chapter 14
988 Words
Melissa arrived at the bar where Perry was a little later. She didn't see him anywhere outside so she headed inside.
Perry was laughing with the guys. He seemed to be doing fine.
She was mad! How could he have done this to her?
She strolled over with fists clenched to her sides in anger. She was going to lecture him. Even if it meant embarrassing him.
He'd promised to never do anything like this to her. He had once in the past - when their mother was still alive.
"Perry!" She didn't mean to yell at him but she was so angry that she couldn't help it.
He looked ashamed. He excused himself and walked over to Melissa. "Hi." He said quietly. He glanced at the ground, doing everything he could to avoid looking at his sister.
"Why did you call me? I told you to never call me unless it was an emergency. I'm on a deadline, Perry. Don't you get that?" She didn't want to lecture him but Melissa figured that might be the only way for Perry to understand what was going on with her.
"I'm sorry. I - I have a surprise for you. I would have told you that on the phone but I figured that you wouldn't come."
"Well, you were right!" Melissa turned around and headed towards the door. She was still steaming mad.
Perry stepped around to block her way. "This is important. I'm serious Melissa. You'll love this surprise."
Melissa crossed her arms. Her lips were a thin line. She was getting angrier with each passing moment. "I doubt that."
"Please. Give me a chance to show it to you."
She thought for a moment then nodded. "Fine. You can show it to me, Perry."
"Thanks so much, Mel." He said, using her nickname.
He nodded to the boys and one of them took out a box from under the table where they were currently hanging out together. The box was wrapped in red wrapping paper and a green bow.
She hurried over and unwrapped it. Inside was a letter from her biological mom along with some pictures from Melissa's early days as an infant.
She looked at Perry. "Where did you find these?"
"Dad gave them to me."
"No, he didn't. He kept it a secret from me. The adoption, I mean. I only found out because when mom was dying, he left the form on the bench he was sitting on."
"Fine. I found them in the attic. Dad told me to look in it a couple months ago when he called."
"When was that?"
"December. Right around Christmas time."
"You kept this from me for almost two whole months?"
Melissa turned around with the newfound items and left the bar without saying another word. She felt betrayed.
When she got home, Melissa saw that there was a purple jeep in her driveway. She looked at the license plate and immediately recognized it.
It belonged to Mary. Her agent.
"Uh-oh. Not good." She said as she climbed out of her car.
Her agent climbed out of the jeep and walked over to Melissa.
"We need to talk."
Those four words frightened Melissa and she had absolutely no idea why they should. A shiver ran up her spine. Was she in trouble? Had Aliza been talking to Mary behind Melissa's back?
"What about?" Melissa replied.
"Your deadline. It seems like you're doing the best you can to pretend it doesn't exist. You won't even pick up mine or Aliza's calls anymore. What's going on with you?"
"I've been busy."
"Busy doing what?"
Melissa wanted to lie to Mary but now that her agent was here and could see her face, she knew that was impossible. Mary could almost always see through other peoples lies.
"Um..." She searched for an answer but couldn't come up with one that was sufficient enough to tell Mary.
All she wanted was to be back on her retreat. If only she had actually written back when she'd been on vacation. Well she had, but not enough to count towards her book.
"Melissa, do you need to go somewhere to write?" Mary asked kindly.
"Yes but can I choose the destination this time."
"Sure. Where would you like to go?"
"Paris."
"Paris?!" Mary sounded shocked. Surely she had heard Melissa wrong. That couldn't be...
"Yes. Paris. I've always wanted to go there. Besides I could enjoy myself and write at the same time."
"I'll look into it. By the way, you should call Aliza. I told her I couldn't contact you."
"What?!"
"Well I couldn't. You weren't picking up your phone or answering any of the emails I sent to you."
"You know she'll be worried."
"Which is why I told her that."
Melissa felt betrayed. Earlier she had felt the same way when she was around Perry but to fell this from her agent - it was unimaginable.
Why would Mary do this sort of thing to her?
"You shouldn't have! It's not your job to tell anyone when you can't contact me."
"I'm sorry!"
She felt foolish. Why argue with Mary about this? It wasn't worth it! Still she had to tell her agent how she felt.
Bella brushed against Melissa's leg. She let out a tiny, concerned meow. Bella did not like people arguing. It scared her.
"Me too." Melissa said. "I'll call Aliza a little later. I need to see why she hasn't sent me any edited chapters lately."
"Thank you. Call me later?"
"Sure."
Mary left and Melissa stared out the back door as she did.
She walked over to her phone and called Aliza.
Aliza never answered the phone. Nor would she ever answer it again.
News would reach Melissa later. News that something had happened to Aliza. It would not be told to her by Mary but by the police who would knock on her door.
- Writer
