The Italian's proposal

Chapter Fifteen

Melody

“You’re pretty sick if you think I’m going to stay with you in this place.” she didn’t touch the glass, she had always heard about alcohol hurting babies.

“Sick or not, you’re still going to marry me,” he said taking another sip of his wine. “Do you know what you want to eat?”

“I haven’t even seen the menu, and I’m not really hungry anymore,” and it was true, her appetite was gone. That lunch was turning out to be fatal.

“Don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment. You must feed yourself for the sake of your child.”

“Don’t tell me what’s best for my son,” she glared angrily at him one more time and he smiled.

“From now on I am a part of your life Melody, we should run the party in peace, at least try to,” his voice was so seductive that Melody almost fell over.

Just as she was about to tell him where to stick his opinions a woman approached them.

She was stunning, luminous, moisturized skin, which you could tell from a distance she invested more than Melody earned at the coffee shop in going to spas and beauty salons, eyes as blue as two drops of water and her hair slicked back. She wore fitted to the body an apple green dress and stiletto heeled shoes almost as high as Melody herself.

“Honey, I didn’t know you were coming today,” the woman walked up to Timothy and planted a resounding kiss almost on his lips, not because this hadn’t been her intention, but because he turned his face away a second before. “It’s good to see you, mind you, I was thinking...”

“I’m busy. Are you blind?” he told her without even looking at the woman.

At least the bad mood was not just for her.

She was beginning to believe that anyone who crossed him would have an inconvenience with him.

“Don’t talk to me like that,” the woman pouted, and Melody wanted to slap her to stop her flirting.

Of course, she had no say there.

Timothy looked genuinely uncomfortable, though, to the point that she even felt sorry to see him so desperate. He gave her a furious look that changed her perspective on him a bit. He was eager to get out of the plastic blonde and she could tell.

“Excuse me, but if you can’t tell, we’re trying to get lunch,” she interjected tapping the woman’s hand, which was on the white tablecloth, so she could get her attention. She was wearing long, well-painted, pale pink nails. Even in that she was perfect.

“Easy dear, you’ll get on with your interview right away,” she said dismissively.

Melody clenched her fists. She didn’t give a damn about being pregnant, if she had to fly on top of that smug, arrogant woman, she would, she would rip out every hair on her head.

“Melody’s not on a job interview, Gia,” Timothy retorted coming to her defense. Which she was grateful for, because if he left it to her, she would easily end up beating her.

In her life she had seen many people who thought they were superior because they had more money than others, because they had a college degree, or because they had fancy cars. For Melody there were things that money couldn’t buy, and that woman lacked a few.

From the way she looked at Timothy, she could tell that the blonde was more than just a friend or employee, she looked at him with greed, with sensual heat. That irritated her because she could never have anything like that with Timothy. Because now he despised her. For a foolish thing, for not speaking up sooner.

But that didn’t stop the jealous woman in her from taking control of the situation.

“Will you sit with us? We’re finalizing the details of our wedding,” she gave her a fake smile, just as she was. Timothy looked at her and almost dropped his jaw in surprise. “Shall we find you a chair? I’m sure they have one stashed away somewhere.”

“Marry her!” the woman exclaimed, looking at Timothy. “You’re marrying that!” she pointed at Melody and that threw her off balance.

She got up from her chair making a clatter from the sudden movement. Fuck people staring at her. She needn’t put up with the offenses of that malicious, created woman.

“It’s time for you to go,” Melody told her. Although she wasn’t as tall as the blonde, if it came to it, she could give her one hell of a hair-pull. “Looks like you’re spare.”

“You’re not going to tell me what to do,” she retorted, smiling without getting the gesture in her eyes. “You’re not going to marry Timi, he loves me. We’ve just had a little difference.”

“Gia, go away,” this time it was Timothy who stood up from his chair and watched the woman with a look on his face. “Leave my fiancée alone. I don’t need, nor do I want anything coming from you. I think I’ve made that clear to you for months now.”

