The Game Changer (21 page)

“Can I get you anything?” Melody asked, amused.

“No, I’m good.” Julian raised her empty glass in salute before setting it back on the table. “If I’d known I was going to stop by, I’d have brought popcorn and a movie.”

“I have both.” She pointed to the DVD stand beside the TV. “I can make popcorn. Or if you haven’t eaten yet, I can reheat the shepherd’s pie Liv made for dinner.”

“Shepherd’s pie?” Julian’s eyes lit with interest. “Well, I haven’t eaten since lunch…and I
do
love a good shepherd’s pie…”

Melody chuckled. “I’ll heat you a plate, then.”

Julian followed her to the kitchen and sat on one of the island stools, watching her. “So, I didn’t bring popcorn and a movie, but I did bring you
something
.”

“Oh?” Melody glanced over her shoulder as she pulled the container of leftovers from the fridge and popped it in the microwave.

Reaching into the pocket of his jeans, Julian drew out a bracelet of two delicate-looking interwoven strands of silver. He let it dangle from his fingertips, waiting for her to notice it.

“Julian!” Melody cried, reaching for the bracelet, then retracting her hand. “You got that for
me
?”

He nodded, his eyes softening as he smiled. “I did. I was walking by this little boutique in downtown Ottawa, and it caught my eye. You’re always wearing silver bracelets, so I thought of you.” He reached for her hand and gently slipped the bracelet onto her wrist.

Melody was touched beyond words. No man except her father had ever bought her jewelry before. She loved silver bracelets—her dad had bought her several when she was little, and she loved them so much he’d continued to buy them for her over the years, right up until his death.

Starting the year after her father died, her mother and Olivia gave her a new bracelet every year for her birthday to carry on the tradition. She still had every single one her dad had given her; the ones that were too small were tucked away in a jewelry box, and the others she wore on an almost daily basis, alternating them with ones from her mother and Olivia.

She couldn’t believe Julian had noticed. It seemed like such a small thing, and there was no way he could realize the significance or meaning of his gesture, but it meant a great deal to her.

“I can’t believe you got this for me,” she said, her quiet voice quavering with the threat of tears.

She met Julian’s eyes, and the look of panic on his face almost made her laugh. “I’m sorry.” She waved a hand in front of her face, embarrassed. “Don’t mind me.”

She realized he was still holding her other hand when he gave it a squeeze. “What’s wrong? You hate it? You don’t think friends should buy friends jewelry? You think I’m secretly hitting on you by tempting you with sparkly things?”

Melody laughed. “No, none of that. I love it. It’s just…” She pulled her hand free to examine the bracelet. It was delicate looking, and she loved the way the fine, threadlike bands of silver reflected the light from overhead. “My dad started me on my bracelet collection,” she explained, meeting his eyes again.

Julian stared at her for a moment, then nodded his understanding. “I didn’t know. I just thought you liked silver bracelets. I can take it back if you want.”

Melody stepped back, hiding her hands behind her back. “You’re not getting this back,” she told him with a small smile.

She wanted to tell him how touched she was and how thoughtful and sweet he was to surprise her with such a beautiful gift. But it felt strange;
she
felt strange. She told herself the feeling swirling around in her stomach and chest was simply a swell of affection, nothing more. Affection like she would feel for Olivia, or any of her other close friends when they did something considerate.

“Thank you, Julian.” She stepped around the island and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “I really do love it.”

“I’m glad.” He surprised her once more when he stood and enfolded her in a tight hug.

Melody tensed at the close contact. That swirling feeling inside her intensified, and she closed her eyes, hoping to control the sensation, but he was so solid and warm, and he smelled incredible, like a forest after a spring rain. She sighed and relaxed against him, her eyes still closed. The instant she realized how well they fit together, he pressed a gentle kiss to her temple and pulled away.

Melody stepped back, trying to put space between them without being too obvious. “Your food,” she remembered suddenly, glad for the distraction as she went to the microwave and pulled the dish out. “Why don’t you go sit on the couch and I’ll bring us some wine.”

Julian took the plate, inhaled appreciatively, and headed for the living room.

Melody took her time getting two glasses and filling them with wine. She threw glances at Julian every few seconds, inspecting his profile while he ate.

He really was beautiful. High cheekbones, a strong nose, full lips. She thought back to his words the Sunday they went out for breakfast. Men and women could be friends. It was possible. Just because they were friends didn’t mean her responses to him meant anything—Melody was sure a lot of people were attracted to Julian. Not only was he gorgeous, he was also charming, funny, and thoughtful. Just because she thought he was hot, it didn’t mean anything. She thought lots of guys were hot.

Julian turned to look at her; when he caught her staring, a slow smile crept over his face, making his eyes dance. He regarded her for a moment before turning back to his food.

He’s just a friend
, Melody repeated to herself even as her own body betrayed her and she went soft inside from Julian’s smile. Part of her wondered if he felt anything for her. Surely not—he’d had plenty of time to make a move on her if he was interested. He had shown up at her apartment on a Friday night after midnight, and even though she was alone he hadn’t tried to initiate anything. He treated her with respect, and Melody was beginning to think he genuinely cared about her.

She wasn’t used to having male friends; that had to account for some of the conflicting emotions she was experiencing. She also wasn’t used to guys paying attention to her. Rick had never been one to shower her with love, affection, and attention, so it was all new to her. He’d never surprised her late at night, or brought her gifts because something reminded him of her, or hugged her like she was important to him, the way Julian had moments before.

So they were proving that men and women really could be friends. And, Melody realized, she was lucky to have him.

