Cat And Mouse, chapter 7
"Ms. Havishaw! It is a pleasure to finally meet you! Quite a reputation over in California!"
"Oh thank you...Stan, right?"
"Yes, Rowdels. I'm the producer of the 10 o'clock news, and, er, your new boss."
Bunny adjusted her blouse and tapped his hand gently. "Oh, wonderful. Just don't you pull anything funny, we're strictly professional."
Stan laughed, but it was out of complete nervousness. He took and deep breath and hoped laughing was the right response because he had no idea how to respond to a comment like that. "Well I guess so... " were the only words he could think of to accompany his laugh.
"So then, where is my dressing room?" Bunny looked around for something like a large, golden door or a sign directing her to her room.
"It's not exactly finished yet, but that's ok." Bunny bit her bottom lip and clicked her tongue.
"And why is that?"
"Well, um, because you don't have to be on until tomorrow."
"So I'm just going to have to get ready tomorrow to the smell of new paint and air fresheners?"
"Ms. Havishaw, please. Meet us halfway."
"Ok, very well. I will 'meet you halfway'. But I expect to be carried the remaining half." Stan looked at her, confused. "It's a metaphor!"
"I've got some business to take care of, apparently we just got a call from the police station. I will talk to you tomorrow."
Bunny didn't bother saying goodbye, but somehow she knew Stan wouldn't have appreciated it anyways. This studio was as full of idiots as the last one. And the one before that. The only time she was truly surrounded by brilliance was when she did a solo-anchor of her high school news. "I need a cup of coffee... " she thought as she got back into her car. Glancing around she noticed other cars next to hers. "No private spot either... "
She finally found a small diner on the corner of some street somewhere. She liked the small cafes. No one recognized her there. So she had driven around New York, passing every Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts to find a privately owned place. What she didn't realize was no one anywhere recognized her and she could've saved herself an hour or so if she didn't have such a big head.
Inside, the place was just as small as it seemed. There was a long counter with a few misfits sitting there, drinking coffee or eating deep-fried something. She took a seat at the far corner of the counter and reached over for a menu. She wasn't going to order anything but a small, decaf, but having a menu kept away the conversation whores.
Bunny was well into the entrees when she heard the sniffling. It was subtle but enough to grasp her attention. Slowly lowering the menu, she glanced over to her side, where a teenager in one of the red work uniforms was sitting next to her, hands in his face, crying. He noticed her looking and lifted his tear stained face up. She shuddered at his bloodshot eyes.
"Jesus, I bet I look pathetic... " He stammered through his words, getting a good look at the woman next to him. "I'm sorry... I can move." He started to get up.
Bunny sighed with relief. She wasn't about to be disturbed. But the kid expected her to invite him to stay and accepted her silence as that invitation.
"Its just," he started, sitting back down, "I feel so shitty."
"Maybe... " Bunny was trying hard to find comforting words. "Maybe you should take some Advil." She wasn't very good at finding them.
"I'm not sick. Unless being a bad friend is a disease."
Bunny gagged on that horrible pun. "I'm sure you're a fine friend." She knew this had just set her up for having to listen to his story. So she slumped down on her stool and waited for the worst.
"I went to this party last night—"
Bunny shook with the memory of the party that had disrupted her sleep last night. She saw the boy look up and nodded. "No, no. Keep going."
"Well, I went with my friend, this girl, and I completely left her out to dry. I went home with some floozy and left her by herself there, she didn't even have a ride."
"How terrible... " Bunny looked impatiently for a waiter to come and get her some coffee before realizing she was talking to one. "Say, could you—"
But the boy was deep into his story now. "And, and I really like this girl. I think I hurt her though, cause she didn't show up for work today."
"I'm sure she found a way home... " Bunny muttered, hoping it fit in with where he had taken the conversation.
"Are you even listening to me?"
Bunny sighed deeply. "I'm gonna be honest with you, I'm not."
The kid frowned and stood up. "Well sorry for wasting your time!" he said, more angrily than apologetically. "I'll leave you to your food!" He pulled himself off the stool and slammed it back into the counter.
"But I don't have any... food," Bunny cried out, but he was too far out to door to here. She breathed in through her nose and then slammed down on the counter. "Somebody better get me some fucking coffee!"
