JUST ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE
MEL
Taylor was useless for the next four days and Mel didn't press the wedding issue for feeling guilty for
interrupting his work. Never mind the fact that they were looking at nine months now until the wedding date. Her nerves were beginning to eat at her.
Mel hadn't realized until the day before that, not only was she expected to go to Jamaica with Tay and the band, but there was already a plane ticket in existence for her as well. "Of course you're going. Why wouldn't you go?"
And then Mel had a meltdown. She spent two precious hours of packing time crying over who would take care of Fred, when would they ever start planning their wedding, the two events she was planning in New York that were coming up soon, and her obvious lack of a tan, making her incredibly insecure about how white she would look on a tropical island. "Why would you spring this on me like this?"
"Spring it on you? Mel, we've been planning this for months."
"We have?"
Tay looked into the air in thought. "Well...yeah...I mean, this isn't our first trip."
"Maybe not YOURS."
And that was how Mel ended up on her laptop in a lounge chair on a Jamaican beach, flanked by Nikki and Kate. "You know, Tay's not gonna like you working when you're supposed to be on vacation," Nikki said.
"Well he's working," Mel muttered.
"But this is fun work for them," Nikki said. "It's more laid back and not as stressful as normal."
Mel continued to be wrapped up in her laptop, organizing a guest list for one of the New York events coming up in the next month that she'd been asked to organize. She glanced nonchalantly over at Nikki. "How would he know whether he liked if I was working or not? He just spent ten years with a woman who couldn't even spell the word."
Out of the corners of her eyes, she could see Nikki and Kate glance at each other over her head. Nikki scoffed and then giggled. Mel stole a glance over at Kate, who tried to keep the corners of her mouth from turning up. "Anyway, I'm organizing a benefit to support the emergency responders in New York City. It's going to be fabulous. You guys should come. It's next month. We can make it a girls' weekend."
"And leave Tay at home," Kate said in disbelief. "Yeah right."
"Sure. Why not?"
"I'd like to see how that's gonna go down."
Mel straightened up to face Kate face-to-face. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Kate put down her crossword puzzle and lifted her sunglasses. "You honestly think he's going to just say, 'Okay, dear, have fun, see you when you get home.' ?"
"Why wouldn't he?"
Kate looked at her in thought and shrugged. "Well it might not be like that, but he sure will be all over Zac that weekend, lamenting about it." She sighed and went back to her puzzle.
Mel narrowed her eyes at her. "Why would that even matter? You'll be in the city with me and Nikki."
Kate looked at her blankly, then over Mel's head at Nikki. She sighed in frustration. "I think my daiquiri is empty. Another one might help me function. You guys seen the waiter?"
Mel and Nikki burst out laughing and all three began craning their necks for the waiter. That was one of the perks of the resort they stayed in. Neither of the women had to touch a toe to the sand to get a
beverage--they came to them.
"So what type of event are we talking about? I mean, how big?" Nikki asked.
"Well it's not really Hollywood red carpet or anything. There will be some celebrities there, but mostly the mayor, local politicians, wealthy Wall Street types. And of course a large number of the emergency responders. It's a formal event with dinner, drinks, and an auction. Much like the one we did in LA awhile back. This one is slightly more low key, though. It'll be nice."
"Well I'm honored you invited us," Nikki said. Then she was instantly distracted by a perfume sample in the magazine she was flipping through and the conversation shifted to cosmetics.
Within minutes, Mel's heart raced with a vengeance as she discovered a discrepancy with the guest list and venue capacity and her phone was on her ear in an instant as the guys approached them, Tay with coffee in hand.
"Wow, Tay, leave it to you to have hot coffee in a hot climate," Mel heard Kate comment as the phone rang in her other ear.
Tay approached Mel and smiled, asking her what she was up to when, miraculously, someone finally answered on the other end. "Joann! Thank god you answered, do you have a minute? I think we might have a slight issue..."
Faintly, she could hear Tay ask the other two women, "What's going on?"
"She's working," Nikki said.
"What? Working?"
Mel threw daggers at Tay with her eyes and he closed his mouth on the subject.
Twenty minutes later, Mel hadn't realized she'd been that far into the zone until she looked around her and everyone had gone except for Tay, who had taken Kate's chair next to her on right and had since traded his coffee for a beer. Mel closed her laptop and looked at him, sure his eyes were closed under his sunglasses.
"You okay?" she asked.
Tay looked over at her. "I'm fine. What's going on over there?"
Mel sighed, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry. We're just trying to get this RSVP list nailed down so we can get started on the catering. I have a lot done, but there's still so much more left to do."
"No need to apologize. I understand."
"But you're mad."
"I'm not mad."
"You're disappointed."
Tay sighed. "No. I don't know. Maybe a little. I just wanted this to be a relaxing weekend for you. And for us to be able to spend some time together when I wasn't busy."
Mel smiled and reached over and took his hand. "But I am relaxed. How could I not be with this view?" Mel was referring to the gorgeous, and nearly empty, beach that lay before them.
"Really?" Tay said, skeptically. "Your phone conversation didn't sound so relaxing."
Mel was annoyed and fought to suppress it. "So what are you doing right now?"
"Drinking a beer, it seems."
"Tay."
"We have a couple of hours and I was gonna ask you if you wanted to grab some lunch."
