Hot Fudge Fraud (3 page)

Melanie looked down at her bread plate, willing herself not to cry.  Usually, she was adept at burying her emotions, but that was when she kept them bottled up.  This was the first time in her adult life she could remember being so
candid about her family.  It was also the first time in ages she had been on a date with a man she was actually interested in.  The factors blended together made for strange bedfellows.

“Look, I don’t want to turn this dinner into a therapy session,” she said firmly, relieved when the waiter served a platter of
fried green tomatoes and coconut shrimp with steaming bowls of crab bisque on the side.

“I’m no therapist,” Keith countered, nodding politely to thank the waiter.  Keeping his hand over hers, he continued, “I’m a friend.  Someone you’ve known almost all your life…”

“Someone I’ve known
of
for most of my life,” Melanie corrected brusquely.  “Tonight is the first time we’re actually getting to know each other since we were kids!”

“Alright,” Keith relented
with a sigh.  “I guess it’s time for me to share a tidbit of my life with you.  It’s only fair, right?”

“Right,” she agreed, munching on a spicy tomato.

“Well, my parents retired last year. It’s been a huge adjustment for them.  They don’t know how to handle being around each other all the time.  They’ve been fighting so much and even talked about getting divorced.  I couldn’t let that happen, so I tried to patch up their marriage by buying them a little house down in Hilton Head Island. I thought it would be perfect because my dad loves to golf and my mom is a beach bum. But they’re still not happy.  If anything, their relationship has gotten worse.  My mom says she feels isolated being away from Charleston.  And my dad complains that he never has any time to himself.  The whole thing has made me feel pretty damn useless.  It was stupid of me to think that I could save their marriage by buying them a house, right?” Keith shook his head bitterly as his eyes fogged over with unshed tears.

Touched by how much he had shared, Melanie soothed,
“It wasn’t stupid at all.  It was a beautiful gesture.  And divorce would be such a shame at their age.  I mean, they’re in their golden years.  They should just grow old together.  But I guess it’s not that simple,” she shrugged, taking a gulp of ice water to tame the spices burning her tongue.

“I guess my story won’t help change your mind about marriage,” Keith said wryly.

“Probably not,” she admitted, surprised by how preoccupied Keith seemed to be with marriage.

“I’m just an ol’ fashioned country boy at heart, Melanie.  Can’t help it,” he said, reading her mind.  “I’ve always dreamed of the nice, big house with lots of kids running through it.  Thing is, I’ve got the big house.  But it’s so damn empty,” he mused, shaking his head.

Melanie remained silent for a few beats, uneasy with the emotionally charged conversation.  She hadn’t signed up for a soul baring session when she agreed to go out to dinner with Keith.

Perceiving her train of thought, Keith said, “You know, I don’t usually get this deep in conversations with people. 
Especially on dates.  Most of the women I’ve dated have been pretty vapid.  But I know you’re not like that, Melanie.  I can tell that you’re a real soul.  You’ve got so much spirit locked up inside of there,” he paused to point to her heart.  “You just gotta set it free.”

“One step at a time,” she said softly.  “It’s strange to hear a man like you talk about empty houses and unfulfilled dreams.”

“A man like me?” He arched an eyebrow.

“Well, you know.  A man who’s so successful and…so attractive,” she finished shyly.

Keith grinned at her but said nothing.  “So, Miss Bradley, have you ever thought of going to Ireland?”

“
Actually, I have.  Last year, I thought maybe I would finally be ready to go.  I even got a passport for the first time in my life.  But I’ve never used it.  In the end, I couldn’t imagine going to Ireland when my mother never got to see the country again.  It would be too sad.”

“There’s a better way to look at it,” Keith asserted.  “Going to Ireland would be paying tribute to your mother.  If she couldn’t go, I’m sure she would want her only
child to go.”

Melanie dismissed his points.  “
Well, I don’t know.  Can you believe I’ve never even been on a plane?”

“Really?” Keith asked in disbelief.

“Yup.  The farthest I’ve ever been away from Charleston is when I drove to Miami Beach a few years ago with some friends.  Other than that, I’ve lived and breathed South Carolina since I was born.”

There was a stubborn note of pride in Melanie’s voice that made Keith s
mile.  “Well, if there’s any place to spend all your life in, it’s gotta be South Carolina.  I bet you even have one of those Carolina Girl bumper stickers, don’t you?”

