Chapter1
I’d been living in Chicago for six weeks now.It only took that amount of time for me to get stuck in routines.I guess routines weren’t so bad.They were normal for most people.And I had to admit.Any deviation from my schedule ensured I would be a cranky beotch for the duration of the day.
So like normal, Tamara and I stopped at the coffee shop downtown.The name changed so frequently I was never sure what to call it.The owners, a married couple, were involved in a fight about the name.The first time I came in, it was called Flavor Beans, which just sounded ridiculous.The second time it was ‘Coffee’s Coffee’, which lacked a certain something.’50 Shades of Brown’ was up for a total of two days before they got a letter from Paramount threatening to sue.
So now we were sitting inLe Be’an Caffeine.And I guess that was good enough for now.
“I’m tired,” Tamara said.“Work’s got me doing double shifts.Between you and me, there’s some weird stuff going on overnight, and I’m not too enthused about it.I think the hospital is haunted.”
“Really?”I asked.
“I kept seeing patients I thought had passed wandering around,” Tamara said.“I told my supervisor I wouldn’t work evening shifts anymore if it kept up.You think it might be a good thing to investigate?”
I pretended to think about this.The truth was, I knew Tamara’s hospital had been one of the few where some dead people actually had gotten up post-death and walked around.Investigating this would uncover some weird stuff going on that the public didn’t need to know about.I had been sworn to secrecy by my vampire boyfriend, who had been fighting them off on a case by case basis.
Well.Oneof my vampire boyfriends.The other one probably agreed it was a bad idea to let anyone know.
“We have corporate guys at work this week, so I don’t have as much freedom as I usually do to do what I want,” I said.“I will pencil you in soon, though.”
“Well, some time is better than never, I guess,” Tamara said.“What do they have you on this week?”
“We’re supposed to be starting a new web series.That means DDM brought in scriptwriters and scenario planners to micro-manage cases.I lose about 80% of my ability to plan stories, so it’s a real pain in the ass.”
“That sucks.I thought it would be a promotion.”
“It is, I guess,” I said.“I’m not sure how much I like all this, though.I mean, yeah, I want people to know who I am, but I don’t want to lose control over what we do.”
“They come up with a name for your stuff yet?”
“Yeah.Tentative title for the segment is called ‘Dead Feed.’It’s a subsidiary of the Urban Legends department.I guess we were getting popular, so DDM’s giving us extra money but wants to make sure we don’t waste it.And to be honest, it sucks, but I get it.I don’t have the first clue about how to run a web series.The idea is we shoot a few episodes together, and then when I get the hang of it, they give me some more me-time.”
“As annoying as that sounds, this has some potential,” Tamara said.
“I know.At least five hundred people will know my face from a limited YouTube series.”
“Don’t knock it and don’t talk it down,” Tamara said.“You know this could be a big deal.”
“I know.It’s just a lot.I’m scared I’m biting off more than I can chew.”
“That’s why they have people to help you learn,” Tamara said.
“I know.It’s just.My life has been so busy, and this just seems like a lot.”
“Unbusy it.Clear up some space.”
“I don’t know how,” I said.“I’m dating two guys.I mean.That’s a big enough handful.”
Tamara rolled her eyes at me.
“You’re a hot mess,” she said.“Make some Stacey time.Time for Stacey and what she wants.”
“That’s the problem,” I said.“I have everything I want in a job, and I’m more than satisfied with my guys.I just feel like.I mean, can’t you have too much of a good thing?”
“How nice it would be to have that problem,” Tamara said.
“Tamara, come on,” I said.“This is all new to me.I guess on paper it all sounds good, but it still feels like something’s missing.I mean.Should I be this stressed out constantly?”
“Unclutter and uncluck yourself,” Tamara said.“You are juggling two relationships, and a job that requires a lot of brainpower.You have two options.Give it all up when you break down or give some of it up.”
