WALKING ON BROKEN GLASS
ISAAC
Isaac had helped himself to a glass of scotch and was wishing he had a cigar to go along with it when Mel and Jason walked through the door. He had been on the phone with Nikki most of the night, her freaking out over the weather and him assuring her everything was fine. He was glad to have the distraction when they arrived. He was, however, puzzled at the shopping bag in Jason's hand. "Shopping? This late? In this weather?"
Jason laughed. "Long story with the cab driver. My hotel is across town so we hopped a street on the walk here and I grabbed a few things from a boutique that was miraculously open. I fucking love this city."
Ike greeted the two of them and half an hour later, the three of them sat around the living room, Ike in the arm chair, and Mel and Jason on opposite ends of the couch, shooting both whiskey and the shit. Mel constantly stood up to go and look out the curtainless panoramic window to watch the snow fall and Ike would remind her every single time that the entire world could see the snow right from where they were sitting. She never cared, though. She was lost in the magic of it all. "She's grown up in snow her entire life," Ike mumbled to Jason. "You'd think she'd be used to it by now."
Jason grinned as he glanced over at Mel, then back at Ike. "There are just certain types of magic that never get
old."
Ike was a perceptive individual. He always had been. Immediately picking up on Jason's double entendre, he
suddenly remembered that he needed to tread lightly around Jason. Jason was a straightforward man, never letting a person wonder for a second what he might be about. What you saw was what you got. He never made the effort to keep his feelings for Mel from shining in his eyes. Any idiot could see it and Ike knew that Taylor could see it, too. He knew that was why Jason intimidated his brother so much. Jason was ready and waiting at any given second--even Ike warned him of that. In his thought, he turned around and glanced at Mel, still lost in the window. The poor thing was oblivious to it all. How does a man wear his heart on his sleeve, practically shoving it in front of her face, and she be completely unaware of it? For Tay's sake, Ike could only wish that she would continue to stay blissfully oblivious.
"Did you watch the game?" Jason's voice interrupted Ike's thoughts suddenly.
Snapping back to reality, Ike was extremely grateful for the subject change. "Uh, yeah, I managed to catch the last half when I got settled in here."
"How was it? I was dying to check the scores at dinner, but, you know...didn't wanna be rude." Both men
laughed.
For the next little bit, Ike and Jason discussed the night's game and the front-running teams for the season, all while Mel balled up in the corner of the couch with her head in her phone. Ike tried to read her expression, but he couldn't tell what kind of mood she was in. Only that she was so engrossed that she never once even glanced up when the two men started making jokes at her expense.
Abruptly, she stood up and addressed them. "Um, I'm really exhausted. If you don't mind, I'm gonna go
ahead and head to bed. Jason, are you sure you don't want to sleep in the guest room? Ike can sleep in my room and I'll take the couch. I promise it's not a problem."
"Absolutely not," Jason said. "I'm fine right here."
"Are you sure? I mean, I sleep on the couch when I'm here by myself anyway, it doesn't make a bit of difference to me. I don't mind it at all."
"Go to bed."
"Yeah, but--"
"Goodnight," Jason said firmly.
With that, Mel said her goodnights to him and Ike and headed to the bedroom she shared with Tay--whenever they shared the condo, that was.
Jason shook his head and scoffed after she left the room. "She's so damn hard-headed sometimes."
"That's pretty much her in a nutshell," Ike agreed. Ike couldn't deny that it made him slightly uneasy how Jason
seemed to be able to read Mel like a book and he never once appeared aggravated at her when she was at her typical best. Taylor could learn from him. That was a scary thought. He hated feeling like he was in a
position that didn't exist. Maybe he was thinking too much. Yeah. That was definitely it.
A half an hour passed and Ike's uneasiness had faded long ago as the two men talked amongst themselves of sports and life on the road, sharing stories and laughing together. It wasn't until there was a short lull in conversation when they heard Mel's voice muffled on the other side of the wall. Pay as much as you want for luxury, but it still didn't stop the walls from being paper thin sometimes.
It wouldn't have made a shit to either of the men, had her tone not sounded a bit off. They glanced at each other and kept their mouths shut, each one unashamed that they were eavesdropping. "Why are you acting like that?" she was saying. "What do you mean, like what? Like you're doing now...I don't understand why you're so mad at me--yes you are! You should hear yourself!...I'm not going to sit here and listen to--no, it's not fair! I fucking TOLD you about it before it even happened...you could have said no!...well, maybe not, but I still gave you the opportunity...yes I did!"
As Mel's voice paused for a moment, Ike and Jason glanced at each other. Jason's nostrils flared as he took in a
breath and he adjusted himself in his seat. Ike regretted the snow tonight. This was a bad night for Jason to be present, Ike could feel it.
Mel's voice started up again, this time a little louder. "I'm trying to be quiet so they don't hear me--Ike and
Jason are both here...goddammit, of course not, Tay, what do you take me for?...yes! What is the matter with you? I love you, I WANT to marry you--well, Tay, I just wanna get these wedding plans nailed down!...don't put
this off on me, I tried to talk do you, you never seem to have time...you're not the only one who works, you know..."
Feeling uncomfortable again, Ike felt the need to take up for Tay all of a sudden, mostly to help clear his own
head. "Look, my brother isn't a bad guy. Honest. I mean, he's going through some things and--they've both been through a lot. And he's working through it. He's actually doing a lot better..." Ike's voice trailed off. What point was he trying to make again? Oh yeah. The please-don't-kill-my-brother plea.
Jason's arms were crossed over his chest as he stared at the screen. He looked at Ike and shrugged. "Hey, you
don't have to tell me anything. It's none of my business."
"Well--and it's none of mine, either. I just--I'm sure it's not as bad as it sounds."
"It's cool," Jason assured Ike once again. "Seriously." He reached over the arm of the couch and offered Ike a fist-bump, which he took him up on.
