A WEEK GOES BY
Melissa sits at the wheel of her car, quite still at traffic lights. Noticing the black car two cars behind her. She’d started to notice it on Monday, didn’t think anything of it at the time. But then it was parked across the road, then it was there everyday as she shopped and took the dogs on walks.Sully and Storm were getting restless in the back. They hated being in the car. Melissa had overslept and it was almost 10:30. The time she had arranged to be at Elaine’s.Melissa’s phone rings and it come through the Bluetooth speaker in the car.“Hello?” Melissa said while waiting for the lights to turn green.“Hello Melissa, Happy Christmas.” Shane, Suzanna and Ryan all say into the speaker.“I hope you’re not spending it alone.” Suzanna comments“No. Honest. I’m spending it with Elaine and her family.” Melissa said touched at the concern of her stepmother.“Good we just rang to wish you Happy Christmas, Grandpa is doing okay. But when are you back home?” Shane asks.“After Boxing Day. Probably the 27th. So I will ring then.” Melissa replied, moving off and turning left.“Ok. Well you’re present should arrive after Christmas.” Shane explains.“Dad I don’t need a.” Melissa tries to say but Shane and Suzanna cut her off “Melissa Page Hartford, you listen to us. You’re our daughter and you will get a present. Ok!” Melissa laughed as they both “told her off.”“Ok guys. I have to go I’ve arrived.” Melissa said feeling sad that she had to cut their conversation short.Pulling up into a street, Melissa got out, and Elaine came to meet her.“Hello you made it okay.” She air kissed the young woman.“Hi Elaine, I only brought Sully and Storm, I’m afraid Ebony passed away last week. Sorry I’m late. I overslept.” Melissa said sadly.“Oh Honey, I’m sorry.” Elaine said.Melissa thought back over the last week and thought about how she and Brock had hung out, and spent time together, he’d brought her flowers everyday to cheer her up, they’d met up at lunch, and if they couldn’t meet at lunch they’d stop at a bar and have a drink.Melissa found that Brock was avoiding Blake’s bar. Melissa thought of Blake and how it didn’t hurt so much anymore. Which meant she was getting over her heartache and the fact he used her.Brock was a perfect gentleman, he’d even gone shopping with her, helping her wrap and mail gifts. They’d had fun, she’d even made a batch of mince pies, her cooking was okay and she taught Brock a little British tradition, she knew Suzanna kept mincemeat in stock, she also knew that Suzanna wouldn’t mind as it was for Elaine and her family’s were having her over for Christmas, the making and cooking part that was troublesome.Brock and Melissa ended up throwing flour and milk at each other. And laughing hard.The kitchen was a right royal mess, but they’d cleaned it.She noticed Brock roll up his shirt sleeves, and watch in fascination as his biceps flex and relax as he helped her clean. Pulling to a stop brings Melissa out of her daydream.Grabbing the dogs out of the car, an older guy who looks sort of familiar, comes to greet Melissa, “Hello Melinda, I’m Tony. Elaine’s thingy.”“Husband” Elaine interjects “And it’s Melissa. Honestly” shaking her head she hands the leashes to Tony. Who takes the dogs round the side of the house.A young girl of about 15 or 16 appears at Elaine’s side. She’s very beautiful, petite, and curvy wearing a reindeer sweater.“My mom made me wear this. I hate it. Andrea.” She said sticking her hand out for Melissa to shake.Shaking her hand with a smile and getting a smile in return, Andrea takes the bag with the alcohol and mince pies in. Grabbing the last bags Melissa shuts and locks the car.Walking up to the beautiful wooden porch, Elaine opened the door into the living room and there sat on the couch and armchair is Brock and Blake.Melissa freezes. “Holy sh..” catching her own words they look just as shocked to Melissa as she is to see them.Coming back from locking the front door Elaine says “Oh these are my sons Brock and Blake. Come on boys come say hi. Honestly you have no manners. This is my special guest. She’s originally from the U.K. but we won’t hold that against her.”Elaine and Melissa laugh. “It’s a failing that I’m working hard to overcome.” Melissa said with a laugh and a sneaky look at Blake and Brock. They are looking at each other and then at Melissa then finally at their mum.“Give me your coat, I will hang it up for you and the bag.” Melissa put her backpack containing clothes and the one containing gifts on the floor.“So you’re our special guest.” Brock said happily giving Melissa a hug and kiss on the cheek.Blake had a dark expression on his face. As Melissa turned away from Brock, Blake turned away and went off somewhere.Melissa looked after him as he went “Oh don’t worry about Blake.” Elaine said “He’s moody and thinks Christmas should be family only. Ok. So make yourself at home.”Brock takes a minute to take in Melissa, they’ve spent a lot of time together recently and he’s finding it harder and harder to just stay friends. He hadn’t planned it this way. It just kind of happened. Looking at her red dress dress, and knee high boots, and pantyhose, she looks amazing.