At the mere mention of the word "lunch," Mel's stomach grumbled. She wasn't aware of how hungry she actually was until that moment. Evidently Tay heard it and he laughed, glancing at her stomach. "I take that as a yes?"
--------------------------------------
Lunch was a nightmare. Taylor took a call. Mel took a call. Then she sent an email. And then she took another call. She apologized profusely to Tay the entire time. He acted fine about it, but in reality she knew that wasn't the case. She could feel it. But she couldn't help it either. Actually, she could help it, but if she
wanted to keep her name from being smeared in the mud, she couldn't ignore the kinks she was apparently having with this benefit. It was only a month away! She felt bad for practically ignoring him, but he was there for work. He just HAD to understand.
The last text she answered just put one more thing on her to-do list.
"You think for our next meal, we should leave your phone in the room?" Tay suggested.
So much for suppressing her annoyance. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? Tay, I am sorry. I have things that need to get done. You're working, too. What the hell am I supposed to do, sit and twiddle my thumbs until you get a free second?"
"Well, I had hoped that you would WANT to come here and that you would WANT to support me, but maybe asking you to come along was a mistake."
"You didn't ASK me anything! You basically said 'you're going' and here I am."
"So you're saying you have better things to do than be with me. Okay then. Whatever you say."
"You're putting words in my mouth!"
"You're creating a scene."
"You provoked it," she hissed at him, lowering her voice.
"Look, I'm gonna go. I have somewhere I gotta be," Tay said, standing up.
"The hell you do. You sit back down, you don't have anywhere to be for another hour. I know your schedule."
Slowly, Tay sat back down, a new spark in his eyes. "You know my schedule?" he asked quietly.
"Of course I know your schedule," Mel spat at him. "Why wouldn't I? And apparently I know Zac's, too. You're not the only one who has somewhere to be in an hour. I just got roped into tie dying."
"Tie dying?"
"Yeah," Mel said, calming down and laying her napkin in her plate. "Apparently there are more participants than Zac expected and he thinks he's gonna need some help."
"Well--well, that's good of you to do that," Tay said.
Mel sighed. "I know you feel like I don't care or I don't want to be here. And I'm sorry I've come across that way. I DO care. And look around, why the hell wouldn't I want to be here? It's just that, at the same time--I have a lot on my plate right now, you know? I have the EMS benefit in New York coming up and another event right behind that, we HAVE to get started with the wedding, and then whatever else I need to do at the label and--I thought you would understand that I need every free second I can get to get everything done."
Tay rested his elbows on the table and nodded. "I know. I know. Maybe tensions are a little high right now and we're taking them out on each other. I mean, it's what we do best, right?"
"Tensions? Is everything okay?"
"Well, yeah, everything's okay. Just little things here and there, little kinks that need to be worked out--which add up. Sometimes I feel like things are a little too laid back here and it feels like it takes extra work to wrangle everyone together. I realize where we are. Everybody wants to have a good time. But work now, play later, you know? I guess that's one of the things you and I have in common and that's how WE end up
butting heads. But butting heads with you is NOT what I need on this trip. And butting heads with me is not what YOU need, either. I need to be able to vent to you when Ike has had one drink too many or Zac has
misplaced a cord or a drum stick or something."
Mel smiled. "I can get on board with that. And speaking of Zac, I guess it's time to change my clothes and prepare to get colorful."
Tay smiled back at her. "And I have to go rehearse for my solo set tonight. You'll be there, right?"
"Of course I will. I wouldn't miss it for the world."
__________________________________________________
ZAC
'Holy crap.'
Zac was pretty sure the tie dying crowd had doubled, maybe even tripled, from last year's. And this was only year two. He felt dizzied at the thought of what future years might bring.
He looked at Mel as he watched her prep dye buckets with a couple members of the resort staff and was grateful that she was actually dressed for the occasion. In a sea of dresses and skirts and feathered hair, she was one of the very few who actually made sense. She wore a Hanson t-shirt, a pair of denim shorts, and sneakers on her feet. He swore he saw glitter on them, but he didn't question it. Her hair was a mess on top of her head and a pair of giant sunglasses covered her face. He was just grateful that she had dressed for utility and not for fashion.
As Mel and the resort staff set the buckets out for everyone to get to, Zac spoke to the masses. He wondered how in the hell anyone was gonna learn anything with their cameras in their faces, but whatever, he guessed. He knew what was going to happen and he was prepared for it. He was grateful for Mel's presence but he was sure she would nearly be rendered useless during the lesson. Everybody was going to want his help, not hers, nor any of the resort staff.
The lesson felt like an eternity. Zac had fun. He knew he would. He didn't choose to do this activity for the second year in a row because he expected he wouldn't. But he couldn't lie when he was glad it was finally over. It seemed hotter outside this year than it had last year and he had chosen to wear jeans. Besides being
physically uncomfortable, everything went swimmingly.
Fans lingered but he didn't have time to wait until everyone had finally gone to get the area cleaned up. He could have just as easily left it to the resort staff to clean up, but that would have felt wrong. It was his mess, he should clean it up.
Mel caught up with him as they searched the ground for rubber bands. "So why didn't Kate help you with this?"
Zac looked at her as if she displayed some sort of grotesque disease. "You're kidding, right?"
Mel looked at him blankly and shrugged.
"It's no secret that she's not exactly popular."
