What Skylar Needs

by Lanee Lane

  "Yes, you do."

  Melanie moved to a vacant table to wait. She pulled out her phone as a distraction. He was really getting on her nerves, and she didn't want to talk to him anymore.

  Skylar pulled out the seat across from her and sat down. He propped his head in his hands and proceeded to stare at her. Not wanting to give into his games, she kept her eyes on her phone. When she couldn't take it anymore, she set her phone down and mimicked his stance staring him dead in the eyes. They were like two children in the middle of an intense staring contest.

  Skylar's name was called and he broke their game to get their order. He didn't know what possessed him to initiate a staring contest with her, but he was finding she gave just as good as she got.

  When they got back to their apartment building, he held the front door open for her. They opted to take the elevator instead of the stairs. Skylar hit the button for his floor. Then he stood in front of the buttons blocking her from accessing them.

  "What are you doing? Can you hit the button for my floor?"

  The elevator reached his floor and he kept looking ahead like he didn't hear her. She placed her foot in between the door and placed her hands on her hips.

  "Earth to Skylar! Can I have my stuff? We're on your floor. You can give me mine and I'll head on up."

  "No, you can come to my place. I want to try some of what you got too."

  "What the heck? You should have ordered some. I want to go to my apartment," she whined.

  "Too bad," was all he said.

  It dawned on her that she wasn't going to win. Pushing past him out of the elevator, she willed the doors to close on him. She would just let him take what he wanted and then leave. After a day like today, she was ready to have a glass of sparkling grape juice and relax. Wine wasn’t her thing, but she felt that sparkling grape juice seemed just as fancy and tasted way better.

  Skylar let them into his apartment and headed toward the kitchen. She took in her surroundings as she followed behind him. Their floor plans were identical, but their decorating styles were totally different. His apartment was pretty neat for a bachelor pad. Or at least she thought it was a bachelor pad. Maybe the blonde bombshell lived there. If she did, Melanie wanted to get out of there as fast as possible.

  In the kitchen, Skylar retrieved two plates and some utensils. He then grabbed the bag of food and carried them to his living room. She stood in his kitchen looking after him. He returned a moment later and opened his fridge.

  "I have water, milk, and some OJ..." He looked over his shoulder at her expecting her to answer.

  "Sparkling grape juice. I want sparkling grape juice. In my apartment. On my couch."

  "Hmm, I don't have sparkling grape juice so OJ will have to do."

  He pulled two glasses from the cabinet and filled them.

  "Come on," he said picking up the glasses and heading into his living room.

  He’d been dropped on his head as a child. She was sure of it. It was as if he heard nothing she said...ever. What part of her home and sparkling grape juice did the man not understand?

  In the living room, he was sitting on the floor with his legs crossed under the coffee table. He was already spooning food onto his plate. Her food at that.

  "What the heck, Skylar?"

  "What?" He mumbled around a bite of General Tso's Chicken.

  "Don't play dumb. You know what."

  "I really don't." He wiped the sides of his mouth with a napkin. Maybe he did have manners after all.

  "Come sit down, and eat before your food gets cold."

  She stood and glared at him. He finally cracked. "Ok, fine. Sometimes I get bored eating alone, and I figured it wouldn't kill us to have a meal together."

  "What if I had a date, or plans, or something?" Her hands were placed on her curvy hips.

  "Did you?" He popped another bite into his mouth.

  "No, but that's beside the point. You can't just bully people into hanging out with you."

  "I wouldn't call it bullying. It’s more like I surprised you."

  A loud laugh bubbled out of her. "A surprise? A freaking surprise? You are terrible at surprises if this is your idea of one."

  He smiled at her. That was the first smile I have seen from him since I met him, she thought.

  "Fine, since you were thoughtful enough to surprise me," she made air quotes around the ‘surprise’, "I guess I can stay."

  They ate in comfortable silence while watching a sitcom on T.V. After Melanie had her fill, she decided to start probing for some information.

