Page 18 of Save the Drama for your Mama
The Next Morning . . .
The last three hours in the library had been a very special kind of hell. Each thud and clang of the restoration activity reverberated through the walls, penetrating my thoughts and shattering my concentration.
I sighed, trying to reclaim my focus, but it seemed to be a lost cause, especially when a brand-new annoyance entered the mix. A mysterious squeaking, like someone was pacing and turning in front of my door.
It seemed to come from the other side of the library door. With each shrill squeak, my irritation grew, fueling my determination to silence it before it drove me crazy.
Romeo ambled over to the door and began sniffing at the floorboards near the source of the noise. His ears perked up, and his tail wagged with curiosity.
A beagle’s sense of smell is keen, capable of detecting scents with remarkable precision, making them one of the most adept scent-tracking dogs in the world. Romeo knew who was on the other side of the door.
Too bad he didn’t know how to get rid of her.
Unable to bear it any longer, I pushed back my chair and rose to my feet from the desk. My frustration, like a storm brewing, propelled me toward the squeak, ready to smother the annoyance.
Romeo stepped aside as I swung open the door. “How may I help you?”
Startled, Melody halted in her tracks.
The squeak stopped as well.
She stared at the top of my head. “What are you wearing?”
My eyeballs shot up to my hairline.
Son of a . . .
I swiped the beret off my head, held it behind my back, and deadpanned, “Vera Wang. And you?” I eyed her jeans. “Never mind. Wrangler.”
Melody opened her mouth and closed it.
I huffed. “Once again . . . how may I help you?”
“I need your help,” she said. “But I wasn’t sure if it was worth your ripping my head off for a simple question.”
“There’s only one way to find out.”
Melody bent down to pet the dog, then glanced back up at me. “Why did you name him Romeo? You’re not a fan of romance, so I know that’s not it.”
“I never said I wasn’t a fan of romance,” I said.
“Yes, you did.”
“No—youassumedI wasn’t because I’m not a fan of your favorite book,Pride and Pompousness.”
“Do you think you’re funny?”
“I have my moments.”
I glared at her.
She winked at me and made a kissy face.
I rolled my eyes. “That was the reason you were wearing a hole in my floor? You wanted to know why I named the dog Romeo?”
“No,” she said. “Your attic is locked. I need the key.”
“The attic is off limits. Nobody goes up there. Not even me.”
