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 -
absintheangel777@yahoo.com. Thank you, dear reader, in advance for
taking the time to consider this piece. Happy Holidays!- Angel
December 23, 1959 - 13 East 81st Street, New York City
"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."