Chapter 2 - A close call

Life wasn't like all the movies she had watched and the books she had read.
She relished on the escapes, the way the heroes & heroines were always on the run, clearing their name, changing their identity, and yet still discovering a world of possibility all around them as they went.

She supposed it was the gypsy blood from the grandfather she had never known that made her always want to be on the move. Her grandmother had always told her stories of how he had always been on the move, never settling anywhere. And that was how she felt most of the time, a free spirit. When things got too comfortable and settled, all she wanted to do was hit the road.

She had been saying for years that she wanted to travel, travel the country, travel the world. Never really setting down roots anywhere. But when she finished school she had no money to her name. Getting money meant working, it meant becoming responsible and reliable, settling down. Sadly she relented and got a job. She knew she should not complain, she had the ability to think out of the box, and that is what landed her the jobs that most people were green with envy over. She enjoyed the work, but always resented that it was holding her back from her dreams.
Nevertheless a job was a job, and she worked. She always saved and put away what she could into her "Dream Box" account, the one she would use to fund her dreams. For ten long years, she worked. Making new friends, but never truly getting close to anyone from her adult life. She was a loner, despite some calling her a social butterfly. Thing was, she never thought anyone truly understood her.

This week had been just the final straw.
The no good guy she worked for had pushed her to the limit. Avesh, had his manicured finger nails, spiky gelled hair, and his BMW with custom rims. And boy did he think he was the next best thing to breyani. He would have been ok enough actually, a good looking and wealthy man was the dream of most women. But this guy, was a particularly large pain in the butt. You see, he thought the world revolved around him, and others, but especially women were the dirt of the land. To be used, and trampled on. A stepping stone to success. But most of all, Avesh enjoyed hitting on all the ladies, especially Mel.

Tuesday, as usual he had given her all his work to do. Her job title was "Personal Assistant" and the pay was reasonable enough, but seeing as she was doing every ounce of his work at the job while he was juggling phone calls between his private estate agent and his bookie, she was getting a bit sick of having him order her around to do his personal grocery shopping, and pay his personal bills. She had had enough. This was not in the job description, and she was tired of having him ask her out every week.
Granted, she had only held down this job for 8 weeks now.
Most jobs she held down for 2 or 3 months before getting bored out of her mind and quitting. Or after a couple of months of getting annoyed at the hypocrisy, the lies, the ordering around, the flirting, she would eventually stand up to her boss or even the boss' boss and tell them exactly what she thought of it all. The next day she would be looking for a new job. Truth was she actually liked it that way. It was part of her desire to never settle in, this thing of not settling into a job.

So being Tuesday, she was catching up on all the work Avesh didn't feel like doing Monday (which was all of it), being rushed already because people wanted it done urgently. At the end of the day, despite having no time for a lunch break, she realized she was going to have to work late, again.
Then Avesh walked into her office, all suave and yet again said "Mel, I'm exhausted, its been such a long day. I don't feel like going home to cook, so I'm going out for dinner. Please join me."
"Avesh, I'm not interested." Mel wearily answered without looking up from the screen in front of her, "I still have to do the poster for the fundraiser that YOU were supposed to do last week and didn't tell me until this afternoon. I also got that spreadsheet to finish, and a mailing list to send. So I'm not only not interested, I don't have time. And guess what, you ain't the only one who is tired."
Silence, she looked up and he was still standing there "Aw come on Mel, its not like I'm asking you on a date this time. You've worked hard with all these deadlines and I'm offering to buy you dinner. Plus its at Yolo's, that awesome place on the pier. Its been a clear day, so there is bound to be an a lovely sunset. You deserve it, these things can wait till tomorrow." he said with a smile on his face.
She sighed, a free dinner that she didn't have to make sounded good, and it had been a long couple of days. He owed her anyway for keeping her mouth shut to his boss about his deals on the side. And Yolo's was a really nice place, it had the best view back over the golden mile and the city, the sunset would be a stunner, she knew that.
"Whatever Avesh. I'll come, this time only. You're paying, dont you forget that." she muttered as she shut down the computer and stood up. Grabbing her car keys, she told him she'd meet him there but had to run to the shop first.

"Mel?" a voice behind her called. She spun around, red faced at being caught in the feminine hygene isle to see Andre standing there grinning, apparently oblivious to their position in the shop. "I thought it was you," he said "what are you doing on this end of town?"
"Uh, um," she stammered, caught off guard "shopping".
He chuckled "ah Mel, only you would answer like that. I thought you were working on the other side of town?"
"That job was so boring, I could not take another day of it. So I quit." She explained "Now I'm a personal assistant to an executive at an advertising company a block away from here. Just got off work, popped in to buy a few things, and am headed for supper"
Andre just then realised what isle he was standing in and flushed red. Now it was Mel's turn to chuckle "Tell you what Andre, I'm headed to Yolo's for supper in a few mins, why don't you join me?"
"I wish I could, but mom asked me to just pop into the shop for milk on my way home. She'll worry if I don't get home soon." He answered with a sigh. "Pity, my boss is buying and I fully intend on ragging him. He's an idiot, and I'd love to have someone to share the ripping off of him with." She laughed, "Anyways send your mom my love."
Andre smiled "I will. Come visit us sometime soon"
"You know I will" she said as he was walking away.