Ike didn't know how to feel about that. Jason wasn't one to hide his feelings, however--was this his way of
working through his OWN feelings? Ike kinda felt bad for the guy. He seemed to only set himself up for punishment every time he came around Mel.
Mel's voice came through the wall again, her attempt to keep quiet was obvious but miserably failing. "We JUST talked about this. Why are you talking like that? I'm not understanding what's going on here...I'm not PLAYING anything! You're the one acting like a lunatic for no apparent reason!...Tay, I'm SORRY! I have to work...because I WANT to...no, it has nothing to do with you...no, that's not what I mean...well how would you like it if I told you I didn't like YOU traveling all the time, for weeks and months at a time with--oh get off it, Tay, you have thousands of women throwing themselves at you on a daily basis and I don't--no, I really don't, because I TRUST you...yeah, that's right. TRUST. It would do you good to learn the word and not be so goddamn offensive....no, not defensive, OFFensive...because you're offending me! What was that sound?...no THAT sound...Tay, are you--are you DRUNK? You're fucking DRUNK! You've been drunk this whole time!"
In the back of his mind, Ike had been waiting for this moment. It was no secret between he and Tay and Zac that Tay had a tendency to hit the bottle whenever Mel was out of town. Ike knew it was his way of coping with her being gone and the never-ending fear of losing her, and so he chose to drown his insecurities in beer. It took many a conversation for Drunk Tay to reiterate that he just knew she was going to go out and find something better than him. These conversations usually ended with Tay in the throes of self-loathing and
Ike and/or Zac helping him to bed before they left his house. Mel hadn't been aware of any of this, but Ike suspected that the cat had just been let out of the bag.
Ike then glanced over at Jason, who had since readjusted once more in his seat, and who now had murder in his eyes. Jason almost seemed to have a savage quality to him that caused him to feel the need to protect whatever belonged to him--wherever Mel seemed to fit in that category, Ike wasn't sure he wanted to know.
"Oh, no. I don't give a shit," Mel was saying. "How dare you have the audacity to fucking get drunk and then answer the phone only to cuss me out. How DARE you?...Sorry? You're sorry? You're apologizing? You don't even know what you're apologizing FOR!...oh, no, you're gonna know. I hit record on this bastard the second you started raving like a lunatic...yeah, I did and I'm gonna send it to you in the morning. As a matter of fact, we'll talk tomorrow once you've sobered up a little. I called to tell you that I love you and that I was going to
sleep, not to get cussed out by your drunk, lunatic alter-ego....no, Tay, the damage is done. I hope you sleep well tonight. I miss you, but I don't miss THIS....no, I'm hanging up now...I'm hanging up."
And then there was silence.
Moments later the crash of shattering glass amplified from Mel's bedroom and both men were out of their seats in a matter of seconds. Jason had made the leap over the back of the sofa and Ike swung around the arm chair, both of them showing up at Mel's bedroom doorway. She sat on the bed, Indian-style, in a pair of pajama shorts and a tank top. Brushing back a strand of dark hair from her face, she looked at the two of them. "Uh, um, bug. On the wall. Very big...bug..."
Ike glanced at the wall by the bed, the liquid running down from the splattering stain it left. "You're such a
fucking liar," Jason said bluntly as he pushed his way in the room past Ike.
Mel inaudibly tried to object as Jason made his way around the bed to assess the damage. "Goddamn, Mel, what the fuck did you do this for?"
"It's not--I'll get it don't worry about it," she said, waving him away.
He ignored her and started to bend over to pick up pieces of the wine glass when Mel got off the bed and attempted to stop him. "Jason, I said I'll get it--SHIT!"
Jason's head whipped around in an instant. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Nothing now," she said, wincing in pain as she sat back on the bed and held her right foot out in front of her.
Ike's eyes widened and he automatically went into doctor mode. "Mel do not move a muscle," he said as he went in search of supplies.
He returned in minutes armed with things he needed or thought he might need. He found tweezers, a sewing pin, rubbing alcohol, cotton balls, bandaids, and gauze bandages. He was sure he wouldn't need it all, but it never hurt to be over-prepared.
Mel's eyes widened at the sight of the pin. "Don't you dare come near me with that thing. I can do this
myself."
"Don't be stupid," Ike said. "I can see down there better than you can. We have to make sure we get it all out
so you don't get infected."
"I'll take it! I'll take gangrene and my foot can rot off for all I care!"
Ike ignored her and flipped on the overhead light as Jason cleaned up the last of the glass on the floor. Sitting on the end of the bed, Ike tucked a pillow underneath Mel's ankle and rested it on his leg. Jason watched the scene, amused. "Wow, look at you, Mr. Fix-It."
"I have two boys who don't like to wear shoes," Ike responded, the ball of the pin tucked between his teeth as he examined her foot. "You wouldn't believe the things I've pulled out of their feet." He then looked up at Mel with the diagnosis. "You've got a couple of small chunks in there and a few small shards, but it's nothing
that won't come out. You just have to not move."
Mel scoffed loudly, her nerves getting the better of her. "You're about to be messing around the bottom of my foot with a push pin and you expect me to be perfectly still. That's rich!"
"If you hadn't wasted that good wine, this might be an easier process," Jason pointed out.
Mel scowled at him.
As Ike played doctor on the bottom of Mel's foot, he watched Jason out of the corner of his eye as he sat on the bed next to Mel and took her by the hand. It was obvious that it was completely innocent but he couldn't help but feel like none of this was any of his business. "You wanna talk about it?" he asked her quietly.
"Talk about what?"
"Don't play coy. We could hear you."
Mel shook hair out of her face as she winced in anticipation as Ike pulled one of the larger chunks of glass from her big toe. "Oh. That. It was nothing, really. It was--there's nothing really to talk about. He'll be fine in the morning."
Ike glanced up at Jason and Jason's eyes met his. Ike wasn't prepared for the next question. "Mel, has he
ever..."
