FRIENDS--WHO NEEDS 'EM, ANYWAY?
MEL
Mel stepped out of bed, happy. She wasn't a morning person by any means, and was rarely ever happy to be out of bed before ten, but today was a good day. Taylor had woken her up with fantastic morning sex, which had been a pleasant surprise. Now she walked through the house on a warm April morning, the sun shining through the windows, the smell of coffee brewing in the kitchen, and the sound of Tay's voice as he sang
in the music room.
Intrigued, Mel took a detour on her way to the kitchen and approached the music room door. Quietly, she turned the knob and peeked inside. He sat at the piano, at laptop sitting on top of it. He was obviously writing and she didn't want to disturb him, so she stood in the doorway and listened for a moment. He paused long enough to type on his laptop and Fred took that opportunity to make his presence known, maneuvering in and out of her legs and meowing at her. As she scooped him off the floor, Tay turned around and smiled. "Oh. I had no idea you were there."
"I haven't been here long. Just thought I'd stop and listen for a second." It was in that moment, when she
deposited Fred back onto the floor, that she'd noticed the walls. Her mouth dropped open in shock at the framed, over-sized versions of her latest Maxim photos. When had he done this?
Tay followed her gaze and smiled. "What do you think?"
"When did you do this?"
"Yesterday. The prints came in a couple days ago. I couldn't wait to put them in here."
"That doesn't even feel like me," she said in awe. Then she smiled. "I'm almost jealous."
"Well I won't allow you to tear the hair out of that one," he joked, looking at the framed poster of her in the bed. "That's my dream girl up there."
Mel giggled and Tay smiled at her. "So what are your plans for today?"
"Nikki wants to take me to her stylist to test hairstyles. And maybe makeup. I'm not sure yet."
"Why? You don't need any of that stuff."
She blushed. "For the wedding."
He nodded in realization. "Oh. Okay. Any word on when you'll be home?"
"I don't know...is that a problem?"
"No," he said, shaking his head. "Just asking."
"Okay..." On that note, Mel made her way to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee, mulling. Mulling
over Tay and the pictures on the wall and the "When are you coming home?" The intimate sex that morning, the way he didn't mind her interrupting his writing--was this her life now? Was this their life? Was this the
way it was supposed to be? Happily ever after the way they have been these past couple of months? Did they finally reach the point they strived to years to get to?
Everything was going so well. How long would it last?
---------------------------
Mel asked Nikki this a couple hours later as they sat side-by-side in a pair of salon chairs. "I wouldn't question it," Nikki said. "Enjoy it. Maybe you've finally found your way. Maybe you two have had so much crap happen that you've finally cleansed yourselves of all of it and can finally move on and be happy. Like you're supposed to be."
Mel shot Nikki a smirk. "If that didn't make so much sense, I'd accuse you of sounding like a shrink."
"I'd almost kill to have your happiness right now," Nikki muttered.
Mel jerked her head toward her, which caused Amber, the stylist, to point her head back to its original position and command fearlessly, "Stay still."
"What does that mean?" Mel asked Nikki.
Nikki sighed and put her phone down. "Do you remember back when we hired the tutor for the boys?"
"I think so, yeah."
"Well her name is Kelly. And she's great. Awesome. Fabulous, even. The boys seem to love her and they're learning a lot from her. She's a life-saver and I couldn't be more grateful for her."
Mel smiled. "That's awesome, though."
"Yeah. Except that Ike really likes her, too."
"So? Shouldn't he? Since she's teaching his kids and all?"
"Yeah, but--like, they get along REALLY well. Almost too well."
"Nikki. Surely you're not feeling...I mean, come on."
"You hear all those horror stories about the nannies and stuff like that, like--you think you have the perfect marriage and then something like this happens and you start to think, 'That could be me!"
"Has anything actually happened?"
"No," she muttered. "But it could. I mean, what if it does? Kelly is REALLY pretty...and they have so much in common. Mel, I think I'm jealous of the tutor. She makes me nervous."
"I've known Ike for many years now. Many years. Even back when we were kids, he was the most loyal person I
knew. Trust me. Take it from someone who knows him. He only has eyes for you. I've met his girlfriends through the years--well, back in the day. He is head over heels crazy about you, even now. You have NOTHING to worry about. So he's friendly with the tutor. So what? He's also friendly with thousands of other girls on the road, too. Doesn't mean he's gonna leave you for any of them."
Nikki sighed. "This is the first time in our marriage I've ever been nervous."
"Do you want me to talk to him?"
"NO!" She said suddenly. Then she calmed herself. "I mean, uh, no. It's not necessary. I mean, I know he loves me. And I know he would never do anything like that. I just--I think maybe I'm psyching myself out a
little."
"I think that's exactly it."
"Okay," Amber butted in, spinning Mel around in the chair and handing her a mirror. "How's this?"
Mel looked at herself in the mirror, at the tight French twist with the tendrils that framed her face. She scrunched her nose up and shook her head. "No...I don't think that's right."
"This is the third one you've turned down. Did you, by chance, bring a picture of your dress?"
