Beautiful Eyes (Hanson)

Chapter 7

"Excuse me a sec, I need to go to the Ladies room," Melanie told, Alicia, Trevor, and Tyler.

Then she stood up and walked towards the back of the restaurant.

She was on the double date and having an awful time. She hated Trevor. He kept trying to get close to her. In a bad way. He was way too full of himself. Jerk, she thought.

She just had to get away from him for even only a few minutes. She stared at herself in the mirror. The fake smile fell from her face. Fake, because she definitely wasn't happy.

She freshened up her lipstick, then made her way back to the table to endure the rest of evening.

"Hey baby," Trevor said as she sat down,"How could you stand to be away from me for so long?"

Give me a break, she thought. She wanted to roll her eyes. She gave him a forced smile.

Tyler is so sweet, how can his older brother be such a jerk, she wondered. Alicia's lucky.

Melanie just couldn't take much more of this. She couldn't wait for the date to be over.

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Only a couple tables away, sat Tay and Natalie. He had recognized Melanie when she walked in with those three other people not shortly after he and Natalie had arrived. He saw Melanie's reaction to this guy. He could tell that she was anything but happy.

Natalie had just left to go to the bathroom. He decided to help his best friend out. Yes, he still thought of her as his best friend. He missed her. So much.

So he got up and walked over to Melanie's table.

"Melanie?" he said pretending to have just recognized her,"I thought that was you. How have you been?"

Melanie was startled and surprised to see Tay there. She still knew him well enough to know that this wasn't a long time no see thing.

She smiled," Hi Tay. I'm good. You?"
"Oh pretty good. Busy, but I usually am."

"Yeah. That's definitely true."

"Listen, can I talk to you a sec? Alone?"

"Uh, sure Tay," she said, getting up.

"But Melanie," Trevor whined,"This is our date. Talk to him some other time."

"No. We haven't seen each other for so long. This'll just take a sec."

With that, Tay and her walked out onto a balcony-type place outside the restaurant.

She gave him a grateful smile,"Oh thank you for getting me away from that. Even if just for a little bit."

He grinned," No prob. When a lady's in distress, I save her."

"I"m so glad to see you. I couldn't even believe it was you at first."

He gave a laugh,"It was just right place, right time. (awkward pause) So, Ike and Zac told me they had talked to you earlier today."

"Yeah.....It was awesome to finally talk to them again. And now you."

"Yeah, it definitely has been awhile..."

She could tell he wasn't the old Tay,"So...how's your marriage going?"

"UH, good," he seemed caught offguard.

I shouldn't have mentioned that, she mentally slapped herself.

"I guess we'd better be getting back," she said slowly.

"Yeah, I guess."

She sighed,"Back to torture." She started walking back.

He grabbed her hand, then let go quickly,"You really don't want to be here, do you?" \line No way. I'm having an awful time. You're the highlight of this whole evening."

"That guy seems like an idiot."

"Oh he definitely is."

"I tell you what. I'll drive you home."

"Huh? I can't just leave and neither can you."

"When we get back to your table, just act sick or something. I'll offer to take you home. I'll leave a note at the desk for Natalie to catch a ride with your friends. After we ask your friends about it first."

Silence.....

"Tay. You are definitely my knight in shining armor."

He grinned and bowed,"I'm always up for saving you mylady."

They both laughed, then walked back inside.