"NO. Absolutely never. I can't believe you're even thinking that. No. I would kill him first. No. He is mouthy but he is NOT violent. Though it was pretty hot when he beat that one cop's ass--but that's it. Nothing more."
With tension seemingly instantly relieved in the room, Ike couldn't help but snicker at her answer as he pulled the last of the glass from her foot. There was minimal blood, but nothing that couldn't be taken care of quickly. He wrapped her foot for good measure and patted her leg. "There, good as new."
"Well that wasn't so bad," Mel commented.
"I told you. You're a big girl. If my boys can handle it, there's no reason you can't."
Mel smirked at him and thanked him for preventing gangrene in her foot.
After saying their goodnights for the second time, Ike and Jason left Mel's room. Standing in the living room, the men stared out the window at the still-falling snow. Ike sighed. "This shit's gotta let up. I check the weather report every damn second like some miracle's gonna happen. I have things I need to get done here."
"You and me both, bud. You and me both."
____________________________________________
MEL
At noon the next day, Mel and Isaac were standing outside an office building on Broadway. Apparently the previous night's snow storm had been a freak occurrence, as the next day's temperatures rose to an unusual degree, at the very least, freeing up the roads for normal traffic.
"Broadway, huh?" Mel observed. "Nice."
"Yeah," Ike agreed in a reminiscent tone. "It was pretty nice." Then he smiled at her. "And it will be again."
Minutes later they were six floors up, walking into a large, empty, and very dusty, space. Large windows overlooking the city provided light in the room from the right. Mel smiled and shook her head. It had Taylor written all over it.
Ike flipped a switch and smiled. "Ah. We have light. Progress already."
"So what's the plan here?" Mel asked curiously.
"Things are picking up in Tulsa. I mean, you know that. Things are getting a little cramped and that place
has already been expanded once. We thought life might be a little easier if we branched out a little. And we already have this space so we thought, why not revive it, you know?"
Mel nodded as she looked around. "Makes sense."
"I mean, it would strictly be business. Could you imagine doing the shipping out of this place?" Ike laughed at his own statement. "Anyway, so we're wanting to change things up for MOE this year. Make it a little mobile."
"You're cutting it close on time, aren't you?"
Ike smiled at her. "If you build it, they will come."
Mel had to admit, Ike's enthusiasm was infectious and she could feel herself getting a little excited at the concept herself. But she had to ask, "Do you really see it happening this year, though?"
"Oh, it's already in the works. We've started the process already."
She was suddenly taken aback. This was news to her. When was THAT meeting? "Um, since when?"
"Awhile," he answered, nonchalantly as he looked around.
"Well--how in the hell are you gonna hold a MOE HERE? In an office building?"
Ike winked at her. "Central Park. It's perfect. I mean, it won't be as full-fledged as the Tulsa one, but it'll be something a little mobile as an option for fans who wouldn't be able to travel as far."
"What about West Coast fans?"
"Next year. Anyway, we need to get the ball rolling on this. We need it done in time for MOE and definitely
before the tour."
At his words, Mel felt like she had just taken a punch in the gut. "The tour?"
"Yeah," he said. "A tour. The new album doesn't come out till next year, but we wanted to do a little tour this summer--you know, to keep the fans interested. It'd be two, maybe three months tops. Nothing really over-the-top." He looked at her and smiled. "Have you been living under a rock?"
It didn't matter where she'd been living. Right now Mel was seeing red.
-------------------------
A couple of hours later, Mel and Isaac left the building and had lunch, her not feeling any less livid about the news that Ike had oh-so-innocently let slip.
They were walking down the street, deeply engrossed in office plans, when a store window caught her eye and caused her to do a double-take. She stopped in mid-stride, grabbing Ike by the arm and pissing off the people behind them as they brushed their shoulders to get by. "Ike. Look," she breathed, her eyes gazing in wonder at the window.
Before he could answer, she dragged him across the sidewalk and close to the window. Her heart pounded and her palms were instantly sweaty. It was love at first sight. "Isn't it gorgeous?" she breathed.
"Uh, I'm not sure I should be here for this..." Ike's voice trailed off.
"Nonsense. I'm buying it. Come on."
"I have a feeling you're about to piss a lot of women off," Ike said as she dragged him into the boutique.
Mel wasted no time finding the shopkeeper when she walked in. Without hesitation, she said to her, "I'd like the wedding dress in the window, please."
"Oh, you want to try it on? No problem."
"No. I want to buy it."
The woman looked puzzled. "Without trying it on?"
"Well, okay, yeah, I'll try it on. But I'm buying it either way."
The woman smiled. "Come with me, let's get you in it."
"I really shouldn't be here for this," Ike muttered.
"Are you the future husband?" the woman asked.
Ike laughed nervously. "No. No, no, I'm already married. I'm the future brother-in-law, here on a
whim, apparently."
"Well don't you worry, she sounds like a woman who knows what she wants. This shouldn't take long."
The dress was perfect. Laying eyes on it, it was the first time she actually pictured herself holding Taylor's hand as they exchanged vows. The visual of him in his tuxedo nearly brought tears to her eyes. The dress was vintage-style. Mermaid cut with a short train at the bottom, scalloped V-neck, all lace. The sheer lace sleeves
capped at the shoulders and satin buttons held it together all the way up the back. It fit snug, hugging all her small curves as the shopkeeper buttoned her into it.
Mel was all too excited as she gathered up the bottom and stepped outside the dressing room, barely noticing Ike there anymore. She stepped onto the platform and dropped the train, staring at herself in the three mirrors before her. For the first time since Christmas, Mel found herself extremely excited about the wedding. She
turned around and smiled at Ike excitedly. "So? What do you think? You think Tay will like it?"
"Uh, if I know Tay like I think I know Tay, he will be speechless. And if he doesn't like it, *I* would gladly stand
in his place."
Mel smiled, appreciative. "Aw, Ike. That's so sweet. So you really think he'll like it?"