  "So Skylar, what's your last name?"

  "That's top secret information. Why do you want to know?"

  "I just had dinner with you, so I feel like you at least owe me that. And so I can Facebook-stalk you, of course."

  "Dining with a stalker is not a good look for me. Remind me to never have you over for dinner again."

  "No worries, I won't fall for your surprises again. So, come on. What is it?"

  "Stillman."

  "Huh. Not what I was expecting, but it fits."

  "What about you?"

  "Nova."

  "Melanie Nova." She liked the way he said her name, even if she wasn't sure that she liked him. The deep baritone of his voice likely had women's panties dropping in record speed behind closed doors.

  "Mr. Stillman, what do you do for a living?"

  "I'm a consultant."

  "Hmm."

  "What's ‘hmm’ mean?"

  "I was trying to decide if I was surprised by that, or not."

  "And?"

  "I'm not. You try to act quite authoritative with me, so I'm sure you thrive on telling businesses what to do."

  "I'm not authoritative with you, and I don't go around just telling businesses what to do."

  "Whatever you say."

  "Those words sound good coming out of your mouth especially since you are so combative all the time." A smirk was on his face when Melanie looked over at him.

  "Well, Mr. Stillman," Melanie moved to get off of the couch. "It's been interesting, but I think it's time to head home."

  He made a move to get up as well.

  "What time do you need to be at work in the morning?" he asked as he followed her to the door.

  She turned her head to look at him over her shoulder.

  "I told you that Jade could pick me up. Plus, the tow truck will be here at seven, so I'll already be up and at ‘em. No need to bother you with it."

  "Yeah, well, I told you and Jade I'd take you in the morning. It's not fair to make her come all the way over here to pick you up when I live right here. So, what time do you need to be there?"

  She let out a huff of a breath.

  "Ten. I'm only agreeing because I don't want to burden Jade."

  "That a girl. Meet you downstairs at 9:30."

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The next morning, Melanie's alarm went off earlier than usual. She swatted at her phone in an attempt to turn it off. On a normal morning, she set several alarms and hit snooze no less than two times on each before she got up. Mornings weren’t her thing. When she was finally able to open her eyes, she saw that it was 6:50 a.m. The tow truck driver would be there soon to get her keys.

  Rolling out of bed, she threw on an Indiana University hoodie over the camisole she’d slept in. Yoga pants covered her bottom half. She slipped on a pair of flip-flops and headed out the door. Downstairs, the tow truck was already waiting. There were two men standing outside of it and talking. One of the men had his back facing her. The other was leaning against the truck facing her.

  "Hello," she said when she was a few feet from the men. "I'm Melanie. I believe you are here to tow my car."

  The man with his back to her turned toward her when he heard her voice.

  "What are you doing down here?"

  Skylar shrugged one of his shoulders. "Just thought I may be able to be of some help."

  He looked at her from head to toe. A ghost of a smile twitched on hi
s lips. What he was thinking? Her hair was on top of her head in a curly mop. Sleep was probably in the corner of her eyes and imprints of her pillow on her face.

  "I think I can handle this fine by myself. It doesn't require much to hand over my keys."

  "Calm down. I'm just trying to be nice. No need to bite my head off. I'm sure you are perfectly capable." He held his hands up in surrender. She rolled her eyes and turned to the other man. The other man took in their whole exchange and was smiling.

  "I'm really sorry about that, sir. Here are my keys. Mine is the blue Honda Accord right there."

  Once they figured out what the problem was, they would call and give her an estimate on the cost and how long it would take for the work to be completed. Melanie thanked him and he began the process of loading her car onto the tow truck. Standing by the side walk, she watched as her car was lifted onto the truck. Skylar stood beside her with his hands shoved into the pockets of his sweatpants.

  "You don't have to stay out here."

  "I know.”