Smiling to herself, she picked up the glasses of wine and joined Julian on the couch.

“What’s with that little grin?” Julian asked.

Melody shrugged. “Just thinking how glad I am you’re here,” she said. She loved the look of pleased surprised on Julian’s face, but before he could say anything, she continued, “And I was thinking that you’re eating that pie like it’s your last meal.”
 
She inclined her head toward the plate, which was already more than half empty.

Julian grinned. “Guess I didn’t realize how hungry I was ’til I started. Olivia’s a really good cook.”

“Yeah, she is,” Melody agreed, tucking her legs up under herself and leaning back against the couch. “If she decided to pursue it, I think she’d be really successful.”

“And yet you don’t seem thrilled about the idea,” Julian commented.

He really
was
observant.

Melody shrugged again. “If that’s what she wants, I’ll support her a hundred percent. She’s multi-talented and could do pretty much anything she sets her mind to.”

“But you want her to set her mind to something specific.”

Melody nodded. “She can do all these different things really well, and they’d make great hobbies or even side jobs, but what she’s
passionate
about is fashion. Designing clothes, making them herself, helping people look great. I just don’t understand why she won’t embrace it and run with it.”

“Fear?” Julian suggested.

“That’s my best guess,” Melody said. “She started playing around with designs when we were young, before her mother left. She’d draw something up, something incredible, and then she’d make it. Just like that. She had no training, nobody taught her how to do it, she just learned and she did it, and she was amazing.”

Julian was silent, as if he knew there was more and he was waiting for it.

Melody sighed. “But her mother…ugh, that woman! She told Olivia she’d never make a career out of it. She wasn’t good enough, wasn’t smart enough, wasn’t talented enough. Which was all absolute bullshit, and I think even she knew it.” She shook her head and met Julian’s eyes. His brows were furrowed, and he was frowning slightly, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“It gets better,” Melody told him sourly. “Olivia’s mother said that Olivia had been gifted with a pretty face, and women with pretty faces could get whatever they wanted in life. Olivia should aim to catch a wealthy man, and by keeping him happy he’d give her anything she wanted, and she’d never have to worry about a career.”

“You’re kidding,” Julian said, sounding disgusted.

“I wish. I wouldn’t have believed it myself if I hadn’t heard her say it with my own ears.”

Melody thought back to that day; it seemed like a lifetime ago. She and Olivia had been thirteen, and they were at the O’Dell house, not because they wanted to be, but because Melody’s dad was in the hospital and Rita was with him. Melody was too young to stay alone overnight, so she and Olivia were having a sleepover. They were in Olivia’s room, and Olivia was using Melody as a mannequin, draping fabrics over her arms and shoulders, and taking measurements.

Mrs. O’Dell had walked in, martini in hand, and asked what they were doing. When Olivia told her, her mother scoffed and said scornfully what Melody had just relayed to Julian. Olivia had waited until her mother left before she started to cry; tears of anger, hurt, and frustration had poured down her cheeks, breaking Melody’s heart. Olivia had wanted to pack up all her sketchbooks and materials and throw them out, but Melody convinced her to keep going.

“You’re so much better than that,” Melody had said vehemently, drying her best friend’s tears. “You’re so much better than
her
. You know she’s full of shit.”

Olivia had laughed tearfully, and without a word she’d picked up her measuring tape and continued with her task.

After that day Olivia moved all her design supplies to Melody’s house. She carried a sketchbook with her wherever she went, but she made sure her mother never knew she was continuing with her designs. It didn’t really matter though, because it was only a few months later that Mrs. O’Dell left.

“So she stopped then?” Julian asked, his quiet voice snapping Melody back to the present.

“No,” Melody said, smiling slightly, still half lost in the past. “She didn’t. She kept going and just hid it from her mother. She let her think all she was interested in was boys, because that’s what she knew her mother wanted. But she kept designing, kept making clothes, and even took fashion design in college.”

“What happened then?”

“I don’t really know,” Melody said with a sigh. “She loved college, and she was at the top of her class. Her professors and the people she interned for were floored by her talent. They said she could be huge, and that they wouldn’t be surprised to someday see her designs on the runways of Paris, New York, Milan. But…I don’t know. She graduated, started working in a boutique in Toronto, and stayed there until a few weeks ago.”

“And you have no idea what happened?” Julian asked.

“None.” Melody set her wine glass down and rubbed her eyes tiredly. “I wish I did. We talk about everything, but when it comes to that, there’s like a mental block for Olivia. She says nothing happened, that she still loves to design, she just doesn’t necessarily want to do it professionally. Sometimes I wonder if she took the job in the boutique thinking it would be a stepping stone to something more, or if she was so terrified of failing she just didn’t even try.”

“Maybe she wasn’t afraid of failing. Maybe she was afraid of succeeding.”

Melody felt like a light bulb suddenly went off over her head. She stared at Julian, unblinking, her mind whirling. “Of course,” she whispered, her shoulders slumping as if the air had been knocked out of her. “You’re right. I don’t know how I didn’t realize that before. I am so…freaking…stupid.”

“You are not,” Julian said firmly. He scooted closer to her and wrapped one arm around her, holding her up.

“I am,” Melody argued. “I’m a complete and utter moron for not seeing this before. She’s my best friend. I lived through all the crap her mother inflicted on her. I know how insecure she is.” Melody shook her head. It all made complete sense now; Olivia was afraid of succeeding. She didn’t pursue her passion because she was afraid she’d get exactly what she wanted in life, and her mother had ingrained in her that she wasn’t worth it. That same fear was probably why she never gave relationships a real shot either: she was afraid they would succeed and she’d be happy.