Chapter 2 ~ Beginnings

Parkside Apartments: 8 Years Earlier



It didn't take long for the bank to foreclose on the house and Melinda scrambled to find a small apartment for her and the baby. Struggling to make ends meet, she took whatever employment she could find but the jobs never lasted and she once again found herself looking for work.

The options were slim; without any sort of degree or training there wasn't much she qualified for. However one job in particular drew her attention. The St. James was looking for a hostess. The hours didn't seem too bad, it was a bus ride away and the wages would do. Not that she would quibble over them; any paycheck was better than none. Melinda circled the ad, planning to call once she fed Thalia.

The following afternoon she headed for the job interview. Melinda had always been outgoing and friendly but she was nervous. Approaching the building, she hesitated. It didn't look like much from the outside and Melinda instantly regretted her choice of clothing. "Well, nothing I can do about it now," she sighed and went in.

Melinda's surprise was evident as she stared in awe at the inside of the place. It was very well decorated, clean, and elegant. Never judge a book, she admonished. Approaching a girl who stood by the stairs Melinda introduced herself, "Hi, I'm here about the hostess job; I called yesterday."

You must be Melinda. Charmaine will be out in a minute. Make yourself comfortable. Can I get you a drink?"

It struck her as odd that she would be offered a drink before a job interview. Maybe it was a test. Melinda shook her head and thanked the girl as she looked around. The place wasn't busy and she wondered absently how they made ends meet. Melinda hoped this would not turn out to be another dead end for her. She needed the steady work to pay the bills.

"Melinda?" A buxom woman approached her, smiled warmly and extended her hand. "I'm Charmaine deCoeur, the owner of this place. Why don't you come to my office and we'll get to know each other."

The conversation went the way most interviews go when Charmaine suddenly asked, "Are you ambitious Melinda?"

Mel stared at the floor not really knowing what to say. She chose her words carefully. "I got married practically out of high school, got pregnant almost immediately so I never really thought about ambition. I was deliriously happy right up to the moment my husband left me. Right now my ambition is to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. I'll work hard, that much I can promise."

Charmaine's smile never reached her eyes; there was sadness and understanding there. She had known men like Melinda's husband and felt some pity for the girl. Sighing, she rose, poured a whiskey and stated, "We have a rather loose dress code here. Do you have anything a little less...stuffy?"

The color in Melinda's cheeks rose as she recalled the way some of the girls in the dining rooms were dressed. "I suppose I do..."

"I like you Melinda. I'm going to let you in on a secret and if you still want a job here afterward, it's yours. The dining room does all right but I make most of my money upstairs...private entertainment if you will. The girls I hire to work the upstairs adapt easily to the demands of the...position. They change as easily as the weather. Will you have a problem with that?"

She hesitated, glanced over at Charmaine who studied her carefully and asked, "Do you expect me to..."

"I'm hiring a hostess, nothing else. If I wanted a...well let's just say I would not advertise that position in the Classifieds. Are we in agreement then?"

They talked for the better part of an hour and when the interview was over, Melinda had the job.

Chameleon: Present Day

"Melinda, there is a man here who insists on seeing you. I've tried everything short of having him bounced out but I think he will just keep coming back. He's a bit...unsavory."

Glancing up from her desk Melinda pulled back from the past and regarded the young woman thoughtfully. "Do we know who he is?" As Rhapsody was about to respond, a tall, muscular man pushed past her. He strode directly over to Melinda's desk, pulled up a chair and unceremoniously sat down.

Throwing his boots up on her desk he grinned although the expression never hit his eyes. "Deacon Angelis, that's who I am Melinda. Can I call you Melinda or do you prefer Mrs. Owen?"

Ignoring the comment, Melinda rose and shoved his feet off her desk. "What do you want Mr. Angelis?"

"Call me Deacon, sweetheart. I'm here to discuss a little business. It's...private." He shifted his eyes toward Rhapsody who had not moved from the doorway. "You might find it in your best interest to send the slut back to work."

Bristling at the remark and disliking being told what to do Melinda inhaled and then gestured for Rhapsody to leave never taking her eyes off the man in front of her. "You're rude and distasteful Mr. Angelis. Whatever business you have to discuss I'm not interested."

He stood; his face was stone cold, menacing, as his eyes bore into her. "Nasty piece of business your husband was, even nastier way to die, wouldn't you agree? I can only imagine the sheer torture it must have been for him." His mouth curled slightly as he advanced toward her.

Melinda stepped back as her heart began to pound in her chest. "Ex-husband, and whatever he was into or how he died has nothing to do with me. Now if you will excuse me..."

He grabbed her arm and pulled Melinda toward him. His face was twisted into a sadistic smile. "Now that's where we disagree. Damian owed me big time and I am here to collect from you, one way or the other."