December 23, 1959 - 13 East 81st Street, New York City

December 23, 1959 - 13 East 81st Street, New York City
© M.R.H. Guerriere 12/2005 aka Absinthe Angel 777 - disclaimer below

"Janice honey!" Melinda Pappas piped the cheery announcement which rang through the large, festively decorated apartment. "There’s somebody here to see you!". She gracefully walked past the inner doorways each festooned in holly garland. Drawing her thumbs underneath her silky black hair she readjusted the tortoise shell clip which held it back and smoothed out the bunching of her crimson cashmere sweater.

Not hearing a response, she leaned her long, sensuous frame around the hallway door and called sweetly towards a small, smoky, half-lit room. "Jan?"

Wearing nothing but a rumpled, oversized men’s light blue pajama top, government issue olive drab boxer shorts and biting a short cherrito, Janice Covington stormed past Melinda making a bee-line towards the entrance. She grumbled through a tousled mop of blonde hair as she eyed the slim male figure begging passage and slammed the door in his face.

"Hi Jan! Merry Christmas!" greeted the muffled, stranded voice from outside the hallway.

"Janice! You didn’t!" Melinda admonished the shorter, headstrong woman who made a return trip to her inner sanctum . Melinda stopped taking dishes down from the cupboard and ran to open the door.

"Henry! Merry Christmas! Please do come in!" Melinda kissed the cheek of the tall, gangly teenager who patiently waited in the hall, almost knocking off his horn-rimmed glasses. "It’s so good to see you!"

"Hey Melinda! Merry Merry Christmas!" The boy scratched the side of his Vitalised head and blushed at the slight attentions from the tall, gorgeous brunette. He hurried to pick up his two battered tan suitcases and large leather briefcase. "Thanks! Boy, the place looks swell, Melinda!"

Melinda waved her long fingers in dismissal. "Oh, you know how I love to decorate. Here, let me take your coat! Isn’t the snow so pretty on Fifth Avenue?" She took the boy’s thick herringbone coat and hung on a heavy, wooden hanger. As she twisted the glass knob and shut the door to the outer stairwell, she asked, "Did you have something to eat or come here straight from the train station?"

"I came here right away. My train got in at 5:35."

"Well, you’re just in time for supper. You make yourself comfortable. Excuse me just a moment, darlin’. I’ll be right back."

The boy smiled and nodded, sat in a comfortable chair and looked out the large window at the falling snow.

Melinda went through the kitchen following the strains of John Coltrane to a small, dark room packed wall to wall with books. She closed the door behind her, walked over to the radio and turned off the music. "Janice Covington, you are the rudest thing on earth. That is your baby brother out there who came all the way from Pennsylvania and the very least you could do is wish him a Merry Christmas!"

"Half brother." The stubborn, muscular blonde grunted and took a drink of Old Rip Van Winkle bourbon never looking up from what she was reading. "And I never asked for him or any of the other bastards my father left."

"Hmpf!" Melinda pursed her lips, put her hands on her hips and thought a moment.

Melinda turned in place slowly as if to leave then came back at Janice. Manicured fingers took the rocks glass out of Janice’s hand before the drink once again reached her lips and set it firmly down on the mahogany coffee table. Melinda draped herself on the arm of the heavy, leather upholstered chair and into the other woman’s lap. Red nails slowly passed through Janice’s hair and crimson lips overtook hers in a slow, seductive embrace. "You never asked for me either. But aren’t you glad you found me?"

Janice took in the deep, heady scent of Melinda’s sultry perfume and attempted to steel herself. "Play nice, Mel."

"I never play nice." Removing black cats eye glasses Melinda opened her bright, blue eyes wide and begged, "For me? Let him stay for me and I promise that Santa’s prettiest helper will come to you dressed in red satin lingerie."

Janice grew quiet, licked her lips and thought a moment. "Will she play games with silk scarves and candy canes?"

"She will!" Melinda dug her nails into Janice’s chest. "I guarantee she loves to play games like that!".

"Deal. But he stays out of my way."

"Agreed." Melinda kissed Janice on the cheek and sauntered to the door slowly, looking back with a victorious smile. "Janice, put on some real clothes."

"Why?"

"So I can take them off later, silly. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes."

Victorious once again, Melinda checked her appearance quickly in the full length bathroom mirror and made her way back towards her cooking.

"Henry, how’s your mother?", Melinda checked on the roast in the oven and called out to the boy in the living room. "She does know you’re here, doesn’t she?"

Henry leaned against the wall in a crisp, white, button-down, short-sleeve shirt. "I told" the young man’s voice changed pitch three times within the two words he spoke. He cleared his throat again and braced himself in the kitchen doorway. "I told her I was coming here. She was busy with her new boyfriend. I’m not sure if she really paid much attention."

Melinda cocked her red holiday oven mitt to her hip. "Got another beau, has she?"

Henry scratched his head again. "I told her you were going to show me around Columbia University. Columbia!" I can’t believe it! Melinda! Oh wait!"

He raced into the other room and came back with his briefcase, dumping the contents of a cloth bag onto the kitchen table. "I’ve got something really neat to show you!".