"He'll love it."
"Well it'll need to be altered..." the woman said as she tugged and pulled at the dress on Mel.
"It's okay," Mel said. "I live in Tulsa, so I can have it altered there. I'd like to go ahead and check out, please."
------------------------
Isaac had a little more business to tend to in the city while Mel opted to take her new dress straight to the condo. In the bedroom, she laid it across her bed and sighed to herself, looking at it. She hadn't spoken to Taylor since the previous night and he hadn't bothered to call or text. She decided she might as well be the one to make the first move.
She wasn't sure why she was surprised that he answered, but she was. "Mel. I need you."
Her heart sank and she sat on the edge of the bed. "Tay..."
"I mean--I'm sorry. About last night, about--I don't know why I do and say these things. And when you're gone I miss you and I just--I don't know what to do with myself when you're not here."
"Tay, this isn't you," Mel said softly. "You're a strong, independent person. What's the difference now? I mean, when you leave--"
"That's different. When I'm gone, I'm just gone. When you leave it's like...I'm not whole. You know?"
Mel knew. She knew deep down that his real problem was a control issue. She wasn't sure if he was actually aware or not and she wasn't about to bring it up. Of course everything was okay when HE was gone. He made the choice to leave. But when Mel went off on her own he lost his mind because he knew he couldn't control what she did when she wasn't home. It was a cycle that would need to be broken. And soon.
"I don't know how to help you with that. We both have to have our independence from each other once in
awhile. You know that. And this week I just happened to have to do some work in the city. And I'll be right back here in two weeks with Kate and Nikki and--well, Tay, you're just going to have to get used to it. I work. Just like you do."
"I know. I'm trying, Mel, I really am trying. I promise. I'm trying to be better for you."
Mel sighed but continued to soften her voice. "I don't know what you're trying to better about yourself. I
love you just the way you are. And everything that comes with it. You know what Billy Joel said, you know."
She heard Tay laugh lightly into the phone. "Yeah. I know what he said."
And then, before she could stop herself, to her own horror and dismay, she found herself softly singing to him the first lines of the song. "Don't go changing to try to please me. You never let me down before. Don't imagine you're too familiar. And I don't see you anymore." And then she stopped, feeling herself choke up.
"Tay. I don't want you to ever worry about whether I'm happy with you or not. Because I am. I always was. I can't live without you and you know that. I need you to believe me."
She heard him sniff into the phone and she bit her lip, knowing she'd caught him in a rare, raw moment. She didn't really know what to say after that. So she said the next thing that came to mind. "So...I bought my wedding dress today."
He cleared his throat harshly on the other end. "Seriously?"
Mel smiled into the phone. "I did. I saw it in the window and had an emergent need to buy it. It's perfect."
"You know, that's a pretty major part of wedding planning. And you pulled it off in one trip? Maybe it won't
be as hard as you think it will be."
"I think you might be right. There's nothing difficult about the concept of marrying you."
"Mel, I--I really needed this today. Honestly. I feel like such a bastard after last night. Yes, I was drunk. When you leave, I--well, I work and I drink. I'm not proud of it. But I shouldn't have said any of those things to you. It was unfair and you didn't deserve it. None of it. I'm gonna make it up to you, I promise."
"It's done. It happened. I'm over it. Let's just let it be in the past and move on, okay?"
Moments later they hung up with each other and Mel sat on the edge of the bed and held her phone in her hand. Tay had issues. Deeper ones than she thought he did. She wished she could help him but she had no idea what to do for him. She would suggest a professional but she didn't want to offend him. However, how far was she willing to let things get before she decided to weigh in her real opinion?
Her eyes fell on her dress and she smiled. Excitedly, she pulled the chair from the vanity to the middle of the room and put on as much of the dress as she could by herself, staring at herself proudly in the mirror. How would she wear her hair with this thing?
---------------------------------------------
JASON
Jason knocked lightly on Mel's apartment door to no answer. He had no idea why he jiggled the handle on a locked door, but to his surprise, it opened right up. That couldn't have been right. He fought hard to calm his heart as it started to race in fear. No need to get upset. He needed to quit getting himself so worked up when it came to her.
For fear that there might be an intruder, however, he closed the door behind him quietly and locked it. The
apartment was eerily silent and his eyes darted around the room, landing on the object of his own intrusion--his cell phone. Retrieving it off the coffee table and having a silent conniption fit over any work-related messages he may have missed, he glanced toward Mel's bedroom and noticed her door standing wide open. Isaac wasn't there and they had left together that morning. Odd...
Jason tiptoed down the tiny hallway and spied Mel in her bedroom alone, relief washing over his body to the point of weakness at his knees. He knocked on the doorway as he checked his phone as not to scare her and said, "Uh, hey, Mel, I left my phone here and I just came by to get it. Did you know you left your door unlocked?"
He looked up at her as she turned to look at him and his heart leapt straight out of his chest. He could have died right there. Breathing was becoming difficult. He couldn't do this. She stood in a chair in front of her full-length mirror, holding her hair on top of her head, dressed in a beautiful, white wed--wed--well, shit, he
couldn't even think the word to himself. She was absolutely stunning. And not a single bit of it meant for him.
He had to get out of there.
Mel's eyes lit up when she saw him and she smiled widely. "Hey! What do you think? Isn't it gorgeous? I bought it today." She turned to look at herself in the mirror again, smoothing the dress out around her.
Jason was speechless. He couldn't get a word out. The only thing he knew was that he needed to go. Now. So he spat out a lie. "Uh, I gotta get going. I just came by for my phone, I'm actually in a rush. I'll talk to you later, though, okay?"
"Well, Jason. Wait--"
"I'm sorry. I'm running late. I really gotta go. Make sure you lock your door behind me."
Without waiting for her to respond, he was out of the apartment. Once in the elevator, he held his head in his hands and rested the back of his head against the wall. He was falling apart. Piece by piece. Miserably.