"Oh, I did," Nikki piped up. Then she giggled. "I've had this on my phone since the day you showed it to
me. I had a feeling I might need it for something."
She showed Amber, the small, bubbly stylist with the highlighted bob cut, the picture from her phone and Amber smiled. "Oh, look at that. Girl, I got this, that's no problem." In seconds, she started taking the pins and clips out of Mel's hair and getting back to work.
Suddenly, Nikki changed the subject to one that caused Mel's heart to drop into her stomach. "So how's Jason and his new girlfriend?"
Mel froze, unable to answer her. Surely she hadn't heard her correctly. "His new what?"
"His new girlfriend," she said simply. Then she shook her head in defeat. "How did you not know?"
"I haven't heard from Jason in a month," Mel said quietly.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah."
"Maybe that's why."
Mel couldn't fault Nikki for being so matter-of-fact on the subject. She told Nikki nearly everything, but Nikki
wasn't aware of exactly how deep her friendship with Jason went--or any of the conversations they'd had alone. Nobody knew that Jason had cornered her upstairs at the party in New York or that he'd texted her the next day to apologize for it. Nobody knew the raging jealousy she felt over his date at the party, or even now at the mention of a girlfriend. Nobody knew and nobody would ever understand.
"Could be," Mel muttered. "Good for him."
Amber stopped working on Mel's hair long enough to toss a magazine in her lap. "There, get yourself up to speed. It's been all over the media for the past month."
"The past month?"
Nikki nodded solemnly in agreement.
As Mel flipped through the pages of the weekly tabloid magazine that graced her lap, she found herself appalled at the sight. Paparazzi-type pictures of Jason and a tall blonde took up an entire page. The captions read that she was a Victoria's Secret model. "A model, huh?" she found herself muttering. "Wasn't aware he had a type."
"You honestly didn't know?" Nikki asked softly.
Mel shook her head.
"Hm. I figured you'd be the first to know. Hell, I figured you'd have met her and given your blessing by
now. You're his best friend."
Mel sighed. "Yeah, well, he's a grown man, he can do what he wants. And apparently, what he wants, are lingerie models."
Nikki reached over and took Mel's hand, gently. "Sweetie, Tay is the luckiest man in the world to have you.
Don't you ever forget that."
Mel smiled weakly at her. "Thanks. But it's not a matter of who's lucky to have who. Should I be offended that he didn't tell me about her? I mean, is he obligated to tell me? Are opposite sex friendships that much different than same sex ones? I mean...I don't know."
"Don't mind me butting in here," Amber said, suddenly. "But if he really is your best friend, and he valued your
opinion that much, he would have asked for your blessing and cared about how you felt about it."
"Really? You think so?"
"Yes."
"Well I know for a fact he's not a huge fan of mine and Tay's relationship..."
"Well..." Amber said in thought. "Did you tell him before it got everywhere?"
"He kinda walked into it. Like, mid...stuff...."
"I don't know then...I still say if he's your best friend, he should have told you first."
"I think I agree," said Nikki. "But then, he's a man. Who knows what he's actually thinking?"
Mel was silent after that. She couldn't deny her hurt feelings. Sure, she didn't expect him to stay single forever. That would be stupid. And unfair. In all honesty, she wasn't sure what hurt her more--seeing him with another woman, or the fact that he didn't seem to care enough to tell her before the pictures got out everywhere. And he had to know it was going to happen; that she was going to see them. Why would he choose to keep it to himself? He told her everything. Everything.
What was happening? Was he dropping her the same way Drew did?
------------------------------------
When Mel pulled up to her house, she was surprised to see the other cars in the driveway. Walking inside, she was stunned to see Taylor's parents, we well as her own, sitting around the living room. Tay's face lit up when he saw her and he wasted no time meeting her halfway. "Hey, you're back sooner than I thought you'd be."
"Uh, well it was only hair and makeup..." She glanced at her two sets of smiling parents. "What's all this?"
He glanced at them and then smiled back at her. "Come here, I have something to show you. I hope you like
them."
She followed him into the kitchen where she found the marble top island bogged down in red cards. Picking one up, he handed it to her and bit his lip. "Remember when I said I would handle the invitations? Well I did and...well, I hope I did it right."
Mel gazed at the red card with the white face, tracing her fingers over the translucent lace that wrapped around it, feeling the imprints of the black letters. She glanced back up at Tay in alarm. "Have we discussed colors yet?"
The blood drained from his face. "Um..."
"Because I honestly don't remember discussing colors."
"Neither do I."
"But this is exactly what I want."
His face lit up, a mix of shock and relief washing over him. "It is?"
"Yes," she looked up at him, wide-eyed. "How did you know?"
"Um...I didn't...I don't think...I just kinda did it."
"They're perfect," she whispered as she began to read the print. Her hand found her lips as she read the words, memories suddenly flooding her mind and filling her with emotion.
