Thirty-four-year-old Melina Stavros finds out the hard way that sometimes life just isn't fair. First, she discovers that Randy Carolla, her husband of one year, has been cheating on her. Then, after nine years of employment at defense contractor Bay Industries, she's fired. Looking for a new start, she leaves California and moves to New Hampshire to be close to her family. She reconnects with an old flame and local surgeon, Dr. Chris Pappas, and finds a job with Max Waters Investigations, a private investigation firm headed by the strikingly beautiful man, Max Waters. Her first assignment places her in a precarious situation as she works undercover in her old company's headquarters. Mel's life heats up on two fronts. In her personal life, she's attracted to Chris but also realizes there's a physical chemistry between her and her new boss. Then her investigation becomes dangerous, leading to murder and kidnapping. She had no idea starting over would involve so much risk.

STARTING OVER

By CHRYSANTHY STAMAS

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2011 Chrysanthy Stamas
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4620-0295-5

Chapter One

Did you ever wake up knowing that your whole day was going to be a bad hair type of day? I did today, and the day has not disappointed.

My name is Melina Stavros, Mel for short and when I moved back to New Hampshire to be closer to family I must have been crazy. My mother calls me in the early hours of the morning asking me if she woke me, which of course she did. I think she's doing it on purpose but for the life of me I can't figure out why. Then my 4 year old Labrador Tank, pukes on the carpet while I was in the shower and when I came out I step in it. Great! My next adventure is to find a job. This has been equally as thrilling but one must press on.

I have been combing the papers and not really finding anything that has any interest for me. Bay Industries, a top defense contracting company in the US laid me off a month ago. No real reason given. One day I have a job and the next day it's gone after nine years. I looked at it as a sign to complete the changes in my life that started six months before when I divorced my husband of a year. Randy Carolla is an egotistical ass that after a year of marriage felt I should understand that the sex he had with a women we worked with was just a momentary slip. He's a friggin' moron.

Anyway, job hunting hasn't been easy ... not much listed in the Telegraph today either, with the exception of an opening at a private investigators office. Didn't really have much in the way of a job description listed but figure I should check it out. Who knows, maybe I could become, 'Melina, private dick.' That's just scary!

Time is ticking and I really need to find something soon, I've used most of my severance to move back from California and set myself up in an apartment. I still have money from the divorce but it is tied up in 401K and stocks. I'd have to call my financial guy and I never like talking to him. Basically in his eyes, the world as we know it is ending and the sky is falling. I think he's depressed. I should be looking for someone else but most of the financial planners I've met aren't much better. Sometimes status quo is the way to go.

When I first got home, I planned on staying with my parents for a short time until I got a job and found a place. Living with them for a week was a week too long. Love them but don't want to go back to my teen years.

At 10:00 I called the number in the ad and got an interview set up for 1:00. I look over my resume and references which are impressive if I do say so myself. At Bay Industries, I worked my way up from the bottom rung, ending my career there as a Strategic Relationship Director working on new commercial initiatives that would use some technology from the defense side of the house. Very challenging work and I was good at it.

Needing to print out a new copy of my resume and references to take to the interview, I turned on my computer and the blue screen of death flashed on the screen and started some kind of countdown. The ESC key didn't seem to stop anything and so I unplugged it and held down the off key. Nothing! Noticing a small amount of smoke and heat coming from the laptop, I realized that any moment the computer could burst into flames. Grabbing it, I opened the back door and rushed it into the yard with Tank close on my heels, putting it on the metal patio table. Like I said, bad hair day!

Dressed in a white v-necked knit top with a black pencil skirt and black stiletto heels, I arrived at Max Waters Investigations. The office was in the northern part of Nashua off Route 3, exit 8, in a glass building at Trafalgar Square. Using the rear view mirror I checked my hair and makeup. My shoulder length, straight brown hair looked like an out of control horse's tail. The mascara, blush and lip gloss seemed to be in the right place. Ok, not much to be done, time to move on.

I entered the building and checked the directory and found the office was on the seventh floor. I hit the button for the elevator and it opened almost immediately. Three men exited and gave me the once over. Well, guess my hair doesn't look that bad. I'm 34 years old, 5'8 in stocking feet with a muscular build from when I played sports. The term 'hourglass figure' was made to describe me. The top part of the hourglass comes mostly from my shoulder width as the girls are just average, at least that's my thought on them.

When I walked out of the elevators there was a reception desk with Max Waters Investigations spelled out on the wall behind in a brushed nickel finish that matched the sleek modern decor. A middle aged women, sat behind the glass and black desk with a pleasant smile as a greeting. The name plate read Mrs. Virginia Keily. She was the person I spoke to earlier on the phone.

"Hi, my name is Melina Stavros. I have a one o'clock interview."

"Good afternoon Ms. Stavros. Did you bring your resume?" Mrs. Keily asked.

"Well, about my resume, I had a mishap with my laptop. It basically caught fire and I wasn't able to print out a copy." Why not just say, 'The dog ate it.' "Is this going to be a problem? I can email one later." I explained. "I can give you the information on an application to get the ball rolling." I suggested with a hopeful expression.

Mrs. Keily sat back in her chair, looking at me with a smile on her face, "We should be able to work through this, not to worry. We can see about the formalities once you meet with Mr. Waters. Please have a seat and I will let him know you are here." With that Mrs. Keily knocked on one of the double door to the right of the office entrance and went in. She was gone for about 5 minutes and then reappeared taking her seat behind the desk with a glance at me and a smile. Mentally rolling my eyes I thought, 'Ok, they're not sending me home.'

I was engrossed in a magazine that had been sitting on the coffee table and was startled by a husky, quiet voice, "Ms. Stavros?" Standing before me was a strikingly handsome man.

Trying not to stare, I stood and extended my hand, "Yes ... I'm Melina Stavros."

"Max Waters," he said, "come in the office." He turned and led the way to the double doors. As we entered he said, "Please have a seat," directing me to the plush modern leather chairs in front of a chrome and glass top desk. Max Waters sat his 6'4 frame behind the desk in an equally plush leather executive chair. He was dressed casually in a black button down shirt, open at the collar and grey trousers. His hair was very dark but not black with slight touches of grey at the temples. The soft straight length brushed his shirt collar and layered back from his very handsome face. It was hard to decide his age, it could be anywhere from 35 to 45.

For several moments he just quietly looked at me. Feeling somewhat uncomfortable I decided to jump right in. "Mr. Waters, I want to start by apologizing for not having my resume with me. My laptop......" He raised his hand to stop me.

"Ms. Stavros, let's just talk and see where we go from here. We can worry about the small stuff later." So a resume was small stuff! Note to self!

The interview took about an hour from the time I arrived. When walking to my car I knew I had blown it. The funny thing is, I wasn't sure what type of job I had just interviewed for and if truth be told, not sure what the conversation was about, totally. But the man is drop dead gorgeous and those blue eyes! I figure it was worth the time spent just to...