Melody For A New Day

Mr. Marley stepped into the room and spotted David. His brow rose. "Are you sure you don't need more time?" the man asked quietly to not disturb Jeff.

David smiled and shook his head. He pitched his voice to the same volume as he leaned closer to the teacher. "I went back over the course materials this weekend with a tutor who helped me see where I was getting confused. I'm sorry I didn't pay closer attention in class and allowed myself to be distracted."

"Don't touch me!"

Through the open classroom door, David and Marley could see Rebecca in the hallway poking Auden's breasts.

"If you're going to show off your fat udders, expect to be milked!" Rebecca said with a nasty leer as she tried again, but Auden blocked her. David cursed, but Mr. Marley was already on his way to the door. He rushed to catch up to the smaller man.

The moment they were out in the hall, Jeff slammed into David from behind, and the two fell to the floor, knocking Marley onto his ass. Jeff punched David twice on the side of his head then his fist landed in a palm. David squeezed and bent Jeff's wrist back sharply, and something inside tore. Jeff screamed shrilly as Marley pulled him from David's back.

Auden rushed to David and helped him to his feet. She checked the swelling on his cheek. They glared at Jeff and Rebecca as Principal Keets and Coach Carlisle ran down the hall to assist.

"What's going on here?" Keets snapped.

Mr. Marley straightened out his jacket. "I witnessed Ms. Langley inappropriately touching Ms. Wright in the hall. When I came out to confront her, I was knocked down when Mr. Ducane attacked Mr. Spencer from behind."

Mrs. Levine was also in the hall and nodded to the principal, confirming the history teacher's account of events.

Keets looked at David and saw the bruises on the side of his face.

Sensing how the situation was developing, Jeff's temper flared, and he went on the offensive. "David broke my fucking wrist! He may have destroyed my football career!"

That was too much for Coach Carlisle, who scoffed. "What career? You probably just threw away your chance at that scholarship with your idiotic, violent behavior. We have to report this, and the college has a zero-tolerance policy for such bullshit!"

"Larry," Keets said stiffly to the coach.

Then he scowled at Rebecca. "We have a zero-tolerance policy for molestation and bullying. The two of you, come with me to the office. You're being expelled."

By this point, Jeff and Rebecca's group were crowded in Mr. Marley's doorway. They made sounds of protest, and Keets locked eyes with them. "Did any of you participate in Ms. Langley's bullying, or did you just watch like sheep?" Expressions darkened, but they shut up. "That's what I thought."

Rebecca was staring at the principal in shock. "But... it's almost graduation!"

"Not for you two, it isn't!" Keets insisted.

The History teacher glared at Jeff. "You left the classroom before handing in your exam. Consider that a failing grade."

"Fuck you," Jeff snarled, his short fuse triggered once more.

"Mr. Ducane!" Principal Keets snapped but got a glare for it.

The principal looked at David and Auden. "I'll need statements from you two as well."

They nodded.

With that, the principal led the entourage toward the office.

David and Auden would be missing their next class, but Jeff and Rebecca would miss far more than that.

-=-

After Melody tidied up the house, showered, and prepared to head downtown to their lawyer's office, she heard a knock on her front door.

She glanced out the peephole and saw Jackie standing on her front step. Taking a deep breath, Melody stepped back and opened the door.

"Good morning, Jackie."

"Good morning. We need to talk," Jackie said abruptly.

Melody nodded and gestured for the other woman to come inside. She followed Jackie into her living room, where the redhead turned to face her.

"You need to stay away from David."

Melody had expected this and practiced her response repeatedly in her head. Facing the distraught mother was another thing. She gave herself a second to compose herself before speaking.

"I'm not going to do that. I need him," she said simply. It was the truth.

"You're twice his age!" Jackie exclaimed, her tension showing in her voice.

Melody nodded. "Yes, but he doesn't care about that--"

"Don't you?" Jackie shrieked.

Melody gave the woman a moment to recover from her outburst as she watched her face. She saw anxiety and guilt there. Perhaps it was time to address the latter.

Her ankle was a little sore, so she sat on the couch and gestured for Jackie to sit as well. "Sorry, my ankle is still healing, and I've been informed to rest it often. David will be an excellent physiotherapist."

