Enticing An Angel (15 page)

A knock on the apartment door caught
Michael's attention. He frowned and looked up from his phone and
turned to Melanie. The little lady was absorbed with her music as
she flipped a pancake. He tapped her on the shoulder, and she
looked up at him; he spoke loudly so she could hear him.

"Someone's knocking on your door," he
said.

Melanie nodded and then pointed to the door
with her spatula as if to tell him to answer it. Michael shrugged
and complied.

"Sup?" Dagger said as she entered. Amber
merely offered a pleasant hello. While she was slightly toned down
in attire this morning, Dagger looked much like she had at the
Rave.

"Ladies," Michael said as he let them in."How
did you get through the lower door?" he asked with a puzzled look
on his face.

Amber held a key up for him to see and the
question was answered.

Dagger went into the loft and plopped onto
the couch. She picked up a small throw pillow and began plucking at
it. Michael watched with amusement; the girl just didn't seem to
care about much. When he turned his attention to Amber, she was
eyeing him again as if he was a piece of meat. Michael understood
the look but chose to ignore it.

"So, what do you ladies have planned for
today?" he asked.

"Ooh, I like being called a lady," Amber said
with a smile.

"Whatever," Dagger said. "It's about the same
as being called dudes."

Michael threw an odd look to Dagger, but it
went unnoticed; she was still plucking absently at the pillow.
Amber waved at Melanie who was focused on making pancakes. It took
a moment, but Melanie finally noticed her and waved the spatula
back and forth. There was no verbal response, and Melanie returned
to cooking.

"What's her problem?" Amber asked.

"I don't know," Michael replied as he watched
his lover.

He turned back to Amber. "Will you do me a
favor and look out for her today?"

"Sure, but what'd you do—piss her off or
something."

Michael shook his head and denied any
wrongdoing. At least to his knowledge, he didn't do anything
wrong.

"Probably her asshole dad," Dagger piped
up.

"What's the story with that anyway?" Michael
asked.

He had kept his mouth shut about that
situation, but Dagger's comment had introduced the topic again, so
he figured it was safe to follow where it led.

Dagger whipped around on the couch and stared
at him. Amber mimicked the look.

"Not for us to say," Amber stated.

Her face was serious, and Michael held her
stare for a moment. She didn't break; no more information would be
forthcoming, and Michael nodded his head.

"Well, I will leave you to it," he said.

"Oh, you're leaving?" Amber asked. She seemed
disappointed.

"Yes, I have work to do, and Melanie said
that you two had some serious plans today."

"Not that I know of," Amber said. "She just
texted us this morning and wanted a girls day."

Michael was surprised by this comment, but he
hid it well. At least well enough that the two girls didn't suspect
anything. Melanie had mentioned to him only that Dagger and Amber
would be stopping by; she had neglected to mention that it was just
this morning that she had invited them.

He walked over to Melanie and kissed her on
the forehead. She was focused on her pancakes and hadn't turned to
him, so his kiss landed on her temple.

"I'll see you later," he said loud enough for
her to hear him.

Melanie stopped suddenly with a look of
surprise. She pulled her ear buds.

"Don't you want breakfast?" she asked
him.

"No, that’s all right. You're friends are
here and I know you want to spend time with them."

Michael looked over to the guests. Dagger
continued to pick at the pillow, and Amber flicked Dagger's ear in
an attempt to annoy the girl; it didn't appear to work. He shook
his head and couldn't help but judge them. They were nice enough,
but immature. Then again, so was Melanie, but Melanie's immaturity
was an innocence of spirit not of responsibility. Michael had to
wonder if the two girls on the couch could even pay their utility
bills.

When he turned back to Melanie, he saw that
she was watching him watch her friends. She didn't appear happy,
but then again, she hadn’t been happy all morning. She wasn’t sad
per se, but she certainly wasn’t her normal self.

Maybe it is her father
, he thought.
Maybe she just needs her girlfriends.

He wanted to ask but refrained. Instead, he
smiled, gave her a gentle kiss, and once again asked if she were
all right.