"As surely as the sun rises each day
So my love will never change
And though the years may come and go
My love will only grow and grow
Jordan Taylor Hanson
and
Melody Brianne Banks
Invite you to witness their exchanging of vows
of lifelong love and commitment
The twentieth day of October at
Corinthian Houston in Houston, Texas
I want to share every moment
Of the day with you
And I want to share every sunset and every sunrise
And every moonlit night"
Mel looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Oh, Tay. I remember when you guys released the album with
this song on it. I listened to it over and over again."
Tay blushed and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Yeah. Well Ike wrote it when we were kids, but it took on
new meaning for me after we...well after we reunited or whatever."
She smiled at him. "You know, in the beginning of all this, I was worried you'd be absent in the planning. But
you've really stepped up and done some fantastic things...that makes me so happy. I wanted us to plan together and you're making it a reality--I'm so proud of you. I'm so proud to be marrying you."
He leaned over and kissed her and then he said, "I hope you're up for a little mail party. I asked our parents over so we could go ahead and get them sent out. And I know they have the majority of the addresses and stuff we need, so. It made sense."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Is this why you wanted to know when I'd be home?"
"I might be guilty of that."
"I can't believe you."
He grinned. "Believe it. Ready to get started?"
"Have they seen them yet?"
Tay shook his head. "No, I wanted you to be the first."
Soon, the six adults--the future newlyweds and two sets of parents--sat around a table in the breakfast nook in the kitchen. Armed with pens, lists, stamps, and boxes for finished products, each person took their own list and got to work.
"We're handwriting these addresses?" Mel asked, wide-eyed.
Tay looked over at her, stopping the envelope he was working on. "Well, yeah. I think it gives it a bit of a personal touch. Don't you?"
Mel glanced at her own mother, Susan, as if she needed reassurance. Her mother nodded and Mel responded.
"Oh. Okay."
An hour passed. They seemed to get more talking done than writing. With each name on the list, there had to
be a conversation, it seemed. Whether it was a reminiscent story or an update of the guest's wellbeing, it easily took more than five minutes to address one card at times.
As Mel finished up the envelope she was on, Tay held his list out for her to see. Toward the bottom was Jason's name. "Hey, do we have an address to send his to?" he asked.
Mel was completely caught off guard. Jason hadn't crossed her mind in two hours. It was the best two hours
she'd had in a long time. But the truth was, she had no idea what to say. "Um, I actually don't know."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I don't know." She turned her attention to the next envelope and began to write the address. "Just
toss it to the side or mark him as sent or something. I'll just text him the details or whatever. We can put him on the list. It doesn't matter."
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tay's wrist holding the list rest on the table and his eyes bore into the side of her head. "Well I don't want it to get lost in the shuffle. We can just mail it to where he is. I'm sure he'll be wherever he is long enough to get it in the mail."
Frustrated, Mel put down her pen and looked over at him. "Tay, I don't know where he IS."
"Everything okay over there?" Mel's father asked from across the table.
Mel smiled across the table at Paul. "Yeah, Daddy. Everything's fine."
Tay rubbed the bridge of his nose and ran his hand through his hair.
"Well who are you trying to locate, maybe I can help," Paul continued.
Mel shook her head. "No. It's just--it's just Jason. It's not a big deal, really. We can probably use the extra envelope in case we mess one up or something."
She could see the confused expression on Tay's face out of the corner of her eye. She chose to ignore it. "So
what do you think about his new girlfriend?" her mother asked her, smiling. "Did she get the infamous Mel approval?"
Mel went back to her envelope. "Considering I just found out about her four hours ago in the pages of a
tabloid magazine, I'd say no."
The table fell silent. Finally Tay said quietly, "He didn't tell you?"
"I haven't heard from him in a month."
Tay reached over to her and covered her hand with his.
"Well I say it's for the better," her ever-outspoken father announced. "I think it would be strange to have a
random man walking around your wedding anyway."
Mel's eyes shot daggers across the table at her father as her mother scolded her husband. "He's not just some random man. He's my best friend."
"Well I'm sorry, Mel, I just don't care for the guy."
"Based on what? You barely know him!"
"That's exactly my point. If he's such a close friend of yours, why doesn't he come around that often? A real
friend would get to know your family."
Mel's eyes nearly jumped out of her head. "Um, have you BEEN to the movies lately? All he does is work!"
"Yes, and the couple times I met him, I found him rude, crass, and a little forward."
"Paul!" Susan scolded. "He isn't near as rude and crass as you are."
"I'm not the issue here, it's the company my daughter keeps that concerns me. And while we're on the subject, I never thought it was a good idea for you to be such close friends with a man to begin with. How do you think that makes Taylor feel? Why not keep Drew around? Now THAT is a best friend."
"Well, Daddy, because she dropped me like a bad habit several months ago. And if it makes you feel any better, it seems like Jason has done the same thing. So let's just drop it!"
"That right there just proved that I was right about him in the first place, then."
Mel finally slammed her pen down on the table. "You know, can we NOT talk about Jason anymore?" She then
pointed to Tay and herself. "This is OUR wedding here. Mine and Tay's. Is that not what we're here for? Or are we here to trash people we don't even know?"
