counter too.
She is a tough business woman, but she is also a nurturing leader. "Renee,
I am so sorry about everything, but my purpose for helping you with your im age was to instill confidence...and yes, to assist with
winning clients over. I had no idea that you would have had such an impression
on Colin Winston. Perhaps he sees what I have always seen in you. You are a
remarkable woman. You're just the only one wh o
doesn't know it." Melaine informs Renee, and without an invitation, walks
over to Renee's coffee pot, sitting near her stove, and brews a fresh pot of
coffee.
"So this is where you dream up all your fabulous ideas
huh?" Melanie investigates each room a s she
waits for the coffee to be ready. Standing over Renee's entertainment center,
across from her couch she notices her trade magazines. Melanie picks them up,
one by one and rifles through them. She then looks up at the flat screen
hanging above her hea d. "Smart TV I'm
guessing?" She says, pivoting her neck, and shoulder to look back at Renee
who hasn't moved from the kitchen, and still wears a frown on her face.
"Very nice...but we will have to get at least a 52" in here. This
is...what 32"? No, no it w ouldn't do for you any
longer." Melanie tells Renee, who just shakes her head.
Melaine continues down the short hallway leading to the
bathroom, and bedroom. Renee begins to follow her. Where does she think she's going? Renee begins to wonder. Melaine pee ks into the open bathroom, on the left, mumbles
incoherently, and continues further toward the bedroom straight ahead.
"What are you doing?" Renee finally asks.
"Is this your bedroom?" Melaine answered with a
question.
"Yes...um, it is, and there is noth ing to see." Renee tells her.
A curious Melaine takes one more step to reach the door
handle, and begins to open the door. "There is nothing to see in
there!" Renee screams. A startled Melaine quickly releases the door knob,
jumps back, and turns around to face a frantic Renee.
"You can't go in there." Renee tells her shaking. "It's not
ready for anyone, not even me."
Melaine has so many questions but she just walks over to
Renee, places her right hand on Renee's right shoulder, and turns her around.
"Let' s go get that coffee."
Melaine fixes a cup of coffee for Renee, and herself. Then
she rummages through Renee's kitchen cupboards, and fridge to produce a decent
breakfast. The mentor, and mentee sip coffee, nibble on a hodgepodge breakfast
and chat contin uously for about three hours or so.
CHAPTER 2
Renee is glad that she embraced the opportunity to open up
to Melaine on Saturday morning. She felt more
understood, and learned more about how her immediate boss thinks, and what she
knows about the young Mr. Winston - Still, Melaine failed to mention that she
and the young tycoon are related.
Early Sunday morning, severa l
bouquets of flowers, and boxes with gifts begin to arrive via private delivery.
Each card read; "I am sorry. Don't hold it against me, and don't leave,
Colin Winston." Renee holds her head with both hands, on each side near
her ears, She gazes at the bun ches of flora, and
varied sized gift boxes cluttering her entry way. She is initially unable to
move or think. "What have I gotten myself into?" Are the only words
that she is able to utter.
She concluded her conversation with Melaine the day before,
agre eing to deeply contemplate remaining at BYWINSTON
past two weeks. However the items in her home causes Renee to want to run...run
far away, and fast. "No, no, no." Renee says pacing the area between
her entry way, and her couch. "I thought I could just ret urn to work quietly, and he would be gone." Renee says
out loud, trying to rework in her mind, what she thought she'd already figured
out. She eventually sits on her couch, and extends her hand to the end table.
She retrieves her cell phone, and begins to dial
Melaine. In light of the recent situation, Melaine made herself accessible to
Renee
Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Martin A. Lee, Bruce Shlain