"Please," Mel said. "These women can talk all they want. But we both know that once you're all face-to-face, they'll do anything to--well, you know."
"Isn't that even worse?"
"What do you expect from a bunch of women?"
Zac shook his head. "I guess...well, anyway, this isn't really her cup of tea." He held up his blue-green hands for verification. "Need I say more?"
Mel took one of his hands and turned it over in hers. "Why the hell didn't you wear rubber gloves?"
Zac drew a blank and he felt his mouth drop open. Listlessly, he looked around and then back at her. "I don't know why I never thought of that."
She smirked at him and now it was his turn to shrug his shoulders. "Oh well. It'll come off. But I'll remember that for next time."
They separated once again, collecting rubber bands as the resort staff picked up random water bottles and other types of left-behind debris that littered the ground. When they came back around again, Mel looked up at Zac, her eyes hesitant.
"Mel? Are you okay?"
She glanced at the ground. "Um, if I asked you a question, you'd be honest with me, right?"
Zac scoffed, not believing such a question. "What the hell kind of question is that? I'll always be honest with you. I'm an honest person."
"Zac, I'm serious."
"So am I," he responded with an offended tone.
Ignoring it, she looked up at him. "How often do you talk to Drew? I mean, when's the last time you spoke to her?"
"Oh, I don't know, we maybe talk once a week or so. Sometimes we text back and forth. Why do you ask?"
Zac was suddenly startled by the change in expression on Mel's face. He couldn't describe it. Was it shock? Hurt? Disbelief? Horror? It certainly wasn't a positive emotion. "Mel--what's going on?"
Her voice cracked as she spilled her guts and Zac was in complete disbelief at the words coming out of her mouth. Every single sordid detail felt like a bullet wound to the chest. He didn't want to believe her, but he knew she was telling the truth. Her emotions as she spoke was more than enough validation. How did he not know about any of this?
"I feel like...I mean, I don't know what I feel like," Mel said, wrapping up her story. "I feel like she's deliberately made it a point to avoid me, but--I don't know what I ever did. Does she resent me? Did I make her life miserable? She didn't have to bring me to New York with her. She didn't have to stick around after John died. I would have made it on my own. What else could it be?"
Zac was speechless. He wanted to broach the subject with Drew and get to the bottom of it, but he didn't know how. He figured if she would talk to anyone (besides, Mel, that was) about anything, it would be him. Mel and Drew had been friends for years, even before he knew Drew. Based on what Mel said now, this was just bizarre. This wasn't like Drew to act like this. And he couldn't help but feel just a slight twinge of jealousy
at the fact that she attempted to solicit Jason. Sure, they were just friends and Zac was happy in his life at the moment, but history just didn't disappear. At least not deep down.
"Um...wow...I just can't believe that..."
"Zac, I wouldn't lie. I swear I'm not lying--"
"No, no. I know. That's not what I meant, I just--I don't really know what you want me to do..."
"You don't have to do anything," Mel said earnestly. "That's not why I asked, I just needed the information. That's all."
"Well--what are you gonna do with that kind of information?"
"I don't know...just know it? I don't--I don't know..."
"Look. I kinda wanna hug you right now, but there are still too many cameras around and people might get the wrong idea. But we'll get to the bottom of this. I mean, if you want to."
Mel sighed and popped one of the rubber bands against her wrist. Putting them around her wrist while collecting them was a good idea. Why hadn't he thought of it? "I don't even know if I want to get to the bottom of it, honestly. I just don't know. She talks to you on a regular basis, she solicits Jason for sex, and then she calls my fiancée. But she won't talk to ME? You know what you all have in common? Besides being men? You're famous. If she's really choosing to be this shallow, then screw her."
"Well if you don't want to know, I at least want to know myself. So I'll find out anyway."
Mel smiled up at him, weakly. "I appreciate you. Really, I do. You're a good brother."
Zac grinned and then pointed at Mel's wrists. "As a good brother should, I probably ought to remind you that those rubber bands you have around your wrist were soaked in dye today. So, uh, that's gonna be an
interesting look for you once they come off."
Mel looked at her wrists and rolled her eyes. "I give up. What else could possibly happen to me?"
Zac laughed and shook his head. When it looked like the lawn was cleaned up, the pair walked back into the building. Taylor's solo set was later and Zac needed a nap.
______________________________________
MEL
Mel burst into tears. Maybe she was being selfish. Maybe she was being rude and hurtful, but she couldn't help her emotions. They were not tears of joy and she continued to bawl, with no hope of an end anytime
soon.
Taylor looked at her helplessly. "Is it really that bad?"
"I love you." It was all she could say. She kept repeating it over and over, like a crazy, emotional, broken record. She couldn't believe it. She just couldn't believe it.
Tay laughed a laugh filled primarily with concern. There was hurt in his eyes. This only made it worse for Mel. "Mel--is it really that serious?"
"It's just--it--it's HORRIBLE! Why would you DO something like that? I thought you were going to wait and do it when we were home? Why let some random Jamaican do it on a whim?"
"Just because a person is Jamaican doesn't make them any less competent..."
"IT DOES TODAY! Why wouldn't you discuss it with me first?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize my hair was an issue that needed to be discussed."
