Melody.
Her stomach dipped.
What had she gotten herself into?
“Hey, sweetie,” Lindsey said as she approached the four-person table. Melody and Lindsey sat across from each other, so she had no choice but to sit adjacent to each of them.
“Hi, Linds. Hi, Mel. Thanks for the invite.”
“Glad you could make it, Beth. I’m looking forward to getting to know you.” Melody’s welcome smile seemed sincere, and Beth experienced a twinge of guilt for the negative thoughts she’d allowed at the last Handlers’ party. The woman was gorgeous, whether dressed for a night out or, as she was today, in a simple magenta maxi dress. She’d toned down the makeup compared to what she’d worn at the party, and while Beth preferred this version of Melody, she had to admit the woman pulled off both looks flawlessly.
“Same, Mel. I feel like I’ve run into you a ton since I’ve been home, but I don’t really know you at all. So what’s good here?”
Lindsey groaned. “Everything, but my absolute favorite is the Pimento cheese melt on sourdough.”
“Oh, that sounds amazing.”
“It is,” Melody said. “I’d eat it every day if I could get away with it.”
Beth studied the menu for a few minutes, but when their server arrived, she went with her friends’ recommendation. In fact, all three of them ordered the same meal.
“So…” Lindsey said after the waitstaff walked off with their orders. “I have to admit we had a bit of an ulterior motive in asking you to lunch today.”
“Okay…” She straightened and glanced between the two of them, immediately on high alert.
Melody shot her a sheepish grin.
“Mel has the world’s biggest crush on Saint.”Oh dear God.“And I thought we could put our heads together and figure out a way to get her a date with him.”
Lindsey’s words hit like a slap across the face. White-hot jealousy coiled in her chest, burning like a hot poker shoved beneath her skin. Her stomach lurched, and she had to grip the edge of the table to keep from visibly reacting.
If they brought her a meal now, Beth wouldn’t be able to choke down a single bite.
Could they tell? Could they see it on her face? She felt a spotlight shine on her, a neon sign flashing above her head, revealing her secret encounters with Saint.
She had to say something. They stared at her, expecting an appropriate reaction.
“Wow,” she croaked, throat dry as a dusty desert road. “Um, I kinda suck at relationships, so I don’t know what you think I can contribute.”
She unrolled her silverware from the napkin, laying it over her lap to give herself something to do besides reach over and yank Melody by her hair.
“Well, you’ve spent some time with Saint recently, so we thought you could help.” Lindsey grinned all giddy like a kid on Christmas while Melody stared at her with pleading in her gaze.Oh God, she really did like him.
“Exactly,” Melody said. “He’s so hard to read, and he barely talks to anyone. He’s like a sealed vault, and I can’t find the combination to save my life. I’m getting desperate.”
Beth frowned. She wouldn’t describe Saint in that way at all. Sure, he didn’t reveal much about himself, but he talked to her, and she knew enough about Makenna’s past to know Saint’s was traumatic as well. Who could blame him for taking a slow approach when opening up?
“Um, I don’t know how much help I’ll be.”
Lindsey waved away her concern. “You guys have hung out a lot. You know him better than both of us, that’s for sure.”
Nodding, Melody chuckled. “Seriously, if it weren’t for the fact that everyone knows your dad won’t let any of the MC guys near you, I’d be worried you wanted him for yourself.” Her tone had a strange underlying bite that felt almost like a warning.
Or maybe she was paranoid.
Keeping secrets could do that to a person.
“Oh.” Beth laughed weakly. “You have nothing to worry about there.” She grabbed her water glass and gulped. Maybe she’d get lucky, and one of the waitstaff had poisoned it. She could drop dead before she had to help another woman snag the man who’d given her an orgasm a few hours ago.
