Chapter Text
The beach in theory was Mel’s absolute worst nightmare sensory-wise. Sand in places it never was meant to be. The sun beamed down brightly on her pale skin, she knew she would have a sunburn tomorrow regardless of how strong her sunscreen SPF was. The salt in the air made her sinuses act up immediately.
But she loved it and everything about it. The sounds of ocean waves calmed her in ways that needed to be studied. Sand between her toes felt like the equivalent of floating on air, a weightless bird in flight.
The thing was, Becca absolutely hated the beach and everything that revolved around it. So of course, after one miserable trip when they were five years old, she had never been able to go back. Until today.
When Samira and Jack invited her to be a guest at their small beach wedding, she basically agreed before the sentence was completely out of Samira’s mouth.
However, she didn’t realize just how “small” this wedding actually was. As she studied the itinerary Samira had given her with the guest list, there were just ten people on it. Two of them were Jack and Samira. She felt honored to be included in such a private occasion. Of course, Mel had been to weddings before. But never this intimate.
Melissa King had never stepped foot in New Jersey until this very day. She googled Cape May extensively for hours after the invitation, but it didn’t really matter. She decided she would have gone to the moon if it had an ocean view room.
With only a quick drop at her seaside hotel to place her luggage into her hotel room, she knew she needed to be on the shore immediately. This was the first semblance of vacation since she had completed med school, let alone residency.
She purposely packed her clothes in such a way that her swimsuit would be easily accessible at the top of the neat stack. A yellow polka dot one piece that fit her perfectly and was modest enough for any children present, although maybe a little bit cheeky.
As she exited her bathroom decked in it with her white lace coverup over top, she saw herself in the mirror. Just the change of scenery felt like it made her look ten years younger. A smile crossed her face easily. She could get used to this sense of freedom.
She slipped her Snoopy tote bag over her shoulder, sliding one of her thriller novels inside it for some light beach reading and was out the door in minutes.
The hotel she booked was oceanfront, on the smaller side. Cozy and quaint just how she liked it. There was a dock just a few feet from the front entrance of her building. As she stepped out on the sand, she tucked her sandals into her bag, opting to just go totally barefoot as she carried her beach chair at her side.
Becca packed her a comically large sun hat that she perched on her head, along with her prescription sunglasses on the bridge of her nose. Her eyes scanned the bright blue water in front of her and she gasped softly at the sight. The warm sun beamed against her skin, the sound of the ocean waves flowing into the shore, it was all perfect. There wasn’t anything better than this.
Until there was.
”Melissa King!” She heard a familiar voice yell out towards her from the opposite direction. “Is that you?”
As she turned around to see who was trying to capture her attention, her jaw dropped. Frank Langdon was running up to her. His dark hair wet and pushed back away from his face, excluding those pesky strands that always fell in his eyes. He was shirtless and glistening with sweat across the dark hair that covered his pale chest.
“Frank… what are you doing here?” Her jaw snapped tightly back together. Not that she objected in any way, but his name wasn’t on the itinerary, she knew this for certain. She had familiarized herself with the names on it many times.
A wide grin covered his face. As he grew closer she could see his dark sunglasses that had blended in with his hair on the top of his head, before her eyes dipped down to his toned chest. His eyebrows raised slightly as he followed her line of sight.
”My eyes are up here, sweetheart.” His voice was so velvety smooth it exacerbated the heat that already began to bloom across her face. She thought that maybe her sunglasses hid what she was looking at, she was obviously wrong. His icy blue eyes felt like a cold drink of water on this summer day. “I’m attending a wedding tomorrow, which I assume you are as well?”
She nodded quickly, with her large sun hat sliding with the motion. It caused a small chuckle to fall out of his lips. “I didn’t think you were coming… I didn’t see your name on the list.”
He quirked his lips to the side, “Were you looking for me?”
Shit.
He continued speaking and she let out a soft sigh of relief. “I wasn’t supposed to be coming, but Robby got called in to stay this weekend. Gloria had some major admin disaster and he couldn’t miss it.”