ISAAC
Isaac had helped himself to a glass of scotch and was wishing he had a cigar to go along with it when Mel and Jason walked through the door. He had been on the phone with Nikki most of the night, her freaking out over the weather and him assuring her everything was fine. He was glad to have the distraction when they arrived. He was, however, puzzled at the shopping bag in Jason's hand. "Shopping? This late? In this weather?"
Jason laughed. "Long story with the cab driver. My hotel is across town so we hopped a street on the walk here and I grabbed a few things from a boutique that was miraculously open. I fucking love this city."
Ike greeted the two of them and half an hour later, the three of them sat around the living room, Ike in the arm chair, and Mel and Jason on opposite ends of the couch, shooting both whiskey and the shit. Mel constantly stood up to go and look out the curtainless panoramic window to watch the snow fall and Ike would remind her every single time that the entire world could see the snow right from where they were sitting. She never cared, though. She was lost in the magic of it all. "She's grown up in snow her entire life," Ike mumbled to Jason. "You'd think she'd be used to it by now."
Jason grinned as he glanced over at Mel, then back at Ike. "There are just certain types of magic that never get
old."
Ike was a perceptive individual. He always had been. Immediately picking up on Jason's double entendre, he
suddenly remembered that he needed to tread lightly around Jason. Jason was a straightforward man, never letting a person wonder for a second what he might be about. What you saw was what you got. He never made the effort to keep his feelings for Mel from shining in his eyes. Any idiot could see it and Ike knew that Taylor could see it, too. He knew that was why Jason intimidated his brother so much. Jason was ready and waiting at any given second--even Ike warned him of that. In his thought, he turned around and glanced at Mel, still lost in the window. The poor thing was oblivious to it all. How does a man wear his heart on his sleeve, practically shoving it in front of her face, and she be completely unaware of it? For Tay's sake, Ike could only wish that she would continue to stay blissfully oblivious.
"Did you watch the game?" Jason's voice interrupted Ike's thoughts suddenly.
Snapping back to reality, Ike was extremely grateful for the subject change. "Uh, yeah, I managed to catch the last half when I got settled in here."
"How was it? I was dying to check the scores at dinner, but, you know...didn't wanna be rude." Both men
laughed.
For the next little bit, Ike and Jason discussed the night's game and the front-running teams for the season, all while Mel balled up in the corner of the couch with her head in her phone. Ike tried to read her expression, but he couldn't tell what kind of mood she was in. Only that she was so engrossed that she never once even glanced up when the two men started making jokes at her expense.
Abruptly, she stood up and addressed them. "Um, I'm really exhausted. If you don't mind, I'm gonna go
ahead and head to bed. Jason, are you sure you don't want to sleep in the guest room? Ike can sleep in my room and I'll take the couch. I promise it's not a problem."
"Absolutely not," Jason said. "I'm fine right here."
"Are you sure? I mean, I sleep on the couch when I'm here by myself anyway, it doesn't make a bit of difference to me. I don't mind it at all."
"Go to bed."
"Yeah, but--"
"Goodnight," Jason said firmly.
With that, Mel said her goodnights to him and Ike and headed to the bedroom she shared with Tay--whenever they shared the condo, that was.
Jason shook his head and scoffed after she left the room. "She's so damn hard-headed sometimes."
"That's pretty much her in a nutshell," Ike agreed. Ike couldn't deny that it made him slightly uneasy how Jason
seemed to be able to read Mel like a book and he never once appeared aggravated at her when she was at her typical best. Taylor could learn from him. That was a scary thought. He hated feeling like he was in a
position that didn't exist. Maybe he was thinking too much. Yeah. That was definitely it.
A half an hour passed and Ike's uneasiness had faded long ago as the two men talked amongst themselves of sports and life on the road, sharing stories and laughing together. It wasn't until there was a short lull in conversation when they heard Mel's voice muffled on the other side of the wall. Pay as much as you want for luxury, but it still didn't stop the walls from being paper thin sometimes.
It wouldn't have made a shit to either of the men, had her tone not sounded a bit off. They glanced at each other and kept their mouths shut, each one unashamed that they were eavesdropping. "Why are you acting like that?" she was saying. "What do you mean, like what? Like you're doing now...I don't understand why you're so mad at me--yes you are! You should hear yourself!...I'm not going to sit here and listen to--no, it's not fair! I fucking TOLD you about it before it even happened...you could have said no!...well, maybe not, but I still gave you the opportunity...yes I did!"
As Mel's voice paused for a moment, Ike and Jason glanced at each other. Jason's nostrils flared as he took in a
breath and he adjusted himself in his seat. Ike regretted the snow tonight. This was a bad night for Jason to be present, Ike could feel it.
Mel's voice started up again, this time a little louder. "I'm trying to be quiet so they don't hear me--Ike and
Jason are both here...goddammit, of course not, Tay, what do you take me for?...yes! What is the matter with you? I love you, I WANT to marry you--well, Tay, I just wanna get these wedding plans nailed down!...don't put
this off on me, I tried to talk do you, you never seem to have time...you're not the only one who works, you know..."
Feeling uncomfortable again, Ike felt the need to take up for Tay all of a sudden, mostly to help clear his own
head. "Look, my brother isn't a bad guy. Honest. I mean, he's going through some things and--they've both been through a lot. And he's working through it. He's actually doing a lot better..." Ike's voice trailed off. What point was he trying to make again? Oh yeah. The please-don't-kill-my-brother plea.
Jason's arms were crossed over his chest as he stared at the screen. He looked at Ike and shrugged. "Hey, you
don't have to tell me anything. It's none of my business."
"Well--and it's none of mine, either. I just--I'm sure it's not as bad as it sounds."
"It's cool," Jason assured Ike once again. "Seriously." He reached over the arm of the couch and offered Ike a fist-bump, which he took him up on.
