Melanie Chambers was not having a good day. When she got to work, she found out that the restaurant had hired two new girls. Ordinarily, that would have been good news except that Melanie was counting on some overtime money to help her make her bills. 

And as if that wasn't bad enough, Melanie as one of the senior waitresses there at Martha's Restaurant was going to be the one to get these new girls trained and brought up to speed on how they did things there.

Melanie hated training new girls. Most of the time it was a wasted effort; fully half the girls that started at Martha's lasted less than six months. 

It takes the average off the street girl about a month to get her bearings and become the least little bit efficient at waitressing. It takes a couple more before she gets good at it. 

But a lot of the girls never make it that far. Some get scared off by the amount of work that is required. Others get hit by one of the "rush hour" crowds and they panic and leave. 

It can get pretty busy at Martha's at times, especially around lunch hour when all the office workers are looking for something quick and filling.

Aside from having to train the new girls, which took her away from waitressing and the extra she made in tips, having two new girls meant that she wouldn't be able to pull the extra shifts she hoped for to catch up on some past due bills. 

Things had been slow at the restaurant over the past winter–it had been a hard one with cold weather and a lot of snow. Martha's hadn't done the business it usually did. And to add to it, the economy had taken a downturn so people didn't spend money eating out like they usually would.

Melanie's tips and her pay from waitressing barely made the bills in good times, but with the problems at the restaurant, she had fallen behind in her rent and her bills.

The final straw came about two months ago. She was at work when Diane, one of the other girls at Martha's and her roommate decided she'd had enough of the cold Boston winters and quit her job to go live with her sister in Los Angeles. 

This meant that instead of sharing the rent, utilities, and food costs, Melanie would have to shoulder the full burden–at least until she could find another girl to move in and take Diane's place.

Melanie sat at the dining room table with a pile of bills and far too many overdue notices. It was depressing her to see so many envelopes with OVERDUE in big red block lettering across the front. 

I had better figure something out quick, she thought. She could make do without cable TV and even a telephone. She had cut her groceries down to the bare minimum already and started shopping at some of the discount stores. 

She thought about getting help from the State, but she made too much money at the restaurant to qualify. She was stuck in that "no man's land" between making too much money for welfare and not enough to make it work on her own.

Finally, she just pushed the pile of bills to the far side of the table. She would deal with them some other time. She went into the living room and turned on the TV to enjoy it... while she still had it!

The next day when Melanie came home from another slow day at the restaurant, she found a small manila envelope hung with a string on the doorknob of her apartment door. "Aw shit!" she said aloud. 

Yes, Melanie knew the contents of this envelope and what it meant, even though the outside had no writing on it. She took it off the doorknob quickly, looking around and hoping she had caught it before any of the neighbors saw it. 

She grudgingly brought it inside and tossed it on the table with the other bills from the previous night. Sighing, she fixed herself something for dinner; tonight it would be a can of chili and a slice of bread from the day-old bread store. It was about all she could afford anymore.

As she ate, she stared at the envelope as if willing it to disappear, but of course, it didn't. Finally, she sighed and she opened it. And her assumptions were correct. It was a notice from the landlord. 

The letter said that according to his records, she was now almost three months late with the rent and if she didn't come down to his apartment and discuss the matter with him, he would have to begin proceedings to have her evicted. 

He would then lock her out of the apartment and sell her things to try to recoup the past rent monies. He gave her two weeks, till the end of the current month, to take care of this, or starting at the first of the month she would be homeless.

The following day was her day off so she decided she may as well get this over with. She went down to his apartment with the letter. Pausing at the door to adjust her clothes and calm herself, she took a deep breath and softly knocked on the door.

"Please don't let him be home! Please don't let him be home!" she said silently to herself over and over. But no luck, a few moments later, she heard the deadbolt latch move and the doorknob turn. The door opened and there he stood–the man that held her fate in his hands!

"Hello, Mr. Thomas, Melanie Chambers, from apartment 4C. I'm here to talk to you about this," she said, holding out the envelope he left on her door.

"Oh yes. Thank you for coming by. Won't you come in and we can discuss the matter," he said. He stepped back and held the door for her. Melanie came in and he walked with her to a small office off the living room. 

"Please Ms. Chambers, won't you have a seat," he said. He took his seat behind the desk and looked up her rental records.

"Yes, it says here you work at Martha's Restaurant as a waitress. Is that still correct?" he started.

"Yes, Sir."

"And you have been living here at Meadow Lands apartments for six years now, is that also correct?" he asked.

"It will be seven years in a couple of months–this coming June actually," she said.

"Well, we do appreciate your loyalty, Ms. Chambers. Finding good tenants that stay with us for several years is hard to do sometimes, so we appreciate the ones we do find," he said.