Arriving at Yolo's it was not too busy, midweek evenings were never that busy. She quickly spotted Avesh sitting in one of the lounger chairs out on the deck overlooking the sunset. She walked up quietly behind him while he was on the phone to someone saying "look man, I don't have your money. I'll get it together soon. I know I owe you a lot. Don't you make threats, I'll pay you when I pay you" he paused while yelling came over the phone, and she walked into his sight "Look, my date just arrived I gotta go" and he put the phone down.
"Avesh, this is not a date." Mel told him as soon as he had turned the phone off. "Remember, you said that yourself"
"Ahh, but darling..."
"Don't darling me, don't give me nicknames" she interrupted him "I'm here to eat, and then I wanna go home. I'm exhausted from doing all of YOUR work."
"Fine, sorry." He answered "Let me try again, the gentleman's way"
She glared at him
"Mel, thank you for agreeing to meet me here. Please, sit down" he gestured to the seat next to him "I have taken the liberty of ordering us something to drink, and here's the menu. I'm buying so pick whatever you want, don't worry about the price."

She smiled, it had been years since she had allowed any man to treat her to a night out. But with Avesh, really? No she was not going to fall for his fake chivalry, she already knew his game plan and wanted no part of it. But she didn't mind a free meal at a place that she never allowed herself to buy at. She always ate in, cooked her own food. She may be nearly 30, but she was still saving every penny she could for the dream box.

They sat and chatted, watched the sun setting over the city and the city lights come on. They ate a fantastic meal, and had desert. Mel was trying not to snort her cuppacino from laughing so hard because Avesh was describing how stupid he had been when he got pulled over by a cop for driving and talking on the phone. He stopped at the end of the the story and just looked at her, she was so relaxed, smiling so widely. She looked up at him, and asked "so you're a real bad boy huh?"
"I used to be, not so much anymore. But Mel, you didn't want me to keep you out too late, something about being exhausted. So let me walk you back to your car."
"Alright" She replied, and stood up to leave.

They walked down the pier, chatting and laughing about how crazy some people were when younger. Suddenly Avesh stopped, grabbed her arm and asked "you keep talking about other people being crazy when younger, but did you never do anything crazy?"
"Nothing that I'm ever going to tell you about Avesh" she said looking straight at him, just inches from his face "Now release my arm please"
"No," he said "not until..." and he leaned in to kiss her.
She was ready for it, with a knee into his groin in record speed and a slap to the cheek, she twisted her arm free, and marched away leaving him groaning.
It only took him a few seconds to regroup, she was near a group of people by then, he ran up to her and said "Wait, please Mel' I'm sorry"
"Not today smart ass" she responded, and twisted out of his reach as he tried to grab her again. She knew he was two faced, but still shocked at his next response.
"No woman gets away from me like that" He stormed
"Avesh, you touch me one more time, and I swear I'll kill you. No one will ever find your body!" She vehemently shouted at him, successfully getting every head on the pier to look at them.
He withdrew away back into the shadows and she stormed off to her car and sped home.

That night she couldn't help but think how stupid she had been. She knew his play book, she knew she would never be interested in him. But why had she gone along with it for the evening. And allowing herself to relax, again stupid teenager style mistake. Stupid, she kept told herself over and over.
She needed to talk to someone, so she texted Jen. Jen and her had had a good laugh about it after a few dozen messages. They had discussed the various ways Mel could have reacted, knowing that Mel still always kept at least 3 knives on her body at all times, and a pepper spray and a tazer. It wasn't so much about personal safety, but more for the fun of knowing that she had more power with her. Guns were always out though, she never ever wanted to be lethal.

Wednesday morning, she got to the office right on time, walked in and saw everyone grouped in the conference room. Supposing the meeting was Avesh cooking up some lies about her, she didn't care, her resignation letter was ready to hand in. She had been up since early looking for a new job.
They saw her walk in, and the receptionist, who never left her desk but today was even in the conference room stepped out to greet her. Thats when she realized this was something bigger!

"Jodene, what's wrong?" Mel asked when she saw how Jodene had been crying.
"The police" sob "are here. Avesh" sob, gasp "Avesh was found dead this morning." sob "he, he was stabbed" sob "on the beachfront" sob "last night" was all Jodene could get out before she had to run to the ladies room crying.
Mel just stood there stunned!