“No, but I’ve got a Carolina Girl tattoo,” she deadpanned as he looked momentarily horrified.  “Just kidding.  No tattoos on my body,”
she assured as he sighed in relief.  “Man, you’re traditional, aren’t you?  You shoulda seen how white your face just turned when I said ‘tattoo.’”

“I
am
traditional.  And I make no apologies for it.  I don’t expect you to make apologies for who you are either.”

“Good.  Because I wouldn’t,” she said tartly as he rolled his eyes with humor.

“Alright, my little Magnolia flower, I get it.  You’re a spark plug.  But I like it,” he smiled, refilling her glass with wine.

By the time they left the restaurant, Melanie felt as though her belly had expanded about six inches.  Light headed from all the wine, she closed her eyes as Keith’s car cruised through Charleston and back to Hot Fudge Fancy. 
As they arrived on King Street, Keith chuckled, waking Melanie from a reverie.

“Will you look at that?  Your baby is waiting for you,” he said, pointing to the window
sill of her ice cream parlor where Sunny was nestled on a blanket.

Melanie giggled and replied, “I better go walk him now.”

“Let me join you on your walk.  It’s too late at night for you to be walking through town all alone.  That little dog’s no protection.”

“I do it all the time,” Melanie argued, but Keith was not hearing it.

He waited for her outside the door as she slipped in to grab Sunny before locking up again.  “You lead the way,” Keith said.

“Thanks for coming on this
walk with me.  And thanks for dinner…”

He held up a hand in protest.  “Don’t thank me, Melanie.  I loved every minute of tonight.  And it’s not over yet.”

Her breath was swept away as Keith swooped down to her petite height and caught her face in his hands.

Kiss me, Keith.  I’ve been waiting my whole life to feel your lips on mine…

Chapter 3

Melanie’s thoughts drifted away on a sultry breeze as Keith planted a tender kiss on her parted lips.  She yearned for him to deepen the kiss, but he restrained himself, gently touching their lips together but probing no further.  The light touch electrified her as she instinctively shut her eyes and slid her lips across his.  Grasping her face a little more tightly, he increased the pressure of his mouth, kissing her firmly before releasing her.  Dazed, she looked up at him and noted that his eyes were dark with desire.

“I guess I should be walking you back to your car soon, shouldn’t I?” He asked reluctantly.

Melanie hadn’t been near a man in uncountable months, and she didn’t want to say good night.  But she also didn’t want Keith to stop courting her.  His gentlemanly overtures throughout the evening had awakened a lifetime of dormant feelings, and she didn’t want the beauty of his tenderness to stop.

“I guess maybe you should,” she said softly, giving Sunny’s leash a little tug and leading Keith in the direction of her car.  “But I really had such a wonderful time tonight.”

“So did I, Melanie,” he said intensely.  “Now I ju
st have to think of a way to have our second date top this one.”

She grinned, excited at the
prospect of a second date.  “I look forward to that…well here’s my car,” she said, pointing to a dirty white jalopy with the paint chipping off.

Keith stood at the door, debating whether to kiss her again.  Instead of kissing her
lips, he gallantly clasped her hand in his and kissed it, bowing his head as he did so.  “Good night, Miss Melanie Bradley.  Drive safely, and I’ll see you soon,” he said with a wink before taking off in the other direction and strolling towards his own car.

“Good night, Keith,” she called after him, disappointed that he hadn’t kissed her
on the mouth again.

She deposited Sunny in the back seat as the dog immediately clamored to sit up front next to her.  “Oh, you’re so spoiled, aren’t you?” She laughed.  “Gotta sit in the front seat.  The back seat’s not good enough for you, is it Sunny bunny?”

Melanie drove the few miles home in silence.  Usually, she would turn on the radio for company, but tonight she wanted to indulge in instant replays of her date with Keith.  As she sailed over the bridge that locals call Wonders Way for its panoramic water views, she remembered the brush of his warm lips on hers.  She took a hand off the steering wheel for an instant and swept her fingers where his lips had been.  His scent drifted with her as she crossed over another bridge to travel from Mount Pleasant to Isle of Palms.

The ocean was
obsidian and mysterious in the distance.  She was so restless, certain she wouldn’t be able to sleep.  For a moment, she considered parking the car and taking a moonlit stroll along the shore.  Imagining the panicked reaction her father would have to such an escapade, she heeded her better judgment and pulled into the driveway of her new home.

The house vibrated with
country music, and Melanie grimaced, wondering if Lynne and Chloe were having a party.  Gritting her teeth and resolving not to get into a scuffle with the girls, she walked up the porch steps with Sunny and made a beeline for her bedroom.  Lynne was sprawled out on the sofa as the stereo blasted a Carrie Underwood song.