"Well, you aren’t accepted yet. But with your grades, we can sure try." The roast sizzled as it came out of the oven. "Now isn’t that a tasty little dish? Mmmm……"

Janice entered the kitchen in loose dungarees and a white men’s button down shirt with rolled up sleeves. She took a fag from a pack of Old Gold cigarettes lying on the table, flicked open a battered engraved Zippo, lit the end and drew on the tobacco deeply . "Hey, don’t flirt with me in front of the kid."

Smoke curled from her mouth as frantic eyes searched the table for a coffee cup. " Mel, you wanna stop standing around and make me some joe?"

Transfixed on a multitude of old coins he was pouring from a sack, Henry ignored the banter and carefully laid out the metal rounds in neat rows on the kitchen table.

"Well, if that isn’t the snazziest coin collection in the world!" Melinda exclaimed as she measured out the ground coffee and put it in the steel percolator.

"Yeah!" Henry proudly surveyed his cache of primitive money. "I sold my stamp collection and started with coins!"

Janice furrowed her brows and made a delicate reach for the dullest slug in the lot.

"I have some coins from ancient Greece I can give you." Melinda offered "Janice and I dug them up when we were in Macedonia. But they’re so common. I don’t think they’re worth anything. Right Jan?"

Janice ignored the question and turned the coin in her fingers around slowly. "What college does he want to go to?"

"Columbia!" Henry offered. "Gee, I’d really appreciate those coins from ancient Macedonia! That would be so boss!"

"And how much does it cost?" Janice continued.

"Remember the museum staff dinner I went to a few weeks ago? I was introduced to a charming handsome professor from Sarah Lawrence University, who happened to be a Columbia alumnus. He was so nice. Not at all like the average Northern academics I’ve encountered." Melinda popped open the small white oven door a few inches to check the progress of her roast, "He offered to give me a lovely letter of introduction for Henry! Knew everything imaginable about American Indians! So tall, what a smile! If only…"

"Yeah, if only." Janice rolled her eyes masking jealousy. "Melinda, I asked you a question. How much does it cost?"

"I’m sorry, dumpling, was I ramblin’ on?" Melinda pouted with innocent batted eyes.

"You were." Janice warned with stern sarcasm. "Are you gonna tell me now?"

"4 years at Columbia?" Setting the roast lamb into the middle of the table alongside large dishes of mashed potatoes and green beans, Melinda sighed. "Realistically? A small fortune. But with his grades and the letter of introduction, I was hoping to get him in."

"He’s going." Janice snapped the coin face up in the middle of the table like a Las Vegas royal flush.

"What?" Henry gasped.

"You’re going." Janice looked at her brother expressionless and then to Melinda. She cut her meat. "I don’t know where the fuck…"

Melinda picked up the gravy boat, sighed and shook her head at the cuss words.

Janice smiled knowing she was annoying Melinda. "Or how the fuck you got this coin but it will pay for 4 years easy."

"I" Henry started to explain but Janice put her hand up in front of his face.

"Welcome to the Covington clan, Hank. We don’t reveal our sources. We’ll sell it in the morning. Now eat your dinner."

"Whoooo hooooooooo!" Henry cheered and ran out into the living room jumping and screaming. "I’m going to Columbia! This is crazy man! I’ll be in Fat City! Whoooooooooooooo wheeeeeee! "

Melinda smiled and from under the table secretly ran a toe from Janice’s ankle up to her knee and teased her inner thigh.

"Can I have some milk, Melinda, dearest pal?" Janice’s eyes popped out of head with sexual frustration as she jiggled her glass.

"You’ll get more than that." Melinda poured the milk into the glass, never unlocking eyes with Janice. "You old softie. Merry Christmas."

Janice squinted at the compliment, "Shut up."

"Make me." Melinda’s eyes smoldered a challenge.

"I might."

Melinda kept the eye contact for a few enflamed seconds and changed the subject. "Thank you. For your brother I mean."

"Kid’s a fucking genius and he’s slick. I didn’t do anything."

Henry stood at the doorway, panting and breathless from screaming.

"Calm down Hank. We didn’t sell it yet." Janice reminded the excitable boy.

"Come and eat, Henry" Melinda pointed to the chair "A college freshman needs his strength."

"But you will, Jan, right?" Henry pleaded.

"You will sell the coin like you promised, won’t you Janice?" Melinda placed her hand on Janice’s, squeezed it tight and stared across the table.

"I’ll find a buyer. I always do. I’m a Covington."

Janice stared at the dirty coin again and chuckled with thoughts of the neat little profit she was about to make. "Merry Christmas, indeed."


To be continued…..

Copyright and Disclaimer Information
© M. R.H. Guerriere 12/2005 aka Absinthe Angel 777

Legal disclaimer: Mel & Janice are the property of Ren Pics and MCA/Universal - who knows?. The other character is mine.This is amateur fan fiction only. This story may not be reproduced without my express written permission. Thank you, dear reader, in advance for taking the time to consider this piece. Happy Holidays! - MRHG