Ike didn't know how to feel about that. Jason wasn't one to hide his feelings, however--was this his way of
working through his OWN feelings? Ike kinda felt bad for the guy. He seemed to only set himself up for punishment every time he came around Mel.
Mel's voice came through the wall again, her attempt to keep quiet was obvious but miserably failing. "We JUST talked about this. Why are you talking like that? I'm not understanding what's going on here...I'm not PLAYING anything! You're the one acting like a lunatic for no apparent reason!...Tay, I'm SORRY! I have to work...because I WANT to...no, it has nothing to do with you...no, that's not what I mean...well how would you like it if I told you I didn't like YOU traveling all the time, for weeks and months at a time with--oh get off it, Tay, you have thousands of women throwing themselves at you on a daily basis and I don't--no, I really don't, because I TRUST you...yeah, that's right. TRUST. It would do you good to learn the word and not be so goddamn offensive....no, not defensive, OFFensive...because you're offending me! What was that sound?...no THAT sound...Tay, are you--are you DRUNK? You're fucking DRUNK! You've been drunk this whole time!"
In the back of his mind, Ike had been waiting for this moment. It was no secret between he and Tay and Zac that Tay had a tendency to hit the bottle whenever Mel was out of town. Ike knew it was his way of coping with her being gone and the never-ending fear of losing her, and so he chose to drown his insecurities in beer. It took many a conversation for Drunk Tay to reiterate that he just knew she was going to go out and find something better than him. These conversations usually ended with Tay in the throes of self-loathing and
Ike and/or Zac helping him to bed before they left his house. Mel hadn't been aware of any of this, but Ike suspected that the cat had just been let out of the bag.
Ike then glanced over at Jason, who had since readjusted once more in his seat, and who now had murder in his eyes. Jason almost seemed to have a savage quality to him that caused him to feel the need to protect whatever belonged to him--wherever Mel seemed to fit in that category, Ike wasn't sure he wanted to know.
"Oh, no. I don't give a shit," Mel was saying. "How dare you have the audacity to fucking get drunk and then answer the phone only to cuss me out. How DARE you?...Sorry? You're sorry? You're apologizing? You don't even know what you're apologizing FOR!...oh, no, you're gonna know. I hit record on this bastard the second you started raving like a lunatic...yeah, I did and I'm gonna send it to you in the morning. As a matter of fact, we'll talk tomorrow once you've sobered up a little. I called to tell you that I love you and that I was going to
sleep, not to get cussed out by your drunk, lunatic alter-ego....no, Tay, the damage is done. I hope you sleep well tonight. I miss you, but I don't miss THIS....no, I'm hanging up now...I'm hanging up."
And then there was silence.
Moments later the crash of shattering glass amplified from Mel's bedroom and both men were out of their seats in a matter of seconds. Jason had made the leap over the back of the sofa and Ike swung around the arm chair, both of them showing up at Mel's bedroom doorway. She sat on the bed, Indian-style, in a pair of pajama shorts and a tank top. Brushing back a strand of dark hair from her face, she looked at the two of them. "Uh, um, bug. On the wall. Very big...bug..."
Ike glanced at the wall by the bed, the liquid running down from the splattering stain it left. "You're such a
fucking liar," Jason said bluntly as he pushed his way in the room past Ike.
Mel inaudibly tried to object as Jason made his way around the bed to assess the damage. "Goddamn, Mel, what the fuck did you do this for?"
"It's not--I'll get it don't worry about it," she said, waving him away.
He ignored her and started to bend over to pick up pieces of the wine glass when Mel got off the bed and attempted to stop him. "Jason, I said I'll get it--SHIT!"
Jason's head whipped around in an instant. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Nothing now," she said, wincing in pain as she sat back on the bed and held her right foot out in front of her.
Ike's eyes widened and he automatically went into doctor mode. "Mel do not move a muscle," he said as he went in search of supplies.
He returned in minutes armed with things he needed or thought he might need. He found tweezers, a sewing pin, rubbing alcohol, cotton balls, bandaids, and gauze bandages. He was sure he wouldn't need it all, but it never hurt to be over-prepared.
Mel's eyes widened at the sight of the pin. "Don't you dare come near me with that thing. I can do this
myself."
"Don't be stupid," Ike said. "I can see down there better than you can. We have to make sure we get it all out
so you don't get infected."
"I'll take it! I'll take gangrene and my foot can rot off for all I care!"
Ike ignored her and flipped on the overhead light as Jason cleaned up the last of the glass on the floor. Sitting on the end of the bed, Ike tucked a pillow underneath Mel's ankle and rested it on his leg. Jason watched the scene, amused. "Wow, look at you, Mr. Fix-It."
"I have two boys who don't like to wear shoes," Ike responded, the ball of the pin tucked between his teeth as he examined her foot. "You wouldn't believe the things I've pulled out of their feet." He then looked up at Mel with the diagnosis. "You've got a couple of small chunks in there and a few small shards, but it's nothing
that won't come out. You just have to not move."
Mel scoffed loudly, her nerves getting the better of her. "You're about to be messing around the bottom of my foot with a push pin and you expect me to be perfectly still. That's rich!"
"If you hadn't wasted that good wine, this might be an easier process," Jason pointed out.
Mel scowled at him.
As Ike played doctor on the bottom of Mel's foot, he watched Jason out of the corner of his eye as he sat on the bed next to Mel and took her by the hand. It was obvious that it was completely innocent but he couldn't help but feel like none of this was any of his business. "You wanna talk about it?" he asked her quietly.
"Talk about what?"
"Don't play coy. We could hear you."
Mel shook hair out of her face as she winced in anticipation as Ike pulled one of the larger chunks of glass from her big toe. "Oh. That. It was nothing, really. It was--there's nothing really to talk about. He'll be fine in the morning."
Ike glanced up at Jason and Jason's eyes met his. Ike wasn't prepared for the next question. "Mel, has he
ever..."
