One Step Ahead

Change My Number

      "What the hell, Pix? Did you start dating a movie star or something?"

      "No, I'm not dating anybody right now. I just met this guy less than a week ago, we're barely friends yet. And he's a rock musician, not an actor."

      "Rock musician, huh?" Ted chuckled. "Sometimes they're even bigger freak magnets than the actors, so there's no telling. All right then, since I know you're okay, more or less, I'd better get off and start juggling the schedule. I'm pretty sure I can get Petra to cover tomorrow, but I might end up having to push back the waterfall sequence, unless I can find someone else the same size, since she's a lousy fuckin' swimmer. Keep me posted, willya, Pix?"

      She promised to do so, then ended the call and walked into the kitchen to look for something that resembled breakfast. Pulling out a box of raspberry Toaster Strudels, she dropped a couple into the toaster to brown, and grabbed a paper plate off of the package on the counter. After a couple of minutes they popped out, and she dropped them onto the plate, drizzled on the icing, and went back to the living room, turning on the stereo before settling carefully onto the love seat. 

      Just as she finished eating, her phone rang, and she saw Ashley's number displayed. Licking the last bits of icing from her fingers, she hit 'Send" and said, "Hey, dude! How do you feel today?"

      "Sore as fuck, and a bit weirded out right now," he replied. "I'm a grown man, do you have any idea how strange it is to need to ask my friend to help me get dressed?"

      "So Andy's still there, then?" she inquired, smiling faintly at the mental image his words had conjured up. When they had finally been allowed to leave the hospital, he had reluctantly called Andy to pick him up, as he was the only one currently in LA. The singer had promptly, in Ashley's words, "totally freaked the fuck out", and wound up having his keys confiscated by his girlfriend, who had driven him to collect Ashley from the hospital. 

      "Nah, him and Jules stayed over in the guest room, but they left about thirty minutes ago," he said. "What about you? How are you doing today?"

      "I look like I went a few rounds with Evander Holyfield, and I had to Saran-Wrap myself to take a shower, but I've actually hurt myself worse than this at work, so I'm considering myself pretty lucky." she responded. "Apparently a lot of people are still in the hospital, and I heard that somebody else died."

      "Yeah, I saw that a little while ago. Apparently the hostess up by the door got hit in the head by something, and died in surgery not long after Mr. B did."

      "Shit! This whole thing is out of control!" Briar moaned. "It's getting to the point that I'm almost afraid to go anywhere, because I'm worried that somebody else will get hurt."

      "Yeah, me too," Ashley said softly. "But that's not exactly a workable option, so we're just gonna have to keep our eyes open, and trust what Lieutenant Sanger and the Chief said last night, that they're going to have people watching out for us."

      Before she could respond to his words, a buzzing noise came through the phone, and he said, "Whoops, gotta go, sorry! They're here to check the place out. Give me a call later, maybe we can compare notes."

      She said goodbye and ended the call, and then spent the next several minutes punching buttons on the stereo remote, trying to find something she wanted to listen to. Finally settling on an Eighties-rock station, she tried to relax a bit. As she listened to Jetboy belting out "Feel The Shake", her phone rang again. Picking it up from the coffee table, she clicked the button and said, "Hello." without bothering to check the caller ID. And, upon hearing the voice on the other end of the call, immediately regretted the decision.