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First love
can be wonderful—albeit at times tortuous. Rarely does it last, and at times is
so painful it brings nothing but heartache. Often it is the girl who has a
passion but in the case of twenty-year-old Tony, his feelings for
seventeen-year-old Melody become what can probably be termed an obsession. An
obsession that stays with him as years pass and their lives go in different
directions.
Sadly,
often a third party steps into the mix, diverting the course of the lives of young
lovers. In Melody’s case, it is her father who shatters the hopes and dreams of
this pair. Not only is Melody’s parent an overbearing and obstinate man but he happens
to be an unprincipled police inspector who does not hesitate to use the power his
position entitles him to exercise.
Shattered
by the events that ensue, Tony takes off to the other side of the world and
makes a successful life in Australia. Always the dream of returning to England
and claiming his lost love stays with him. Many obstacles crop up, making his
dreams seem impossible. Meanwhile Melody is left to face a loveless life forced
on her by her father where escape to happiness drifts further away as the years
pass.
A short excerpt from Chapter One:
The local dancehall contained the usual Saturday evening crowd. For a while, Tony watched a vision of perfection as she danced—not with everyone who asked her, he noticed. The two mates he came along with had disappeared, probably gone off with the girls they danced with earlier, but Tony suddenly had no desire to hold anyone in his arms but this raven-haired beauty with the figure of a goddess. Dare he ask her—his world tilted when she accepted his offer. Above average height himself, she reached his chin and felt like a delicate porcelain doll as he pulled her as close as he dared. After dancing without speaking, apart from exchanging names, the bandleader announced that they were taking a break, so Tony asked tentatively, “Can I interest you in a drink?” To his great delight, she accepted with a nod. “That’s an unusual name, by the way,” he commented as they stood side by side with their drinks—no fancy tables and chairs in this place. “Is it your real name or did you choose it?” “Of course, it’s my real name, silly.” She nudged his arm. “My mum chose it, after seeing a movie where the leading lady was called Melody; she said she decided to call her daughter that, if she had one.” “So how old are you, Melody?” Tony had a feeling she was not quite as old as the persona she showed the world. When he first spotted her at the other side of the dance floor, she had been laughing with a group of girls who all appeared to have overdone it with the make-up. His mother was a touch critical about what she called young trollops who painted their faces and wore low cut blouses. Not that he shared all her views. Right at this moment, he could not care less what his mother, or anyone else thought of the girl who was the answer to all his fantasies. “Not that a gentleman should ask a woman her age—but I turned seventeen just last month.” This was accompanied by another soft nudge to his arm. “Sweet seventeen and never been kissed.” He cringed inside at that immature comment. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.” Luminous brown eyes glowed provocatively at him while her red painted mouth curved in a smile so enticing his stupid heart did a somersault. With a toss of her long silky hair, she touched him gently on the nose with the tip of her finger. Tony had dated a few girls since leaving school, but none that had come anywhere near to this one who he sensed knew much more about men and their behaviour than he knew about women. “Is that a challenge?” he found himself asking, as he caught her finger and took it to his lips. When she made no move to pull away, rather stepped closer so that their faces were an inch apart, Tony felt so overwhelmed he swallowed hard and dared to lean in for a kiss. But to his dismay she stepped back, a laugh bubbling up as she shook her finger, saying, “Let’s go dance, and if you are a good boy, I might let you take me home.” Tony dared to take hold of her hand as they went back to the dance floor, exhilarated when she made no move to pull away. |