With that, Walker's hand found it's way, supportively, to Paul's shoulder. "Come on, let's go have a beer. Let the ladies take over for awhile. Okay?" Then he winked at Tay and nodded toward the living room. "Come on, Tay."
As the men left the room, Mel dropped her pen and held her head in her hands in frustration. She was pissed
off. Pissed at Jason's silence. At her father's closed mindedness. At the fact that everyone but her seemed to know what was going on with her own friends. For a hot second she had her life under control. How did it all seem to be spiraling so quickly?
She looked up at her mother and Diana, each one with concerned expressions on their faces. "Am I wrong?" Mel asked. "Is it wrong that my best friend is--or was, I guess--a man? I mean, in this day and age, how big is the issue?"
Diana and Susan glanced at each other. "Well, no, it's not SO bad..." Diana's voice trailed off. "I mean--I guess
it just depends. Every person, every relationship, every friendship is completely different. None are the same."
Mel sighed. "Jason--Jason was there. Before Tay and I got back together, before he divorced Natalie--all
through that Natalie mess--Jason was there. He lifted me out of the dark place I'd been trapped in for so many years. I feel like I owe him, you know? Am I going about this the wrong way? Do I feel obligated to him because he single-handedly changed my life? Because that's exactly what he did. I mean, are we really friends? Or so I feel like I HAVE to keep him around because I think I'm indebted to him? I mean, seriously,
what gives here?"
Susan reached across the table and took her daughter's hand. "Mothers are supposed to have the answers to
everything. I know. But this time--this time, I just don't. I know what Jason means to you and, believe it or not, I know what you mean to him. You two have a great friendship and I would hate to see it ruined. We all know you don't want to lose another friend."
"What about Tay?" Mel asked. "Am I being unfair to him? Keeping Jason around? I'm mean, I just--this
whole opposite sex friendship thing is just really weird. Tay and I used to fight and fight over it. How funny is it that NOW Tay and I are in a good place where he's finally accepted it and now *I* am questioning it?" Mel chuckled. "I really do wonder sometimes if I'm legally insane or something."
"Tay is my son," Diana said. "And I love him more than anything. And I love you like you're my own daughter. I always have. But if I may be honest, if you say Jason was there before Tay was, ultimately, then what can Tay do? Like you said, he's accepted it now and things are great between the two of you. I, personally, see no problem in platonic friendships, just so long as everyone across the board knows where they stand."
"Everyone, huh?"
Diana nodded. "Everyone. Why, is there someone who isn't completely on board?"
Mel scoffed and shook her head. "Not in this house."
Susan sat back in her chair. "Oh, Mel. I had a feeling this would happen."
"He knows where I stand. He knows I love Tay and I'm going to marry him. He knows. He's known since day
one. Literally, our first date was a group date with Tay and Natalie. Jason knew then. There is no doubt in my mind, whatsoever, that Tay is my one and only. Period. I'm not the one who has the problem here."
"So what are you doing about it?" Diana asked.
"I talked to him. In not so many words, I told him he would have to back off. Emotionally. And apparently he's taken it literally. And with that, I don't really know why we're having this conversation, because it's obvious we're not as close as I thought we were, so. No harm done, right?"
"Sweetie, I'm sorry," her mother said, regretfully.
By this time, Mel was fully feeling the effects of self-pity. "Who needs friends anyway, right? They're nothing but trouble. I have Tay and I have my cat and I have my family. Nikki and Kate and I are pretty close. Who else do I really need? Honestly?"
Diana and Susan glanced at each other and then Susan said softly, "You know, honey, I think we're gonna go.
Okay? We can finish these another day, we've already done more than half. I think you and Tay need to spend some quality time together. Get his perspective, see if you can calm down. Okay? If anyone can make you feel better about it, I know he can."
----------------------------
An hour later, Mel found herself sitting at the island, nursing her second glass of wine while Tay pulled ingredients for dinner out of the refrigerator. "Tay. Does my friendship with Jason make you uncomfortable? Or, well, my seemingly former friendship?"
Tay stopped what he was doing and turned around to lean on the island across from her. "Um well...not...quite like it used to..."
"But it does."
"Well, I mean...it would certainly be easier if he were a woman, if you want me to be completely honest."
"Do you think I shouldn't be friends with him?"
"I think you should be friends with anyone you want to be."
"Are you saying that because you think that's what I want to hear?"
"No. I'm saying it because I truly mean it. If Jason's your friend, then he's your friend. And any friend of yours is a friend of mine. And besides it's like--god, it's like letting you pal around with Zac. If anyone's gonna be a bad influence on you, it's gonna be him." Tay laughed and went back to what he was doing. "Trust me."
Mel couldn't help but smirk into her wine glass. So this was it, huh? This was what a happy, healthy, stable
relationship with Tay felt like. God, why hadn't they figured this out years ago?
"So what are you gonna do with that chicken?" Mel asked.
"Oh. I found this awesome recipe..."
As Tay talked food, Mel listened intently. Her mother was right. If anyone could make her feel better, it was Taylor.