"I'm fine," she said. "Are you sure you don't
want any breakfast?" she asked.

Michael unconsciously looked over to the
girls on the couch and politely declined. He would let them have
their girl's day and informed Melanie of that fact. He then made
certain he had all of his items, said good bye to everyone, and
left quietly.

Melanie watched him go and it hurt her to do
so. She had been pushing him away ever since he had arrived the
night before, but now that it had worked, she was saddened. She had
hated herself for what she was doing, and she now hated Michael for
leaving her; she could hardly blame him; she’d pushed for this. She
understood the logic of the situation, but she did still blame him
and that bothered her.

Amber and Dagger were behaving like asses on
her couch, and she watched the idiots play. Michael had looked at
her friends oddly, and Melanie knew he disapproved. It didn’t
matter, Michael probably wouldn’t be with her for much longer, and
while she thought she was ready for that to happen, she began to
realize she really was not.

"So, what's up, Art Girl?" Amber asked as she
came to the kitchen island and snatched a pancake; she began to eat
it with her hands.

"Oh nothing, I just wanted time with
you."

"Bullshit," Dagger said as she finally got
off the couch and joined them in the kitchen area. "You got a guy
like that and you kick him to the curb for a day. You're either an
idiot or something is really wrong."

"Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to hang out,"
Melanie lied.

"Uh huh," Dagger said. "Did he piss you off
or something?"

"I bet he didn't have sex with her last
night."

"Oh, we did that. It was all right?" Melanie
stated plainly, as she turned her burner off and set the pan
aside.

"All right?" Amber asked and shook her head.
"Sex that is all right is for people that are married."

"Like you would know," Dagger said.

Amber hit Dagger and Dagger pretended as if
it didn't hurt. Melanie cleaned her area and remained silent.

"Well, I would ask you if you told him about
your dad, but he asked me about it a few minutes ago so I know he
doesn't know."

Melanie whipped around quickly.

"You didn't tell him did you?" Melanie asked.
She suddenly had a possible understanding of why Michael had left
before breakfast, and anger flashed in her eyes.

"Whoa," Amber said as she waved her hands
back and forth; an action that appeared almost comical as her
pancake flapped about.

"We didn't say a thing," Dagger replied.

Melanie calmed for a moment, hung her head,
and returned to the dishes.

"Are you going to tell him," Amber asked.

"Eventually," Melanie replied.

"Why?" Amber asked.

"He needs to know," was the reply.

"Whatever," Dagger said. "Look, the guys
kinda cute. Just let it be and keep your mouth shut. What he
doesn't know won't hurt him."

"Yeah," Amber said. "Michael's a great guy,
just let it be."

"That's just it. He deserves better than me,"
Melanie said."Even his mother thinks so."

The girls gave her a funny look, and Melanie
began to tell them about her lunch with Mrs. Angel. Melanie had
understood each prod and every insult. Her attempts to ignore them
had not worked, and neither had her attempts to mitigate the
situation. In the end, Mrs. Angel had been clear, and Melanie had
to agree.

"That bitch!" Amber exclaimed.

"I would have punched the woman," Dagger
said.

"Why? She's right. Michael is a great guy,
and look at the three of us. Do you really think he fits in,"
Melanie said.

She was trying to convince her friends of the
folly of a relationship as much as she was trying to convince
herself. The hurtful truth of her situation was that she was
beginning to believe she wasn't good enough for Michael.

"So, I'll tell him and that will be the end
of it," Melanie said as she picked her pan up and tossed it into
the kitchen sink. It hit a glass and the glass shattered.

"Damn," she said. She went to the sink and
began to pick up broken pieces of glass.

The girls watched the outburst, and Amber
slowly came to a realization. She gasped and drew in a deep breath
before she spoke.

"Oh my God, you're in love with him!" she
exclaimed.

Dagger appeared shocked and looked at Melanie
for confirmation of Amber's words. Melanie didn't acknowledge the
comment at first; she was busy cleaning the sink. After a moment,
she just shrugged her shoulders.

"It doesn't matter. He doesn't love me," she
said.

