Chapter 6 #2
“I never would have guessed you play as well as you do,” Alana admitted.
“You’re not the one who got stuck on the losing side of a bet,” Grant told her.
“I tried to warn you,” Jordan said with a grin towards Mel.
“Dinner’s ready if anyone’s hungry,” Gabrielle stated trying to move them into the dining room.
The meal was amazing, and she loved the way the five siblings interacted, much as she and Tate did. It was closing in on eleven when Jordan mentioned leaving but she was content to stay.
“You have classes in the morning.”
“Mmm, I know and Tate will kill me if I leave him hanging,” she admitted. He was the only reason she wasn’t testing out or taking early graduation this semester.
“Then I believe that’s our cue to leave but first…” he said giving her a grin.
“The thing you were up to this afternoon,” she said reading his look.
“Yes, now I know you said you didn’t want to do gifts for any of the smaller occasions, but I couldn’t resist once I saw it,” he told her walking over to his suit coat.
He crossed back over to her with a small jewelry box.
“I didn’t get one of these for you when I asked because it wasn’t exactly planned but I want everyone to know how much you mean to me. ”
“Jordan,” she said with a small laugh as he opened the box.
“I know it can’t be an engagement ring since we’re already married but will you wear my ring Mel?” he asked letting her see the ring nestled inside.
Her first thought at seeing the large emerald surrounded by diamonds was that it was gorgeous and she loved it. “It’s perfect.”
“Let’s see if it’s a perfect fit?” he asked sliding it onto her finger until it rested against the simple band she wore.
“Completely,” she smiled leaning forward to kiss him lightly knowing they had an audience.
“Alright, let me see,” Alana laughed rushing over. “You did good little brother.”
“I had some help,” Jordan said as Nicole kissed Mel’s cheek. “Nic and Tate made sure it was the right size and helped me narrow down the options.”
“An emerald though? Most guys just go with a diamond,” Grant stated.
“But diamonds don’t match her eyes,” he argued wrapping his arm around her waist. “And now that everyone’s seen the ring, it’s time we were leaving.”
“Goodnight everyone,” she called over her shoulder as they reached the door after a round of hugs. “Impressive Jordan, your mom was thrilled. She’s been after me to make you get me a ring for the last two months.”
“But you never said a thing. Mel, I want you to wear it. I know what we have isn’t the normal situation, but I still want you to wear it for more than just my parents’ approval.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever want to take it off,” she told him kissing his cheek. “It’s beautiful Jordan; it’s just…”
“What?”
“School…if I wear it someone’s bound to ask questions. Steph is already back at it and wearing it at school will only lead to more accusations of me being…”
“That’s your call Mel,” he said taking her hand across the middle console, “anytime you want to tell them I’ll be there right beside you.”
“Thanks and I promise I’ll wear it, just not at school,” she said melting into the seat. She dozed off and barely opened her eyes as Jordan carried her inside the house.
“Come on Mel, time for bed,” he teased dropping a small kiss on her lips.
“Mmm…thanks.” She sighed as he sat her down on her bed waking just enough to get herself ready for bed. “Goodnight Jordan.”
“Night Mel,” he said pulling the door to before heading to the fridge for a beer. He stood in the kitchen listening to the sounds of her in the bathroom and let out a string of curses.
“You really didn’t think this through did you, man?” he asked himself, leaning onto the counter. He wanted to go back into the room, wrap her up in his arms and never let her go. “Just keep your hands off her, let her decide.”
He told himself the same thing over and over hoping it would drill into his brain so he could go through with the deal he’d made her. He wanted her more than he ever had but she hadn’t given him the slightest encouragement, and unfortunately, he had to acknowledge that maybe she never would.
∞∞∞
“So let me see the ring,” Tate said sliding up beside Mel as she unpacked her bag.
“You could have warned me,” she told him taking out the ring box she’d put in the front zipper pocket. She cracked it open letting him see the huge glittering stone and his mouth dropped open.
“Damn, you know if you ever decide to take off you could hock that thing for a pretty penny.”
“Oh shut up, Tate.” Mel laughed at the thought of it. They both knew she would never just up and go like her mother did no matter if she did or didn’t have kids. “Why didn’t you mention that he was picking one out?”
“Because he warned me not to, said he’d bar me from the cave if I did,” he told her looping his arm around her shoulders. “How was dinner with the folks?” he added as they reached their first class.
“Great and it wasn’t just his parents, everyone was there except for you,” she said pointedly raising an eyebrow at him.
“It’s your family Mel.”
“Which you’re a part of, as both you and they very well know. So were you using your trick shots to pick up girls again?”
“Naturally, plus using the fact that I know the two hottest pool players in the world. Including the newest winner of the Champs Tournament.”
“Shh, I have a reputation to protect Tate,” she said in a stage whisper to him.
“You just want to win the tourney here. They’re not going to know what hit them Mel,” he grinned at her.
Their class had set up a pool tournament to raise money for the senior trip, prom, and graduation activities and she was determined to show the others a thing or two. First, she had to get through Alana’s wedding and the next two weeks of school.
The wedding was beautiful, though she preferred her and Jordan’s ceremony to the crowded and rigid schedule of Alana’s.
Her favorite part was finding Jordan’s gaze on her throughout most of it, and she didn’t care if it was for show because it made her heart flutter.
The reception was elaborate, and she enjoyed dancing with Grant and Jake but mostly she enjoyed being in Jordan’s arms.
People were surprised to learn they were married but much as Jordan had predicted no one said a word about it. He introduced her to several people he knew, including one of the engineering professors at the college in town.
“Mel, this is Dwight Myers. He’s the associate dean with the engineering department. Dwight, my wife Melinda,” he said shaking the other man’s hand.