MEL
Mel stepped out of bed, happy. She wasn't a morning person by any means, and was rarely ever happy to be out of bed before ten, but today was a good day. Taylor had woken her up with fantastic morning sex, which had been a pleasant surprise. Now she walked through the house on a warm April morning, the sun shining through the windows, the smell of coffee brewing in the kitchen, and the sound of Tay's voice as he sang
in the music room.
Intrigued, Mel took a detour on her way to the kitchen and approached the music room door. Quietly, she turned the knob and peeked inside. He sat at the piano, at laptop sitting on top of it. He was obviously writing and she didn't want to disturb him, so she stood in the doorway and listened for a moment. He paused long enough to type on his laptop and Fred took that opportunity to make his presence known, maneuvering in and out of her legs and meowing at her. As she scooped him off the floor, Tay turned around and smiled. "Oh. I had no idea you were there."
"I haven't been here long. Just thought I'd stop and listen for a second." It was in that moment, when she
deposited Fred back onto the floor, that she'd noticed the walls. Her mouth dropped open in shock at the framed, over-sized versions of her latest Maxim photos. When had he done this?
Tay followed her gaze and smiled. "What do you think?"
"When did you do this?"
"Yesterday. The prints came in a couple days ago. I couldn't wait to put them in here."
"That doesn't even feel like me," she said in awe. Then she smiled. "I'm almost jealous."
"Well I won't allow you to tear the hair out of that one," he joked, looking at the framed poster of her in the bed. "That's my dream girl up there."
Mel giggled and Tay smiled at her. "So what are your plans for today?"
"Nikki wants to take me to her stylist to test hairstyles. And maybe makeup. I'm not sure yet."
"Why? You don't need any of that stuff."
She blushed. "For the wedding."
He nodded in realization. "Oh. Okay. Any word on when you'll be home?"
"I don't know...is that a problem?"
"No," he said, shaking his head. "Just asking."
"Okay..." On that note, Mel made her way to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee, mulling. Mulling
over Tay and the pictures on the wall and the "When are you coming home?" The intimate sex that morning, the way he didn't mind her interrupting his writing--was this her life now? Was this their life? Was this the
way it was supposed to be? Happily ever after the way they have been these past couple of months? Did they finally reach the point they strived to years to get to?
Everything was going so well. How long would it last?
---------------------------
Mel asked Nikki this a couple hours later as they sat side-by-side in a pair of salon chairs. "I wouldn't question it," Nikki said. "Enjoy it. Maybe you've finally found your way. Maybe you two have had so much crap happen that you've finally cleansed yourselves of all of it and can finally move on and be happy. Like you're supposed to be."
Mel shot Nikki a smirk. "If that didn't make so much sense, I'd accuse you of sounding like a shrink."
"I'd almost kill to have your happiness right now," Nikki muttered.
Mel jerked her head toward her, which caused Amber, the stylist, to point her head back to its original position and command fearlessly, "Stay still."
"What does that mean?" Mel asked Nikki.
Nikki sighed and put her phone down. "Do you remember back when we hired the tutor for the boys?"
"I think so, yeah."
"Well her name is Kelly. And she's great. Awesome. Fabulous, even. The boys seem to love her and they're learning a lot from her. She's a life-saver and I couldn't be more grateful for her."
Mel smiled. "That's awesome, though."
"Yeah. Except that Ike really likes her, too."
"So? Shouldn't he? Since she's teaching his kids and all?"
"Yeah, but--like, they get along REALLY well. Almost too well."
"Nikki. Surely you're not feeling...I mean, come on."
"You hear all those horror stories about the nannies and stuff like that, like--you think you have the perfect marriage and then something like this happens and you start to think, 'That could be me!"
"Has anything actually happened?"
"No," she muttered. "But it could. I mean, what if it does? Kelly is REALLY pretty...and they have so much in common. Mel, I think I'm jealous of the tutor. She makes me nervous."
"I've known Ike for many years now. Many years. Even back when we were kids, he was the most loyal person I
knew. Trust me. Take it from someone who knows him. He only has eyes for you. I've met his girlfriends through the years--well, back in the day. He is head over heels crazy about you, even now. You have NOTHING to worry about. So he's friendly with the tutor. So what? He's also friendly with thousands of other girls on the road, too. Doesn't mean he's gonna leave you for any of them."
Nikki sighed. "This is the first time in our marriage I've ever been nervous."
"Do you want me to talk to him?"
"NO!" She said suddenly. Then she calmed herself. "I mean, uh, no. It's not necessary. I mean, I know he loves me. And I know he would never do anything like that. I just--I think maybe I'm psyching myself out a
little."
"I think that's exactly it."
"Okay," Amber butted in, spinning Mel around in the chair and handing her a mirror. "How's this?"
Mel looked at herself in the mirror, at the tight French twist with the tendrils that framed her face. She scrunched her nose up and shook her head. "No...I don't think that's right."
"This is the third one you've turned down. Did you, by chance, bring a picture of your dress?"
