right on taking pictures. He asked about her day. She talked about the kids she taught and how great they were doing. When Carly got home, they sat down to a delicious dinner of chicken parmesan, with homemade garlic bread and salad.
Carly seemed to be in a better mood and Melanie couldn’t help but wonder if maybe she had come to a decision about Tony, or maybe, she’d even had a conversation with him. She was probably dreaming to think that Carly had already taken the first steps toward happiness, but she hated to see her friend so unhappy.
She’d asked Logan to talk to him, but he’d clearly forgotten. So now it was on her.
And she’d do anything if it meant helping a friend find happiness.
––––––––
T he next day, Melanie made a trip to Woodridge and to Tony’s office. He owned a security company and was the one that had installed both the system in her house and at the dance studio. Before he had put in those systems, she had never met him. But she’d immediately liked him. He was funny and quick with a comeback and most importantly, he challenged Carly. And despite her claims to the contrary, he was good for her.
She did not need a pretty boy that couldn’t hold his own in an argument. Carly liked to argue, it was like foreplay.
After parking, she walked into his office and found him standing in the lobby talking to a woman she assumed was his secretary.
His very hot, young secretary.
They both turned when they heard the ding of the door.
“Mel, hey,” he greeted her.
“Sorry to just stop by like this.”
“Is everything okay?” He looked worried, and he had a right to be, since he had been around for the whole kidnapping of Leah fiasco.
“Everything is fine,” she assured him. “I just wanted to talk to you about something, if you had the time?”
“Sure.” He turned to the woman sitting at the desk. “Addie, this is Melanie, she is friends with Logan.” The woman, Addie, stood.
“Hi,” she said super cheery and sticking out her hand. “I’m Addison,” she glared at Tony, “Tony’s secretary, and more importantly his sister.”
Relieved that Carly would have no competition from Addison, Mel shook her hand. “I didn’t know Tony had a sister?”
Addison slapped him in the arm. “You are like the worst brother ever. How do your friends not even know about me?”
“Logan and Brandon know about you.” He shrugged.
“Brothers,” she mumbled. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Melanie.”
“Come on back,” Tony said and she followed him into his office.
“Your sister’s gorgeous,” Mel commented when he closed the door.
He grunted, “I know.”
“Hate that, do ya?”
“It sucks when you’re in high school and all your friends want to do is come to your house to hit on your sister.”
“Poor you.” She chuckled. “I’m sure the reverse is also true.”
A knowing smile formed on his face. “Maybe.”
“Men.” She shook her head and laughed.
“What brings you by,” he asked.
“This is probably completely out of line but...do you like Carly?”
She had to hand it to him, he didn’t even flinch. “Let me get this straight, you came here to ask if I like your friend? Did she put you up to this?”
“God no. She’d kill me if she knew I was here.”
“So what gives?” He said it in a way that came off like he didn’t care. But something about the way his body was rigid told her that he cared. A lot.
“I can’t tell you her story, it’s not mine to tell. But I can tell you that she doesn’t date, doesn’t even let herself like anyone for fear that she will get her heart broken.”
Still emotionless, he asked, “What does that have to do with me?”
“She likes you, Tony. Against all her instincts and better judgments, she likes you. And as her best friend, I just need to know how you feel?”
Finally, his expression broke. “Hell,” he swore. “Of course I fucking like her. Is that what you wanted to hear?”
“You sound as happy about it as she did. Jeez you two are a pair.”
“She really likes me?” he asked curiously.
She rolled her eyes. “Now I know why you drive her crazy. Yes. She likes you. That’s why I’m here, telling you all this.”
“I thought she hated me.” The awe in his voice telling her he was being truthful.
“She does, sometimes. But you’ve got to understand, to Carly, arguing with someone is a sign of like. If she actually hated you, she wouldn’t even give you the time of day.”
He exhaled, and it almost seemed like he was relieved. “So what’s supposed to happen now?”
“I’m gonna tell you something, that honestly, as a woman, I am not super comfortable doing but I think it’s vital.” She took a deep breath. “Carly needs someone to be domineering.” At his look she added, “Not like BDSM domineering, just someone to take control and be the leader. Does that make any sense?”
He dropped his head back against his chair. “She’ll kill you if she finds out you came here to tell me this.”
Melanie smiled, loving how well he already seemed to know her. “She will, that’s why I need you to do me a solid and not tell her.”
“I’m not sure I can do that. If—and I haven’t decided yet so don’t hassle me—if I do this, it won’t feel right keeping this secret from her. If she ever found out, she would hate us both.”
She panicked for a second. He was right though and she could never live with herself if she hurt her friend. “So what do we do?”
“I’ll tell her that I came to you. That I forced you to tell me how she felt.”
“Why would you do that? What if that makes her change her mind about you?”
“It’s a chance I’ll have to take. Better she hates me than you.”
She gave him a quizzical look. “You REALLY like her, don’t you?” Only someone with strong feelings would be willing to lose that person to make sure they were happy.
She wasn’t sure that she’d ever seen Tony bashful or embarrassed. But this had to be the closest. He squirmed in his chair and avoided eye contact. “I already told you that I did.”
Ecstatic that she had been correct in her assessment of Tony, she stood. “You know what? I’m gonna tell her I came here.”
“Why?”
“Because she assumes all men are assholes and if you take the fall for this, it will only prove her right. But what she won’t know is that you were doing it to protect her. And that would be a shame.” She walked to the door and turned the knob. “Do me a favor, Tony? Don’t wait too long to go to her.”
She left Tony’s office feeling oddly at ease. Sure she still had to tell Carly that she had gone to see and talk to Tony, but that didn’t matter. Not when she had been able to look in his face and see how much he cared for her. If he was willing to lose her, just to make sure she didn’t hate her best friend, then Carly was a lucky, lucky woman.