The Game Changer (22 page)

“Maybe it’s because you know all those things that you didn’t see it before,” Julian reasoned. When Melody just regarded him in confusion, he continued. “You’re too close to the situation. It gives you blinders.”

“Maybe,” Melody said half-heartedly.

“Whether I’m right or wrong, it’s Olivia’s life. I know she’s your best friend, and I know you love her to death and want what’s best for her, but you can’t make her do anything she doesn’t want to do or isn’t ready for. You just have to continue being there for her.”

Melody grunted.

“What?” Julian tilted his head to look into her face, and Melody pulled away from him to sit up straight.

“I’m just annoyed because you’re right.”

Julian threw his head back and laughed. The sound of it had Melody’s lips twitching, and some of the tension left her shoulders. He
was
right. As much as she wanted to see Olivia happy, it wasn’t her responsibility to make her that way. She’d been supporting her for the last twenty years, and she would continue to do so, no matter what Olivia decided.

“It does happen once in awhile,” Julian told her, still laughing. He shook his head as he picked up her glass of wine and handed it to her. “In the meantime, I might have something that will tempt Olivia back into the fashion industry.”

“Oh?”

“While I was in Ottawa this week, I ran into an old friend who’s going to be moving to Bellevue temporarily because her production company is putting on a show at Pinnacle Playhouse,” Julian explained. “Because I know the area better than she does, she asked me to put out feelers for locals who could do things like set design, hair, makeup, and
costume design
.”

“Costume design?” Melody asked, skeptical.

“Yeah. I know it’s not necessarily Olivia’s area of expertise, but I thought she might like the challenge. It’s going to be some modernized Shakespearean thing, so she could really play with the designs and make them as original as she wants.”

“A modern twist on Elizabethan clothes?” The wheels in Melody’s mind were already turning; Olivia had always been as fascinated with the Elizabethan era as Melody was with Arthurian times. “You, my friend, are a genius,” she said, unable to contain her enthusiasm. “This could be exactly what Olivia needs.”

Julian grinned happily. “I’m glad you agree. Why don’t you talk to her about it tomorrow, and if she’s in I’ll call my friend and have her set up an appointment with Liv. I think it’d be perfect. She’d get to flex her creative muscles, and because it’s temporary she doesn’t have to feel like she’s committing to something huge. Plus, the playhouse is like a two minute walk from here, so it’d be handy.”

“Exactly,” Melody agreed. “You’re the best!”

“Well…” Julian flashed her that cocky smile; she had to admit it was growing on her. She’d always hated over-confident guys, but now that she knew Julian and what he was really like, she knew he wasn’t actually arrogant at all. “You’re not the first person to tell me that.”

Melody whacked his shoulder with the back of her hand. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Reynolds,” she laughed.

Julian laughed along with her, rubbing his shoulder. “You’ve got quite the arm, Miss Cartwright.”

Melody shot him a smug look before reaching for the remote and clicking on the TV. “Want to watch a movie or find something on TV?”

“TV’s fine.”

Melody flipped through the channels, and they settled on an old episode of
Friends
. It didn’t take long for her eyes to grow heavy, and she didn’t know how much time had passed when she jerked awake and found herself leaning against Julian, her head pillowed on his shoulder. The lamp beside the couch had been turned off, and the only light in the room was the flickering glow of the television, showing a different episode of
Friends
than the one she’d fallen asleep watching.

Julian gave a low chuckle, and Melody jumped, sitting up.

“Sorry,” he said quietly. “Didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t.” Melody squinted at the clock across the room, but her eyes were too blurry to tell the time. “What time is it?”

Julian glanced at his watch. “Two.”

She had been asleep for at least an hour. “Oh my god, I’m sorry. You probably want to get home.”

Julian shook his head. “I’m good here. Unless you want me to go.”

Did she? She assumed Olivia wasn’t home, and wouldn’t be until morning. She was used to spending nights alone in the apartment, but if she didn’t have to… “No, stay. You can crash in Liv’s bed if you want.”

“I’m good here,” he said again, pulling her back against him.

Melody stiffened, as she had earlier when he’d hugged her. “Do friends do this?” she asked quietly.

When he didn’t say anything, Melody wasn’t sure he’d even heard her. Then finally, he said, “They can. If it’s okay.”

Was it okay? The warmth stirring deep in her belly—her body’s way of betraying her once again—said it might not be okay. But she didn’t want to be alone tonight. Not when she didn’t have to be. “It’s okay with me,” she told him, relaxing against him and enjoying the heat that radiated from him.

She didn’t know how she knew it, but Melody was sure Julian was smiling in the dark. She stared at the television for a moment, silently laughing along to the funny parts, while Julian couldn’t seem to help the quiet chuckle that rumbled through him. It was oddly comforting, Melody thought. And it was to the sound of that quiet chuckle that she once again fell asleep.

CHAPTER 12

Melody was aware of the stiffness in her neck before she even opened her eyes. With her eyes still closed, she knew it was morning by the way sunlight filtered through her eyelids, making her want to hide her face and return to the darkness of sleep. She came fully awake when she caught the familiar scent of Julian’s cologne, and realized the slow rise and fall against her chest must be Julian breathing.

Dear god, why am I lying on top of Julian?
she wondered, almost too horrified to open her eyes. But she did, and found herself staring into Julian’s dark eyes.
Bedroom eyes
. They weren’t in her bedroom, but they were in a rather intimate position. Melody was wedged between the back of the couch and Julian’s body, pressed against the length of him from chest to knees.