“Sit down?” Brock asks as she sits very ladylike.“Why does your mum have a different surname to yours. Yours is Milligan hers is Brockheim.” Melissa asked trying not to look as uncomfortable as she felt.“MOM” he emphasised this word to make fun of Melissa’s accent earning him a fake glare of anger from her “Got all her qualifications in her maiden name. It would cost a lot to change them all. So at home and with family her name is Milligan and professionally she goes by Brockheim.” Brock explained as if it were simple.Blake came back from wherever he’d been. And stood in front of Melissa blocking Brock from her view.“Can I have a word with you please?” Blake asked.“Sure” Melissa said not moving.“In private.” Blake said through gritted teeth.Getting up Blake led Melissa to what looked like a study. Oak and Mahogany adorned the room. Books on every shelf, first editions some of them.Blake shut the door quietly “What the hell are you doing here?” He asked anger in his voice. But a conflicted expression that Melissa couldn’t make out.“Your mother asked me here.” Melissa explained.“Are you stalking me?” Blake asked.Melissa looked hurt. “God no. Why would you think that?”“You’ve spent one evening with Brock” Blake explained, he only knew of that one evening when Brock signed the contract, he didn’t know they’d been hanging round together, “You sleep with him?”That earned him a slap. “Fuck you. No I didn’t. And even if I did, it’s none of your business.” Melissa spat the words at him.Blake trying to get closer to her, trying to hold her in his arms, Melissa pulled away.“You know what Blake. You’re a sad excuse for man, you’re so wrapped up in own sense of importance that you can’t tell when someone’s being honest. If I decide to sleep with Brock, it’ll be none of your fucking business.”Blake looked confused as Melissa explained. She turned on her heel and walked out of the door so Blake could not see her tears and how angry she was and how hurt she was. ‘Does Blake think so little of me that I’d jump out of his bed and into bed with his twin?’ She thought as she was thinking this she walked straight into a hard body. Arms circled round her waist, “what’s wrong?” The voice was unmistakably Brock. He’d heard raised voices and came to see if everything was okay.Noticing her tears he pulled her towards a bathroom. Pulling her in, “It’s okay. Ignore Blake. He’s being a dick.” Melissa smiled gratefully and asked “Can you leave me to clean up please?”Nodding Brock left the bathroom and decided to confront his brotherBrock left the bathroom and bumped into Blake.“You asshole.” He whisper yelled. What did you say to her?”“I asked her if she slept with you.” He stated.“Douchebag.” Brock said. “No we haven’t slept together. You could have just asked me. And if we ever do it’s none of your business, you made that perfectly plain, when we spoke about it, the next day.”Just as Blake was about to say something, Elaine interrupted the whispering boys.“What are you two up to? Where’s Melissa? I’m preparing lunch for us all. Then afterwards I thought we could play some games. Oh Blake will you go and help your father. And remind him of Melissa’s name. He keeps referring to her as Melinda. Honestly that man.”Blake nodded and walked off to find his father.“Brock” Elaine said pulling her son into the living room.“I’m kind of hoping that you and Melissa will get together. That’s one reason I invited her.” Elaine said to her elder son.“Mom. Seriously? Did you set this up?” B
Elaine clapped her hands together gently. “Right now lunch is finished, I’ve got some games I’d like to play.”Blake rolled his eyes and said “Mom aren’t we a bit old for games?”“Come on Blake.” Elaine said “You’re never too old for games.”As Melissa helped Brock to clear the table and loaded the dishwasher, Elaine, Blake, Tony and Andrea moved into the living room to discuss games.“My mom is so obvious.” Brock said suddenly, snapping Melissa back into the present, she'd be lost in her thoughts about what happened at the dinner table, did Blake still want her? But what about Brock? She found herself starting to fall for him the same way she did his brother. "Brock, what do you mean?" She asked, giving Brock a conflicted look. Brock paused, he was going to tell her about what his mother said, he knew what Elaine was up to, his mother had a big heart, she invited Melissa for two reasons, one was because she was alone at Christmas, Elaine hated the idea of anyone being a
Brock and Melissa walk down the street. Sully and Storm slightly out in front of them. Sniffing at all the new smells occasionally lifting their legs on the lampposts which bring the couple to a stop, only for them to carry on, after a few seconds of the dogs deciding that the smell is not worth following up.There is a comfortable silence between them, as they pass nicely decorated houses and now closed stores, it’s only broken when Brock tells Melissa about certain things that happened in specific places.“This is where I broke my leg when i was 15.” Brock said pointing at a plaza that had a statue of a unicorn in bronze, rearing up, on a plinth, surrounding it is stairs that lead down to a fountain, and railings.Brock continued on “I was a bit of a skater when I was younger. And I was trying to do an Ollie, and instead I fell, landing on my leg. It snapped in two places. I was in plaster for 8 weeks.” He chuckled at the memory.They walked a bit further “Oh this used
