Yay! Chapter Two! I hope you guys like it.
A picture of the dress is after the chapter. Melissa picked it out herself.
Enjoy!
Chapter Two: Dates are a Great Way to Keep the Romance Aflame
Melissa looked at herself in the mirror for a final time before walking downstairs to a grinning Nick. He’d been waiting only a few minutes, letting himself into her small but comfortable home at her request. As she descended the stairs he stood at the stairwell, ready to see her.
“You look gorgeous,” he said, kissing her on the cheek. She’d put a little bit more effort into getting ready this evening. Her hair was curled, big brown ringlets falling around her shoulders some of it pulled up slightly. A single curl refused to stay put, and was instead framing her face. She was wearing a dress, slightly more formal than her normal style, black and falling a little above the knee, a small tie detail flowing down the front.
“Thank you!” She said, twirling her engagement ring on her finger. “You don’t look so bad yourself, hot stuff.” She was smiling, her hand slipping into his effortlessly as she grabbed her purse and they walked out the door.
They drove to a small restaurant on the outskirts of town. Her green Converse hit the pavement softly as they got out of Nick’s small car. His tie flapped in the breeze as he put an arm around her waist as they walked into the restaurant.
“Wow Nick, what’s the occasion?” Melissa joked as they found their seats, a waiter quickly coming to take their drink orders.
When the waiter walked away, Nick’s brown eyes gazed intently into her blue ones. “I don’t need a special occasion to take you out.” Melissa felt her knees get weak and she was thankful that she was sitting. “I know the wedding planning has been hectic for us both, and work is taking up so much of our time, so I thought that tonight would be just about us. Your best friend is coming in a couple of days and I know you’re going to want to spend time with her. So we’ve got tonight.”
Melissa wasn’t the crying type, but she felt tears welling in her eyes at the sincerity of Nick’s voice as he finished his sentence. She didn’t get a chance to respond, as the waiter brought their drinks and took their order, but she knew she didn’t need to.
The dinner was spent amiably, the two laughing and talking more than they’d been able to in weeks. While they saw a lot of each other, it was mostly wedding planning and less about their actual relationship. After it was over, Nick paid the bill with thanks from Melissa as they walked out with a hand on the small of her back, gently leading her outside.
“Where’s the usual amount of jewelry?” Nick said once they were situated in the car. Melissa looked down with a smile at her choices for the date. Although she was a big fan of jewelry, she’d chosen to keep it simple with only her engagement ring and a necklace with a guitar pick he’d given her dangling from it.
“I don’t know, this just felt right,” Melissa said, sighing as they drove to his house. She didn’t say they were her favorites because they were from him, but words weren’t often needed between the two of them. Sure they’d talked tons and knew everything about each other from favorite colors to where their scars were and how they’d gotten them.
They pulled into Nick’s driveway, the sun now set and the stars twinkling merrily. He let her in his home with a smile and Melissa laughed at the mess on the living room table.
“I forgot to clean,” he said sheepishly, but Melissa just shook her head. It wasn’t messy as much as disheveled, and she was sure there was a method to the madness. “I have a song I want you to hear. I just wrote it and I was going to surprise you at the show on Thursday, but I can’t wait.”
Melissa found herself blushing. “Okay.” She sat on his sofa, pulling off her converse and sitting barefoot. She watched him grab his favorite acoustic from its stand and listened as he strummed a melody. Her head was bobbing to the beat as she closed her eyes, listening. His voice soon joined the music, and Melissa’s eyes opened as the words he was saying hit her.
He was talking about love. How much he was glad he’d found someone to be with, about perfection. The song ended and he moved closer to her on the couch. She faced him and their lips met in a slow and tender kiss.
