“If you believe that’s so true, then whyhaven’t you settled down with anyone?”
Lucy walked over and sat on the edge of herbed. “Because I’m enjoying my freedom too much to let it go rightnow. We were caged for too long, and I won’t be caged again.However, if I stumbled across someone who made me want to give itall up, then I’d figure out a way to keep them.”
“But don’t you think having a relationshipbased on lies makes it not real?”
“That’s garbage. It’s a relationship. Mostcouples don’t tell their significant othereverythingaboutthemselves. That would be plain lunacy.”
“Not telling someone you got drunk on springbreak and banged your way through the basketball team is one thing.Rewriting my entire life before eighteen is an entirely differentthing.”
“But you could give yourself the life you’vealways wanted.”
Melanie gave a humorless laugh. “How am Isupposed to remember all the lies?”
“Don’t tell that many of them. Keep itsimple. Tell him your mom died, your dad is a little weird, andyour childhood was abnormal. You don’t have to go intodetails.”
“And if he asks for details?”
“No one is going to ask the details about adead mom and weird dad, but if he does, change the subject or jumphis bones. He’ll forget all about it if you stick your hand downhis pants.”
Melanie blinked at her before laughing. “Ibet he would. What do I do if he asks to meet my dad?”
“Keep putting that off, or you could alwaystell him your parents are dead.”
As much as her father completely messed upher life over the years, she couldn’t bring herself to do that.Plus, there was always the chance he would visit.
He’d only visited a couple of times since shestarted college; he was far too involved in his work, but he hadcome. He’d made his disapproval of her decisions repeatedly known.However, he still paid for her to be here.
If he wasn’t such a believer in highereducation, she suspected he never would have agreed to this, but hewanted her to attend college. However, he was upset she hadn’tpursued a science degree.
He’d expected her to follow in his messed-up,Dr. Frankenstein footsteps. The fact she hadn’t was why hedisapproved of her being here, but after everything she’d witnessedover the years, she did not want to be like him.
She pushed herself up on the bed and proppedher back against the wall.
“I’m sorry I opened the door,” Lucy said witha grin. “If I’d known you were about to get laid, I never wouldhave done it.”
Melanie tugged the pillow out from behind herand threw it at Lucy. “I was not about to get laid.”
“You could have fooled me, and it’s abouttime you saw a little action again.”
Melanie threw her pillow at her friend, whocaught it and tossed it back.
“When are you going to see him again?” Lucyasked.
“I’m not sure. We didn’t make any definiteplans. He’s working tonight, but he did ask what I was doing. Itold him we usually went out on Saturday nights. He said, if we gotthe chance, we should stop by his work.”
“Where does he work?"
“Adler’s. It’s a piano bar, and his sistersings there.”
“Is his sister as hot as him?”
“She’s engaged and planning her wedding.”
“Too bad, but it looks like we’re going to apiano bar tonight.”
“I don’t know if I can do that.”
“Why not?”
