To try and bribe me! Well! *huffs*

:)

I appreciate it, but I would much prefer to earn as many of the hits as I can. As bad as they are as a representation of how many people have actually read the story, it still feels good to know that they're going up because people have checked out what I wrote.

I can, however, do the 'advance peek' deal- for everyone who bothers to look at this blog, anyways.

~~~

It was a week after the interview that I got the call. I had been cruising the mall looking for Bruce Campbell memorabilia- nothing says good decorating sense like a Bubba Ho-Tep poster over your mantelpiece- when out of nowhere the Firefly theme came on. 'Oh, right, cell phone.' I pulled my phone out, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw the caller ID tag 'saber games'. Could they really be calling me back? I fumbled for a moment getting the phone open, hoping against hope my voice wasn't shaking when I said, "Hello?"

Fran Drescher answered, "Yeah, is this Mista Ren Harris?"

I nodded, then remembered I was on the phone. "Yeah- I mean, yes, this is me, er, him. He. I'm Ren."

"Hi, Mista Harris, I'm Laurie, with Sabatooth Games. I was told to let ya know we need you to come in to tha studio tomarra to talk to Mista Wesley about tha mascot job." I felt more than heard the sound of a nail file on the other end of the phone, and fought my instinct to cringe. "He's expecting ya at eleven in tha moaning, do ya need tha address?"

"Uh... yeah, hold on." I scrabbled madly in my pocket for something to write with and on, pulling out my grocery list and flipping to the back. "'Kay, shoot." I carefully took down the address she gave me as well as the time and office number. "Thanks, I'll see ya tomarra- er, tomorrow."

"Yeah, shua. See ya then." The line clicked off, but I kept the phone on my ear for at least a minute after, still trying to sort out what had just happened.

And so the next day I found myself sitting in a parking lot in one of the less industrial sections of the industrial district, trying to remember how the hell the knot on a tie works before giving up and taking it off. I had even taken the opportunity to shave this time, only cutting myself once. Straightening my suit one last time and checking my watch- ten to eleven- I opened the door and stood up. After only minor cursing, I managed to unlatch my seatbelt, and gave standing up another and far more successful shot.

~~~

That's just a small preview of a middling-to-long story I'm working on-- it's gonna be a single story instead of my normal 'post parts as I write 'em', so don't be expecting to see it any sooner than maybe June or July. The working title is 'Living the Life of a Heroine'.

Oh, and on Echoes- I've got it opened up right now and under construction. I should have the next part ready by Friday if all goes well, you can thank John in Wauwatosa for that :P

Melanie E.