”Oh that sucks for him.” But not for her, she far preferred Frank’s company over Robby’s, she thought to herself.
“Yeah, he already paid for his room and everything. Non-refundable. So he begrudgingly asked me if I wanted it. He said he double checked with Abbot so we should be good.” He explained matter of factly.
She wasn’t sure what had come over her, but it was something strong. “Well, if not… they did say I could bring a plus one.”
“Oh, a date?” He flashed a dazzling grin at her. “I like that option better anyways.”
Her own smile spread across her face in response. He was such a flirt, no wonder everyone was knocking his door down after news of his recent divorce.
“What color is your dress? I can match.” His voice was velvety smooth, a small wink shot in her direction.
She blanched briefly, this conversation was taking a turn she hadn’t expected it to. “Oh, it’s a baby blue.”
A knowing smirk replaced the smile on his lips. “I can work with that.”
The idea of him in baby blue with those eyes made her heart skip erratically. With the blue sky and ocean all around them, him looking straight at her? Yeah, she was screwed.
“Do you want to have dinner tonight, maybe discuss details?” He offered politely.
She hadn’t had time to adjust to the whole wedding thing, but now they were going to have dinner tonight too? She nodded quickly. “Yeah, that sounds great.”
“Are you staying here?” He looked behind her, glancing at the hotel entrance.
She nodded softly, “Yeah, I just checked in. Thought I would catch some sun and relax.” She checked her watch, it was a little after 3pm now.
”How about I pick you up at 8? Gives you plenty of time to chill on the beach and maybe nap afterwards. You can pick the restaurant.” He offered kindly, the crinkles of his eyes prominently stood out.
His kindness never ceased to amaze her, but from what she heard from her coworkers, that was something that was specific to her experience alone.
She let her eyes meet his, the sunglasses diluting the startling blue. “Perfect, It’s a date.”
She started to shuffle her feet amongst the sand, dragging her beach chair away from him. A deep groan left his lips in response.
”Mel…” She pretended to ignore him, still fighting with the cumbersome folded chair. He sighed loudly, his hands brushing over hers before quickly snatching the chair out of her grasp. “Give me the damn chair.”
She succumbed, watching after him as he picked it up like it weighed nothing. “Show me where you want it.”
Why did everything he say always sound pornographic? Or was that just her problem?
She pointed at the clearing straight ahead of them. The beach wasn’t extremely busy yet so there was plenty of space to set up. He followed the line of her finger and sat the chair down on the sand, making quick work of laying it out for her.
She carefully watched the muscles of his back flex as he unfolded the chair. Long lean lines of muscle rippled like the waves behind him. What a sight to behold.
“Here you go, your majesty.” He finished with a mock bow, “A throne fit for a king.”
A low snicker left her lips before she could rein it in. Her mind lingered on how she could get used to him kneeling before her. Okay, so it had been awhile since she had been laid, not that it mattered.
He stood up straight once more as he walked back over to where she stood, a wide smile on his face again.
“I’ll see you tonight, Mel. Behave out here.” He warned playfully, his hand gently wrapping around her elbow.
“What kind of trouble do you think I could get into?” She asked pointedly, confusion covering her face.
He dipped his head slightly, leaning down to meet her ear. She sucked in a deep breath as his lips hovered over her ear lobe. “With that bathing suit, I can think of a few things.”
With that, he strutted off leaving her staring after him with her mouth slightly agape.
Maybe she was just delusional, but was he hitting on her? That's how it seemed to her at least. But then again, it had been awhile since anyone dared to try.
She willed herself to plop down on her beach chair, applying her sunscreen liberally to all her exposed skin before pulling out her book. She flicked the pages mindlessly, having to start the same paragraph over and over again. Reading became a futile effort as her mind just kept replaying the conversation she had with Frank on repeat.
Her head leaned back against the plastic of her chair, shutting her eyes and letting the ocean waves lull her into a state of relaxation that even Frank Langdon couldn’t occupy.