“Hi Lynne,” Melanie greeted polit
ely.  “I thought you were having some kinda party with the music so loud.”

“Nope.  No party.  Not tonight, anyway.  But I’m a night owl, so get used to it, girl,” Lynne said casually
with a glimmer in her eyes that betrayed contempt.

“Where’s Chloe?” Melanie asked, ignoring Lynne’s
piercing glare.

“No idea,”
Lynne shrugged carelessly.  “And by the way, you need to keep all that nasty dog food in your room.  I don’t like opening my kitchen cabinet and seeing a can of chopped liver staring back at me.”

“Okay,
no problem,” Melanie said breezily. “I’m going to bed.”

“Okay, see ya,” Lynne replied, not bothering to turn down the music.

Melanie resisted the compulsion to slam her door. 
The idiot probably wouldn’t even hear the door slam with her music cranked up like that.
  Rushing over to the window, she peered outside as the Atlantic Ocean shimmered like a black diamond. 
This is the reason I moved here
, she reminded herself. 
I can deal with those two airheads.  It’s all worth it for this view.

But as she stripped down and settled under the covers, she wasn’t so sure.  The house certainly didn’t feel like home yet, and she
doubted it ever would.  How could she feel at home in a place where the only space that was truly hers was a cramped bedroom?  She didn’t like being confined to one room of the house but didn’t want to cause more tension with her roommates either.  Sighing heavily, she shut her eyes in vain, knowing that sleep was still hours away.

*****

Melanie awoke early the next morning to get to the ice cream parlor.  A huge shipment was scheduled to arrive before opening, and she needed to hustle to make it there in time.  Showering like lightning and skipping breakfast, she packed Sunny into
her car and headed downtown.

Arriving at
Hot Fudge Fancy with a few minutes to spare, she checked her cell phone to see if Keith had left her any messages.  Perhaps a sweet good morning text.  That seemed like something he would do.  But her hopes were dashed when she realized that she hadn’t given him her phone number…or vice versa.  He had picked her up at the ice cream parlor for their date without any communication by phone.  And he knew what street she lived on in Isle of Palms.  But that was all he knew. 
How could I be so ditsy and not give him my number?  And why didn’t he ask me for it?

The deliveryman knocked on the glass door as she glanced up, distracted by thoughts of Keith.  Sunny
barked at the stranger as Melanie shushed the dog and opened the door.  “Hi, come on in.”

“Mornin’, M
iss.  Cute dog you got.  Kinda yappy, though,” the young man chuckled.

Ordinarily, Melanie would have engaged in some
coquettish flirtation with the delivery man.  He boasted a charming pair of dimples and taut muscles inside his uniform that would set any red blooded woman’s pulse into action.  But this morning she could only think of Keith and wonder how he was going to reach her.

The store phone rang and she jumped, hoping it was Keith.  “Hello,” she said eagerly.

“Hi Pumpkin!” Her father’s warm voice radiated through the line.

“Oh hi Dad,” she tried not to sound disappointed.  “How’s everything?”

“Good, darlin’.  In fact, I’ve got some news that I think you’re really going to like,” Mr. Bradley said happily.

“Really?  What’s that, Dad?” She asked curiously, motioning to the delivery man where to put the
canisters of ice cream and toppings.

“Well, baby girl, you know how you’ve been buggin’ me to retire for the past few years?”

Melanie almost dropped the phone as she burst out eagerly, “Yes!  Dad, don’t toy with me!  Are you really going to retire?”

“I am, sweetheart.  Your ol’
dad is gonna be 60 years old in a few weeks.  And my mortgage has been paid off for several years.  I live close to the bone.  Don’t need much.  So even though my Social Security won’t kick in for a while, I’ve decided that I’m gonna do it.  I’m retirin’!” Scott Bradley’s voice was laced with boyish excitement that she had never heard from him before.

“Dad, that’s wonderful!!  I’m so happy, I could cry!” She said as a teardrop
indeed rolled down her face.  “Oh, heck, I am crying!  When are you going to do it?”

“I already have,” he announced proudly.  “Instead of giving two weeks notice, I’m using some vacation time I’ve got coming to me.  After my vacation, my retirement will be official!”

Melanie’s jaw dropped.  “So you mean that’s it?  You’re not going back to work?  No more operating those dangerous cranes that make me worried sick about you every day?”

“That’s right, Melanie darlin’.  Your dad is a free man!” He slapped his thigh and laughed heartily.