"Have you asked?" Amber queried.

"No need, his mother's right," Melanie said,
and then turned around to throw away the glass and address her
friends directly.

"Well, I can always ask for you if you like?"
Dagger suggested.

"This isn't high school, Moron," Amber said
as she shook her head.

"Neither of you will do anything. I will tell
Michael all about me, and that will end it," Melanie said. "I've
had my fun; he's a great guy, now it's time to end it."

"But you don't want it to end, do you?" Amber
asked.

"No," Melanie said as she hung her head.

No one spoke for a moment.

"Want my advice?" Dagger asked.

"No one wants your advice, Dagger," Amber
snorted. Dagger punched her friend, and Amber cried out. The Goth
then turned back to Melanie.

"Tell that bitch mother of his to mind her
own business, have fun with Michael, and keep your damn mouth
shut," Dagger said.

Melanie thought about the words of her friend
and believed it was a good plan. She then remembered how Michael
had left just a few minutes before, and she worried about what he
was thinking at this moment in time. She suddenly wanted to talk to
him and actually looked for her phone. It was right where it was
supposed to be, but she couldn't bring herself to go get it.

No, she decided. She would let it be for the
moment. Maybe this would all blow over. She didn't believe it
though. She had been down this road before, and each time it hurt.
Thank God the last few men she dated were just boys that she didn't
really care for; their judgments were painful, but endurable.
However, the thought of Michael's censure terrified her.

The microwave beeped and Michael punched the
button for the door. He grabbed the popcorn, and like any man, he
had to make all kinds of noises as he insisted on opening the bag
while it was piping hot; he poured it into a bowl, still making
funny sounds as he did so.

"Are you getting comfortable?" he yelled
across his house.

"Yep," he could hear Melanie say.

Michael smiled and shook his head as he began
to chuckle. It was Tuesday night, and he’d suffered the entire
weekend without seeing her. Monday had been a pain as well, and now
he was just glad that he could get her to his house for the
evening. That had taken some convincing, and it worried him that it
had taken so much effort. However, now that she was here, she
seemed much happier.

When he had picked her up, she had looked
worried and uncertain, but when he smiled at her, she looked at him
oddly and then smiled herself. She even took the time to give him a
long hug. There was no kiss, just the hug, and after a few seconds,
he fell into the action and hugged her dearly. She seemed to need
comforting, and he gave it to her.

"Okay, here's the popcorn," he said as he
brought the bowl into the living room. The flat screen was already
turned on, and the image of the DVD player was the only symbol
showing. Melanie sat on the two-piece sectional couch and smiled as
he brought the bowl. She was like a child experiencing the first
time at the movies, and Michael enjoyed seeing her like this.

"You seem happy," he said as he handed her
the bowl.

"I am," she replied. "I guess I just missed
you more than I thought."

"Well, whose fault was that, pipsqueak?" he
asked as he sat on the couch; she quickly curled up next to
him.

Melanie glared at him with mock anger; he
only smiled in return. She watched him smile and shook her head
with a chuckle.

"So, what are we going to watch?" she
asked.

"It's a Steampunk movie," he said. "I hope
you haven't seen it."

Melanie's eyes widened. She was genuinely
surprised.

"I haven't seen any Steampunk movies," she
replied.

Now it was Michael's turn to look
surprised.

"You haven't? How is that possible?" he
asked.

"Do you remember seeing a plethora of TV's at
my place?" she asked in return.

Michael thought about it, and it only now
occurred to him that her apartment was devoid of a TV. It somehow
made sense though, and the lack of a cable bill would make it
easier to live given a limited income. He shrugged his
shoulders.

"Well, hopefully you will like this one," he
said. "No spoilers, but it's really good; and the steam powered sky
ships are well designed."

"You've seen it?" she asked

"Yep," he said nonchalantly as he grabbed the
remote and started the movie. "I came across of few of them while I
was downloading some Steampunk music. I really like the orchestral
effect, and some of the violin solo's are very haunting. It would
be nice if a local symphony played some of the arrangements."