Guardian Angel

Chapter 5 - Melody

For the first time in years Melody sat fully dressed on her bed before two o'clock. She had needed half an hour to braid her hair and she had even searched her entire apartment to find the only lipstick she owned.

The last few hours had passed by way too slowly. Probably the last half an hour would pass by even slower.

For the third time she opened the word document she had created yesterday. She had written an entire outline for a love story. A part of her was hopeful that this love story might finally come true, but there was also a part of her that was afraid that it would end like that whole love story with Daniel.

What if Max would have forgotten about his promise? What if he was a lot earlier than he had thought yesterday? Would he ring her bell to see her? Would he simply work on as if nothing had happened?

Melody felt her heart beating in her chest and she stared at the clock once more. It was only ten minutes past two, but her foot was trembling and her mind was imagining all kinds of ways this whole adventure could end in a huge disappointment. Eventually she couldn't wait any longer and grabbed her keys while she walked to the front door.

There was nothing but silence. No cars were driving through the street. No people were running down the stairs. The playground where the children played was too far away to be heard.

To be sure Melody opened her mailbox. Nothing. She knew that it technically didn't say anything. She didn't get mail every day, after all, but she just hoped that it meant that he had not been here yet. Once more she checked the watch around her wrist.

It was only fifteen past two. Fifteen more minutes before he would be there. Probably. Maybe. If he wasn't held up.

Melody shifted her weight from one leg to the other. She leaned against the doorpost, but realized that it looked too much as if she had nothing better to do than waiting here for him. Technically, she had nothing better to do than waiting for him here, but that was something he didn't need to know.

"Hey!" All of a sudden the door opened and Max walked in with a huge smile on his face. "I was already hoping you'd be waiting for me."

Melody let out a relieved sigh and she felt her heart skipping a beat in her chest.

He didn't think it was weird. He didn't think she was pathetic. He didn't think she was stupid or desperate. He had already been hoping that she'd be here waiting for him.

"And, did you manage to deliver all your mail yesterday?" Melody shifted her weight from one leg to the other and leaned casually against the door post. At least, she hoped it looked casually. She wasn't too sure about that.

"I did!" He smiled and he grabbed a few envelopes before he carefully put them in the right mailboxes. "Even better, I had still half an hour left when I was finished!" He winked and Melody licked her lips.

She assumed that was a hint, but that's what she had thought with Daniel too and the moment she had acted upon the hints she had thought he had been giving, Daniel had come up with some kind of lame excuse to say no.

"I'm sorry if I shouldn't be asking this, but..." Max cocked his head a little and he grabbed a few more envelopes and put them in the right mailboxes. "If you'd have something to drink that would make me really happy." He turned his face back to Melody and she felt her cheeks blushing.

"Of course! Well, if you like water and tea that is. I'm afraid I don't really have something like soda or so. I only drink that during the weekends and I didn't bring it yesterday." She rambled and if there had been a hole in the floor she could sink into, she would have loved to disappear.