******
When she woke up, she felt more rested than she had in years. A brand new life source flowed through her body given to her directly from the sunshine itself. As a doctor, she knew she was probably Vitamin D deficient but she wasn’t about to diagnose herself.
She peeled herself from her chair, stretching her arms above her head. She heard a satisfying crack to her back as she sat up straight. Her hands dove into her tote bag, retrieving her phone. When she checked the time, it was almost 6 o’clock already. It had been years since she had taken a nap, let alone a three hour one.
Quickly, she packed up her supplies and began to walk back inside the hotel. She stopped by the front desk and grabbed some ridiculously overpriced snacks to hold her over until dinner that night. It wasn’t much but enough to do until she met up with Frank.
She still had the decision of where they were going to eat. A thorough google search was needed desperately when she got settled back in her room again.
The warm shower rained down on her skin and it felt like heaven. Preemptively, she had taken an everything shower before she left Pittsburgh but it felt good to get a refreshment.
As she wrapped herself in a towel and headed back out into her room, she hoisted her luggage back onto her queen bed. Meticulously, she sorted through everything she packed trying to find the perfect thing to wear.
She knew she couldn’t wear the baby blue dress, she had already told Frank that was her outfit for tomorrow. She had packed some shorts and tank tops but for some reason that felt like she would be underdressed. Her fingers fidgeted slightly as she placed them to the side. At the main bottom of her luggage, she found it: a simple white cotton sundress with the smallest bit of lace detail on the hem.
It was cute without being pretentious. Mel decided perfect for a casual first date with a coworker. But honestly, Frank was far from just a coworker. Maybe that's why she anxiously awaited the eight o'clock hour.
She slid her white dress over her shoulders, letting her blonde hair flow in loose waves around the straps. She packed the smallest bag of makeup, mainly consisting of some mascara and cherry lipgloss which she applied carefully to her bare face.
As she finished preening in the bathroom mirror that hung over the sink, she decided to pull her phone out and take a selfie. She sent it to Becca who instantly replied with a thumbs up, her blessing she assumed.
With her phone still in her hand, she began to search nearby restaurants on the shore. Seafood was the obvious choice, but what if Frank was allergic? She never had thought to ask him. Now panic bubbled under the surface, making her more nervous with each passing second.
She decided she would just let him choose, although she knew deep down that he wouldn’t ever agree to that.
At 7:55pm, his contact picture filled her screen as her phone rang loudly. She picked it up after the first ring, which she realized could be a faux pas after she had already done it.
“Hey Mel, I’m out in the lobby now. Do you want me to come to your room?” He asked politely, but for some reason that made her heart skip a beat. Frank Langdon in her room? She wasn’t ready for that, not yet.
“No it’s okay, let me grab my bag and I’ll be there in just a second.” She spoke quietly, for what reason she didn’t know.
She heard his smile over the phone as he responded, “I’ll await with baited breath, King.”
Her finger pressed the red button, signaling the end of their call. She did a last minute breathing exercise to try and soothe the nerves that bundled in her stomach before she finally exited the room.
As she turned the corner of the small hallway, she saw him. He was a dashing vision in a simple black polo shirt and khakis leaning against the edge of the front desk.
It was as if he felt her coming before he saw her. His head tilted to the side before his eyes narrowed in on her quiet steps along the carpet of the hallway. That million dollar smile stretched across his lips. He was so ridiculously handsome, it made her stomach hurt.
She kept her eyes on her feet before she approached him, her fingers fidgeting against each other nervously. The feeling in her gut made her feel silly. Why was she nervous? They spent every day together basically. It was known they finished each other's sentences during traumas. He had even come to her apartment a few times for movie night with Becca.
It was bizarre when she thought about it. That this was their first date when it felt like they had been so deeply intertwined with each other for years.
“Your majesty arrives…” His voice was covered in a terrible impression of a British accent as his bright eyes met hers. He was even more handsome close up, which was beyond unfair. “You look beautiful, Mel.”
She shook her head quickly, “None of that royalty business, I’m trying to lay low key. But thank you.”
