“I assure you it’s nothing sinister. I require thorough background checks on everyone who works at my establishments before I hire them. I have an excellent memory.” She leaned forward and placed her drink on the table. “And you’re very hard to forget.”
Mel took another sip of her drink. Her glass was emptying quickly.
“You stood out to me, Melanie. It’s clear that you have a lot of drive and aren’t afraid of hard work. Those are desirable traits to any employer.”
Mel remembered her other question. “What’s your name?”
“How rude of me. It’s Vanessa. Vanessa Harper.”
Vanessa. Even her name sounded elegant.
“So, tell me. Why do you want to become a lawyer? You don’t seem the type who aspires to work at a big corporate law firm.”
Mel would have been bothered by Vanessa’s presumption if it hadn’t been true. “I want to help those who really need it. For some people, legal services are a luxury they can’t afford. Without it, they face poverty, or homelessness, or even prison.” Mel knew this well from her own childhood. She grew up in a world that was the complete opposite of the one that Vanessa and the patrons of The Lounge inhabited. “I want to give people like that a chance at a better life.”
“How benevolent of you.” It was hard to tell whether or not Vanessa was being patronizing. “But you’re at one of the top law schools in the country. Simply doing pro-bono work seems like wasted potential.”
“I want to do far more than that,” Mel replied. “I want to make a difference on a bigger scale. I don’t know how exactly yet. But I do know that change comes from the top. And that’s why I have to get there.”
Vanessa smiled. “You’re very passionate. You remind me of myself when I was younger. Big ambitions. Fighting your way up in a world where everything is stacked against you. I can tell you from experience that it isn’t easy being a woman in a male-dominated profession. Not to mention a gay woman. Which I’m sure you know already.”
Mel almost choked on her drink. “How do you know I’m a lesbian?” She was the kind of woman who flew under most people’s gaydar.
“Reading people is one of my talents. I’m an executive. And in the corporate world, it’s a valuable skill. Learn someone’s tells, and you know when they’re lying, or stalling, or when you have them right where you want them. And once you know how to read people, you can learn all sorts of things about someone by simply watching them for five minutes. I’ve watched you in the club, Melanie. I’ve watched you interact with people. It’s obvious that you’re not interested in men, but you are interested in women.” Vanessa leaned forward, her eyes locked on Mel’s. “And I’ve seen the way you look at me.”
Mel’s heart stopped in her chest. The heat of Vanessa’s gaze made Mel’s skin burn.
She glanced away. Her eyes landed on a clock on the wall. Her shift had ended ten minutes ago.
“I’ve kept you here long enough,” Vanessa said. “You can go.” She reached out and took Mel’s empty glass from her hand. Their fingers touched, and Vanessa’s hand seemed to linger on Mel’s. Then Vanessa placed the glass down next to her own and stood up.
Mel got up from the couch, feeling a mixture of relief and disappointment. As she followed Vanessa to the door, her eyes flicked over to the riding crop hanging from the bedpost.
A hint of a smile formed on Vanessa’s lips. “Goodbye, Melanie.”
Chapter Three
Mel jogged down the busy sidewalk, upbeat music blasting through her earbuds. As she narrowly dodged a woman on a bicycle, she wished she could afford a gym membership and avoid the crowded city streets. But for now, she had to make do. Running was her only outlet. She loved the feeling of pushing her body to its limit. The burning muscles. The aching lungs. The high. It was satisfying in a raw, visceral way.
In truth, she preferred the freedom of running outdoors. The heat of the sun on her skin and the wind in her face added to the rush she felt.
Her apartment building came into view. Mel slowed her pace and checked her watch. She didn’t have long until she had to leave for work. She’d barely been able to squeeze in a run at all. Wiping the sweat from her brow, Mel jogged the last half mile to her building and made her way up to her apartment. Calling it an ‘apartment’ was generous. The one-room studio had room for a bed, a table, and little else. But it was the only place that Mel could afford by herself.
She stripped off her sweaty clothes and threw them into the hamper. She’d tried as hard as she could to make her apartment look inviting, adding some color and personal touches. A few throw pillows in a bright, cheerful blue. Posters to cover the marks on the walls. A bookshelf salvaged from the curb that Mel had filled with books she didn’t have time to read. It did little to improve the ambiance of the space. But Mel liked it. It was more of a home to her than any other place she had lived in.
Mel made her way to the bathroom and stepped into the shower. She tipped back her head and let the warm water trickle down her body, washing the sweat from her skin and revitalizing her tired muscles. She wished that she had a bathtub. It had been a long day. Six hours of classes, followed by a quick run, and now a shift at The Lounge. She wouldn’t get home until well after midnight.
Mel let out a long breath. She was used to it. The long hours. The late nights. The never-ending pile of school work. She’d been working hard since high school: first to get into college and escape her middle of nowhere hometown, and then to get into law school, all while working to support herself.
But as she scrubbed the dirt of the day off her body, Mel felt the weight of it all creep back onto her shoulders. Running provided a brief escape. It didn’t last.
She sighed and tried to push it all aside. For what felt like the hundredth time this week, her thoughts drifted back to the other night at The Lounge. To Vanessa. When Mel closed her eyes, she could see Vanessa’s smoldering eyes staring back at her. She could feel Vanessa’s fingers wrapped around her wrist. She could hear Vanessa’s voice, somehow gentle and commanding at the same time.
I’ve seen the way you look at me.
Mel stepped out of the shower. How had Vanessa manage
d to get inside her head so easily? It didn’t matter. Even if Vanessa was interested in her, which seemed crazy, Mel didn’t want to go down that road. Not with Vanessa, or with anyone.