  They heard the door to the building close and both of them turned to look. The blonde bombshell from a few days ago was walking toward them in a short black skirt, a white button-up blouse and sky-high heels. It looked like Skylar had an eventful night after she left. Her prayers had been answered because she'd slept through it this time. What she couldn't figure out was: if he had a girlfriend, then why did he have her stay for dinner?

  The blonde approached Skylar ignoring Melanie altogether. She placed a kiss on his mouth. Melanie did her best to look away and ignore the exchange.

  "Hey babe, I have to get to the office. I made a pot of coffee," she said.

  "Thanks."

  "See you tonight?" Melanie heard the blonde say.

  "Probably not. I'm supposed to hang out with Brendon tonight. Guys’ night and all."

  "Oh, ok. Well, just call me later then."

  He must have given her a nod or something in response because Melanie didn't hear him reply. A few minutes later, she was pulling away in her black SUV.

  "Exciting night last night, huh?" Melanie asked.

  "Something like that."

  "You didn't tell me she was your girlfriend last night when we were eating dinner. Did you tell her about that? Because I don't think she would appreciate it too much."

  "She isn't my girlfriend, so I don't have to tell her anything."

  "Does she know that?"

  "Yes, she knows that," Skylar replied in a clipped voice.

  "Whatever you say. It's none of my business anyway."

  "That's the most sensible thing I've heard you say since I met you."

  "I save my good sense for people I like, Mr. Stillman."

  * * *

  It was a busy day at the boutique and Melanie had several appointments in addition to some walk-ins. Claudia and Jade agreed to dinner later. They needed to catch up, and she wanted to talk to them about her neighbor.

  At seven o'clock, Jade and Melanie locked the store up and headed toward a local tapas bar a couple of blocks from the boutique. Claudia was already waiting for them in a booth, sipping on a margarita.

  "About time, chicks. This is my second margarita."

  "You knew we were coming from work, and you know what time we close," Melanie said. "You just wanted an excuse to drink more."

  Claudia narrowed her eyes at Melanie. "Don't act like you know me, li’l girl," she replied, knowing good and well that Melanie knew her better than anyone.

  The three of them caught each other up on what had been going on with them. They had a group text that they used to keep up with each other throughout the week, but they used their get-togethers for the juicy stuff.

  "Soooo," Melanie drew out.

  "Soooo," Claudia replied.

  "You guys remember my neighbor, Skylar?"

  "Sexy, tall, lean? Yeah, I remember him. That's not a face you forget," said Claudia.

  "Agreed," Jade said while nodding her head in confirmation.

  "Well, he's given me rides to and from work the last few days since my car broke down. Yesterday, he basically held me hostage at his house for dinner."

  Jade's brows lifted in disbelief. "Hostage? Did he hurt you?" she asked, her voice raising an octave.

  "No, no, he didn't hurt me. We stopped to get food and, when we got back to the apartment complex, he wouldn't give me mine so I could go home. He made me go to his apartment to eat."

  "I hope he ate it off of you," Claudia said with a waggle of her eyebrows.

  "No, you perv. He said he doesn't have a girlfriend, but I heard him getting it on with that woman. Then this morning, when my car was being towed, the same girl came out of the building and gave him a kiss before she left."

  "Hmm, maybe they are just friends with benefits," Jade offered.

  "They are something alright, because the sounds I heard that night were less than pure."

  "Maybe you need to offer yourself up to him. You are going through a dry spell. Maybe he can help you out with that," Claudia said while munching on a tortilla chip.

  "You are absolutely shameless," Melanie said.

  "I call it optimistic."

  "Dear Lord," Jade muttered under her breath.

  The trio continued to talk and laugh over drinks and tapas. When they were finished, Jade and Melanie hugged Claudia outside of the bar and walked back to Jade's car. Claudia lived within walking distance from the bar, so her margarita indulgence was no problem.