"Oh, I did," Nikki piped up. Then she giggled. "I've had this on my phone since the day you showed it to
me. I had a feeling I might need it for something."
She showed Amber, the small, bubbly stylist with the highlighted bob cut, the picture from her phone and Amber smiled. "Oh, look at that. Girl, I got this, that's no problem." In seconds, she started taking the pins and clips out of Mel's hair and getting back to work.
Suddenly, Nikki changed the subject to one that caused Mel's heart to drop into her stomach. "So how's Jason and his new girlfriend?"
Mel froze, unable to answer her. Surely she hadn't heard her correctly. "His new what?"
"His new girlfriend," she said simply. Then she shook her head in defeat. "How did you not know?"
"I haven't heard from Jason in a month," Mel said quietly.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah."
"Maybe that's why."
Mel couldn't fault Nikki for being so matter-of-fact on the subject. She told Nikki nearly everything, but Nikki
wasn't aware of exactly how deep her friendship with Jason went--or any of the conversations they'd had alone. Nobody knew that Jason had cornered her upstairs at the party in New York or that he'd texted her the next day to apologize for it. Nobody knew the raging jealousy she felt over his date at the party, or even now at the mention of a girlfriend. Nobody knew and nobody would ever understand.
"Could be," Mel muttered. "Good for him."
Amber stopped working on Mel's hair long enough to toss a magazine in her lap. "There, get yourself up to speed. It's been all over the media for the past month."
"The past month?"
Nikki nodded solemnly in agreement.
As Mel flipped through the pages of the weekly tabloid magazine that graced her lap, she found herself appalled at the sight. Paparazzi-type pictures of Jason and a tall blonde took up an entire page. The captions read that she was a Victoria's Secret model. "A model, huh?" she found herself muttering. "Wasn't aware he had a type."
"You honestly didn't know?" Nikki asked softly.
Mel shook her head.
"Hm. I figured you'd be the first to know. Hell, I figured you'd have met her and given your blessing by
now. You're his best friend."
Mel sighed. "Yeah, well, he's a grown man, he can do what he wants. And apparently, what he wants, are lingerie models."
Nikki reached over and took Mel's hand, gently. "Sweetie, Tay is the luckiest man in the world to have you.
Don't you ever forget that."
Mel smiled weakly at her. "Thanks. But it's not a matter of who's lucky to have who. Should I be offended that he didn't tell me about her? I mean, is he obligated to tell me? Are opposite sex friendships that much different than same sex ones? I mean...I don't know."
"Don't mind me butting in here," Amber said, suddenly. "But if he really is your best friend, and he valued your
opinion that much, he would have asked for your blessing and cared about how you felt about it."
"Really? You think so?"
"Yes."
"Well I know for a fact he's not a huge fan of mine and Tay's relationship..."
"Well..." Amber said in thought. "Did you tell him before it got everywhere?"
"He kinda walked into it. Like, mid...stuff...."
"I don't know then...I still say if he's your best friend, he should have told you first."
"I think I agree," said Nikki. "But then, he's a man. Who knows what he's actually thinking?"
Mel was silent after that. She couldn't deny her hurt feelings. Sure, she didn't expect him to stay single forever. That would be stupid. And unfair. In all honesty, she wasn't sure what hurt her more--seeing him with another woman, or the fact that he didn't seem to care enough to tell her before the pictures got out everywhere. And he had to know it was going to happen; that she was going to see them. Why would he choose to keep it to himself? He told her everything. Everything.
What was happening? Was he dropping her the same way Drew did?
------------------------------------
When Mel pulled up to her house, she was surprised to see the other cars in the driveway. Walking inside, she was stunned to see Taylor's parents, we well as her own, sitting around the living room. Tay's face lit up when he saw her and he wasted no time meeting her halfway. "Hey, you're back sooner than I thought you'd be."
"Uh, well it was only hair and makeup..." She glanced at her two sets of smiling parents. "What's all this?"
He glanced at them and then smiled back at her. "Come here, I have something to show you. I hope you like
them."
She followed him into the kitchen where she found the marble top island bogged down in red cards. Picking one up, he handed it to her and bit his lip. "Remember when I said I would handle the invitations? Well I did and...well, I hope I did it right."
Mel gazed at the red card with the white face, tracing her fingers over the translucent lace that wrapped around it, feeling the imprints of the black letters. She glanced back up at Tay in alarm. "Have we discussed colors yet?"
The blood drained from his face. "Um..."
"Because I honestly don't remember discussing colors."
"Neither do I."
"But this is exactly what I want."
His face lit up, a mix of shock and relief washing over him. "It is?"
"Yes," she looked up at him, wide-eyed. "How did you know?"
"Um...I didn't...I don't think...I just kinda did it."
"They're perfect," she whispered as she began to read the print. Her hand found her lips as she read the words, memories suddenly flooding her mind and filling her with emotion.