"And I like living here too. Meadow Lands is a nice place to live and it's very convenient for my work. And when I do have a problem or need a repair, you have been very accommodating and prompt. I hope to stay here for a long time," Melanie said.

"Yes, let's talk about the future, shall we? Now if memory serves me you had a roommate until just recently right?" he asked.

"That's right, Diane Harper. She quit the restaurant though and moved to Los Angeles to live with her sister," Melanie said.

"And you haven't found another roommate? Do you have any prospects?" he asked.

"I am looking, but at the moment I'm afraid not," she said, lowering her face and looking down at the floor in front of her.

"I see. Well, Ms. Chambers, you are almost three months behind in your rent. Do you have a way that you can take care of this and get caught up with your rent?" he asked.

"Mr. Thomas, work has been slow at the restaurant for a while now–this infernal cold weather and the rotten economy have kept a lot of the customers away. I try to get as many extra shifts as I can but they are few and far between. 

"And now I will be training two new girls which mean fewer extra shifts in the future. All my credit cards are maxed out just trying to survive and I still have trouble making the bills. 

"I'm sorry, Sir, but I don't know what else I can do. I don't know how to do anything but waitress work–I don't have a diploma, so I am really limited in the jobs I can apply for," she explained.

"I see. How about borrowing some money? Do you have family or friends that can help you out?" he asked.

"No, Sir. I'm afraid not," she said.

"Well Ms. Chambers, it would seem that we have a problem, then. You are three months behind in your rent as it is right now. At your current rent of three hundred twenty-five dollars a month, that puts you at nine hundred seventy-five dollars come the first of the month. 

"And if you check your rental agreement, when you fall three months behind there is a twenty-five dollar late penalty. So that means you will owe an even one thousand dollars come the first of next month," he said.

"Mr. Thomas, I can't even come up with a hundred dollars, much less a thousand! What am I going to do!" she said. She put her face in her hands and sobbed. Melanie was in real trouble.

Carl Thomas looked across his desk at the poor woman. He wasn't the heartless land-baron type, he genuinely felt sorry for Melanie. He remembered a time when he was also struggling, and it was the generosity of others that helped him make it through. 

But he was also a businessman and he just couldn't go on letting her live there without paying her rent. After all, he had bills to pay too. And if word got out around the building that he was soft on anyone with a sob story, no one would pay their rent on time and he would very quickly lose the building to the bank.

Still, she was a good tenant–she didn't cause problems for him, she was quiet and didn't have loud parties or anything. She kept her apartment clean and whenever there was something that needed fixing, she would let him know right away. 

She had also been a good tenant for several years. True, lately she had fallen behind in her rent, but before that she always had it on time and sometimes even ahead of time. Tenant's like her were hard to come by, and if he had to evict her, who knows what the next resident of apartment 4C might be like, or how hard it might be to find one!

"Listen, Ms. Chambers, you are a good tenant and I don't want to lose you. I certainly don't feel like being the evil, money-grubbing landlord that throws a woman out on the street. You have two weeks before the end of the month. 

"After that, I will have to put the eviction order in. You will then have thirty days to vacate the premises. That gives you a month and a half in which to come up with the money before you will have to leave. 

"If you can do that, I will rescind the eviction order with just a phone call. I'm terribly sorry, but that's the best I can think of to do for you," he said.

"Thank you, Mr. Thomas. I know you are trying your best to help me and I do appreciate it. I'm sorry to be such a bother. I will do what I can to get you your money, I promise," she said.

"Thank you, Ms. Chambers. Please keep in touch and let me know how it's going. I will check back with you in a couple of weeks to see how you are doing. As I said, I do want you to stay with us," he said, standing. He shook her hand and then she left his apartment and went up to her own.

The next two weeks went along like they always had. There was no real change in her work or in her financial situation. Because business was so slow at the restaurant, she couldn't get an advance on her pay–which really wouldn't have done anything anyway. 

And there was no one she could borrow the money from, either. The closer the deadline got the more worried and desperate she became.

On the first of the following month, Melanie was in her apartment doing housework. She had the radio playing as she had stopped her cable TV because she couldn't afford it anymore, and her radio was the only thing to keep her company. 

She was doing the dishes when she heard a knock on the door. She dried her hands on the dishtowel and went to see who was at the door.

Looking through the peephole, she saw it was Mr. Thomas the landlord. Her heart dropped a bit–she knew he was here for the rent and she didn't have it. He would not be pleased and would probably start the proceedings to have her evicted. 

But there was nothing she could do about it. She didn't have the money, the money was due, and so steps had to be taken. Melanie drew a deep breath and opened the door.

"Hello, Mr. Thomas, won't you come in?" she said, trying to be as cordial and hospitable as she could. 