His grin grew even wider, a small chuckle slipped through his lips. “Discreet. I like it.” He shot a wink at her and where it landed on her cheeks burnt hot. “Did you decide where you wanted to go eat?”
”Actually..” she stammered slightly, fumbling over her words. “I didn’t know if you were allergic to anything so I was going to let you pick…”
His chin dipped down slightly as he met her eyes carefully. “I am not, allergic or picking.”
“We can do the seafood place next door if that’s okay with you?” She offered quietly.
“Anything you want is fine with me.” He smiled broadly once more, those annoying tendrils of dark hair falling into his eyes. Mel had a pretty strong resolve, but she must have forgotten it at home. Her fingers drifted up and pushed them slightly back off his forehead.
The subtle gulp of air that hung in his throat as their skin touched made her chest tighten. “We should go, I’m starving.” She coughed slightly, trying to break the awkward tension that now filled the air.
“Yeah, let's go.” He offered his hand to hers, and she accepted gracefully as they strolled out the doors hand in hand.
*****
Melissa King had gone on dates before, but none that she enjoyed even half as much as this one. Frank’s stories kept her laughing continuously, especially his raucous tales of Med school at Penn State. Something about his voice was so carefree and contagious. Mel King wasn’t a big drinker by any means, but even she decided to get a couple of margaritas at his insistence.
She watched as he listened raptly as she spoke about her parents and ultimately their passing. Her father had a widow maker heart attack when she was just ten years old. Her mother succumbed to her cancer after a long, hard fight. When she finished, his hand met hers across the small cafe table with hardly any room for their plates, but he made a space for their hands to connect. It was a very sweet gesture.
The way they jumped from topic to topic seamlessly made conversation with him as natural as breathing. By the time she decided to check her phone, it was already almost 11pm. She scanned the now mainly empty seafood restaurant around them. The waiters watched them with annoyed curiosity.
When she glanced back up at him, his eyes were still solely focused on her. The heat from his stare felt obscene, something meant for a bedroom not closing time at a seaside cafe.
“We should probably go, Frank.” She whispered across the table, her eyes dropping to her hands folded neatly in her lap. “I think they are closing.”
His head snapped up, twisting to take in the environment around them. “I think you’re right, and judging by the looks they’re giving me, I’m going to have to tip fifty percent.”
A small chuckle slipped through her lips. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to drain your wallet.”
”Mel, I’d pay it ten times over to listen to you talk.” He spoke earnestly, his hand reaching out to grasp hers again. No doubt he recognized the look of disbelief that covered her face. “I mean it.”
She dipped her head bashfully, not able to meet those dangerous eyes of his. “That was very sweet.”
The soft sound of his laughter filled the air around him. “And with that, I’ll segue to my next question. Would you like to walk the pier and grab some ice cream?”
Her stomach felt full to the brim from the lobster roll she had devoured, but she wasn’t ready for the night to end quite yet. Plus there was always room for dessert, no matter how much she ate.
She laughed as she realized they hadn’t even talked about the wedding tomorrow.
“That does sound good, we didn’t even discuss our wedding plans.” She smiled softly towards him.
Now it was his turn to blush, a ruddy red against his tan skin. “Our what?”
“You are my wedding date for Samira and Jack’s wedding tomorrow, remember?” She felt so much confidence from watching his normally calm demeanor become flustered.
“Oh yeah.” His hand rubbed at the back of his neck nervously. “We should definitely do that.”
She nodded, “Yes, after we get out of here. If we stay any longer they’re probably going to beat us with the menus.”
”I can take em’.” His arms crossed his chest, the flex of his bicep caught her eye again. It was apparently her turn to blush.
Mel turned quickly to block her now crimson face from his view, grabbing her small bag that hung on the back of her chair. When she gained the courage to look back at him, she noticed he had already gotten up to pay.
A deep exhale left her lips as she flung her head back. She needed to control herself, which made the margaritas a mistake in hindsight. She quickly peeked into her purse, grabbing her wallet and slipping a twenty dollar bill half under the salt dispenser. Her humble contribution to the hefty tip the waiters deserved for waiting for them.
