“Melissa? This is Rocky.”
Somehow, Melissa must have accepted the call. She stared at the screen, too scared to answer.
“Melissa. I must have surprised you. Can you say hello so I’ll know you’re there?” His voice was calm and unruffled by her silence.
“Hi!” she squeaked.
“There you are. Hi, Melissa. I’m very excited to meet you. Are you busy now?”
“I have three more yards to clean today.”
“That sounds interesting. Would you like to get together when you’re finished?” Rocky asked.
“I think there must be a mistake. I’m not a good match for you,” Melissa blurted.
“You’re not? Why?” Rocky asked.
Melissa stared at the phone, trying to figure out how she could tell him he was way out of her league.
“Melissa, do you believe that the PLAYTIME app can help people find a Daddy, Mommy, or a Little?” Rocky asked.
She nodded.
“Use your words, Little girl.”
“Sorry. Yes, I think the app can work. It’s matched a bunch of people,” Melissa shared.
“Then we have to trust the process. It’s worth meeting at least once, right?”
“I guess. I don’t want to waste your time.”
“Somehow, I know meeting you is the best use of my schedule possible. When will you finish work? At five?” Rocky asked. “How about if you meet me at Romano’s for dinner?”
“I’ll have to shower first. My job is pretty dirty.”
“I can’t wait to hear about it. I’ll see you at six at Romano’s,” Rocky said firmly.
Melissa hesitated for a minute before blurting, “I’m scared.”
“I know, Little girl. That’s why we’re meeting at Romano’s. There will be others around us. Can you be brave?”
“Yes.” Melissa said that confidently and knew at five fifty her attitude would be totally different.
“Thank you, Melissa.”
She looked at the screen after they’d said their goodbyes. Everything felt so different. Melissa wanted to sit there and lookat his picture, but her watch beeped. She should have already been at her next client’s home.
Closing the app, she tucked her phone in her fanny pack and forced herself to concentrate on her work assignments. Tami was counting on her, and Melissa had big plans for the future.
CHAPTER 2
After hooking the bag of bread and peanut butter over the doorknob, Melissa struggled to fit her key into the top lock with her left hand. She’d always been thankful for the additional locks Tami’s Daddy, Archer, had installed for her. Now, each lock was another obstacle to tackle.
Tami and Archer had met her at the urgent care. She hadn’t wanted to go, but Tami had insisted. The dog that bit her had all its shots, thank goodness. Tami always made sure of that. It had been that kid’s fault. If the five-year-old hadn’t pulled Mister’s tail, the sweet dog would have never chomped down on her upper arm.
Tami had a zero-tolerance policy. They would never clean that yard again because the dog couldn’t be trusted. Melissa had tried to convince her the kid should be banned, but that hadn’t worked. Tami knew the family would slack on keeping the child indoors after a short time.
Melissa looked at the next keyhole and sighed. This was going to take forever. She heard a whistle and swapped the keys over to her right hand. Gritting her teeth, she opened the locks as quickly as possible, ignoring the pain.