Mel was under the impression, when she had left her fiancée to tie dye with his brother, that he was rehearsing for that night's solo set. Not letting a random Jamaican barber go at his head with the only chainsaw on the
island. His hair was short. Incredibly short. Merely a couple of inches from being buzzed close to his head. It was not him, not by a long shot. It was literally the shortest it had ever been. Ever.
Tay lightly plucked at his hair with his fingers in the mirror. "I admit, there COULD have been a little bit lost in translation in the chair...it IS a little shorter than I wanted. But it'll grow. I'm kinda curious to see what will happen with it as it does..."
Trying desperately to dry herself up and recover from the shock, she took a deep breath. "Tay. Our wedding is in nine months..."
Tay looked at her from the mirror and scoffed at her. "Nine months is a long time. My hair will grow back by then. Why are you getting so bent out of shape over it?"
"Because it's--"
"You hate it, don't you?"
"OF COURSE I HATE IT!" Mel said loudly, completely exasperated. "Why do you think I cried? It wasn't just from the shock! I hate it and I think it's absolutely horrible! Those fans are gonna riot tonight, you know that, don't you?"
Tay shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. You know, I'm gonna remember this next time you do something to yourself that I don't like."
"No you're not cause I'm not gonna do anything you're not gonna like."
Tay raised his eyebrows in amusement. "Oh really?"
"Yes, REALLY," she pouted.
Suddenly, the mood in the room changed. Tay sauntered over to her and pulled her close to him by the button of her denim shorts, snapping them open. "Give me just a little time," he said, his voice just short of a breath. He looked her up and down, his forehead close to hers. "I'll make you forget about my hair."
"Uh..." This wasn't fair. He wasn't playing fair. She was mad! Furious, even! She was...helpless..."You know, I literally just walked in right before you did and, I haven't had a chance to shower, and it's really hot outside...and I'm sweaty--"
Tay ran his hands up her shirt and rested them on her bare waist, pulling her closer to him. He buried his nose in her hair that she had taken the hair tie out of moments before, inhaling the scent. "I think you smell
wonderful," he groaned into her ear.
Shivers ran down her spine. He was ruthless. And she was utterly and perpetually powerless to him in this instance--to his voice, to his touch. With one hand, he unzipped her shorts and slid his hand inside and
between her legs. He let out a breath into her hair when his fingers found her. "Mmm, that right there isn't sweat, now is it?"
Who was this? Who was this man that looked like her fiancée? Sounded like her fiancée? Felt like her fiancée? Who was this sexual, sensual man? Not that Tay didn't ever turn her on. He definitely knew how to do that. But this time was--he almost wasn't himself. His soft tone was nearly--well it was damn near masochistic.
Mel loved it.
She felt her mood change in an instant. Her eyes snapped open and she looked up into his eyes. He stared back at her, his eyes filled with want and desire. She reached up and ran her hands through his new hair and pulled his face closer to hers. "I suppose I could deal with it." She began to kiss him along his jawline. "I can see your face a little better."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," she breathed. And in that instant, his finger entered her and she was done.
Quickly, he took his hand from her shorts long enough for him to slide them to the ground. Hooking one arm around her waist, the other hand took it's place back in its original location and Mel's head fell back with
pleasure. As he fingered her, she could barely hold herself up anymore and she found herself gripping his arms tightly for support.
In minutes, the pulling and clawing of their clothing in their desperate need for removal ensued and much to her surprise, he picked her up and spun her around, pinning her against the wall. She wrapped her legs around him and he hooked his hand around the doorway behind her, his left arm tucked firmly underneath her for support.
Her arms wrapped around his neck tight and she bit her lip as he slid in and out of her, barely able to keep it together. She was ready to come within seconds but held out a little longer because she didn't want him to
stop.
He seemed to groan with each thrust, merely heightening Mel's excitement. She never knew what it was about the pure, raw, savageness of a man but it turned her on quicker than any kiss, touch, or visual that could be
experienced. Perhaps she, too, was as masochistic as she thought his voice sounded earlier.
When he was closer to the edge, he bit her. She gathered that he hadn't meant to do it so hard, but it surprised her for a moment before she decided she liked it. She knew her shoulder would be okay and she
instantly forgot about it when he took her neck in his mouth as he came, causing her to lose herself along with him. She didn't realize how loud she'd been with her release until the two of them froze for a moment, breathing in the room's silence, calming themselves before they moved from their current position.
"Goddamn," he said breathlessly, slowly letting her down from her perch on the wall.
When her feet hit the ground, she looked down and giggled. She completely forgot her sneakers were still on her feet. She stood there, still sandwiched between him and the wall. Wrapping her arms around his neck once more, she pressed her body against his and kissed him, this time more romantically than the hot, raunchy session they had just finished. Mel had decided this was their cool down session when Tay broke their kiss and looked down. "Oh my god. I don't know what's come over me today."
Mel didn't need to look to know. His new erection brushed her abdomen and she was instantly excited again. Twice in the same day was a happy day for her. Twice in the same session was a rare treat and there was no way she was letting him go now. She bit her lip and smiled up at him. "How about we take this one to the bed?"
He smiled and walked backward, letting her guide him to the bed. "This one's on me," she flirted. "Or, rather, on you..."
"I like the sound of that," he whispered.
He had backed up as far as he could go, and sat himself on the edge of the bed. There, she straddled him, riding him slowly and sensually, both of them in complete sexual euphoria.