“This is a phase, honey. This will pass. Can’ t you see what a ridiculous, glib woman she is? You’ll trade me for that? Ridiculous!” the woman pointed her perfect two-hundred-dollar manicured fingernail at her again.

May the angels help her.

Melody grabbed the bottle on the table and without any finesse whatsoever poured it over the plastic blonde.

“You look like you could use a drink to loosen you up,” she set the bottle on the table and folded her arms. “Oops, looks like you got a little wet.”

The woman shrieked hysterically and looked at her as if she was going to turn into a demon from the underworld.

“You! You’re ruined! You hear me? Ruined!” she went off letting out an airy snort, walked past her and if Melody didn’t move a little bit, she’d shoulder her.

What an unbearable woman!

“Somebody get this poor lady a napkin!” she cried when she saw all eyes were on them.

A sense of triumph swept over her and gave her the courage she needed. She didn’t care what people thought.

At least not everyone.

But she did care what a blond-haired, blue-eyed man, the same one who kept his eyes on her, thought.

She sat down again and took the drink she earlier denied. One drink wouldn’t hurt her baby.

still standing and gawking

felt a little nervous and her hands were shaking. She never did anything like this before. Not that she was cautious and thoughtful, not at all.

entire content of the bottle

classy. You could tell it

be,” the comment surprised and delighted her, but she wanted to

I did that to your little friend. She’s mad. But you looked uncomfortable, and

seat and shaking out the napkin slowly, then placing it on his knees. “She’s my ex. You

saw you

“Stunned?”

I can’t stand the sight

you love her,” she

belong to her. He had a life outside her circle of almost two days. Melody just needed to accept that she was attracted to a man who hated

with someone

her that he was over

business. Nor is it subject to discussion,” he called the waiter over and ordered another wine of the same type. A young janitor mopped up the wine lying on the floor and Melody felt

him as he

her as if she had

she

to work. That’s what he gets paid for. You did and

garbage man’s turn to pick it up, you’re going to go spreading waste all over the street? Just because he’s going to pick it up and it’s his job? Isn’t there a

apologizes. That’s why his reaction,” Timothy stared at her, holding the menu between his long, tantalizing fingers, the kind of fingers a woman has

something to her,

“What?”

I’m sure that kid is

feeling

Timothy’s gaze, not wanting to see in his eyes what she already knew. He didn’t care if her son was moving

focused on looking at

she didn’t understand a word of

“Melody?”

“Yes?”

don’t understand anything

if you already know

honest with me, even if I already know the answer,” that had a double meaning, and it was

closed the menu and placed it

to put up with

the money and financial

put up with his meaningless and untruthful offenses? No.

support of her parents or her sister, but she was not going to denigrate herself and put up with their mistreatment. She wasn’t that

after knowing that I’m related to the man who embezzled from you. Why? Why do you want me by your side if you think I’m so worthless?” guilt of hormones or whatever it was, her eyes filled with tears, and she thought she was going to burst into tears.

talk about in that restaurant

than she would have thought, to have Timothy

as she was, an idea popped into

there something else

and without warm fuzzies. “Look on the bright side. You’ll have a good position in society. My family is quite well known, and we have businesses in much of the United States and

tied to you for more than six months?”

She played for years with dolls, where she

this was not like that at

the apology touched her heart. She knew he wasn’t like that, she felt it in her heart. But she

didn’t continue, and

They were better off.

have come here plenty,” she said remembering the blonde

the first time since they’d arrived at the

There was no point.

gray eyes that said

an enemy living in the

the quicker she was stabbed from

though she was starting

being jealous of a woman

name?”

threats are empty. She’ s never

I’m afraid of her? If you want to give her my address. I’ll wait

told herself she preferred it

smiling and uninhibited. Not all grumpy like he had come to be. Not with his

quite something, Melody

you not to call me by my full

suddenly became serious and waited for her answer. He was tense, she could tell by

wondered how big that vein could get if he got

down her spine

want to

I do. I assure you I do. There are things your face

hiding something, the damn

compliment caught Melody off guard, and she threw a coughing fit. “Get me some water,

Melody regained her composure and shied away from

ever called her