“The rumors are true then,” Dwight said with a warm smile. “I heard you’d married a beauty, but I’ve also heard she had brains too.”
“She does,” Jordan agreed.
“Ford mentioned that you’re looking into colleges. What sort of career are you interested in?” Dwight asked.
“I haven’t fully decided. I already have my application to Whitmore ready to go, I’m just trying to narrow down the field.”
“I think she should go for engineering personally, throw in an architectural degree too that way no one can steal her from me,” Jordan stated hugging her to his side.
“Mel was the one who brought up the structural deficiencies with the load capacity of Tracks’ new structure, after I’d stolen her from him and she learned that I wasn’t just a dummy with a construction company. ”
“I’d say Whitmore would be lucky to have you then; have you taken the SAT and gotten your scores?” Dwight asked.
“I have,” she admitted.
“You have?” Jordan asked surprised.
“I wanted to celebrate them later, with everything that’s gone on this week I figured they deserved their own night,” she explained to him.
“Do you mind me asking what they were?” Dwight inquired.
“Fifteen-fifty,” she answered from behind her water glass.
“Mel that’s amazing,” Jordan stated brightly before dropping a kiss on her surprised lips.
“It is, you should stop by the campus, and I’ll give you a tour. Unless you’d rather do it Jordan,” he said with a smile.
“Actually you should take Tate with you,” Jordan suggested. “Maybe you could convince him to go for a degree in the field as well.”
“Tate?” Dwight asked.
“My best friend, we call him Tate most others call him Tatum,” she explained. “He helped out this summer on one of the construction teams and he surprised Jordan by being so brilliant.”
“Give me a call and we’ll set something up; I’m sure your school will let you out for an afternoon…what?” he said as the two of them smiled.
“I do work study in the afternoons; I run the office for Jordan’s company.”
“Ah…still, give me a call. It was nice seeing you again Jordan, take care,” he said shaking their hands before heading off into the crowd.
“So what should we do to celebrate your brilliant test scores?” Jordan inquired once they were alone.
“I don’t know; I’m sure we’ll think of something.”
“I could always sponsor you in your tournament for school. There’s a dollar amount per ball option, right?”
“And how much are you willing to sponsor me for?”
“I’d say a hundred for each, but I know you’ll think that might run a tad expensive depending on who’s all playing.”
“Well Arthur did say he’d play whoever won the tournament.”
“The first one to call?” he guessed and she laughed knowing no one would even dare risk that against Arthur.
“The first to fifty-four balls.”
“At least it’s not a hundred and fifty, so how about we do twenty?”
“It’d be a hundred and eighty a game, there’s sixty-four people signed up to play so that’s seven games which would make it a little over twelve hundred, then another thousand for the game versus Arthur. You’re looking at over twenty-three hundred there, Jordan.”
“Is that all? Well then, let’s make it fifty per ball.”
“Jordan, that’d be like fifty-eight hundred dollars.”
“You’re worth it, besides, who says you’re going to win?” he teased earning a smack on the arm from her.
“Oh, I’ll win,” she promised with a grin that carried over throughout the tournament.
They were finished with the third round when Tate came to wait with her while the ones they would be facing next finished their games.
“Why are you holding back?” he asked with a sly grin.
“Oh come on if I annihilate these guys with the break there’s no fun in it.”
“You do realize that if I keep winning and you keep winning, we’ll eventually face off, right?”
“I do but you my dear Tate have to get there first and since I’m all the way up here and you’re all the way down there, we’ll only meet in the finals.”
“So that’s why you showed up so early?” he teased. “You wanted a top number, so we didn’t go at it right off the bat.”
“I set up the brackets, Tate. But of course I didn’t want us to face off at the beginning and have to take you out so easily.” She grinned as her newest opponent was finished with his game.
“Stop playing Mel; show them what you’re capable of girl.”
“Nah, I’m saving that for you and Dad,” she said with a smirk as she rounded the table to set up for the next round.
She was able to play loosely throughout the next two and she was thrilled to see Tate was as well. Her smile dimmed though when she saw her new opponent.
“Really?” she asked Tate with a glance towards Andrew. “It would be Mr. Perv that got this far, wouldn’t it?”
“Oh come on Mel, if the guys at the tournament couldn’t mess with your head Andrew isn’t likely to bother you.”
“I didn’t say he was going to mess with my head. I just don’t want him looking down my shirt.”
“Then play him like you played the tournament.”
“We’ll see,” she smiled at him.
“So Miss Sexy knows her way around a stick,” Andrew said as she took her spot next to the table. “Not too surprising there, what else can you do with one?”
She tried to keep herself from throwing up at his leering and she saw Tate send her a pointed look. Her gaze caught Jordan’s, and his stormy face warned her that though he couldn’t hear what Andrew had said he could guess. She shook her head lightly and waited for the coin toss.
“Heads,” Andrew called winning. “I’ll let her break; it’ll give me a nice view.”
She hid a smirk as she stepped up to the table and lined up her shot. The balls scattered over the board one by one falling into the pockets and she stood back until they finally settled.
“Sweet Jesus,” Andrew said as the crowd grew quiet.
Mel stepped over to the cue and aimed it towards the ones left behind sinking one then the next before downing the eight ball.
“Show off,” Tate whispered as he rounded his own table.
“Hidden talents Melinda?” Mr. Grasse stated.
“A few,” she agreed.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we’re going to take a short break and clear away the extra tables,” Mr. Grasse said once Tate was finished pulling out the win.
“So looks like it’s you and me again,” Tate said.
“Isn’t it always?” she teased. “You think you can beat me?”
“I think we both know the outcome of this game already, don’t we Mel? Only question is, are you going to win the break?”
“We’ll just have to see, won’t we?” Mel smiled before hitting the bathroom and sneaking a few minutes with Jordan.