MEL
Taylor was useless for the next four days and Mel didn't press the wedding issue for feeling guilty for
interrupting his work. Never mind the fact that they were looking at nine months now until the wedding date. Her nerves were beginning to eat at her.
Mel hadn't realized until the day before that, not only was she expected to go to Jamaica with Tay and the band, but there was already a plane ticket in existence for her as well. "Of course you're going. Why wouldn't you go?"
And then Mel had a meltdown. She spent two precious hours of packing time crying over who would take care of Fred, when would they ever start planning their wedding, the two events she was planning in New York that were coming up soon, and her obvious lack of a tan, making her incredibly insecure about how white she would look on a tropical island. "Why would you spring this on me like this?"
"Spring it on you? Mel, we've been planning this for months."
"We have?"
Tay looked into the air in thought. "Well...yeah...I mean, this isn't our first trip."
"Maybe not YOURS."
And that was how Mel ended up on her laptop in a lounge chair on a Jamaican beach, flanked by Nikki and Kate. "You know, Tay's not gonna like you working when you're supposed to be on vacation," Nikki said.
"Well he's working," Mel muttered.
"But this is fun work for them," Nikki said. "It's more laid back and not as stressful as normal."
Mel continued to be wrapped up in her laptop, organizing a guest list for one of the New York events coming up in the next month that she'd been asked to organize. She glanced nonchalantly over at Nikki. "How would he know whether he liked if I was working or not? He just spent ten years with a woman who couldn't even spell the word."
Out of the corners of her eyes, she could see Nikki and Kate glance at each other over her head. Nikki scoffed and then giggled. Mel stole a glance over at Kate, who tried to keep the corners of her mouth from turning up. "Anyway, I'm organizing a benefit to support the emergency responders in New York City. It's going to be fabulous. You guys should come. It's next month. We can make it a girls' weekend."
"And leave Tay at home," Kate said in disbelief. "Yeah right."
"Sure. Why not?"
"I'd like to see how that's gonna go down."
Mel straightened up to face Kate face-to-face. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Kate put down her crossword puzzle and lifted her sunglasses. "You honestly think he's going to just say, 'Okay, dear, have fun, see you when you get home.' ?"
"Why wouldn't he?"
Kate looked at her in thought and shrugged. "Well it might not be like that, but he sure will be all over Zac that weekend, lamenting about it." She sighed and went back to her puzzle.
Mel narrowed her eyes at her. "Why would that even matter? You'll be in the city with me and Nikki."
Kate looked at her blankly, then over Mel's head at Nikki. She sighed in frustration. "I think my daiquiri is empty. Another one might help me function. You guys seen the waiter?"
Mel and Nikki burst out laughing and all three began craning their necks for the waiter. That was one of the perks of the resort they stayed in. Neither of the women had to touch a toe to the sand to get a
beverage--they came to them.
"So what type of event are we talking about? I mean, how big?" Nikki asked.
"Well it's not really Hollywood red carpet or anything. There will be some celebrities there, but mostly the mayor, local politicians, wealthy Wall Street types. And of course a large number of the emergency responders. It's a formal event with dinner, drinks, and an auction. Much like the one we did in LA awhile back. This one is slightly more low key, though. It'll be nice."
"Well I'm honored you invited us," Nikki said. Then she was instantly distracted by a perfume sample in the magazine she was flipping through and the conversation shifted to cosmetics.
Within minutes, Mel's heart raced with a vengeance as she discovered a discrepancy with the guest list and venue capacity and her phone was on her ear in an instant as the guys approached them, Tay with coffee in hand.
"Wow, Tay, leave it to you to have hot coffee in a hot climate," Mel heard Kate comment as the phone rang in her other ear.
Tay approached Mel and smiled, asking her what she was up to when, miraculously, someone finally answered on the other end. "Joann! Thank god you answered, do you have a minute? I think we might have a slight issue..."
Faintly, she could hear Tay ask the other two women, "What's going on?"
"She's working," Nikki said.
"What? Working?"
Mel threw daggers at Tay with her eyes and he closed his mouth on the subject.
Twenty minutes later, Mel hadn't realized she'd been that far into the zone until she looked around her and everyone had gone except for Tay, who had taken Kate's chair next to her on right and had since traded his coffee for a beer. Mel closed her laptop and looked at him, sure his eyes were closed under his sunglasses.
"You okay?" she asked.
Tay looked over at her. "I'm fine. What's going on over there?"
Mel sighed, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry. We're just trying to get this RSVP list nailed down so we can get started on the catering. I have a lot done, but there's still so much more left to do."
"No need to apologize. I understand."
"But you're mad."
"I'm not mad."
"You're disappointed."
Tay sighed. "No. I don't know. Maybe a little. I just wanted this to be a relaxing weekend for you. And for us to be able to spend some time together when I wasn't busy."
Mel smiled and reached over and took his hand. "But I am relaxed. How could I not be with this view?" Mel was referring to the gorgeous, and nearly empty, beach that lay before them.
"Really?" Tay said, skeptically. "Your phone conversation didn't sound so relaxing."
Mel was annoyed and fought to suppress it. "So what are you doing right now?"
"Drinking a beer, it seems."
"Tay."
"We have a couple of hours and I was gonna ask you if you wanted to grab some lunch."