There was no sense getting all nasty and foul with him–Mr. Thomas was only doing what needed to be done. This wasn't personal on his part. Melanie knew she was in the wrong, and Mr. Thomas had done all he could to help her out.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Thomas?" Melanie said, even though she knew why he was there.

"I am here to see if you have the rent, Ms. Chambers," he said.

"I am truly sorry, Mr. Thomas, but I simply do not have it for you. I have done everything I can think of. I've cut back on everything I can cut back on. I got rid of my cable TV so I didn't have an extra bill. 

"I don't eat out at all anymore. I haven't had a cup of coffee in I don't know how long. I have slashed my grocery bill down to the point of why bother going to the store. Mr. Thomas, I simply can't do anything more. 

"I'm sorry, but I guess you are going to have to start the eviction. I don't know where I will go, but I can't stay here," she said, her voice noticeably shaky and distressed.

"Well let's not get too hasty… let's discuss this a bit before we do anything drastic, shall we?" he said.

"Okay, I don't know what good it will do, but I am willing to discuss it with you," she said.

"Good. First, let me tell you that I applaud the lengths that you have gone to in order to try to save money and pay your bills. Most people wouldn't live like this just to give their money to someone else. 

"I have known a few spendthrifts and penny-pinchers in my time. They live simply and don't like to spend any money if they can figure a way not to. But they do that for their own benefit, not to give their money to others," he said.

"Thank you, but I'm not living like this because I want to. I want to pay my bills, it's just that things are so tight right now I can't without living like an animal!" Melanie said.

"I understand. Let me ask you this; do you think you could keep up with your utility payments if rent wasn't an issue? Could you handle your cable TV, telephone, food, and other expenses if your rent and electric were out of the way?" he asked.

"My cable TV, telephone, and food? Sure that would be easy, but how?" she asked.

"Ms. Chambers, I have been giving your situation a lot of thought. As I have told you, I really don't want you to leave. An eviction costs me money, it doesn't get me what is owed to me, and it makes for bad publicity–especially throwing a woman alone out into the streets.

"Once you left, I would have the costs associated with cleaning the apartment and getting it ready to rent out again. I'd have to wait to get someone in here, and after all of that, I don't know who the next tenant will be and if there will be any better. 

"And I have to tell you, Ms. Chambers, that aside from this little rough patch, the next tenant would have to be something pretty special to be a better tenant than you," he said.

"Thank you. Yes, I guess it would be a hassle to go through all that. I'm sorry that I am causing such trouble for you, Mr. Thomas. I don't mean to be a problem," she said, looking at the floor as she spoke.

"I know you don't Ms. Chambers and I think I may have a way to avoid all that fuss and bother and help you at the same time," he said.

"How is that?" she asked.

"Before I answer that, let me tell you a little about my life–you have confided quite a bit about your own. Like you, I basically live for my job. This place is more than a full-time job. 

"When I am not collecting rent, I am fixing something for one of the tenants. Or cleaning an apartment to show it to a prospective tenant. Or taking care of the maintenance of the building or grounds or doing paperwork or a hundred other things. 

"All this means that I don't get much time for myself. And I don't get much of a chance to socialize. In fact about the only people I talk to during the day are you tenants, and then it's only a short hello unless I have something to talk to them about. 

"And let's face it, the landlord usually doesn't stop by on a social call! When I knock on your door, it's rarely good news!

"It's been like that since I got this building. I haven't been on a date in over ten years. I can't remember the last time I had company in my apartment for a social reason. I don't know anyone I don't do business with. And if I can be somewhat presumptuous, I can't remember the last time I felt the softness of a woman's touch or the feel of her next to me," he said.

Melanie shifted a bit in her seat… she wasn't sure where this conversation was headed and wasn't sure she liked the general direction it was taking at the moment, either.

"What do you mean, Mr. Thomas? What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Ms. Chambers, you and I are adults here. You are a very attractive woman–I noticed that fact when you first put in your application for Meadow Lands. I think you and I can help each other out if you are willing," he said.

The meaning of his words was becoming more clear to Melanie. As she sat there processing what he was trying so tactfully to tell her, her eyes suddenly got very large and her mouth dropped open.

"MR. THOMAS!!" she said, appalled at the thought he was suggesting.

"Now, now, Ms. Chambers, I am merely suggesting that we could work together for our mutual benefit. You need a place to live. You like it here at Meadow Lands; it is safe, comfortable, and familiar. 

"All your things fit in this apartment, and with a little help, you could live quite comfortably here. But, there is a problem with the financial standpoint. Let's face it, Melanie–may I call you Melanie?" he asked.

"Uh… I suppose," she said, allowing him to continue. She wanted to hear just what he was proposing.