“Morning.” His voice was low and rough, and his eyes were heavy-lidded from sleep. As he smiled slowly, Melody found herself desperately wanting to kiss him.

They stared at each other for a long moment until the sound of the key in the lock made Melody bury her face in Julian’s chest with a groan. She knew this was going to be awkward beyond belief; she just hoped Olivia was alone.

Her body began to shake, and she realized it wasn’t coming from her, it was coming from the silent laughter vibrating through Julian. She opened her eyes slowly and saw Olivia standing behind the couch, looking amused and oddly smug.

“Well, good morning, you two.” She hitched a hip up onto the back of the couch and smiled down at them.

Melody’s first reaction was to explain the situation, but then she realized there really wasn’t anything to explain. Olivia should be able to decipher that nothing had happened by the fact that she and Julian were both still fully dressed. At least she hoped they were; she shifted her leg slightly and felt the soft denim of Julian’s jeans against her skin. Pants: check. “Morning. Have a good night?”

“I did,” Olivia said, her smile growing. Melody knew she was bursting to ask questions. “Looks like you did, too.”

Melody pinned Olivia with a withering stare. She didn’t imagine it was very effective, though, because she could barely keep herself from laughing at the look on Olivia’s face, and she knew her cheeks must be red. She felt like a teenager who’d been caught in her parents’ bed making out. She had to remind herself that not only was she an adult, but nothing had happened between her and Julian.

Not that you don’t want it to
, a small voice taunted in the back of her mind.

Ignoring the voice, Melody said, “We did, as a matter of fact.” She attempted to sit up, but she was stuck between the couch and Julian’s body.
His rock hard body,
she noticed
. How did a computer geek get a body like that? And how exactly had she ended up pressed against it?

She had visions of having to roll overtop of him to get out.
Not gonna happen
. “I’m kind of stuck,” she informed Julian.

“Oh, sorry.” He eased away from her so she wouldn’t topple face-first into the dent his body had made, then moved into a sitting position.

While he rubbed his eyes, Melody sat up and smoothed her hair down, brushing the wild masses out of her face. She could see Olivia trying to catch her attention, but she ignored her, not wanting to explain just yet. She knew she had nothing to be embarrassed about, but she could feel her cheeks burning, and she didn’t want to talk about it in front of Julian.

“I’m going to make some breakfast,” Olivia announced. “Julian, will you join us?”

“I’d love to, but I better get home.” He stood and stretched, arms extending up above his head so the hem of his shirt rode up, giving Melody a peek at the hard body she’d just been pressed against. “I need to unpack and take a shower and make a few phone calls. Thanks, though. I’ll take a rain check.”

“Of course.” Olivia quirked an eyebrow at Melody and headed for the kitchen. “You’re welcome anytime, you know that.”

Melody stood from the couch and waited until Olivia was out of earshot. “Thanks for hanging out with me last night,” she said quietly to Julian.

He looked surprised. “Thank
you
for hanging out with
me
. I’m the one who showed up at your doorstep at midnight.”

Melody laughed. “True, but still, I appreciate it.”

Julian regarded her with a serious expression. He glanced at Olivia, who was in the kitchen making coffee and humming softly to herself. “You’re not nervous being here alone, are you?” His voice was low and filled with concern.

“Nervous? No, not at all,” Melody assured him. “I’ve been living here for ten years, and I’ve been alone most of that time. I’m not nervous when Olivia’s not here, it’s just…”

“What?”

“It’s silly, really. She hasn’t been living here long, but I’d gotten used to having her around all the time. Now she’s gone with Cameron a lot, and…” She shrugged. She didn’t want to tell him that sometimes she felt like she was destined to be alone.

She’d been with Rick for three years, but in a lot of ways she’d been alone because of the dysfunctional nature of their relationship. She’d never allowed herself to admit that she was lonely, because it didn’t seem normal to feel that way when you were in a committed relationship.

Now she realized there had been absolutely nothing normal about her time with Rick. She was ashamed to admit that, though, and she was also worried if she told Julian she was lonely, she’d sound like she was whining. She didn’t want to seem petty; Melody was glad Olivia was happy, especially since she never thought Olivia would find someone she liked enough to possibly commit to.

Julian nodded. “I get it,” he said. “Anytime you want to hang out, just call me or text me.”

Melody smiled. “Thanks.” She appreciated the offer, but she didn’t want to depend on him to keep her company, especially since he seemed to have a busy social life. She had never been completely content being alone because she knew she
shouldn’t
be alone. She’d had a boyfriend who should have spent time with her—should have
wanted
to spend time with her. Now she had the freedom to learn to be content on her own.

“I mean it,” Julian said, bending so they were eye-to-eye. His dark, penetrating gaze was almost unnerving.

“Okay.” When he looked at her skeptically, she firmly repeated, “
Okay
, Julian. I will call you if I’m nervous or lonely or if I need someone to change the light bulb in the entryway.”

Melody was pleased when he laughed. “Hey, I never said anything about changing light bulbs.”

“It was worth a shot. I can’t reach it, and stepladders are something that actually
do
make me nervous.”

“Fine, you can call me for that too, then.” Julian rolled his eyes before pulling her to him to kiss her forehead. “I gotta get going. I’ll see you later, ’kay? Don’t forget to tell Olivia about the costume design thing.”