"As surely as the sun rises each day
So my love will never change
And though the years may come and go
My love will only grow and grow
Jordan Taylor Hanson
and
Melody Brianne Banks
Invite you to witness their exchanging of vows
of lifelong love and commitment
The twentieth day of October at
Corinthian Houston in Houston, Texas
I want to share every moment
Of the day with you
And I want to share every sunset and every sunrise
And every moonlit night"
Mel looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Oh, Tay. I remember when you guys released the album with
this song on it. I listened to it over and over again."
Tay blushed and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Yeah. Well Ike wrote it when we were kids, but it took on
new meaning for me after we...well after we reunited or whatever."
She smiled at him. "You know, in the beginning of all this, I was worried you'd be absent in the planning. But
you've really stepped up and done some fantastic things...that makes me so happy. I wanted us to plan together and you're making it a reality--I'm so proud of you. I'm so proud to be marrying you."
He leaned over and kissed her and then he said, "I hope you're up for a little mail party. I asked our parents over so we could go ahead and get them sent out. And I know they have the majority of the addresses and stuff we need, so. It made sense."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Is this why you wanted to know when I'd be home?"
"I might be guilty of that."
"I can't believe you."
He grinned. "Believe it. Ready to get started?"
"Have they seen them yet?"
Tay shook his head. "No, I wanted you to be the first."
Soon, the six adults--the future newlyweds and two sets of parents--sat around a table in the breakfast nook in the kitchen. Armed with pens, lists, stamps, and boxes for finished products, each person took their own list and got to work.
"We're handwriting these addresses?" Mel asked, wide-eyed.
Tay looked over at her, stopping the envelope he was working on. "Well, yeah. I think it gives it a bit of a personal touch. Don't you?"
Mel glanced at her own mother, Susan, as if she needed reassurance. Her mother nodded and Mel responded.
"Oh. Okay."
An hour passed. They seemed to get more talking done than writing. With each name on the list, there had to
be a conversation, it seemed. Whether it was a reminiscent story or an update of the guest's wellbeing, it easily took more than five minutes to address one card at times.
As Mel finished up the envelope she was on, Tay held his list out for her to see. Toward the bottom was Jason's name. "Hey, do we have an address to send his to?" he asked.
Mel was completely caught off guard. Jason hadn't crossed her mind in two hours. It was the best two hours
she'd had in a long time. But the truth was, she had no idea what to say. "Um, I actually don't know."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I don't know." She turned her attention to the next envelope and began to write the address. "Just
toss it to the side or mark him as sent or something. I'll just text him the details or whatever. We can put him on the list. It doesn't matter."
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tay's wrist holding the list rest on the table and his eyes bore into the side of her head. "Well I don't want it to get lost in the shuffle. We can just mail it to where he is. I'm sure he'll be wherever he is long enough to get it in the mail."
Frustrated, Mel put down her pen and looked over at him. "Tay, I don't know where he IS."
"Everything okay over there?" Mel's father asked from across the table.
Mel smiled across the table at Paul. "Yeah, Daddy. Everything's fine."
Tay rubbed the bridge of his nose and ran his hand through his hair.
"Well who are you trying to locate, maybe I can help," Paul continued.
Mel shook her head. "No. It's just--it's just Jason. It's not a big deal, really. We can probably use the extra envelope in case we mess one up or something."
She could see the confused expression on Tay's face out of the corner of her eye. She chose to ignore it. "So
what do you think about his new girlfriend?" her mother asked her, smiling. "Did she get the infamous Mel approval?"
Mel went back to her envelope. "Considering I just found out about her four hours ago in the pages of a
tabloid magazine, I'd say no."
The table fell silent. Finally Tay said quietly, "He didn't tell you?"
"I haven't heard from him in a month."
Tay reached over to her and covered her hand with his.
"Well I say it's for the better," her ever-outspoken father announced. "I think it would be strange to have a
random man walking around your wedding anyway."
Mel's eyes shot daggers across the table at her father as her mother scolded her husband. "He's not just some random man. He's my best friend."
"Well I'm sorry, Mel, I just don't care for the guy."
"Based on what? You barely know him!"
"That's exactly my point. If he's such a close friend of yours, why doesn't he come around that often? A real
friend would get to know your family."
Mel's eyes nearly jumped out of her head. "Um, have you BEEN to the movies lately? All he does is work!"
"Yes, and the couple times I met him, I found him rude, crass, and a little forward."
"Paul!" Susan scolded. "He isn't near as rude and crass as you are."
"I'm not the issue here, it's the company my daughter keeps that concerns me. And while we're on the subject, I never thought it was a good idea for you to be such close friends with a man to begin with. How do you think that makes Taylor feel? Why not keep Drew around? Now THAT is a best friend."
"Well, Daddy, because she dropped me like a bad habit several months ago. And if it makes you feel any better, it seems like Jason has done the same thing. So let's just drop it!"
"That right there just proved that I was right about him in the first place, then."
Mel finally slammed her pen down on the table. "You know, can we NOT talk about Jason anymore?" She then
pointed to Tay and herself. "This is OUR wedding here. Mine and Tay's. Is that not what we're here for? Or are we here to trash people we don't even know?"