Jackie twitched slightly at his name but sat on the edge of the couch and turned to face her.

"While I was incapacitated this past weekend, David let me know he was going to college to be a physiotherapist. He gave me one of the therapeutic massages he told me he gives you when you get home from work," Melody said gently.

Jackie's eyes widened as she understood.

"He said he was self-taught, and the massage was very good, but you must admit, some of the techniques are not therapeutic but sensual in nature. It's very stimulating." She lifted her hands to stop Jackie's immediate combative response. "I'm not about to tell him, but I'm concerned that you haven't. David is smart enough to figure it out. It won't be long until he learns the truth when he attends his physiotherapy course. If he discovers his mistake then, he's going to be hurt and very confused." She saw Jackie's mouth working, but the woman wasn't saying anything, so she continued.

"I want to help so no one gets hurt. I can clearly see you love Keith, so why involve David in this way?" Melody asked.

Jackie surged back to her feet, her anguish visible in her eyes, but something prevented her from speaking. She dashed from the room, and Melody heard her front door thump closed.

Sighing, she rose and went to lock the door once more. Jackie's behavior was confusing as well as disturbing. The woman obviously felt trapped by something... but what?

Melody wanted to help as it would help David as well. Hadn't he mentioned this started when she returned to work? Maybe she should check out Jackie's work conditions.

She had to put these thoughts on hold as there were tasks she needed to deal with from her husband's recent death. First on the list was a trip to the police station to give her statement.

The phone rang, and she frowned as this was another delay, but she realized she'd better answer as it was her only phone. One of her tasks today would be picking up a cell phone like David's.

"Hello?"

"Melody! Good morning!" Chelsea's upbeat voice chirped.

"Ah! Good morning, Chelsea! How did it go with the police?" Melody asked.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Are you free for lunch today?" the woman asked excitedly. Melody wondered what her current mood meant. "Yes, I should be. I have a few errands to run this morning." She paused as much had happened since they last met. "I have news of my own to share with you."

Chelsea squealed excitedly, but Melody knew she was obviously thinking about David.

"Let's meet at the rooftop patio restaurant of the Empress Hotel at noon. I'll make the reservation," Chelsea gushed.

Melody smiled. "Sounds good. See you then."

She hung up and then dialed their lawyer's office. She asked his receptionist if he'd he able to speak with her today and made an appointment for one-thirty. That should give her enough time with Chelsea.

Melody grabbed her purse and let herself out of the house. She locked the door, then went to the garage to drive her car out. As the garage door closed, she glanced around the shitty little car her husband bought for her. It was as small and basic as the cheap bastard could find. When she'd insisted on having access to his car so she could go to the gym and run errands like picking up groceries, he'd reluctantly purchased this for her instead.

She realized his car was probably still in the airport parking lot. She'd have to ask David to help her retrieve it.

As she drove downtown, she decided to sell both cars and buy one that suited her tastes. She wanted something fun!

There was a parking lot across the street from the precinct, so she found a spot, crossed to the police station, and went inside. She was directed to Officer Blane's desk.

"Good morning, Mrs. Dawson," he said as he rose to his feet.

"Good morning, Officer Blane," she responded with a smile.

He gestured to the chair next to his desk, and they sat.

"There are just a few items to deal with. The Arizona police have informed us that the medical examiner confirmed your husband's death was caused by a preexisting heart condition that was fatally aggravated by the dose of Viagra Mr. Ballsom gave him. They've passed along their findings to the Bureau of Vital Statistics, who graciously expedited the issuance of the death certificate. Must be a slow week," he added with a smile. "Harold Ballsom pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter when he and his lawyer were presented with his video confession. Please thank David for us. That really expedited the process!"

Melody nodded with a smile.

"The Arizona Coroner's office would like to make arrangements for his body," Blane said gently.

"There won't be a ceremony. They can dispose of it," she said, and the officer looked uncomfortable.

"There's a matter of the costs of these services," he said hesitantly.

"My husband was a very... frugal man. We can take the steps required to reduce the costs of this process. Cremation is cheaper than burial, so I'll sign any release documents they need to proceed with that. If they're unwilling to dispose of the ashes, shipping them to me isn't expensive. I'll pick up those costs, but only for the least expensive service."

