"Hey ExLax!"
"Hi Melinda!"
The two newcomers made their way over to where their friends were sitting, but ExLax sat down at a table for two nearby.
"Why aren't we sitting with the others?"
ExLax looked up from his menu. "I don't really feel like squishing tonight." Melinda couldn't help but return ExLax's grin before turning her attention to the menu.
"Let me guess. One milkshake, two straws."
They looked up to see Bongo grinning at them, ready to take their order.
"What are you doing here?" Melinda grinned widely at the server.
"I work here now!"
"Finally got tired of making hush puppies at Long John's?" ExLax teased.
Melinda laughed as Bongo started beating ExLax over the head with his menu. ExLax couldn't help but grin when he heard her laughter. I love it when she laughs, he thought.
"Hey Mel, is Brenda at home?" Bongo ceased abusing his friend when he saw his manager glaring at him.
"Yeah, my sister and your cousin are staying with her. Why?"
Bongo grinned. "Because my shift ends in ten minutes and I wanna go and save her from them." Melinda frowned as Bongo kept talking. "Your little sister is so cool, Mel. Just last night when we were talking over the phone..."
Melinda tuned him out as her thoughts raced. Bongo called last night to talk to BRENDA!?! It wasn't that she didn't love her sister, she just couldn't believe that her long-time crush was more interested in her sister.
ExLax noticed that Melinda wasn't paying attention to Bongo's ramblings. "Hey Bongo? Can you give us a few?"
Bongo grinned and winked knowingly at his friend. "No problemo, ExLax!" And he was gone.
"Melli?" ExLax reached over and took her hand in his. "Sweets, are you okay?"
She looked up and nodded. "Do you mind if we just go to the movie? I'm not really that hungry." ExLax nodded and they both stood up.
As they were walking to the car, Melinda had her head down, but something caught ExLax's eye.
Kute_Tush's Mustang pulled into the parking lot and when the tall blonde looked closely... BRENDA was behind the wheel!?! Her friend, Tina, was in the front seat and they stopped the car when Bongo left the restaurant. Shocked to see the 15-year-old unlicensed girl driving his cousin's precious car, Bongo forced Brenda out of the driver's seat. They argued for a minute, then they laughed and Bongo climbed behind the wheel.
Melinda, hearing her sister's distinctive laugh, looked up. Not wanting her to see Bongo with Brenda, ExLax did the only thing he could think of to distract her.
He kissed her.
Startled, Melinda just stood there for a few seconds, but quickly slid her arms around his neck and responded.
ExLax meant to pull away, but when she began kissing him back he couldn't help himself. He wrapped his arms around her and lost himself in the kiss.
"WOOHOO! Go ExLax!" Bongo cheered as he drove out of the parking lot.
"It's about blasted time!" Brenda added.
"So are you going to tell me how you managed to steal Kute_Tush's car?" Bongo queried as they drove away.
They pulled apart and Melinda rested her head on ExLax's shoulder. "Why did you kiss me, ExLax?"
His mind raced as he tried to think of an excuse, but decided to go with the truth. "I wanted to."
She looked up at her friend. "You wanted to?"
"Yeah," he smiled tenderly at her. "For a long time now."
For once, Melinda couldn't think of anything to say.
ExLax grinned. "So why did you kiss me?"
Her jaw dropped. "YOU kissed ME!"
"Yeah, but you kissed me back!"
"ExLax!"
"Melinda!"
She glared at him. "I was being nice."
His blue eyes twinkled in the lights from the neon Rocket attached to the building.
"That's fine. You be nice."
She looked up at that. ExLax never gave in that easily.
"I'll be naughty." And he kissed her again.