It was getting close to seven pm when the two walked in. Getting in out of the cold December air, the two took off their coats, and the leads off the dogs, Brock shut them in the small living room, that was separate to the one the family were sitting in.Elaine looked over to them when they walked in, “Hello lovely’s, are the dogs okay?”“Yeah they enjoyed their walk and even chased a squirrel.” Melissa said laughing.“It’s okay for you Sully pulled me into a bush.” Brock said with a smile.“So we thought we’d have a few drinks, and perhaps play a few more games?” Elaine said.“Before you do I have something for you.” Melissa disappeared into the kitchen and then returned five minutes later with the mince pies. “I Erm...... I made these for you guys, they are kind of a tradition in the U.K. we have them at Christmas and in my opinion they are delicious.” She said opening the biscuit tin, that she was holding, to show mince pies with icing sugar on top.“You can eat
The two sat on the steps to the porch and talked, the chiminea giving off a little heat, kept them warm.“I was out here taking photographs of the snow. It’s such a lovely picture, I couldn’t sleep.” Brock admitted.“Oh same. I tossed and turned.” Melissa agreed, taking a sip of the hot chocolate.Brock fiddled with the camera, holding it up, Melissa looked out over the street now covered in a cold white blanket. It sparkled under the dim light of the street lights. It looked so magical. Melissa thought how picturesque the street looked, the dark sky, the dim orange glow and the white snow.Even the cars were covered in the deep snow.Out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of light and whipped her head round to look, there with a guilty look on his face was Brock.“Oh my god Brock, you didn’t just take my picture? Give me the camera I’m deleting it.” Melissa placed her now empty mug under the swing seat on the porch, and she reached for the camera in Brock’s
THE NEXT MORNING - CHRISTMAS DAYMelissa woke up to bad breath, opening her eyes blearily, she saw a drooling, brown and white muzzle in her face “Urgh Sully you stink.” The St Bernard gave her a sloppy lick on her face. “Stop. I’m up.” Melissa said pushing the dogs face away gently.Sully got up and onto the floor, Melissa, sat up, scratching her head a little confused and woolly headed as to where she was for a little while.Getting up, she walked up to the back door, the dogs hot on her heels. Opening it, they ran out only to come to a sliding stop on the entryway floor, when they saw the snow. Storm looked out at the white blanket that now covered the previous lush green grass. Sully watched Storm eyeing him. He always made sure that it was safe by watching Storm in situations like these.Taking a couple of cautious steps forward he stuck his nose into the snow, sniffed, and growled at the cold white stuff, deciding it was safe, he ran off into the garden, chasing in
After letting the dogs in, Melissa walked back towards her basement bedroom, not looking around just focusing on where she was going. She was beyond angry, she felt humiliated and embarrassed.Melissa hated all these emotions and they were starting to overwhelm her, she felt the bitter sting of salty tears burn at the back of her eyes, swallowing hard so the tears didn’t fall, she walked bumping into another hard body. Not daring to look up at the face of the person, she knew who it was from the Avengers pyjamas.“Hey sweetheart.” Sleepy eyed, and hair all messed up from sleep, he had bare feet. His deep voice rumbled, Melissa looked up at him, he was looking at her with a bright smile on his face, when Melissa lifted her head, his smile faded.“Babygirl what’s wrong?” Brock asked quietly. Melissa couldn’t respond, the tears would fall if she did. Brock understood and putting his arm around her shoulder took her to her bedroom, as soon as she stepped onto the steps and the
CHRISTMAS DAY EVENINGMelissa was changing getting ready to go to bed, she smiled as she thought back to earlier in the day. They’d had an amazing dinner, and gone to relax. Elaine had opened some alcohol and Brock suggested that they play some drinking games, with their parents, Andrea could drink soda and join in. Elaine and Tony had passed on that idea so that just left Blake, Brock, Andrea and Melissa.Andrea said that it’s weird to play drinking games with her brothers, so she left to go up to bed. Which loosely translated she was going to go FaceTime her friends. That left Melissa, Blake and Brock. “Ok so how about we play monopoly with a twist?” Blake suggested. Brock and Blake explained the rules. When you land on another’s property the owner of said property tells you how much the rent is and what to drink, you pay the rent and chug a drink