At the mere mention of the word "lunch," Mel's stomach grumbled. She wasn't aware of how hungry she actually was until that moment. Evidently Tay heard it and he laughed, glancing at her stomach. "I take that as a yes?"
--------------------------------------
Lunch was a nightmare. Taylor took a call. Mel took a call. Then she sent an email. And then she took another call. She apologized profusely to Tay the entire time. He acted fine about it, but in reality she knew that wasn't the case. She could feel it. But she couldn't help it either. Actually, she could help it, but if she
wanted to keep her name from being smeared in the mud, she couldn't ignore the kinks she was apparently having with this benefit. It was only a month away! She felt bad for practically ignoring him, but he was there for work. He just HAD to understand.
The last text she answered just put one more thing on her to-do list.
"You think for our next meal, we should leave your phone in the room?" Tay suggested.
So much for suppressing her annoyance. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? Tay, I am sorry. I have things that need to get done. You're working, too. What the hell am I supposed to do, sit and twiddle my thumbs until you get a free second?"
"Well, I had hoped that you would WANT to come here and that you would WANT to support me, but maybe asking you to come along was a mistake."
"You didn't ASK me anything! You basically said 'you're going' and here I am."
"So you're saying you have better things to do than be with me. Okay then. Whatever you say."
"You're putting words in my mouth!"
"You're creating a scene."
"You provoked it," she hissed at him, lowering her voice.
"Look, I'm gonna go. I have somewhere I gotta be," Tay said, standing up.
"The hell you do. You sit back down, you don't have anywhere to be for another hour. I know your schedule."
Slowly, Tay sat back down, a new spark in his eyes. "You know my schedule?" he asked quietly.
"Of course I know your schedule," Mel spat at him. "Why wouldn't I? And apparently I know Zac's, too. You're not the only one who has somewhere to be in an hour. I just got roped into tie dying."
"Tie dying?"
"Yeah," Mel said, calming down and laying her napkin in her plate. "Apparently there are more participants than Zac expected and he thinks he's gonna need some help."
"Well--well, that's good of you to do that," Tay said.
Mel sighed. "I know you feel like I don't care or I don't want to be here. And I'm sorry I've come across that way. I DO care. And look around, why the hell wouldn't I want to be here? It's just that, at the same time--I have a lot on my plate right now, you know? I have the EMS benefit in New York coming up and another event right behind that, we HAVE to get started with the wedding, and then whatever else I need to do at the label and--I thought you would understand that I need every free second I can get to get everything done."
Tay rested his elbows on the table and nodded. "I know. I know. Maybe tensions are a little high right now and we're taking them out on each other. I mean, it's what we do best, right?"
"Tensions? Is everything okay?"
"Well, yeah, everything's okay. Just little things here and there, little kinks that need to be worked out--which add up. Sometimes I feel like things are a little too laid back here and it feels like it takes extra work to wrangle everyone together. I realize where we are. Everybody wants to have a good time. But work now, play later, you know? I guess that's one of the things you and I have in common and that's how WE end up
butting heads. But butting heads with you is NOT what I need on this trip. And butting heads with me is not what YOU need, either. I need to be able to vent to you when Ike has had one drink too many or Zac has
misplaced a cord or a drum stick or something."
Mel smiled. "I can get on board with that. And speaking of Zac, I guess it's time to change my clothes and prepare to get colorful."
Tay smiled back at her. "And I have to go rehearse for my solo set tonight. You'll be there, right?"
"Of course I will. I wouldn't miss it for the world."
__________________________________________________
ZAC
'Holy crap.'
Zac was pretty sure the tie dying crowd had doubled, maybe even tripled, from last year's. And this was only year two. He felt dizzied at the thought of what future years might bring.
He looked at Mel as he watched her prep dye buckets with a couple members of the resort staff and was grateful that she was actually dressed for the occasion. In a sea of dresses and skirts and feathered hair, she was one of the very few who actually made sense. She wore a Hanson t-shirt, a pair of denim shorts, and sneakers on her feet. He swore he saw glitter on them, but he didn't question it. Her hair was a mess on top of her head and a pair of giant sunglasses covered her face. He was just grateful that she had dressed for utility and not for fashion.
As Mel and the resort staff set the buckets out for everyone to get to, Zac spoke to the masses. He wondered how in the hell anyone was gonna learn anything with their cameras in their faces, but whatever, he guessed. He knew what was going to happen and he was prepared for it. He was grateful for Mel's presence but he was sure she would nearly be rendered useless during the lesson. Everybody was going to want his help, not hers, nor any of the resort staff.
The lesson felt like an eternity. Zac had fun. He knew he would. He didn't choose to do this activity for the second year in a row because he expected he wouldn't. But he couldn't lie when he was glad it was finally over. It seemed hotter outside this year than it had last year and he had chosen to wear jeans. Besides being
physically uncomfortable, everything went swimmingly.
Fans lingered but he didn't have time to wait until everyone had finally gone to get the area cleaned up. He could have just as easily left it to the resort staff to clean up, but that would have felt wrong. It was his mess, he should clean it up.
Mel caught up with him as they searched the ground for rubber bands. "So why didn't Kate help you with this?"
Zac looked at her as if she displayed some sort of grotesque disease. "You're kidding, right?"
Mel looked at him blankly and shrugged.
"It's no secret that she's not exactly popular."
