Melvin's POV
Katherine's phone begins to ring when she is eating dinner. Before she speaks, she takes a moment to check the caller ID. "Please excuse me. This is a call that I have to take." After getting to her feet, she strolls out of the room.
I remove my phone from my pocket and look through the photographs I have stored on my phone.
Michelle and I are standing in front of the Statue of Liberty in the picture. Please find it here. Our faces are filled with happiness as I wrap my arms around her waist.
Changing to the next photo, I see Michelle and I sharing a passionate kiss.
The word "Michelle" appears on the screen as my phone trembles and the vibrations commence.
I picked up the phone and answered it.
"Hey, Michelle," I said.
"Hey, baby," Michelle said. How are things going around here?
I'm happy to report that I've just been cast in the lead part of a rom-com.
How wonderful is that, Michelle? At what time will you begin filming?
My response is that it will happen in a few weeks.
Can you make it to London this next weekend, Michelle? I'd like to meet you.
The back of my neck is being rubbed.
I'm sorry, Michelle, but I'm not sure. I must complete a few tasks before reporting to the movie set.
Michelle: Would you please tell me what you need to do before you get onto the movie set?
Several clothing lines have approached me with the request to model for them.
How did you get the job? Michelle. The search for a model in Los Angeles has been ongoing for some time.
It was Katherine who assisted me in getting the position. She is a...
I am interrupted by Michelle.
I do not wish to hear that girl's name, Michelle. The experience of knowing her yields no positive results. She could ruin your career.
Me: No, she is not going to do that. She can introduce me to new opportunities that I had never considered being able to pursue.
Michelle: I don't want to discuss her at this time.
When speaking to someone, she says in a low voice.
Michelle: I need to leave. My manager is interested in meeting with me. Sweetheart, I'll see you on Saturday.
Following the end of the call, she makes a series of kissing noises.
I would not like to spend the weekend in London. Rather than seeing Michelle walk the runway, I would really appreciate it if I could stay here instead.
She never fails to converse with her manager and laughs well with him whenever I attend the runway events.
At times, I wonder if something is going on between.
Just where is Kathy?
After I had walked around the house and called her name, I decided to look in the kitchen because she had not responded to my shouts.
When I open the kitchen door, Kathy is conversing with the people who work there. I am focused on her. "We should finish dinner." After taking her hand, we proceed to leave the kitchen together.
She is taking a seat opposite me. Seraphina wants to meet with us tomorrow. She thinks you would be a good fit to represent her new line.
"How do you feel about that?" I inquire of her.
"The truth is that. At the office, I would enjoy seeing you more often. In a suit, you have a beautiful appearance. Her cheeks start to flush, and she abruptly turns away from me. "You should wear them more often."
We will be attending additional parties when I am not working on-site. Will you convey to Seraphina the information that your mother shared with you?
"Yes, I am," she said. It would be inappropriate for me to withhold information from the ladies who allowed me to photograph for their fashion line. I wouldn't be in the position that I am in right now if it weren't for them. Like several of my siblings, I would survive on the money my parents provided.
No, you would not have done it. You have always been a lot of a dreamer, and you have always accomplished anything you set your mind to. Everything would have remained the same as before. The Senior Prom that you planned for us is something that you may recall.
It is then that she breaks into a broad smile. "How could I possibly forget such a night? You wanted to avoid coming into contact with all of the girls at our school, so you asked me to meet you. We danced for the entirety of the night, and when the night came to a close, you kissed me and whispered something in my ear. All my life, I've had the desire to do that. I was surprised when you came over the next day and told me it was a mistake to kiss me and that it would be best if we forgot about it.
When I said that to her that evening, I was a total and utter idiot, since that day, I have been filled with regret.
Then, after shifting in my seat, I stare at the table before me. "The next day, I was a complete and utter jerk. My memory of that kiss has not been erased to this day. Nothing has ever compared to the kiss that we had with one other.
"Why are you doing this now, Melvin?"
"If we're going to fool everyone that we're in love, it's stuff like this that we need to discuss before we move forward."
I hope she is fully prepared to move on and convince people that we are in a relationship.
"Please jump, Kathy."
While she does so, she glances at the table and plays with her fingers. "From the beginning, Melvin, I have always liked you more than a friend. I just suppressed my sentiments for you because I knew you would not feel the same way about me. More than anything else, I would choose to be your friend and have you in my life rather than have you at all. She gives him a look. I had anticipated that this would be simpler than it is. I seriously doubt that I will be able to pull this off." She gets to her feet and starts to leave the room.
I followed her out of the room to prevent her from climbing the stairs, grasped her arm, and turned her around. "Kathy, you are not going to abandon me. I am relieved that you have shared your feelings with me.
"Really?"
In response, I scooped her up and carried her to the couch. "Yes," I said. All I had to do was figure out the right moment to tell Michelle about what we were doing.
She has a pallid face. "No, she will ruin me if you tell her."
I put my hand on her face and touched it. "What do you mean she'll ruin you?"
Katherine makes a head shake motion. "I can't tell you. You will hate me for the rest of your life when you discover what it is, and I do not want that to happen.
No, Kathy, it can't possibly be that horrible. I've done many things with you over the years, and I can tell you that they weren't quite as horrific as you thought.
He gets to his feet. I'm going to sit in my room. Kindly refrain from disturbing me.
As she ascends the steps to the second story, I watch her come up. The sound of the door slamming may be heard.
What could she possibly have done that would cause her to behave in such a manner? Except if it has something to do with the fact that she was missing for four months after she turned twenty-one.
Flashback.
I was standing next to Michelle when Katherine came stumbling over to us.
She was dressed in white and wore underwear that matched the dress.
Through the dress, it was possible to see that she was completely naked.
Following her, a man comes up behind her and throws his arms around her waist. "Are you ready to get out of here?" His speech was slurred.
When she said, "Yep," she kissed me. "I'll come by tomorrow, Melvin." Her departure from the club was accompanied by his.
Flashback ends
Despite her assurances that she would attend my location the following morning, she did not. The fact that she would act in such a manner was very inappropriate for her.
Upon her return after four months, she was completely different, and nobody knew what transpired when she was absent.
I could only hope that she would be able to put her faith in me one day.