"Oh thank you...Stan, right?"
"Yes, Rowdels. I'm the producer of the 10 o'clock news, and, er, your new boss."
Bunny adjusted her blouse and tapped his hand gently. "Oh, wonderful. Just don't you pull anything funny, we're strictly professional."
Stan laughed, but it was out of complete nervousness. He took and deep breath and hoped laughing was the right response because he had no idea how to respond to a comment like that. "Well I guess so... " were the only words he could think of to accompany his laugh.
"So then, where is my dressing room?" Bunny looked around for something like a large, golden door or a sign directing her to her room.
"It's not exactly finished yet, but that's ok." Bunny bit her bottom lip and clicked her tongue.
"And why is that?"
"Well, um, because you don't have to be on until tomorrow."
"So I'm just going to have to get ready tomorrow to the smell of new paint and air fresheners?"
"Ms. Havishaw, please. Meet us halfway."
"Ok, very well. I will 'meet you halfway'. But I expect to be carried the remaining half." Stan looked at her, confused. "It's a metaphor!"
"I've got some business to take care of, apparently we just got a call from the police station. I will talk to you tomorrow."
Bunny didn't bother saying goodbye, but somehow she knew Stan wouldn't have appreciated it anyways. This studio was as full of idiots as the last one. And the one before that. The only time she was truly surrounded by brilliance was when she did a solo-anchor of her high school news. "I need a cup of coffee... " she thought as she got back into her car. Glancing around she noticed other cars next to hers. "No private spot either... "
She finally found a small diner on the corner of some street somewhere. She liked the small cafes. No one recognized her there. So she had driven around New York, passing every Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts to find a privately owned place. What she didn't realize was no one anywhere recognized her and she could've saved herself an hour or so if she didn't have such a big head.
Inside, the place was just as small as it seemed. There was a long counter with a few misfits sitting there, drinking coffee or eating deep-fried something. She took a seat at the far corner of the counter and reached over for a menu. She wasn't going to order anything but a small, decaf, but having a menu kept away the conversation whores.
Bunny was well into the entrees when she heard the sniffling. It was subtle but enough to grasp her attention. Slowly lowering the menu, she glanced over to her side, where a teenager in one of the red work uniforms was sitting next to her, hands in his face, crying. He noticed her looking and lifted his tear stained face up. She shuddered at his bloodshot eyes.
"Jesus, I bet I look pathetic... " He stammered through his words, getting a good look at the woman next to him. "I'm sorry... I can move." He started to get up.
Bunny sighed with relief. She wasn't about to be disturbed. But the kid expected her to invite him to stay and accepted her silence as that invitation.
"Its just," he started, sitting back down, "I feel so shitty."
"Maybe... " Bunny was trying hard to find comforting words. "Maybe you should take some Advil." She wasn't very good at finding them.
"I'm not sick. Unless being a bad friend is a disease."
Bunny gagged on that horrible pun. "I'm sure you're a fine friend." She knew this had just set her up for having to listen to his story. So she slumped down on her stool and waited for the worst.
"I went to this party last night—"
Bunny shook with the memory of the party that had disrupted her sleep last night. She saw the boy look up and nodded. "No, no. Keep going."
"Well, I went with my friend, this girl, and I completely left her out to dry. I went home with some floozy and left her by herself there, she didn't even have a ride."
"How terrible... " Bunny looked impatiently for a waiter to come and get her some coffee before realizing she was talking to one. "Say, could you—"
But the boy was deep into his story now. "And, and I really like this girl. I think I hurt her though, cause she didn't show up for work today."
"I'm sure she found a way home... " Bunny muttered, hoping it fit in with where he had taken the conversation.
"Are you even listening to me?"
Bunny sighed deeply. "I'm gonna be honest with you, I'm not."
The kid frowned and stood up. "Well sorry for wasting your time!" he said, more angrily than apologetically. "I'll leave you to your food!" He pulled himself off the stool and slammed it back into the counter.
"But I don't have any... food," Bunny cried out, but he was too far out to door to here. She breathed in through her nose and then slammed down on the counter. "Somebody better get me some fucking coffee!"