"Please," Mel said. "These women can talk all they want. But we both know that once you're all face-to-face, they'll do anything to--well, you know."
"Isn't that even worse?"
"What do you expect from a bunch of women?"
Zac shook his head. "I guess...well, anyway, this isn't really her cup of tea." He held up his blue-green hands for verification. "Need I say more?"
Mel took one of his hands and turned it over in hers. "Why the hell didn't you wear rubber gloves?"
Zac drew a blank and he felt his mouth drop open. Listlessly, he looked around and then back at her. "I don't know why I never thought of that."
She smirked at him and now it was his turn to shrug his shoulders. "Oh well. It'll come off. But I'll remember that for next time."
They separated once again, collecting rubber bands as the resort staff picked up random water bottles and other types of left-behind debris that littered the ground. When they came back around again, Mel looked up at Zac, her eyes hesitant.
"Mel? Are you okay?"
She glanced at the ground. "Um, if I asked you a question, you'd be honest with me, right?"
Zac scoffed, not believing such a question. "What the hell kind of question is that? I'll always be honest with you. I'm an honest person."
"Zac, I'm serious."
"So am I," he responded with an offended tone.
Ignoring it, she looked up at him. "How often do you talk to Drew? I mean, when's the last time you spoke to her?"
"Oh, I don't know, we maybe talk once a week or so. Sometimes we text back and forth. Why do you ask?"
Zac was suddenly startled by the change in expression on Mel's face. He couldn't describe it. Was it shock? Hurt? Disbelief? Horror? It certainly wasn't a positive emotion. "Mel--what's going on?"
Her voice cracked as she spilled her guts and Zac was in complete disbelief at the words coming out of her mouth. Every single sordid detail felt like a bullet wound to the chest. He didn't want to believe her, but he knew she was telling the truth. Her emotions as she spoke was more than enough validation. How did he not know about any of this?
"I feel like...I mean, I don't know what I feel like," Mel said, wrapping up her story. "I feel like she's deliberately made it a point to avoid me, but--I don't know what I ever did. Does she resent me? Did I make her life miserable? She didn't have to bring me to New York with her. She didn't have to stick around after John died. I would have made it on my own. What else could it be?"
Zac was speechless. He wanted to broach the subject with Drew and get to the bottom of it, but he didn't know how. He figured if she would talk to anyone (besides, Mel, that was) about anything, it would be him. Mel and Drew had been friends for years, even before he knew Drew. Based on what Mel said now, this was just bizarre. This wasn't like Drew to act like this. And he couldn't help but feel just a slight twinge of jealousy
at the fact that she attempted to solicit Jason. Sure, they were just friends and Zac was happy in his life at the moment, but history just didn't disappear. At least not deep down.
"Um...wow...I just can't believe that..."
"Zac, I wouldn't lie. I swear I'm not lying--"
"No, no. I know. That's not what I meant, I just--I don't really know what you want me to do..."
"You don't have to do anything," Mel said earnestly. "That's not why I asked, I just needed the information. That's all."
"Well--what are you gonna do with that kind of information?"
"I don't know...just know it? I don't--I don't know..."
"Look. I kinda wanna hug you right now, but there are still too many cameras around and people might get the wrong idea. But we'll get to the bottom of this. I mean, if you want to."
Mel sighed and popped one of the rubber bands against her wrist. Putting them around her wrist while collecting them was a good idea. Why hadn't he thought of it? "I don't even know if I want to get to the bottom of it, honestly. I just don't know. She talks to you on a regular basis, she solicits Jason for sex, and then she calls my fiancée. But she won't talk to ME? You know what you all have in common? Besides being men? You're famous. If she's really choosing to be this shallow, then screw her."
"Well if you don't want to know, I at least want to know myself. So I'll find out anyway."
Mel smiled up at him, weakly. "I appreciate you. Really, I do. You're a good brother."
Zac grinned and then pointed at Mel's wrists. "As a good brother should, I probably ought to remind you that those rubber bands you have around your wrist were soaked in dye today. So, uh, that's gonna be an
interesting look for you once they come off."
Mel looked at her wrists and rolled her eyes. "I give up. What else could possibly happen to me?"
Zac laughed and shook his head. When it looked like the lawn was cleaned up, the pair walked back into the building. Taylor's solo set was later and Zac needed a nap.
______________________________________
MEL
Mel burst into tears. Maybe she was being selfish. Maybe she was being rude and hurtful, but she couldn't help her emotions. They were not tears of joy and she continued to bawl, with no hope of an end anytime
soon.
Taylor looked at her helplessly. "Is it really that bad?"
"I love you." It was all she could say. She kept repeating it over and over, like a crazy, emotional, broken record. She couldn't believe it. She just couldn't believe it.
Tay laughed a laugh filled primarily with concern. There was hurt in his eyes. This only made it worse for Mel. "Mel--is it really that serious?"
"It's just--it--it's HORRIBLE! Why would you DO something like that? I thought you were going to wait and do it when we were home? Why let some random Jamaican do it on a whim?"
"Just because a person is Jamaican doesn't make them any less competent..."
"IT DOES TODAY! Why wouldn't you discuss it with me first?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize my hair was an issue that needed to be discussed."