"NO. Absolutely never. I can't believe you're even thinking that. No. I would kill him first. No. He is mouthy but he is NOT violent. Though it was pretty hot when he beat that one cop's ass--but that's it. Nothing more."
With tension seemingly instantly relieved in the room, Ike couldn't help but snicker at her answer as he pulled the last of the glass from her foot. There was minimal blood, but nothing that couldn't be taken care of quickly. He wrapped her foot for good measure and patted her leg. "There, good as new."
"Well that wasn't so bad," Mel commented.
"I told you. You're a big girl. If my boys can handle it, there's no reason you can't."
Mel smirked at him and thanked him for preventing gangrene in her foot.
After saying their goodnights for the second time, Ike and Jason left Mel's room. Standing in the living room, the men stared out the window at the still-falling snow. Ike sighed. "This shit's gotta let up. I check the weather report every damn second like some miracle's gonna happen. I have things I need to get done here."
"You and me both, bud. You and me both."
____________________________________________
MEL
At noon the next day, Mel and Isaac were standing outside an office building on Broadway. Apparently the previous night's snow storm had been a freak occurrence, as the next day's temperatures rose to an unusual degree, at the very least, freeing up the roads for normal traffic.
"Broadway, huh?" Mel observed. "Nice."
"Yeah," Ike agreed in a reminiscent tone. "It was pretty nice." Then he smiled at her. "And it will be again."
Minutes later they were six floors up, walking into a large, empty, and very dusty, space. Large windows overlooking the city provided light in the room from the right. Mel smiled and shook her head. It had Taylor written all over it.
Ike flipped a switch and smiled. "Ah. We have light. Progress already."
"So what's the plan here?" Mel asked curiously.
"Things are picking up in Tulsa. I mean, you know that. Things are getting a little cramped and that place
has already been expanded once. We thought life might be a little easier if we branched out a little. And we already have this space so we thought, why not revive it, you know?"
Mel nodded as she looked around. "Makes sense."
"I mean, it would strictly be business. Could you imagine doing the shipping out of this place?" Ike laughed at his own statement. "Anyway, so we're wanting to change things up for MOE this year. Make it a little mobile."
"You're cutting it close on time, aren't you?"
Ike smiled at her. "If you build it, they will come."
Mel had to admit, Ike's enthusiasm was infectious and she could feel herself getting a little excited at the concept herself. But she had to ask, "Do you really see it happening this year, though?"
"Oh, it's already in the works. We've started the process already."
She was suddenly taken aback. This was news to her. When was THAT meeting? "Um, since when?"
"Awhile," he answered, nonchalantly as he looked around.
"Well--how in the hell are you gonna hold a MOE HERE? In an office building?"
Ike winked at her. "Central Park. It's perfect. I mean, it won't be as full-fledged as the Tulsa one, but it'll be something a little mobile as an option for fans who wouldn't be able to travel as far."
"What about West Coast fans?"
"Next year. Anyway, we need to get the ball rolling on this. We need it done in time for MOE and definitely
before the tour."
At his words, Mel felt like she had just taken a punch in the gut. "The tour?"
"Yeah," he said. "A tour. The new album doesn't come out till next year, but we wanted to do a little tour this summer--you know, to keep the fans interested. It'd be two, maybe three months tops. Nothing really over-the-top." He looked at her and smiled. "Have you been living under a rock?"
It didn't matter where she'd been living. Right now Mel was seeing red.
-------------------------
A couple of hours later, Mel and Isaac left the building and had lunch, her not feeling any less livid about the news that Ike had oh-so-innocently let slip.
They were walking down the street, deeply engrossed in office plans, when a store window caught her eye and caused her to do a double-take. She stopped in mid-stride, grabbing Ike by the arm and pissing off the people behind them as they brushed their shoulders to get by. "Ike. Look," she breathed, her eyes gazing in wonder at the window.
Before he could answer, she dragged him across the sidewalk and close to the window. Her heart pounded and her palms were instantly sweaty. It was love at first sight. "Isn't it gorgeous?" she breathed.
"Uh, I'm not sure I should be here for this..." Ike's voice trailed off.
"Nonsense. I'm buying it. Come on."
"I have a feeling you're about to piss a lot of women off," Ike said as she dragged him into the boutique.
Mel wasted no time finding the shopkeeper when she walked in. Without hesitation, she said to her, "I'd like the wedding dress in the window, please."
"Oh, you want to try it on? No problem."
"No. I want to buy it."
The woman looked puzzled. "Without trying it on?"
"Well, okay, yeah, I'll try it on. But I'm buying it either way."
The woman smiled. "Come with me, let's get you in it."
"I really shouldn't be here for this," Ike muttered.
"Are you the future husband?" the woman asked.
Ike laughed nervously. "No. No, no, I'm already married. I'm the future brother-in-law, here on a
whim, apparently."
"Well don't you worry, she sounds like a woman who knows what she wants. This shouldn't take long."
The dress was perfect. Laying eyes on it, it was the first time she actually pictured herself holding Taylor's hand as they exchanged vows. The visual of him in his tuxedo nearly brought tears to her eyes. The dress was vintage-style. Mermaid cut with a short train at the bottom, scalloped V-neck, all lace. The sheer lace sleeves
capped at the shoulders and satin buttons held it together all the way up the back. It fit snug, hugging all her small curves as the shopkeeper buttoned her into it.
Mel was all too excited as she gathered up the bottom and stepped outside the dressing room, barely noticing Ike there anymore. She stepped onto the platform and dropped the train, staring at herself in the three mirrors before her. For the first time since Christmas, Mel found herself extremely excited about the wedding. She
turned around and smiled at Ike excitedly. "So? What do you think? You think Tay will like it?"
"Uh, if I know Tay like I think I know Tay, he will be speechless. And if he doesn't like it, *I* would gladly stand
in his place."
Mel smiled, appreciative. "Aw, Ike. That's so sweet. So you really think he'll like it?"
