Avery meets up with Melanie

The young reporter made it to the designated spot without any trouble. The sun had set and people were busy with their own thing to notice anything strange about her outfit. She knocked on the door and checked if it was locked. It was open, so she let herself in.

“Hello?” she called out, hoping not to startle anyone in the middle of something discrete. “Melanie? I got your message to show up here…”

The room was much like the office space that she had first met the tall blonde, only larger. Filing cabinets and shelves were lined up against the walls. There was a large meeting table in the center. This was where Melanie was seated, texting on her phone. She looked up and nodded, “Step right up!”

“Is this where the magic happens?” Avery asked.

Melanie looked around and smirked. “No, this is the prep room. Don’t worry, you’re not going to have to get it on in some utility room. This is supposed to be an experience for client as well as the performer.”

“So that’s what the job is? Performing?” Avery smiled.

“For lack of a better term,” Melanie shrugged. “I’m no english major. Anyways, the gathering is happening in a half an hour, so you’re going to need to get ready!”

Avery’s eyes widened. “Half an hour?! Why did you wait so long before texting me? Wait… am I a last minute replacement? You must really need someone then, don’t you?”

Melanie rolled her eyes and admitted, “Alright, I was hoping to keep you off my back with the promise of letting you in one day, but then things got a little sideways with one of the girls, so I’m in a pinch.”

Avery grinned, feeling a sense of victory in deducing the situation. “Well, you have me now, so long as I get to write my story!”

Melanie suppressed a smirk and shrugged her shoulders, shaking her head, “If that’s what it takes, then by all means, write your story. I wasn’t going to stop you.”

“Good, because that’s what I’m going to do!”

“Sure,” Melanie nodded along. “Just don’t freak out and bail on me, OK?”

“I’m not going to bail,” Avery said, dismissively.

“That’s what the last girl said.”

“If I bail, I will kill the story, how’s that for reassurance?” Avery offered.

Melanie stood and thought over the options, then slowly nodded. “Yeah. OK, let’s make it a deal. You stay through the whole event and then you get to write the story about it.”

“It’s a deal!” the redhead said with an affirmative nod. “Now what sort of event are we talking about here?”