"I'll let them know," Blane said with a nod. "Your husband's personal items will be sent to us from the Arizona Sherrif's office. We'll get them delivered to you with the paperwork." She nodded.

Melody frowned as she thought about the report of his heart condition. "I wasn't aware of this health issue. The last time I asked him about his health, he got angry and stopped speaking with me for a week." She looked up at the officer's unease. "Sorry."

"No, it's okay," Blane said.

Melody forced a smile onto her lips. "You have my number. I'm going to pick up a cellphone today, and I'll call later to give you the number for it and an email account so you can reach me and forward any documents." The officer smiled with a nod, so Melody took a deep breath to settle herself. "Is that everything?"

Blane nodded, and they stood. She reached out a hand and shook his. "Thank you for your sensitive handling of this. I've shed my tears, and I'm moving on. Too much time wasted, and now I'm starting over."

"Good luck to you," he said with a crooked smile, and her smile widened.

"Thanks!"

Melody left the building and drove to a nearby mall, where she found and purchased a cell phone much like the one David used. The young saleswoman raved about its camera, which seemed like a more important feature than its calling capabilities. She gave Melody an excellent deal on the service plan. Melody grinned all the way to the restaurant to meet Chelsea.

The hostess smiled at Melody as she walked up to her station. "I'm meeting Chelsea Cartright."

"Yes, please follow me," the young woman said, guiding her through the restaurant.

As they moved to the outer edge of the patio, Chelsea popped up to her feet and greeted Melody with a squeal and a double-cheek kiss.

This surprised Melody, but she nodded to the smirking hostess and sat beside Chelsea, who returned to her chair.

"I take it from that greeting that all went well with the police?" Melody asked.

Chelsea nodded enthusiastically, her mane of blonde hair bouncing from the vigorous agreement.

"I have you to thank for that! If I hadn't gotten out in front of that situation, I might have ended up in jail!" she gushed.

"So, Julian is okay?" Melody asked with a smile.

The blonde shook her head, and her smile dimmed a little. "No, he died."

"What?" Melody gasped.

Chelsea nodded sadly. "The police in Libya were notified that they needed to keep Julian from meeting his contact there. Unfortunately, they spotted him as he was leaving the airport with another man. They reported that they chased them out of the terminal to see his guide stab him. The police shot the local man with the knife, but Julian was still on his feet and terrified. He ran from the police straight out into the street in front of a delivery truck that ran over him. It was a dumb way to die."

"Oh, Chelsea, I'm sorry to hear that," Melody said sympathetically as husband number three was no more.

The blonde shook her head and smiled. "Our marriage was over. I never wished him harm, but there's nothing I can do now but move forward."

"What about Julian's boss, Khaled? Will he have expectations?" Melody asked nervously.

Chelsea grinned and shook her head. "The man the Libyan police shot lived and confessed he was hired by his cousin Khaled to murder Julian. The police here picked him up. I think they said he was being extradited back to Libya."

Melody nodded as that protected Chelsea.

"So how was dinner, or I should say... dessert?" Chelsea asked with a broad, wicked grin.

Melody smiled as she knew her friend wanted her to dish about her evening with David.

"Before I talk about that, I also have some significant news. One of my husband's golf buddies slipped him some Viagra two nights ago. They didn't know he had a bad heart condition, and he died. I found out yesterday."

Chelsea was stunned into silence. Her large blue eyes widened. "Oh. My. God! We're two widows saved from terrible marriages by fate! I'm sorry to hear your news... but I'm also not!"

Melody chuckled in surprise and nodded. "I'm seeing our lawyer this afternoon to see what next steps are required."

"I'm seeing mine tomorrow morning," Chelsea said, her bubbly personality quickly returning. The twinkle returned to her eyes. "We're just two women available for love!"

In a moment of weakness, Melody smiled as she thought of David. Chelsea gaped at her.

"You've already found love?" Chelsea gasped, wide-eyed.

Melody sighed and nodded. "I'm with David now... and Auden."

Chelsea blinked in confusion. "Who's Auden?"

"David's girlfriend. They want me in their relationship," Melody explained.

