With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Mel stared down at the table and whispered the truth. “I’m really sorry, Lucy. I hate to have to be the bearer of bad news. I didn’t mean to but...I had sex with Ryne.” Mel winced, waiting for the fallout. When none came, she hazarded a peak up at her friend.
A quizzical look graced the waitress’s face. “So...? What’s the bad news?”
“That I had sex with Ryne.”
“You’re kidding me, right? Sex with Ryne is never bad.” Lucy cocked her head to the side and frowned.
Not sure why Lucy wasn’t grasping the gravity of the situation, Mel explained again. “The sex wasn’t bad. It was great. But it was with Ryne. Your Ryne.”
Lucy blinked. “Well of course it would be with my Ryne. He’s the only Ryne around here that I know of... Oh!” She gave an amused snort. “Did you think I was going to be upset? Mel, I already told you we don’t have that kind of relationship.”
“I know what you said, but... I still thought that maybe you were just saying that.”
“Mel, we’re just ‘friends with benefits.’ Ryne’s a nice guy, but he’s not the one for me. Hell, he might not be ‘the one’ for anyone; he’s too much of a player.” She shook her head and smiled reminiscently. “When I first met him, I wondered if maybe he was the right guy, but he isn’t. He’s a good man, but I want someone who’ll take me away from all this.” She flourished her order pad and gestured around the room. “Not some guy who’s planning on spending the rest of his life in Stump River.”
“You don’t like it here?” Mel furrowed her brow, trying to understand what the woman was saying.
“Oh, I like it fine, but I also want to make a new start. Here, I’m just good old Lucy. All the guys...er...know me, if you get my drift, but none of them really want to settle down with me.” The server’s eyes suddenly seemed lonely and a bit wistful. Mel reached across and grabbed her hand, somehow knowing that behind her happy, carefree facade Lucy had more than a few scars on her heart.
“Lucy, you’re a wonderful person. Any man would—”
Shaking her head, Lucy interrupted Mel’s attempt at offering comfort. “No, Mel, not ‘any man’ at least not here in Stump River. But someday, when I save enough money, I’m going to move to a big city like Toronto or Montreal and make a new start for myself. Find some guy who thinks I’m more than just a roll in the hay.” She gave a determined smile. “Don’t get me wrong. The people here are good to me, but I want more. I deserve more.”
Mel looked at her friend, taking in the tilt of her chin and her slightly narrowed eyes. Her heart swelled with pride in the woman. Lucy was more than people thought she was. “You’re right, Lucy. You do deserve more and if I can help...” She let the sentence trail off, not sure exactly what she could do, but willing to offer her services. The two women’s eyes met and Lucy nodded, obviously understanding the sentiment.
She patted Mel’s hand. “Now enough about me. It’s you I’m worried about. If you want Ryne, you go for it, just don’t be expecting a lot more than getting your teeth rattled. He wouldn’t purposely break your heart, but he’s not into long term commitments. Keep that in mind.”
Mel brushed Lucy’s concerns away. “It was a onetime thing. I’m here to interview him—it’s a job, that’s all.”
“Nothing saying you can’t enjoy your work.” Lucy stood up and winked.
“Well, maybe...but I doubt it. All we’ve done so far is argue—well, except for this morning. Besides, I’m pretty sure I’m not his type.”
Lucy gave her a once over. “I don’t know... I’ve noticed him watching you on and off this past week, when you weren’t looking. He’s had his eye on you.”
“Really?” Mel felt a ridiculous gush of happiness at the idea of Ryne taking notice of her.
“Uh-huh. If you play your cards right, you might just get lucky more than once.” With another wink, Lucy went on her way.
Mel watched her leave and mulled over the conversation. Lucy had basically told her to go after Ryne and that Ryne might be interested in her. She wasn’t really sure how she felt about that fact, but knew, from a logical point of view, she shouldn’t even consider Ryne in any light other than that of the subject for an article. But still, fantasies were nice... Suddenly, her appetite came back in full force and she began to eat with gusto. Al really did make good chicken parmesan, she thought as she happily munched away.