"Thank you. As I was saying, Melanie, this is not the way you want to live, I am certain. No television, eating barely enough to sustain you, and still worrying every day about money. Getting up every morning and wondering how you are going to make it through the day. Not much of a life, is it my dear?" he asked.

"No," she said, hanging her head. She had to admit he had a point; she wasn't happy at all living like this. All the things he said were true. Her apartment was cold, quiet, and lonely.

"I understand, Melanie, believe me. But I think I have a solution. Here is what I am suggesting; I will waive your rent, including the amount you already owe and take care of the electricity bill as well if you give me one weekend a month and pay the rest of your expenses, like cable TV, telephone, and food. That would mean you would live here and not have to worry about rent, electricity, water, or heat," he said.

"What do you mean 'give you one weekend a month', Mr. Thomas?" she asked.

He placed his hand on her thigh and softly stroked it. Melanie felt the warmth of his touch and it wasn't altogether unpleasant. She was too dumbstruck by the landlord's lecherous suggestion to think about pulling away or moving his hand.

"B-but that would make me… a whore!" she cried. She covered her mouth with both hands in shock.

"Not at all, Melanie. A whore makes her living by selling her body. You aren't selling anything and you aren't making a living at it. You are simply working for me in return for help with the rent. 

"Actually, I do the same thing; being the landlord of these apartments, I have taken the basement apartment as my own and I have free rent and utilities living here. 

"So you see, I work here in return for free rent and utilities too. Only my job is a full-time job–you would still be working for the restaurant or whatever, I would only need you one weekend a month," he explained.

"I-I don't know, Mr. Thomas…"

"Listen I'll tell you what. Because it is the first of the month, I have to put in an eviction order. But you think about this for a few days and let me know when you have come to a decision. If you choose to work with me on this, I will stop the order. And if you can't… well, I hope you do, Melanie. I hope you stay," he said. And he got up and saw himself out of her apartment.

Melanie sat there at the table, her head reeling from what just happened. Her landlord had suggested she trade sex for free rent and electricity. 

Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't dream of such a thing and she would have slapped him for even suggesting it. But these weren't exactly "normal circumstances". Melanie was facing homelessness unless she did something. 

She couldn't pay what she owed this month, much less the two months previous that she still owed. And she had no place else that she could go. She couldn't apply for State Aid because of her job at the restaurant. She was in a real dilemma. She had two disagreeable alternatives to choose from, and she would have to make her choice quickly.

Thoughts about what she was going to do occupied her almost to the point of distraction for the next few days. She mulled over both scenarios, trying to decide the course of action that would be best for her. 

She didn't relish the idea of becoming a rent-whore, but the idea of sleeping on a park bench wasn't very appetizing either. Staying in her apartment meant she would have to have sex with Mr. Thomas and be subject to his wishes and desires–and who knows how twisted and depraved they might be!

On the other hand, it certainly wouldn't be safe for her, a woman alone, to be on the streets. Any guy could attack her and she would be virtually helpless to stop it. She knew that women get assaulted and attacked all the time in the city and it would only be a matter of time before she would be too. Not a pleasant prospect for anyone!

The next few days went by in a blur for Melanie. Before she even realized it, a week had gone by and she was no closer to a decision than the day he brought the subject up. 

She knew she had to make her choice soon–time was quickly running out on her. If she decided to go ahead with his idea and service him one weekend a month, she would have to let him know soon so he could stop the eviction order. 

Otherwise, there would be police officers at her door and she would find herself out on the street.

Melanie looked into her options and nothing looked very good. The local woman's shelter only took women who had been abused–and it was full to capacity. So too, were the homeless shelters. 

The Red Cross and other agencies couldn't help because they were designed for emergency purposes and failure to pay your rent was not an "emergency"!

At last, Melanie had all the information she needed to make her decision. She could either become homeless, which meant a very hard life of cold, hunger, and harassment. Or she could become what she termed a rent-whore and give Mr. Thomas what he wanted.

The day came to give him her decision. She went downstairs to his apartment and summoning up her courage, she knocked on the door. "Hello, Mr. Thomas, can we talk?" she said softly when he opened the door.

"Of course, Ms. Chambers, please come in," he said. He ushered her inside and took her to the sofa. "Please have a seat. Can I get you a cup of coffee or something?"

"A cup of coffee would be nice, thank you," she said. He went and poured them both a cup of coffee and brought them on a tray with cream and sugar.

"I don't know how you take your coffee but here are all the fixin's," he said. After they both made their coffee Melanie took a sip.

"Mmm… damn, I have missed my coffee!" she said, holding her cup with both hands like it was gold.

She savored her coffee for a bit, enjoying her old friend while trying to work up the courage to give Mr. Thomas her decision. Finally, she decided to just come out with it…