  Jade told Melanie that she’d pick her up in the morning. Melanie felt bad burdening her friends, but she knew that, if the shoe was on the other foot, she would do the same. It was nice to finally be rid of Mr. Sourpuss. He liked to boss her around. Think again, dude.

  In her apartment, she headed straight for her master bathroom. A nice, long bath and some Netflix was much needed. Tomorrow was Friday, and in her world that meant nothing really. Working in retail meant working weekends which she didn’t mind. Those were her best money making days, and they went fast.

  The bath bombs made the water bubbly, and she sunk into the warm water. Her tablet sat on the counter with the latest show she’d been watching. Phone in hand, she lazily scrolled through her social media. When she opened up her Facebook, she saw a new friend request and a message. She clicked on the friend request first. Skylar Stillman. His profile picture was of him and his brother dressed up in suits. Brendon had his arm slung over Skylar's shoulders and they looked like they were laughing at something. Both men were handsome, but Skylar was definitely her type.

  Before she accepted his friend request, she clicked on the messenger app. Something told her that it was from Mr. Stillman himself. She was correct. The message made her laugh.

  Skylar Stillman: To help with your stalking career.

  Should she accept his request right away or wait a few days? Her nosiness got the better of her, and she clicked accept. First stop was his wall to see some of his statuses and what people wrote to him. His posts were infrequent.

  What really interested her were the pictures. It looked like he lived the life of a bachelor. He had more pictures with his brother. There were some pictures with him, his brother and an older couple that she assumed was their parents. Pictures of him from his college days, and present-day hanging out with his guy friends, were among the others. Oddly enough, he didn't have any pictures alone with the blonde. The few that she was in were taken in a group setting.

  Melanie clicked on the blonde’s profile and found out her name was Candace. Pictures of her at night clubs and the beach filled her profile. It looked like she lived the life of a socialite.

  Melanie was nothing like that. Snuggling up with a good book or Netflix was her idea of fun. She enjoyed some nights on the town with her girls, but only in small doses.

  Why was she even comparing herself to this woman? Skylar was her neighbor, nothing more, and she was far from his type. She clicked out of the Facebook app, deciding that she had done enough creeping for one nig
ht.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Jade was there to pick her up at nine-thirty the next morning. Skylar’s car was already gone when they were leaving. She figured that was a good thing. Maybe now he would leave her alone about the rides.

  The first half of the day was slow, but it picked up in the evening. Everyone was getting ready for the weekend and looking for things to wear. It was early April, and the weather was starting to warm up which meant women were wearing more dresses and bright colors. It was Melanie's favorite time of year both weather and fashion wise.

  Midday, the shop called about her car. They advised her that it would be ready on Tuesday, and it was going to set her back about seven hundred dollars. There went a chunk of her savings, but she didn’t have much of a choice. Thank goodness the extra income that her blog brought in allowed her to have a little savings.

  If she needed to, she could call her dad. He would help her out, but she didn't like to burden him. He had his own life and his own things to worry about. Being a single parent for most of her childhood, he’d provided for her the best he could. She couldn't ask for more than that.

  The next few weeks passed in a blur. Things were steady at the boutique, and she'd been busy with taking new pictures for her blog. Companies sometimes sent her things to review and she liked to be as prompt as possible with her posts. With hot new items, her readers wanted the information as quickly as possible so they could make their decision about whether things were worth purchasing.

  The boutique had been particularly busy for a Monday. She'd been booked with six appointments that day and had helped with walk-in customers. Her feet were killing her. After taking a quick shower, she whipped up some shrimp stir-fry and parked herself on the couch. A bottle of sparkling grape juice was on hand. Days like today made it mandatory.

  Melanie had just forked a mouthful of food into her mouth when there was a knock on the door. She stiffened on the couch for a moment; a little scared. No one stopped by her apartment without calling first. She set her plate down and grabbed the baseball bat she kept around for self-defense. When she looked through the peephole, she let out a sigh of relief. After setting down the bat, she opened the door.