He returned quickly, extending his hand to help her out of her chair. The rough callousness of his fingertips danced lightly across the delicate skin of her palm. Mel felt the hairs on her neck stand on end. The electricity that flowed through his skin lit her on fire.
“Ready to go?” A charming smile directed squarely at her. She tried her best to match with her own for his pleasure.
A quick nod from her and they exited the restaurant arm in arm onto the boardwalk at the pier. The crowd had dwindled down immensely, leaving just a couple stragglers walking by them. It was a Friday night, a bar crowd was sure to be appearing anytime.
“So baby blue, huh? What made you choose that?” His eyebrow raised just barely, almost unnoticeable if you didn’t watch his every motion as intensely as Mel did.
That pesky blush covered her cheeks once more. It’s not like she purposely matched her dress to his ridiculously pretty eyes. She didn’t even know he was going to be here. Becca suggested it to match the “beach” theme and mentioned how much baby blue made Mel look like Cinderella. That’s her story and she stuck to it.
But the implication made her heart skip. It’s just a color, he didn’t own it. Even though every time she looked up at the sky on a cloudless day, she thought of him.
”No reason really. Just trying to be beachy.” She smiled softly, hoping that he took the bait. The look on his face though, made it clear he did not.
He looked straight ahead when he spoke again, “Too bad I packed a white shirt instead of the brown one.”
Her breath caught slightly, hoping that she wasn’t reading too far into something that was innocent. She didn’t say anything, just waited for him to speak again.
A rough cough left his lips as he cleared his throat. She watched as he stopped walking, pivoting to face her head on. Blue eyes stared through into her soul. His voice was low, soft as silk. “…to match the prettiest eyes I’ve ever seen.”
“Mine?” She whispered back to him. Her heart felt like it was about to bust through her chest.
Her eyes followed as his hand left hers, trailing a soft path up her arm to her bare shoulder. It lingered there just a brief moment before resuming its path up her neck, along her jaw softly.
Frank stepped in a few steps closer, their bodies so close she knew he felt her heartbeat roaring wildly. His fingers came to stop at the tip of her chin, easing it up slowly towards him with the smallest hint of pressure.
She watched as his lips split open barely, a small exhale of breath against hers. The soft scent of wintergreen mint brushed against her mouth. Her brain turned off, letting her body take the reins. She leaned up on the tips of her toes, bringing their lips together gently.
He broke the chaste kiss apart, speaking softly towards her just inches from her face. “Of course, sweetheart. Would I lie?”
She knew he wouldn’t do something like that. If he was looking for a quick booty call, she knew of at least three of the nurses on their floor who had the hots for him.
Her head shook almost imperceptibly, her voice was certain. “No.”
From the look on his face, she knew that he believed her. A wide smile stretched from ear to ear before his hand drifted to the back of her neck, pulling her in closer to him.
“Mel… Mel... is that you?” She heard a shrill voice screeching out towards her. Her torso twisted slowly to look towards the direction of the distraction.
There came Samira hugging along the fence of the pier, a comically large sash embroidered with “bride-to-be” in hot pink across the front. Obviously wasted beyond comprehension, she laughed loudly at nothing.
Mel started to move towards her, praying she didn’t somehow flop off the deck like a fish before she could close the distance. “Samira, stay there!” She yelled as her footsteps turned into a sprint towards her inebriated friend.
She heard heavier footsteps behind her as she reached Samira. The soon-to-be bride flung her arms around Mel’s neck immediately, pulling her into a tight squeeze.
“Melly... Melly belly… I’m so glad you’re here.” Samira’s voice slurred into her ear, she reeked of cheap alcohol and bad decisions.
She flung her arm over her shoulder, letting Samira put her weight on her. “Are you alone?” She prayed not, it didn’t seem like a likely option either.
“No… I… snuck… out…” she giggled between each word, gently slapping Mel’s shoulder as she did so. She was drunk off her ass, and Mel decided she needed to get her back to the hotel.
Frank looked on at the pair of them, a question written in his eyes, which Mel immediately answered with a silent nod.
