See You in Hell (Mel Goes to Hell Series Book 2) by Demelza Carlton Page A
Authors: Demelza Carlton
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work out what motivated this sudden change. First the coffee, now this…what did he want?
He handed her a black cotton handkerchief. "That's the second time this week you've saved me from embarrassment in this room. Thank you, angel."
Mel cleared her throat. "Mel. My name is Mel."
"I know your name. Now, so do all of the media."
Mel smiled wanly, passing his damp handkerchief back. "Great. Please forgive me if I don't thank you for that."
Luce frowned. "But the situation is contained, isn't it? And you are the one who was sent with the good news?"
Mel nodded. "Yes, but…"
"That makes you the heroine who single-handedly saved us all from an alien invasion, as well as me from some hard-to-answer questions. It seems I'm in your debt, Mel . All of us are." He met her eyes. "I hope you intend to stay with the corporation for a while. We could use more staff like you."
"I did nothing but take the minutes in the meeting, and it turned out that the emergency was a false alarm," Mel said steadily. "Anyone could have done what I did."
Luce shrugged. It looked like he was trying to hide a smile. "So what would you have done if I'd given you a choice? Announced that I was an idiot, or agreed to be the heroine of the HELL Corporation? You had the chance to tell them yourself."
Tell all those reporters, with their cameras, that Luce was an idiot? Mel felt her will drain from her at even the thought of the audience. No, she couldn't have said it – even if it had been true, which it wasn't. And now Luce knew her weakness – her fear of public speaking. She bet he found it funny as Hell.
"Are you feeling okay?" He looked uncertain. "Do you need a hand getting up, or…"
Mel waved him away and rose. "I'll be fine." She trudged up the steps, putting as much distance as she could between herself and the strange demon.
"Remember, I owe you!" he called after her.
And one day, she'd collect, she resolved, but not today.
Mel sipped her morning macchiato as she checked her emails, wishing she was reading that book she'd found over breakfast, the one about reincarnation. The veiled woman on the cover had looked so mysterious…
"Mel, we're getting lots of calls at Reception on the new legislation. We need you to help field enquiries," Lili said without warning.
Mel looked up, stunned. "What about the alien invasion? Aren't I supposed to stay away from the public after I cried in the press conference?"
Lili shrugged. "Luce took care of that. He put out a media release that the invasion had been contained and we'd remain vigilant. No mention of what species they were. He just called you a 'dedicated member of staff' who had 'worked tirelessly to manage the incursion.' He thinks the photos of you in the paper in tears were brilliant. He specifically requested you to help with enquiries."
Mel sighed. At least on Reception she could take her phone with her and read that story between calls. She slipped the smartphone into her pocket, gulped down the last of her coffee and straightened her shirt. "Sure. What questions will I have to answer?"
Lili handed over a booklet. "The new legislation that came into effect on the first. People have lots of questions and they're all answered in this."
Mel took the booklet and smiled as she headed out to Reception, feeling the heavy bump of the phone in her pants pocket with each step.
She sat next to another girl, who was dressed in a fresh white shirt instead of the HELL Corporation uniform. The girl clunked her phone down before burying her face in her hands.
Mel introduced herself. "Here to help," she added.
"No, I'm here to help," the girl said, a slightly hysterical edge to her voice. "I'm Gabrielle, from Helpful Angels, temporarily here to take phone enquiries. What have I been volunteered for? This is really hard." She turned to face Mel and her eyes widened with recognition. "What are you doing here? Raphael said you were in India or something…"
Mel smiled. "Nope, I'm back and it
He handed her a black cotton handkerchief. "That's the second time this week you've saved me from embarrassment in this room. Thank you, angel."
Mel cleared her throat. "Mel. My name is Mel."
"I know your name. Now, so do all of the media."
Mel smiled wanly, passing his damp handkerchief back. "Great. Please forgive me if I don't thank you for that."
Luce frowned. "But the situation is contained, isn't it? And you are the one who was sent with the good news?"
Mel nodded. "Yes, but…"
"That makes you the heroine who single-handedly saved us all from an alien invasion, as well as me from some hard-to-answer questions. It seems I'm in your debt, Mel . All of us are." He met her eyes. "I hope you intend to stay with the corporation for a while. We could use more staff like you."
"I did nothing but take the minutes in the meeting, and it turned out that the emergency was a false alarm," Mel said steadily. "Anyone could have done what I did."
Luce shrugged. It looked like he was trying to hide a smile. "So what would you have done if I'd given you a choice? Announced that I was an idiot, or agreed to be the heroine of the HELL Corporation? You had the chance to tell them yourself."
Tell all those reporters, with their cameras, that Luce was an idiot? Mel felt her will drain from her at even the thought of the audience. No, she couldn't have said it – even if it had been true, which it wasn't. And now Luce knew her weakness – her fear of public speaking. She bet he found it funny as Hell.
"Are you feeling okay?" He looked uncertain. "Do you need a hand getting up, or…"
Mel waved him away and rose. "I'll be fine." She trudged up the steps, putting as much distance as she could between herself and the strange demon.
"Remember, I owe you!" he called after her.
And one day, she'd collect, she resolved, but not today.
Mel sipped her morning macchiato as she checked her emails, wishing she was reading that book she'd found over breakfast, the one about reincarnation. The veiled woman on the cover had looked so mysterious…
"Mel, we're getting lots of calls at Reception on the new legislation. We need you to help field enquiries," Lili said without warning.
Mel looked up, stunned. "What about the alien invasion? Aren't I supposed to stay away from the public after I cried in the press conference?"
Lili shrugged. "Luce took care of that. He put out a media release that the invasion had been contained and we'd remain vigilant. No mention of what species they were. He just called you a 'dedicated member of staff' who had 'worked tirelessly to manage the incursion.' He thinks the photos of you in the paper in tears were brilliant. He specifically requested you to help with enquiries."
Mel sighed. At least on Reception she could take her phone with her and read that story between calls. She slipped the smartphone into her pocket, gulped down the last of her coffee and straightened her shirt. "Sure. What questions will I have to answer?"
Lili handed over a booklet. "The new legislation that came into effect on the first. People have lots of questions and they're all answered in this."
Mel took the booklet and smiled as she headed out to Reception, feeling the heavy bump of the phone in her pants pocket with each step.
She sat next to another girl, who was dressed in a fresh white shirt instead of the HELL Corporation uniform. The girl clunked her phone down before burying her face in her hands.
Mel introduced herself. "Here to help," she added.
"No, I'm here to help," the girl said, a slightly hysterical edge to her voice. "I'm Gabrielle, from Helpful Angels, temporarily here to take phone enquiries. What have I been volunteered for? This is really hard." She turned to face Mel and her eyes widened with recognition. "What are you doing here? Raphael said you were in India or something…"
Mel smiled. "Nope, I'm back and it
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