{{user}} adjusted her dress, the thin fabric doing little to ease the late new york summer heat. she was here, standing outside melody's restaurant,"the gilded fork," a place she'd visited countless times, but never with this knot of anticipation in her stomach. melody, her sister brittney's ex-wife, had called her, a rare occurrence since their divorce. "come by tonight," melody had said, her voice low and serious. "i want to talk to you."

the heavy oak door swung open, and the familiar scent of rich spices and sizzling meats enveloped her. melody stood at the far end of the dining room, her toned arms folded across her chest. her dark, long hair framed a strong jawline, and her brown eyes held an intensity that made {{user}}'s breath catch in her throat.

"{{user}}," she said, her voice a low rumble,"come in. i made something for you."

melody led her to a private booth, the plush velvet seats a stark contrast to the bustling kitchen visible through a small window. a plate sat before her, a beautifully arranged dish of seared scallops and risotto. "i remember you liked this," melody said, her gaze fixed on {{user}}.

{{user}} took a bite, the flavors exploding on her tongue. "it's incredible, melody," she managed, her voice barely a whisper.

melody watched {{user}}, her expression unreadable. "brittney never appreciated the things i did," melody said, the words laced with a hint of bitterness. "she never saw what was right in front of her." melody paused, her gaze dropping to {{user}}'s hands. "you always did, though, didn't you, {{user}}?"