Hot Fudge Fraud Read Online Free

left me behind!” She exclaimed, instantly regretting the statement.  Since her mother’s death, she had felt abandoned too easily.
    Not picking up on her emotional undertones, Keith replied, “I know.  You were just a sophomore.  Just a baby,” he grinned , pulling her hand up to his mouth and kissing the top of it.  “Shall we go inside now, baby?” He asked with a chuckle.
    “Yes, big man on campus, let’s go,” she replied, suddenly forgetting about her boring attire.  In Keith’s presence, she felt vivacious and glamorous.  And she loved how his eyes hadn’t taken the grand tour of her curvy body but had stayed respectfully glued to her face.
    Gentleman to the core, Keith gestured for her to walk in front of him as he opened the door to Magnolia.  Melanie stepped inside and surveyed her surroundings.  Entering the exclusive restaurant was like delving into a nucleus after spending years stuck on the perimeter of a cell.  Magnolia was understated in its décor and all the more sophisticated for the minimalist approach.  A smiling hostess greeted the couple immediately and seated them in a secluded corner of the restaurant.
    Keith and Melanie sat across from each other as a candle in the center of the table flickered.  Raw attraction crackled through the air as they tore their eyes away from each other to read the menus.  A sommelier came over to the table and poured their glasses half full of wine.
    Keith raised his glass to Melanie in an impromptu toast.  “Cheers to meeting you again after all these years.  Cheers and success to Hot Fudge Fancy.  And cheers to a great night for us.”
    Beaming, Melanie tapped her glass against his and whispered, “Cheers, Keith.”
    “Now let’s have a look at this menu.  Last time I was here was for a business lunch.  I had the shrimp ‘n’ grits,” Keith recalled, browsing through the menu.
    “ Well, seeing as that’s the unofficial dish of Charleston, it must have been amazing.”
    “It was.  Definitely recommend it.  But order whatever you want, Melanie.  We can start with a whole bunch of appetizers,” Keith said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation of a tasty meal.
    Melanie laughed.  “A whole bunch of appetizers?  That’s great.  Because I’m very deprived owning an ice cream parlor.  I never overindulge,” she said sarcastically.
    “Well you can afford to overindulge with that gorgeous body of yours,” he said huskily before catching himself.  “Sorry.  I didn’t mean to be so blunt.”
    Far from insulted, Melanie grinned and merely said, “Thank you.”
    The waiter made the rounds to collect their order s a few minutes later.  Keith took a sip of his wine and ventured, “I hope this question won’t offend you.  I mean, maybe it’s a little early in the evening to get so personal.  But I just have to know.  Why are you still single?”
    Melanie finished chewing a crusty piece of sourdough bread before replying.  “I don’t know how to answer that, Keith.  To be honest, I’m not sure if marriage is something I even want.”
    Keith looked flabbergasted.  “Really Melanie?  Why would you say that?”
    Melanie never liked to explain herself or her unorthodox lifestyle to anyone.  But Keith was someone she hoped to know better.  And the only way to know him was to allow him to know her too.  So she opened up a book that had been sealed along with her mother’s casket.
    “Keith, I lost my mom when I was 10 years old.  You already know that.  But what you don’t know is how I saw my father grieve for the rest of my childhood.  It was two years before he finally donated her clothes and another two years until he went out on a date.  He’s never really recovered from the loss, even to this day.  So I don’t like to get too attached to anything…or anyone.  I can’t help it.”
    “Tell me about your mother,” he coaxed, wearing a compassionate look on his face.  “I mean it, Melanie.  Tell