Melissa Lauren's story is a fascinating example of a dramatic career change. Born Barbara Masvaleix on October 16, 1984, in the picturesque coastal city of La Rochelle, France, her first professional passion was far from the world of adult entertainment. For three years, she trained as a chef at the Lycée Hôtelier de La Rochelle, a prestigious hospitality school, and worked as a pastry chef in the kitchen of the luxurious Hôtel George-V in Paris. Her expertise was in creating delicate desserts, a world away from the one she would soon enter.