Melody took a deep breath and pushed the elevator button. Her heart raced as the elevator rose to the tenth floor. She’d made sure to take a picture of the hotel and post it on her Facebook page with no comment, she wanted to let people know where she was without telling them, just in case anything went wrong.
She was fairly new to Craigslist. She’d looked for jobs there before, but she’d never looked at the personal ads. It had been almost a year since her horrific break up with Sam and she still could not stomach the idea of having an actual boyfriend again. For several weeks all she could think about was sex or her lack of it. She spent her evening reading Erica Jong and Anais Nin and trolling the internet for subtle but thought provoking videos. She’d started reading Craigslist casual encounters the week before. At first she’d just looked at them never intending to do anything. At night he would fantasize about doing everything in the ads. She imagined the men as being ruggedly handsome, not wanting to think about what the men looked like in real life. She realized that it was just a fantasy and she was sure a murder, rape or mugging awaited anyone who would answer such a thing.
Then on Saturday she saw an ad that she couldn’t get out of her head. “Let’s just make out I’m in town for a week, come to my hotel room! I’m staying at the Plaza.”
Something about the ad sounded safe and sincere. They had exchange e mails. He had sent her a picture of himself, but it was very shadowy and distant and in it he was wearing a “No Fear” T-shirt. She’d asked how recent it was and he admitted it was ten years old. He told her he was forty and she’d confessed to being thirty five. They arranged to meet the next afternoon at one. She’d told him she was too paranoid but described herself, a petite brunette, considered fairly attractive.
She got off the elevator and walked towards his door. She stood there for a full five minutes before getting up the courage to knock on the door.
“Come in, “a voice said.
She walked into the room leaving the door wide open as she went. There, in bed, wearing a vintage Spud’s Mackenzie tee shirt and acid washed jeans was Ryan Bisc a partner in the law firm where she worked.
For a moment they did not speak. He looked as though he was trying to place her.
“Do you work for me?”
“Yes,” she said. “I’m Melody, I work in research”
“So you saw my picture and you decided to come and maybe work some kind of deal or something?”
“No, the picture wasn’t very clear and it was old. I work in a different part of the building and I only see you like one a month. I thought you said you were from out of town?”
“I guess I just…I’m sorry. Could you close the door.”
Melody closed the door and sat down.
“Are you married,” she asked.
“Why do you ask?”
“Because, I don’t know I just thought that…”
“Are you married,” he asked.
No, I’m not even…no.
“Well, I should go..”
She got up to leave and he walked her to the door. On impulse, she grab him and kissed him. He resisted and first and then pulled her towards the bed. Suddenly his cell phone went off.
He jumped up and answered it.
“Uh, huh…..Okay…okay. Did we ever get the witness statement? Well, it’s a lot different if she actually broke something. Before we were told she just had a black eye….uh huh….uh huh.”
Melody sat up. She tried to signal to him she realized they were talking about the Robinson file which was sitting open on her desk. She tapped Ryan.”
“Ryan, I…” she began she slapped a hand across her mouth.
“Well get it to me as soon as research finishes it.”
He hung up the phone.
“Were you working on that file.”
“Yes, I have the witness statement on my desk.”
“Oh well the defendants attorney needs to see what we have,” he said.
“Um, I said I would be back from my dentist appointment at 3:00.”
“Oh, yeah I guess it would look kind of suspicious if you went back now.”
They sat there in silence for a moment.
‘Dentist” he said with a chuckle, “did you ever see the movie M.A.S.H?”
“I didn’t.”
Oh, Well you should.”
She looked at him confused.
“Wanna watch a movie,” he asked her.
They sat on the bed and watched Rain Man until it was time for Melody to go to work.
When she got home she went on Craigslist again, this time looking in the legal assistance section.
elizashead 