FDTS - Pt. 1, Chapter Two Cnt.

Chapter Two, Cont.

The next morning couldn't have been scripted any more typically had I hired a screenwriter to do it for me. I swore at the alarm clock the same way I always did before climbing into the shower and praying for hot water to bring me into the land of the living. By the time I threw on a casual button-down shirt and a pair of Dockers, I was slightly more coherent and meandering into the kitchen for a travel mug full of coffee did the final trick in revitalizing me.

Scott's culinary weaknesses aside, the man could make a mean cup of java and for that, I was eternally grateful. I saluted him on the way out the door and watched him nod as he threaded his tie and worked on getting himself ready.

Scott, on the other hand, grabbed his suit jacket and briefcase, heading down to his black BMW while juggling those items with the coffee he'd poured for the road. The same old pair of sunglasses perched on his face, he also sported the same clean-shaven look as usual and I imagine his unruly bangs already drifting into his eyes despite the gel he normally used to hold them hostage. The thoughts crossing his mind, however, weren't the normal musings of legal briefs and what the weekend would have in store.

Instead, his mind remained fixed on his conversation with Melissa from the night before.

No sooner were the keys in the ignition and the car on its way to the towering monolith Preston, Hunt, and Meyer occupied in downtown Raleigh, than Scott's mind found itself revisiting the moment he walked into our apartment and felt the cell phone in his pocket buzz with an incoming phone call. The young corporate attorney quickly tossed his briefcase onto the couch with his keys and dug into his pocket for his phone. “Hello?” barely made it out of his mouth before the final ring threatened to kick the caller into voice mail.

Scott frowned and turned onto the freeway as the memory of her voice played inside his head.

Melissa hesitated at first, then answered with a cool and confident, “Hi, Scott. It's Mel.”

He shifted the phone to his other ear, sitting next to his discarded personal items. “Hey, Mel,” he said while he tried to ignore the way his stomach sank. Melissa never called him to inform him she was on her way over. There was an ulterior motive behind this call. “What's going on? I was expecting to see you in a few here.”

“Yeah, I know. About that. . .” Melissa paused. “I have to stay late. I'm sorry I can't join you guys, but you all have fun without me.”

Her voice unaffected, Melissa didn't sound all that apologetic and Scott heard voices in the background which only made him more upset. Joey, Martin, and the the professor they worked with, Dr. Robert McIntire. He only faintly remembered McIntire from his undergrad days; it was the other two who had his attention and his ire raised at the same time. Their laughter reached through the phone as if to mock him. “You can't pull away early for one night?” he asked. “I went through hell to get home by 6:30. And I haven't seen you since last week.”

“I know, Scott. I know. But this is just too important.”

“More important than me.”

She paused. Several seconds passed before she responded. “That's not fair. I didn't say. . .”

“Mel,” Scott said, standing. He stripped off his suit jacket and allowed it to fall to the ground. “Whether or not you said it, that's exactly what you meant.”

“That is not exactly what I meant.”

“Then why can't you break away?”

“Don't do this to me, Scott.”

“One night. One lousy night. You can't part yourself from science for a few hours even for my sake.”

“Damn it, Scott.” Melissa sighed. “Please. . . I'm begging you not to do this to me.”

“Not to do this to you? Do you see that Mel?” Scott asked, gesturing with his hand as he spoke. “. . . It's all about you. What you have going on. What plans you've made.”

“What. . .” The sound of Melissa shifting the phone to her other ear interrupted her speaking. Her voice lowered to a whisper. “What would you have me do? Huh? Ruin the chance I have to further my career?”

The sarcasm hung thick in Scott's voice when he responded. “No, Mel, I wouldn't dream of having you ruin your career.” He ran his hand through his auburn hair in a frustrated gesture. His hand remained poised atop his head while he paced the room, but he stopped walking once he reached the glass door leading out to the balcony.

Neither of them spoke for several seconds again. Melissa was the one to finally break the ice. “It's them, isn't it?” she asked.

Scott took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. He nodded. “Yeah, in some way it is them. They see you more than I do.”

“I know.” A sigh punctuated her words, almost as if Melissa came close to wavering. She quickly recovered, though. “Well, this is who I'm working with. It's not my fault you all have it out for each other.”

Scott's eyes remained fixed outside the balcony door, the sight of stars dotting the night sky forcing him to sigh as well. The night he proposed to her, everything seemed to be right with the world. What happened to that certainty?

“I have to go now,” Melissa said.

Scott rubbed his face with his hand and allowed it to drop to his side. “Yeah, I know you do.”

“It isn't a big deal, you know. We have that appointment with the florist tomorrow. I promise I'll be there.”

“Yeah, alright,” he said, but this was only another stinging reminder of the state of their relationship. Melissa refused to set a date. He had no idea why she wanted to bother with plans and preparations, even in the half-hearted manner she was pursuing them. Still, it was better than nothing. “The florist near the campus?” Scott asked.

“Yes, that's right. At 11:30.” Melissa paused. “Scott?”

“What is it, Mel?” Scott didn't bother to cover the annoyance present in his voice.

“I love you.”

Scott nodded. “I love you too,” he said, but the click on the other line made it all seem hollow and when he closed his phone and tossed it onto the couch, he only got more frustrated with reality. It still had him upset the next day, if he had to be honest with himself.

Melissa was little more than a ghost. As Scott exited the interstate and turned in the direction of the office, he couldn't help but think of the apathy she had regarding the future, as though they didn't have one and this was all a charade. Oh sure, things would be great – yeah, Scott, whatever, we'll get a nice place in Chapel Hill or Durham or something. Maybe Raleigh so you can be closer to work. With a frown, he pulled into a parking garage and sat in his car even after he'd taken a ticket and settled into a space. His blue eyes remained fixed on the horizon much the same as they had the night before.

Would she even show up today?

Grabbing for his briefcase, he opened the door and exited the car for the safety of his small office. There was only one way he'd discover the answer to that question. First, he had to pay his dues. Then he would see if a certain elusive, blonde-haired woman would be there to greet him on his lunch break.



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