Mel was under the impression, when she had left her fiancée to tie dye with his brother, that he was rehearsing for that night's solo set. Not letting a random Jamaican barber go at his head with the only chainsaw on the
island. His hair was short. Incredibly short. Merely a couple of inches from being buzzed close to his head. It was not him, not by a long shot. It was literally the shortest it had ever been. Ever.
Tay lightly plucked at his hair with his fingers in the mirror. "I admit, there COULD have been a little bit lost in translation in the chair...it IS a little shorter than I wanted. But it'll grow. I'm kinda curious to see what will happen with it as it does..."
Trying desperately to dry herself up and recover from the shock, she took a deep breath. "Tay. Our wedding is in nine months..."
Tay looked at her from the mirror and scoffed at her. "Nine months is a long time. My hair will grow back by then. Why are you getting so bent out of shape over it?"
"Because it's--"
"You hate it, don't you?"
"OF COURSE I HATE IT!" Mel said loudly, completely exasperated. "Why do you think I cried? It wasn't just from the shock! I hate it and I think it's absolutely horrible! Those fans are gonna riot tonight, you know that, don't you?"
Tay shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. You know, I'm gonna remember this next time you do something to yourself that I don't like."
"No you're not cause I'm not gonna do anything you're not gonna like."
Tay raised his eyebrows in amusement. "Oh really?"
"Yes, REALLY," she pouted.
Suddenly, the mood in the room changed. Tay sauntered over to her and pulled her close to him by the button of her denim shorts, snapping them open. "Give me just a little time," he said, his voice just short of a breath. He looked her up and down, his forehead close to hers. "I'll make you forget about my hair."
"Uh..." This wasn't fair. He wasn't playing fair. She was mad! Furious, even! She was...helpless..."You know, I literally just walked in right before you did and, I haven't had a chance to shower, and it's really hot outside...and I'm sweaty--"
Tay ran his hands up her shirt and rested them on her bare waist, pulling her closer to him. He buried his nose in her hair that she had taken the hair tie out of moments before, inhaling the scent. "I think you smell
wonderful," he groaned into her ear.
Shivers ran down her spine. He was ruthless. And she was utterly and perpetually powerless to him in this instance--to his voice, to his touch. With one hand, he unzipped her shorts and slid his hand inside and
between her legs. He let out a breath into her hair when his fingers found her. "Mmm, that right there isn't sweat, now is it?"
Who was this? Who was this man that looked like her fiancée? Sounded like her fiancée? Felt like her fiancée? Who was this sexual, sensual man? Not that Tay didn't ever turn her on. He definitely knew how to do that. But this time was--he almost wasn't himself. His soft tone was nearly--well it was damn near masochistic.
Mel loved it.
She felt her mood change in an instant. Her eyes snapped open and she looked up into his eyes. He stared back at her, his eyes filled with want and desire. She reached up and ran her hands through his new hair and pulled his face closer to hers. "I suppose I could deal with it." She began to kiss him along his jawline. "I can see your face a little better."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," she breathed. And in that instant, his finger entered her and she was done.
Quickly, he took his hand from her shorts long enough for him to slide them to the ground. Hooking one arm around her waist, the other hand took it's place back in its original location and Mel's head fell back with
pleasure. As he fingered her, she could barely hold herself up anymore and she found herself gripping his arms tightly for support.
In minutes, the pulling and clawing of their clothing in their desperate need for removal ensued and much to her surprise, he picked her up and spun her around, pinning her against the wall. She wrapped her legs around him and he hooked his hand around the doorway behind her, his left arm tucked firmly underneath her for support.
Her arms wrapped around his neck tight and she bit her lip as he slid in and out of her, barely able to keep it together. She was ready to come within seconds but held out a little longer because she didn't want him to
stop.
He seemed to groan with each thrust, merely heightening Mel's excitement. She never knew what it was about the pure, raw, savageness of a man but it turned her on quicker than any kiss, touch, or visual that could be
experienced. Perhaps she, too, was as masochistic as she thought his voice sounded earlier.
When he was closer to the edge, he bit her. She gathered that he hadn't meant to do it so hard, but it surprised her for a moment before she decided she liked it. She knew her shoulder would be okay and she
instantly forgot about it when he took her neck in his mouth as he came, causing her to lose herself along with him. She didn't realize how loud she'd been with her release until the two of them froze for a moment, breathing in the room's silence, calming themselves before they moved from their current position.
"Goddamn," he said breathlessly, slowly letting her down from her perch on the wall.
When her feet hit the ground, she looked down and giggled. She completely forgot her sneakers were still on her feet. She stood there, still sandwiched between him and the wall. Wrapping her arms around his neck once more, she pressed her body against his and kissed him, this time more romantically than the hot, raunchy session they had just finished. Mel had decided this was their cool down session when Tay broke their kiss and looked down. "Oh my god. I don't know what's come over me today."
Mel didn't need to look to know. His new erection brushed her abdomen and she was instantly excited again. Twice in the same day was a happy day for her. Twice in the same session was a rare treat and there was no way she was letting him go now. She bit her lip and smiled up at him. "How about we take this one to the bed?"
He smiled and walked backward, letting her guide him to the bed. "This one's on me," she flirted. "Or, rather, on you..."
"I like the sound of that," he whispered.
He had backed up as far as he could go, and sat himself on the edge of the bed. There, she straddled him, riding him slowly and sensually, both of them in complete sexual euphoria.