It was a Saturday evening and Melody was sitting on the couch, stirring cookie dough. She didn’t have much a life. She went to the university, she went to work, she came home and jogged. Her old high school boyfriends back home were all married and either their wives were expecting a baby, or they already had 2 or 3 kids. Plus they wouldn’t want to go on a long drive to Texas just to see her for a couple hours if they were single. Melody was watching Law and Order SVU, and for some odd reason, the killing didn’t interest her. It usually does. “God, life is so boring.” She got up and turned off the TV and walked into the kitchen. Her cat, Frisky, bumped his head against her leg, getting orange fur all over her yoga pants. “Friskers, go eat. I put food out for you. Go eat.” She knelt down and petted the pathetic feline. *Knock Knock* Melody stood up and sauntered over to the door of her town house and peaked through the peep hole, It was Garren. Garren Houser is a good friend of hers. Known him two years since they were both freshmen at the small university. They hit it off really well, went on a couple “dates” and they hang out with each other often.
“Mel! Why are you answering the door?” Garren asked, holding two pizza boxes and a bag of breadsticks balancing on top of the boxes.
“Because, it’s a Saturday night. I have nothing to do. If it was a masked murderer, or a sales man wanting to rape me, it might highlight my life a little bit more.” She giggled. “You brought pizza! My hero!” She snatched the boxes away from him and left him the breadsticks. As she shuffled to the kitchen, she opened the box and sniffed at it’s contents. “Mmmmmm! Sausage; pepperoni; bacon; chicken; garlic; pineapple!” She set it down on the counter and grabbed two plates from the cupboard, “Meat Lovers!”
Garren chuckled, “Yeah, you know us carnivores and what we like on our pizza.” He grabs two cups and opens the fridge, “If you have just almond milk in here, I will dump it all over you.” He holds the cup in one hand and opens the fridge with the other, he kneels down and looks inside, “Oh! You have organic grape, apple, orange and… grapefruit?” He looks at her, “Grapefruit juice? Seriously Mel?”
Melody has always been a health nut. “Yes, seriously! Try some. It’s better for you.” She giggles.
“I have soda in my car, I think I’ll stick with that.” He gabs his keys out of his pocket and starts walking out of the kitchen.
“Not in my house. You can have the choices of what I have here, the juice, almond milk or water. No soda.” She clings onto him for dear life, trying to stop the 6’1 19 year old man from leaving her house. Little 5’1 Melody didn’t succeed.
“I’ll drink it in my car.” He starts to open the front door then slowly closes it and walks back to the kitchen. “Nah, your right Mel.” She opens the fridge again and retrieves the orange juice, “I’ll be healthy just for you.” He laughs as he pours himself a glass. “And what would you like, Miss Melody Fletcher?” He asks.
“Just ice water will be great.” She takes the pizza cutter and rolls it over the pizza, cutting it into 12 identical sized pieces. She serves up three slices for Garren and two for her.
“Your making me look like a pig, Mel.” He takes the plates from her and sets them down on the counter.
Melody sits on the bar stools and starts eating her pizza. It basically melts in her mouth, it is so good. “No I’m not! I’m just giving you the amount of slices you normally eat.” She takes another bite and closes her eyes, “This is the best pizza in the world and it’s not Papa Murphy’s, the best pizza is Altosinno.”
They both chuckle. They found this place while driving around town one night, looking for something to do, then, they came across this little pizza shop, family owned and run. Garren and Melody stopped in there and it completely changed their perspective on ‘good quality pizza’.
“I know, when I was kid, my family thought Papa Murphy’s was the best, but they are so wrong.” Garren finishes one of his slices and starts on another.
Melody is daintily eating her first slice. “Want to watch a movie on Netflix or play a game?” Melody takes a sip of her water and takes another bite, now holding crust in her hand.
“Game? What kind of a game?” Garren looks at Melody and smiles.
“Like a board game, or a video game. I think I still have my Wii here, unless my brother took it when he came for a visit.” She gets up from the stool, carrying her pizza crust and goes to the living room. She paws through the cupboard underneath the TV and finds the Wii. “Nevermind, he didn’t take it.” She shoves the rest of the pizza crust inside her mouth and grabs the Wii, in order to set it up.
Garren walks into the living room, and touches her shoulder, “Mel, I really don’t want to play the Wii.” He chuckles. “I had something else in mind.”
Melody stares at him with a full mouth and narrows her eye brows. She chews, swallows then stands up, “I only have two board games, Garren, and they take like 5 hours to play. LIFE and MONOPOLY.”
“LIFE doesn’t take 5 hours, it probably takes 1 1/2 hours.” Garren stares into her eyes and then looks away. “Games weren’t on my mind, why don’t we just talk?”
“Have you had enough to eat?” Melody walks back to the bar stool and sits down, starting on her second slice. “Because I am still hungry and I have cookie dough that I put in the fridge we can snack on or bake later.” She takes another sip of her water and looks at Garren who is still in the living room. “Are you done eating?”
He shakes his head, “No, I’m not.” He walks back to his bar stool and picks up his third slice. “Melody?” He looks down at his plate, sprinkled with pizza sauce, “I need to tell you something.”
Melody looks at him, sets down her pizza and faces him, “You have my full attention, Garren.”
Garren holds his pizza a little while longer, silent and a little shaky. He finally sets down his pizza and turns toward Melody, “Mel…” He takes her hand and squeezes it, “Mel, I don’t want you to feel weird about this.” He begins.
“Feel weird about what?” She looks down at his grasping hands and then looks back up into his eyes.
“Melody, I like you.”
Melody just stared at him. What was this, high school? “Garren…” She begins,
“No! Mel, please just listen. I didn’t know how great of a girl you are till a year ago. When we first met, I knew you were kind, sweet, funny and beautiful, but I never realized that you are so much more.” He pauses for a second, “I can’t even describe what I’m feeling.”
“Garren, I am shocked.” She looked up to find words to say but was found speechless.
“You don’t have to say anything!” He leans in and kisses her softly, still keeping his face close to hers, he looks into her eyes, “Melody, will you please be my girlfriend?” he whispers.
His warm, soft breath grazes her ear and it sends shivers down her spine. That kiss ignited the flame in her heart and a smile forms on her face, “Oh my god, Garren.”
“If you don’t want to, if you just want to stay friends, I completely understand. It was something I had to tell you.” He sits up straight and looks into her eyes again. “I was hoping you’d feel the same way… but since you haven’t said anything referring or relating to a yes, I guess it is a silent rejection.” He begins to let her hands go, but Melody grips them after they let go of hers.
“No, Garren, it is not a rejection. I am just shocked and speechless! You coming forth telling me that you like me and think of me… ‘softly’ is probably the greatest news my ears have ever heard.” She smiles and leans in to kiss him.
He leans in a little big and their lips touch. She lets his hands go and she wraps her arms around his neck, and he softly grips her waist in his hands. A long and hard kiss leads to silent mouths seconds later, as they just stare at each other with curiosity and lust.
“Upstairs?” Garren asks, stroking Melody’s long auburn hair.
Melody hesitates, “Can’t we at least have cookies first?” She giggles and kisses him again.
“Cookies?” He sighs, “Ok… quick though.”

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