"He'll love it."
"Well it'll need to be altered..." the woman said as she tugged and pulled at the dress on Mel.
"It's okay," Mel said. "I live in Tulsa, so I can have it altered there. I'd like to go ahead and check out, please."
------------------------
Isaac had a little more business to tend to in the city while Mel opted to take her new dress straight to the condo. In the bedroom, she laid it across her bed and sighed to herself, looking at it. She hadn't spoken to Taylor since the previous night and he hadn't bothered to call or text. She decided she might as well be the one to make the first move.
She wasn't sure why she was surprised that he answered, but she was. "Mel. I need you."
Her heart sank and she sat on the edge of the bed. "Tay..."
"I mean--I'm sorry. About last night, about--I don't know why I do and say these things. And when you're gone I miss you and I just--I don't know what to do with myself when you're not here."
"Tay, this isn't you," Mel said softly. "You're a strong, independent person. What's the difference now? I mean, when you leave--"
"That's different. When I'm gone, I'm just gone. When you leave it's like...I'm not whole. You know?"
Mel knew. She knew deep down that his real problem was a control issue. She wasn't sure if he was actually aware or not and she wasn't about to bring it up. Of course everything was okay when HE was gone. He made the choice to leave. But when Mel went off on her own he lost his mind because he knew he couldn't control what she did when she wasn't home. It was a cycle that would need to be broken. And soon.
"I don't know how to help you with that. We both have to have our independence from each other once in
awhile. You know that. And this week I just happened to have to do some work in the city. And I'll be right back here in two weeks with Kate and Nikki and--well, Tay, you're just going to have to get used to it. I work. Just like you do."
"I know. I'm trying, Mel, I really am trying. I promise. I'm trying to be better for you."
Mel sighed but continued to soften her voice. "I don't know what you're trying to better about yourself. I
love you just the way you are. And everything that comes with it. You know what Billy Joel said, you know."
She heard Tay laugh lightly into the phone. "Yeah. I know what he said."
And then, before she could stop herself, to her own horror and dismay, she found herself softly singing to him the first lines of the song. "Don't go changing to try to please me. You never let me down before. Don't imagine you're too familiar. And I don't see you anymore." And then she stopped, feeling herself choke up.
"Tay. I don't want you to ever worry about whether I'm happy with you or not. Because I am. I always was. I can't live without you and you know that. I need you to believe me."
She heard him sniff into the phone and she bit her lip, knowing she'd caught him in a rare, raw moment. She didn't really know what to say after that. So she said the next thing that came to mind. "So...I bought my wedding dress today."
He cleared his throat harshly on the other end. "Seriously?"
Mel smiled into the phone. "I did. I saw it in the window and had an emergent need to buy it. It's perfect."
"You know, that's a pretty major part of wedding planning. And you pulled it off in one trip? Maybe it won't
be as hard as you think it will be."
"I think you might be right. There's nothing difficult about the concept of marrying you."
"Mel, I--I really needed this today. Honestly. I feel like such a bastard after last night. Yes, I was drunk. When you leave, I--well, I work and I drink. I'm not proud of it. But I shouldn't have said any of those things to you. It was unfair and you didn't deserve it. None of it. I'm gonna make it up to you, I promise."
"It's done. It happened. I'm over it. Let's just let it be in the past and move on, okay?"
Moments later they hung up with each other and Mel sat on the edge of the bed and held her phone in her hand. Tay had issues. Deeper ones than she thought he did. She wished she could help him but she had no idea what to do for him. She would suggest a professional but she didn't want to offend him. However, how far was she willing to let things get before she decided to weigh in her real opinion?
Her eyes fell on her dress and she smiled. Excitedly, she pulled the chair from the vanity to the middle of the room and put on as much of the dress as she could by herself, staring at herself proudly in the mirror. How would she wear her hair with this thing?
---------------------------------------------
JASON
Jason knocked lightly on Mel's apartment door to no answer. He had no idea why he jiggled the handle on a locked door, but to his surprise, it opened right up. That couldn't have been right. He fought hard to calm his heart as it started to race in fear. No need to get upset. He needed to quit getting himself so worked up when it came to her.
For fear that there might be an intruder, however, he closed the door behind him quietly and locked it. The
apartment was eerily silent and his eyes darted around the room, landing on the object of his own intrusion--his cell phone. Retrieving it off the coffee table and having a silent conniption fit over any work-related messages he may have missed, he glanced toward Mel's bedroom and noticed her door standing wide open. Isaac wasn't there and they had left together that morning. Odd...
Jason tiptoed down the tiny hallway and spied Mel in her bedroom alone, relief washing over his body to the point of weakness at his knees. He knocked on the doorway as he checked his phone as not to scare her and said, "Uh, hey, Mel, I left my phone here and I just came by to get it. Did you know you left your door unlocked?"
He looked up at her as she turned to look at him and his heart leapt straight out of his chest. He could have died right there. Breathing was becoming difficult. He couldn't do this. She stood in a chair in front of her full-length mirror, holding her hair on top of her head, dressed in a beautiful, white wed--wed--well, shit, he
couldn't even think the word to himself. She was absolutely stunning. And not a single bit of it meant for him.
He had to get out of there.
Mel's eyes lit up when she saw him and she smiled widely. "Hey! What do you think? Isn't it gorgeous? I bought it today." She turned to look at herself in the mirror again, smoothing the dress out around her.
Jason was speechless. He couldn't get a word out. The only thing he knew was that he needed to go. Now. So he spat out a lie. "Uh, I gotta get going. I just came by for my phone, I'm actually in a rush. I'll talk to you later, though, okay?"
"Well, Jason. Wait--"
"I'm sorry. I'm running late. I really gotta go. Make sure you lock your door behind me."
Without waiting for her to respond, he was out of the apartment. Once in the elevator, he held his head in his hands and rested the back of his head against the wall. He was falling apart. Piece by piece. Miserably.