He walked to Samira’s other side, bending down so that she could wrap her other arm along his shoulder. The pair of them moved in sync to transport Samira back to her room.
It was only a few minutes' walk, but it crept by trying to keep Samira upright. Her cognitive ability slipped by the second. Mel snuck and grabbed her phone out of the tiny clutch that was strapped across her back.
Immediately, Mel called the one number she knew would pick up instantly. Jack.
Mel pulled the phone up to her ear as it rang. She heard his soft voice answer after just one ring. “Hey baby, are you having fun?” He purred into the phone. It felt like something she never needed to hear.
“Actually, maybe too much fun. We found her drunk walking on the pier.” She grimaced as her eyes looked over Samira’s head of dark curls to meet Frank’s eyes. “Do you want to meet us here?”
Jack’s voice instantly turned back into the firm tone she was used to, a low sigh accompanied it. “Yeah, Mel. Give me five minutes. “
It only took him three minutes to find them. Mel watched as his stern features slowly melted into an expression of fondness that he only reserved for Samira. Like nothing she did would ever upset him.
”Alright, I’ll take it from here. Thanks for calling me guys.” His voice had just a touch of that gruffness she was familiar with. “I’m going to chew Trinity’s ass out for losing her.”
Mel winced slightly as she took in Frank’s bemused expression. Things had gotten better between the pair of them, but not by much. Mel’s hand started to shake with the vibrations of an incoming call on Samira’s phone. When she looked down, Trinity’s contact picture filled the screen.
Jack’s eyes darted down to the phone, his eyebrows furrowing. “Well.. speak of the devil.”
Mel offered the phone to him without a word, watching him as he pulled it up to his ear with Samira hooked around his shoulder lazily.
“Hey girllllllll…” Samira’s drunken voice sounded increasingly louder in his other ear. They started to walk away briskly, way too fast for an amputee and his drunken bride to be. It was honestly impressive.
She glanced down at her own phone, taking in the time. It was already a quarter til midnight. The wedding was supposed to be relatively early in the day, 11am.
Mel didn’t want to leave, but knew she probably should. Her head already started to concoct a headache right at her temple. She needed some ibuprofen and a tall glass of water before passing out for the night.
As if Frank read her mind, “We should probably get you back to your room.” His eyes met hers softly. “I can walk you… if you want?” His eyebrows rose in question as his mouth drew into an easy smile.
“I’d like that, Frank.” She offered her hand to him, but he shrugged it off before slinging his arm lightly around her shoulder. With the slightest nudge, he pulled her into his side as he wrapped her in closer to him.
His cologne was strong in her nose as she nuzzled into the side of his chest. It mixed with the sea salt in the air and it made her feel like she just dropped into a hot tub. All warmth and relaxation surrounded her as they walked together. Something she needed and hadn’t even realized.
They walked at a synchronized snail’s pace, dragging the minute walk into at least ten. Nobody said anything, just the soft roar of the waves meeting the shore. The idea of getting ice cream was long forgotten, but she felt totally at peace. His slender fingers gently toyed with the loose blonde waves that lingered on her shoulder at a leisurely pace.
“Here we are.” They stood in front of the hotel entrance once more. She hadn’t realized. She had become enamored by the thought of his fingers in her hair and lost all sense of reality.
She turned to face him, his strong arms still wrapped against her shoulders. Her arms wrapped around his waist as she nuzzled into his chest softly. She felt the gentle brush of his chin against her crown before he tilted and pressed a soft kiss against her hair.
“Text me when you wake up in the morning, okay?” He murmured softly, “We can maybe actually make our plans if we’re not in each other’s presence.”
She chuckled quietly. So, he had noticed that too. For Melissa King, planning was everything, but for some reason with him, she didn’t care for plans. The thrill of just being in the moment took over her whenever he was around.
She stood on the tips of her toes again, leaning in to place a quick peck on his cheek. “Will do.” She smiled softly against the skin of his cheek. “Goodnight, Frank.”
He moved slightly, pressing a tender kiss against her forehead. “Sweet dreams, Melissa King.”