Chelsea's eyes widened even more. "I didn't know you swung that way!"

Melody shook her head with a small smile. "It's too early in the relationship to make any definitive statements, but Auden is special."

Chelsea's smile was dimming. "Does this mean the raincheck on dinner with David is now off the table?"

Melody paused as she considered her new relationship with David and realized she wasn't threatened by Chelsea's interest in him the slightest bit. But she wasn't the only one included in this relationship. She smiled. "I'm not opposed to you being with him, but I'll speak with David and Auden, as they'll make the final decision."

Chelsea flashed a hopeful smile as the waiter finally arrived to take their order.

As they ate, Chelsea spoke of her experience of becoming a widow from her first husband and what Melody could expect. Melody picked up quickly that Chelsea's attraction to Julian had been purely physical. She wondered if the woman had ever experienced true love. Was she emotionally mature enough to know what love felt like? It didn't seem like she'd been in love with any of the men she'd married.

Regardless of her flightiness, Melody liked Chelsea. She might be a little immature and placed too much emphasis on style over substance, but she was still a genuinely good person. Her upbeat nature boosted Melody's spirits during the latter years of her marriage. The friends Melody went to school and college with all moved away and fell out of touch. More than likely, they didn't want to hear about how sad and lonely Melody was becoming in her cold marriage.

They parted with double-cheek kisses, promising to get in touch with each other by the end of the week, and Melody went to her lawyer's office. The man confirmed that according to the will they had on file, all assets were left to her. Melody promised to send along a copy of the death certificate when she received it.

Next, she went to the bank to speak to an account representative. She indicated that she would send him a copy of the death certificate then they reviewed her accounts. With no mortgage, no debts, decent dividend income from a solid and balanced investment portfolio, and her husband's pension, Melody learned that she was financially secure. Her husband was a cheap, cold-hearted bastard, but he'd managed their money well.

Melody's last stop was a hardware store where she had extra house keys made.

Her ankle was beginning to ache, so she went home and rested with her foot elevated on a pillow. She knew David and Auden would be home from school shortly, so she remained in the living room and dozed on the sofa.

She woke with a snort when she heard the doorbell. She limped to the front door and smiled to see David and Auden waiting on her step.

Melody's smile switched to dismay as she saw the bruising on David's cheek, and she ushered them inside.

"David! What happened?" she said in concern.

He smiled and gently kissed her lips before scooping her up in his arms.

"You're favoring your ankle. Did you walk too much today?" he asked instead of answering.

She loved feeling the strength of his arms, but she would not be distracted. She glanced at Auden's expression and saw the younger woman wasn't fretting, so... something had been resolved?

"I was just resting it after I ran some errands. Why are you bruised?"

"I just had a little altercation with Jeff at school. He attacked me. Both he and Rebecca have been expelled. Jeff for fighting and Rebecca for molesting and bullying Auden." Melody made a surprised sound of concern for Auden, so the buxom beauty slipped closer and kissed her sweetly.

When she pulled back, David continued. "I think Jeff has lost any chance at the scholarship he was supposed to get. What an idiot! He'll have to do summer school to finish his final year."

He returned Melody to the sofa, propping her ankle on the pillow again.

Melody pointed to the keys on the coffee table. "I made these for you two. You can let yourself in from now on." Auden and David smiled as they added the keys to their keychains.

David's eyes lit up when he spotted the new cell phone. "You got one!" he exclaimed.

Melody smiled and nodded. David and Auden immediately pulled out their cell phones and added her number to their contact list. Then David ensured her most useful apps were on her home page and added their numbers to her contact list.

He looked at her. "What plan did you get?" he asked curiously.

Melody reached for her purse, and Auden handed it to her. She pulled out the paperwork and gave it to David. He read for a second and smiled with a nod. "Nice. Plenty of data for sending photos in texts," he said with a sexy smile.

Returning his smile, Melody nodded. Auden joined in.

Giving herself a little shake, Melody looked into the eyes of her two lovers. "Can you set me up with an email account? I need one to receive documents from the police, my lawyer, and the bank."

David nodded with a smile and quickly confirmed her name was available at the largest online email service. He set her up with an account and used his cell to compose a message to her. It would be her first email, aside from the automated setup messages.