The Game Changer by Marie Landry Page A

seemed surprised to find she was still wearing last night’s dress. She pulled the covers from underneath herself and got under them, then pulled them up to her chin. “If I was a zombie, I’d be more interested in brains, and the problem would be solved.”
    Melody shook her head as she grabbed her clothes and went into the bathroom for a quick shower. When she came back into her bedroom, Olivia was still in her bed…or rather, back in her bed, since she was now in pajamas. “Did you go to your room, put your PJs on, then come back to my bed?”
    “Yes,” Olivia said, like it was the most natural thing in the world. “Your bed is comfier than mine, and I have a nice warm spot here.”
    “Okay…” Melody said slowly, grabbing her brush and running it through her hair. “And the pajamas?”
    “It felt like a pajama kind of day,” Olivia explained. She had a bit of colour in her cheeks now, but her skin was still mostly pale, and her eyes were red. “Hangovers call for jammies. And comfy beds. And bacon. When you get back, you can put your jammies back on too, then we can watch movies.”
    “What did I do without you here all this time to tell me what to do?” Melody asked.
    Olivia threw a pillow at Melody’s head, laughing. “I don’t know, actually. It’s a miracle you survived this long without me.”
    Melody shook her head again and threw the pillow back to Olivia. “Get some rest. I’ll be back soon.” She grabbed her purse and keys, slipped her feet into a pair of flip flops, and left the apartment, locking the door behind herself.
    The minute she stepped out the door behind Green Pea’s Books, the remainder of the fog in her mind cleared. It was a beautiful day, and she stood there for a minute, breathing in the fresh air with her face turned up toward the sun. Across the parking lot the Moira River was sparkling in the sunlight, and Melody noticed several people down by the bridge with fishing rods and tackle boxes.
    She smiled to herself as she began walking toward the alley that led to Front Street. Lion’s was a small locally owned department store just a two-minute walk down the street from their apartment. Melody often popped in there on her way home from work to pick up something quick for dinner or to look for gift items or casual clothes. The store had a little bit of everything, along with good prices, so it was one of her favourite places to shop.
    Stepping inside the cool, air-conditioned shop, Melody headed straight for the back where the grocery items were. The store didn’t carry much fresh produce or meat because they didn’t have the room, but they kept things like bacon, packaged sausages, and lunchmeat, plus they had a fully stocked dairy bar. The rest of the food was frozen, canned, or boxed, and Melody was always able to find something interesting for the nights she didn’t feel like cooking just for herself.
    She was perusing the selection of bacon—did Olivia prefer smoked or maple? She couldn’t remember—when a familiar voice caught her attention. Her heart tripped in her chest before starting to beat erratically. She turned slowly and saw Julian walking down the aisle. He was having a friendly conversation with the manager of the store, and as far as Melody knew he hadn’t seen her yet. She grabbed a package of bacon and ducked into the closest aisle.
    She wasn’t sure why she was hiding from him. He had been right the night before with his guess that he made her nervous. There was just something about him. His confidence, his sometimes-cocky-but-always-sexy smile, this air of mystery and sensuality that seemed to surround him. She wasn’t used to men like that—men who were so self-assured and forward.
    And then, of course, there was her current appearance. Melody didn’t consider herself a vain person, but she also wasn’t crazy about the idea of Julian seeing her without makeup, wearing a tank top, yoga pants, and flip flops, and with her damp hair in a