Lucy gave her a disgruntled look beforemouthing the word, “Hot.”
At the table Julian had vacated, another manand woman remained sitting, but with the way the woman watchedJulian, Melanie suspected she was the Aida that Kyle mentionedbefore.
“What is it?” Julian asked.
“I’d like you to meet Melanie and Lucy,”Cassidy said. “They’re associates of Kyle’s.”
Julian turned to them. “Hi.”
Cassidy stared hard at her brother. Melaniesuspected they were all missing something but didn’t know what, andJulian seemed clueless too. When Kyle returned with his sister’sdrink, he set it in front of her.
“Here you go. Now, run along,” he said andwaved them away.
Cassidy scowled at him, but she lifted herdrink and turned to them. “I hope we get to talk again soon,” shesaid to them before focusing on Melanie again.
Melanie tried not to squirm beneath theintensity of her gaze. “That would be good,” she said but didn’tmean it.
This had been entirely too intimidating andweird. Hopefully, if they met again, she’d be better prepared forit and not feel like a bug under a microscope.
Melanie watched as the three of them madetheir way back toward the table. They were five feet away whenCassidy said something to Julian. He stopped dead and glanced backat them. Their eyes met before he walked over to kiss Aida’s cheek;he settled onto the chair beside her.
“I hope they didn’t scare you away,” Kylesaid.
“Ah, uh… no,” Melanie stammered. “It was nicemeeting them.”
“Liar,” Kyle teased.
Melanie ducked her head as a blush heated hercheeks. She hoped he wasn’t always so good at spotting herlies.
“Okay, it was a little weird,” she admitted.“But they care about you; that’s pretty awesome.”
“Most days. Other days, they’re freaks.”
Melanie laughed, and some of her tensioneased as she sipped her soda.
“Do you have any single siblings?” Lucyasked.
Kyle laughed. “I don’t.”
“Too bad. If there’s ever an opening, let meknow.”
Kyle didn’t tell her that would never happen.Instead, he smiled as he replied, “I will. Would you like anotherdrink?”
Lucy pushed her empty shot glass toward him.“Keep them coming.”
While Lucy had already forgotten theirstrange encounter with his family, Melanie couldn’t helpquestioning the surprise on their faces. When she turned to look atthem again, she discovered them watching her. They glanced away,but she felt their eyes on her when she turned her back tothem.
She spent the next couple of hours talking toKyle whenever he had the chance and trying to ignore the tablebehind her. Whenever Kyle wasn’t with her and Lucy, she watched thewomen flirting with him.
He didn’t flirt in return as he filled theirdrinks and gave them their change. However, with how these womenacted around him, she suspected that wasn’t always the way it wasbetween them.
Was he acting differently because she washere? Was that a good or bad thing?
Her childhood taught her always to beskeptical, but she didn’t want to be anymore. She was tired ofliving her life based on her childhood.
No, that wasn’t right. She was tired ofnotliving her life, and Kyle was allowing her to do so.Maybe Lucy was right; maybe she could pull this off somehow. Andshe was determined to give it a try.
Melanie finished her soda and ordered a waterwhen Kyle returned. His family remained behind them, andoccasionally someone wandered over to order a drink and ask acouple of questions before strolling away again.
