Ghost of a Chance

Chapter 1

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Jenny was a first-year, physics graduate student, and finding more money was always something she was interested in doing. There were times when she thought money hated her; it seemed to stay as far from her as paper bills and silver coins possibly could do. Any money she did acquire quickly disappeared; vanishing on groceries, rent, utilities, and her ever-increasing tuition, books, and other grad school supplies. Every class had its associated list of necessities, and she was required to purchase all of them, without any help from anyone. She was alone in the world. If she didn't handle things, they didn't get done. Whatever needed taken care of in her life, she did it. And because Jenny was smart, motivated, and efficient, she was a finisher of tasks, and her life was on the track she had selected.

Needing a steadier income, Jenny searched Craigslist, the want-ads of the twenty-first century. Most of the jobs did not fit her needs, her talents, or her time, and she clicked through them quickly. Then she stopped.

This is...interesting, she thought. She read the listing again, and studied it through. It looked a little odd, but the pay was excellent for the time required. She read it again, her index finger pausing at each word. She didn't want to just land in something she didn't want to do, and she was well aware that sometimes creeps and worse-than-creeps listed on free websites. In her experience, 'free' was the price-point most creeps sought out.

Okay, she thought. It's worth a call, at least.

So with one finger poised over her phone's disconnect button, she called the number listed and asked for more information.

She listened to the secretary describe what the position entailed. She pushed a strand of her long, dark hair behind her ear and chewed a bit on her pencil's eraser. She glanced at the wicker basket perched on top of her small refrigerator and noticed the growing stack of bills. “Can I set up an interview?”

“Why don't you drop off a resume? Mr. Rothrock sets up the interviews, and he'll get back to you if he's interested.”

“Okay,” Jenny pushed the phone's disconnect and carefully placed it on the coffee-table, using it as a paperweight on a stack of resumes and applications. Nothing else looked more promising, and no one was paying for the time she was spending looking for work.

A week later, she found herself sitting bolt-upright in a hard-backed chair, the wood pressing into her back. The chair and desk were old, and in stark contrast to the electronic equipment piled on every flat surface. She squirmed a little, and pushed her hair back. Interviews were not her favorite event.

Andy Rothrock looked up from her resume. “Ms Myers, I think you're ideal. If I offer you the position, how soon could you start?”

“Are you sure?” Jenny asked. She had entered the interview with more uneasiness than usual, and after answering all the questions, was sure she was anything but ideal. In fact, she was sure she was the exact opposite and was looking forward to escaping Rothrock's office.

“Positive. I think you're exactly what we're looking for. Your face, your figure, your voice. You're attractive, but not excessively so. You project intelligence, without coming across as arrogant. So, what's your answer? Do we have a deal, or not?”

Jenny felt her face begin to burn, but pushed the emotion down, trying to think past the summation of her physical appearance. She had known that would be a factor; after all, the work was in front of cameras. It's logical, she thought, and shoved the embarrassment away.

I can always quit if it gets too weird, she decided. Out loud, she said, “Yes. And I can start anytime, I guess. When do you need me?”