“Garcia, get your damn ass in here.”

Flinching, Tina put the last of the towels on her cart and headed for her boss' office. Five months working for the guy and his language still grated on her nerves; though it was much milder than the garbage that came out of the mouths of most of her neighbors. Had she once been so naive as to think such language a rarity? Maybe in her old world it had been. Now it was a part of life.

“Yes sir?” Tina asked, resisting the urge to gag at the stale cigarette smell permeating the small office. No one was supposed to smoke inside the building but Alonso Rodriquez did not care about the rules; at least not when they pertained to him.

“I've had another complaint about you from one of our guests. Mr. Kensington in room 210 called and said you were rude to him. This makes it four times in the past three weeks you've antagonized one of our guests and I won't tolerate it!”

“But sir, the pervert tried to... to grope me.” Tina's face flushed a bright red. She knew a couple of the other housekeepers earned a little side money providing certain extra amenities for some of the guests but she was not one of them and believed management was unaware of the other girls' arrangements.

Rodriquez's next words crushed that belief.

“I know what he tried to do, why the hell do you think he stays here? Do you think it's for the high class accommodations?” Rodriquez tapped a pencil on his desk; a sure sign he was on the edge of losing his temper. “Here's the deal, you either give the customers what the hell they want or you're out the damn door. Which is it going to be?”

Tina's flushed face paled as the realization of Rodriquez's words sank in. Had Rodriquez really told her she would have to act as a prostitute if she wanted to keep her job? Surely she had misunderstood him. Even if the other housekeepers did provide favors to the guests once in awhile it could not mean management expected it from them. From her. Could it?

“Sir, I don't understand. Am I supposed to let the guests...” She choked on the word, “Grope me?” She finished softly, casting her eyes down at the floor.

“You'll let them do whatever the hell they damn well please to you and you'll like it.” Rodriquez boomed. “I thought by now that would be pretty damn clear! Shit, I know the other girls have told you what's going on, I didn't think you were so damn stupid you wouldn't be able to figure out what was expected of you.”

No, she was not stupid. Just naive.

Naive to think there was anyone in this God forsaken city who was not corrupt. Naive to think she might ever have a normal life again. A short time ago Tina would have prayed, asking God for guidance, but even the small comfort of her faith had been stripped away leaving behind nothing but a deep hole in her heart. A hole only slightly smaller than the one left by the loss of her family.

Fighting back tears of anger and shame, Tina raised her eyes to Rodriquez's face hoping to see some indication he was not serious that this was nothing more than a sick joke on his part. What she saw there destroyed what small hope she had allowed herself to feel. He looked hungry, like a predator who has cornered his prey just before delivering the final blow that would end the poor creature's suffering, and she knew there would be no reasoning with him. She would either cater to the whims of the hotel guests or she would be looking for another job before the day was out. Something she could ill afford being two weeks behind on her rent and the power company threatening to turn off her electricity if she did not pay the bill by the end of the day.

“Mr. Rodriquez, please.” Tina hated the desperate quality to her voice but could not help it. “I need this job but I can't do what it sounds like you're asking.” A small part of her still refused to believe Rodriquez was serious in spite of all the evidence.

“If you want the job so bad you'll do it.” Rodriquez replied with obvious relish. “Mr. Kensington has indicated he'd be willing to forget the whole incident if you go up to his room and entertain him.” Rodriquez's expression turned to a leer. “I'm willing to forget it if you show me what that mouth of yours is good for other than complaining, before you do.”

Anger, shame, and desperation warred in Tina's mind while her jaw worked without sound, her face flushed with embarrassment. The nerve of Rodriquez to even suggest she do such a thing, something she had never done before, even with Philip. But if she did not, what would she do? Without any skills it had been near impossible to find this job and she was sure Rodriquez would take sadistic pleasure in giving her a bad reference. Which meant it would be even more difficult to find another one. Still, she was not desperate enough to sell her body.

At least not yet.