With that, Walker's hand found it's way, supportively, to Paul's shoulder. "Come on, let's go have a beer. Let the ladies take over for awhile. Okay?" Then he winked at Tay and nodded toward the living room. "Come on, Tay."
As the men left the room, Mel dropped her pen and held her head in her hands in frustration. She was pissed
off. Pissed at Jason's silence. At her father's closed mindedness. At the fact that everyone but her seemed to know what was going on with her own friends. For a hot second she had her life under control. How did it all seem to be spiraling so quickly?
She looked up at her mother and Diana, each one with concerned expressions on their faces. "Am I wrong?" Mel asked. "Is it wrong that my best friend is--or was, I guess--a man? I mean, in this day and age, how big is the issue?"
Diana and Susan glanced at each other. "Well, no, it's not SO bad..." Diana's voice trailed off. "I mean--I guess
it just depends. Every person, every relationship, every friendship is completely different. None are the same."
Mel sighed. "Jason--Jason was there. Before Tay and I got back together, before he divorced Natalie--all
through that Natalie mess--Jason was there. He lifted me out of the dark place I'd been trapped in for so many years. I feel like I owe him, you know? Am I going about this the wrong way? Do I feel obligated to him because he single-handedly changed my life? Because that's exactly what he did. I mean, are we really friends? Or so I feel like I HAVE to keep him around because I think I'm indebted to him? I mean, seriously,
what gives here?"
Susan reached across the table and took her daughter's hand. "Mothers are supposed to have the answers to
everything. I know. But this time--this time, I just don't. I know what Jason means to you and, believe it or not, I know what you mean to him. You two have a great friendship and I would hate to see it ruined. We all know you don't want to lose another friend."
"What about Tay?" Mel asked. "Am I being unfair to him? Keeping Jason around? I'm mean, I just--this
whole opposite sex friendship thing is just really weird. Tay and I used to fight and fight over it. How funny is it that NOW Tay and I are in a good place where he's finally accepted it and now *I* am questioning it?" Mel chuckled. "I really do wonder sometimes if I'm legally insane or something."
"Tay is my son," Diana said. "And I love him more than anything. And I love you like you're my own daughter. I always have. But if I may be honest, if you say Jason was there before Tay was, ultimately, then what can Tay do? Like you said, he's accepted it now and things are great between the two of you. I, personally, see no problem in platonic friendships, just so long as everyone across the board knows where they stand."
"Everyone, huh?"
Diana nodded. "Everyone. Why, is there someone who isn't completely on board?"
Mel scoffed and shook her head. "Not in this house."
Susan sat back in her chair. "Oh, Mel. I had a feeling this would happen."
"He knows where I stand. He knows I love Tay and I'm going to marry him. He knows. He's known since day
one. Literally, our first date was a group date with Tay and Natalie. Jason knew then. There is no doubt in my mind, whatsoever, that Tay is my one and only. Period. I'm not the one who has the problem here."
"So what are you doing about it?" Diana asked.
"I talked to him. In not so many words, I told him he would have to back off. Emotionally. And apparently he's taken it literally. And with that, I don't really know why we're having this conversation, because it's obvious we're not as close as I thought we were, so. No harm done, right?"
"Sweetie, I'm sorry," her mother said, regretfully.
By this time, Mel was fully feeling the effects of self-pity. "Who needs friends anyway, right? They're nothing but trouble. I have Tay and I have my cat and I have my family. Nikki and Kate and I are pretty close. Who else do I really need? Honestly?"
Diana and Susan glanced at each other and then Susan said softly, "You know, honey, I think we're gonna go.
Okay? We can finish these another day, we've already done more than half. I think you and Tay need to spend some quality time together. Get his perspective, see if you can calm down. Okay? If anyone can make you feel better about it, I know he can."
----------------------------
An hour later, Mel found herself sitting at the island, nursing her second glass of wine while Tay pulled ingredients for dinner out of the refrigerator. "Tay. Does my friendship with Jason make you uncomfortable? Or, well, my seemingly former friendship?"
Tay stopped what he was doing and turned around to lean on the island across from her. "Um well...not...quite like it used to..."
"But it does."
"Well, I mean...it would certainly be easier if he were a woman, if you want me to be completely honest."
"Do you think I shouldn't be friends with him?"
"I think you should be friends with anyone you want to be."
"Are you saying that because you think that's what I want to hear?"
"No. I'm saying it because I truly mean it. If Jason's your friend, then he's your friend. And any friend of yours is a friend of mine. And besides it's like--god, it's like letting you pal around with Zac. If anyone's gonna be a bad influence on you, it's gonna be him." Tay laughed and went back to what he was doing. "Trust me."
Mel couldn't help but smirk into her wine glass. So this was it, huh? This was what a happy, healthy, stable
relationship with Tay felt like. God, why hadn't they figured this out years ago?
"So what are you gonna do with that chicken?" Mel asked.
"Oh. I found this awesome recipe..."
As Tay talked food, Mel listened intently. Her mother was right. If anyone could make her feel better, it was Taylor.