“This calls for celebration!  Listen, Dad, I’ve got to start setting up for opening, but we’re going to celebrate very soon.  I’m so happy!” Melanie exclaimed as relief flooded her system.  No longer would she have to worry that her aging father would have an accident on a piece of machinery or suffer a heart attack while on the job.

“Okay, now you have a good day at work! As for me, I think I’ll pour myself a glass of sweet tea and relax for the
rest of the morning!”

“That sounds like a plan to me!  Enjoy your day, Dad!” Melanie said exuberantly as she hung up the phone.

“That’s the last of the ice cream,” the delivery man informed as sweat soaked through his uniform.

“Thank you so much,” Melanie mumbled absently, still overwhelmed with the news her father had conveyed.

She spent the rest of the morning buzzing around the ice cream parlor and completing chores like taking inventory and writing out checks to vendors.  The midday rush was intense as she lost count of how many granola nut sundaes and peach parfaits she served up.  By the time she closed up shop at 8:30, Melanie was almost too exhausted to move.

“What a day.  Come on, Sunny, let’s go home,” she muttered, grabbing onto his leash and switching the lights off.

Throughout the long day, she had entertained fantasies that Keith would stop in for an ice cream cone…and another kiss.  But he had remained elusive, and she was questioning all that she shared with him the night before. 
Maybe it was too much for him to handle so soon.  He acted like he wanted to know about me, but men can’t handle those emotional details.  Especially on the first date.

Sullenly, she drove home
, mindlessly flipping through the radio stations and not finding any song to suit her mood.  She was relieved to find the house quiet when she pulled into the driveway. 
No country music noise pollution.  And even better, no sign of Lynne or Chloe in the living room.  Maybe the dingbats went to sleep early.

Melanie tip toed into her bedroom, praying that she wouldn’t run into either of her roommates in the hallway.  Safely in her room, she clicked the
door shut and flopped onto the bed.  The clock read 9 PM.  Last night, her sleep had been fitful, but tonight she was sure she would be unconscious as soon as her head hit the pillow.  Pulling a pink cotton nightgown over her head, she retreated under the sheets and sighed.

The flash of headlights outside her window made her blink sleepily.  A moment later, her eyes shot wide open as the doorbell rang.  Then, realizing it was probably a guest for her self-proclaimed ‘night owl’ roommate, Melanie snuggled back against her pillow.  Muffled voices echoed through the house as Melanie vaguely listened.
  A knock sounded at her bedroom door, and she bolted out of her half-sleep state.

“Melanie!  You have a guest!” Lynne called, opening the door without waiting for a response.  “He’s really cute!
  But he shouldn’t just show up here unannounced at this hour!” She hissed as Melanie’s heart raced.

Not bothering to put on a robe, Melanie ran to the front door and smiled at the welcoming sight of Keith McBrennan.  He smiled back at her as Lynne hover
ed in the background, conspicuously eavesdropping.  Melanie didn’t notice her as she walked over to Keith and gave him a spontaneous hug.

“I was hoping I had the right house.  I recognized your car parked in the driveway,” he drawled, slightly winded from her embrace.

Melanie was so happy to see him that she didn’t ask the reason for his late night visit.  She just held on to him…a little too tightly.  Blushing, she pulled back and stared up at his chiseled face.  His eyes were glowing as moonlight bathed the living room.

“Looks like I woke you up,” he said awkwardly, taking in her appearance in the flimsy nightgown.

“No, you didn’t.  I was just drifting off to sleep when you knocked at the door,” she said dreamily.

“Well I guess you want to know what brings me here so late at night?” He
prompted with a grin.

“Yes!” Lynne piped up.  “We don’t have gentlemen callers after a certain hour ‘round here.”

Keith laughed as Melanie glared at her.  “This isn’t the nineteenth century, Lynne.  Now if you’ll excuse us…” Melanie said tightly, stepping outside onto the porch with Keith and shutting the door behind them.

“Anyway, as I was saying,” Keith rejoined, “I guess you want to know why I’m here.”

“You don’t need a reason,” she winked playfully.

Keith grasped her hands in his and said, “Well I’m glad to hear that.  But I do have a reason.  You see, I couldn’t decide where to take you for our second date.  I mean, we already went to one of the nicest restaurants in Charleston, so how could I top that, right?”

“You don’t need to top it,” she said honestly as a humid breeze shifted through her loose hair.

“But I think I do. And here’s what I had in mind,” Keith said mischievously, gently releasing her hands and sliding a folded envelope out of his pocket.  “Open it.”