The smirk on Rodriquez's face faded when Tina slowly shook her head. “No, I won't be one of your little... whores.” The word felt dirty in her mouth and Tina shuddered to think she used such a word. “Give me my check and I'll get out of your hair.” And good riddance, she added silently.

Rodriquez laughed and smiled cruelly. “What check, bitch? The way I see it we don't owe you a thing.”

“My check for last week, today is payday.” Tina could not keep the note of desperation out of her voice.

“Oh that,” Rodriquez sat back in his chair and propped his feet on the desk. “The way I see it is you owe us for your uniforms. Your check will have to be recalculated to reflect their cost. If you return all of them you'll get credit, minus any wear and tear of course, but it will be at least two weeks before we'll be able to sort it all out.”

“Two weeks?” Tina had been counting on the check to prevent her electricity from being turned off. “What do you mean two weeks? I worked hard for that money, I earned it.”

“You didn't work hard enough, bitch.” Rodriquez lit a cigarette and blew a cloud of smoke Tina's way. As if reading Tina's mind, Rodriquez continued, “You could make a complaint to the labor board but as I see it that might take a while and as I understand it you don't have a while.”

Tina wanted to melt the gloating look from Rodriquez's face but held her powers in check. Killing, or even maiming, him would not solve any of her problems, as satisfying as it might be. She only glared defiantly and nodded. “I will return all the uniforms tomorrow and I will be expecting my check by next Friday.”

Rodriquez shook his head, “No good, tomorrow's my day off. Bring them in on Monday and if I'm in a good mood I'll see your check is mailed out. Now get your ass out of here and don't let me see it again unless you get off your high horse and decide to peddle it.” Rodriquez's smirk returned at Tina's shocked expression and his laughter followed her out the door as she made a hasty retreat.

This was just not her day.

When Tina arrived home she noticed the elevator was out of order yet again and gave an audible sigh. Her apartment was on the tenth floor and while she could reach it by flying it was still light outside and she did not want to take the risk of being seen. No one knew of her abilities and she wanted to keep it that way. She had a much better chance of finding out who was behind the deaths of her family if they thought her nothing more then a widowed, out of work, housewife.

Grabbing her mail from the box she entered the narrow stairwell to make the slow climb to her apartment, her nose wrinkling as the smell of urine and who knew what else hit her when she opened the door. Leaving the stairs on her floor she brushed by one of the other tenants, a young man in his late teens, who knocked her mail from her hands and laughed as he headed down the stairs. Probably to meet up with more of his gang members.

Retrieving the scattered envelopes Tina hurried to her door so as not to chance any more meetings with her neighbors. The small apartment was hot after being closed up all day and Tina flicked the switch to turn on the ceiling fan. When the fan remained motionless Tina tried one of the lights and discovered it too was not working. Damn, the power company had all ready been there which meant she not only had to come up with what she owed them but a reconnect fee as well.

Sighing, Tina sat down in a battered chair and began going through her mail. Most of it was what she expected; bills and more bills. Sometimes she wanted to curse her husband for the predicament she was in, at others the system which had left her destitute. Today it was her husband's turn. If he had not been a crook she would not be stuck in this hell hole. If he had not been a crook she would still have her children. For the first time all day, Tina allowed the tears to flow.

After she had cried herself out, Tina lit a couple of candles and picked up the mail from where she had allowed it to fall to the floor. As she gathered it, an envelope that did not look like just another bill caught her attention. Holding it close to the candle she saw the return address, DiSantiago Pharmaceuticals, and her hands began to shake, sure it was bad news.

Tina sat contemplating the letter for a long time before finally getting up the courage to open it. When she did her hands were still shaking so bad she was unable to read it in the poor lighting. Taking the letter and the candle to her small kitchen table she set the letter down using the small plate the candle was on to hold down one corner as she read the contents. It took a few minutes for the contents to sink in and when they did her tears began to flow once again.

Maybe there was a God after all.

Somehow, against the odds, she had made the cut.