~*  V i a   E – m a i l  *~

~ Chapter 1 ~

To: 

From:  AM_

Subject:  Your e-mail

Attachments:  

Dear who-ever-you-are,

I received an extremely long and important-looking e-mail from you (who I do not know), and I can only suppose that you have sent it to the wrong e-mail address.  I’ve attached it to this e-mail because I thought you might want to send it back to the right person like normal people do, as you probably spent a year or so composing it.

Yours truly, A.M. 

            Alison Malberry pressed the send button and chuckled.  The e-mail she received in her inbox was really long—full of dates and written pieces that looked like pasted articles and many attachments.  Being a civilized human being, she sent it back to the reply address but she wasn’t expecting a reply, “thank-you” or anything.  She sighed, people simply had more important things to do (like a JOB, for instance, one that she is sadly lacking at the moment) than stay home and check their e-mail.  Alison continued to read over the new messages in her inbox.  Junk mail, junk mail.  Delete, delete.  Diet pills, weight-loss program, increase your bust size…she spared a moment to wince and shudder.

            “People’ll make any gimmick up for money these days,” she murmured before deleting the e-mails.  Skimming down the list of trash mail, one particular heading caught her eye.  She clicked it open and waited as her slow and stone age-like computer loaded the page, all the while making very unhappy sounds that suggested it was a year late for a repair. 

To:  AM_

From:  tina_   

Subject:  Good job offering, Alis!

Hey Alis, thought you might like to try this job out.  I saw the offer in the newspaper just now, so hurry in case other pig-faced slackers get it before you!  Here’s what it says: 

“Seeking journalist for ‘everyday life’ section of local newspaper.  Min. experience necessary.  Good pay!  For info, call 790-3478 ask for Cindi.”  Tell me all about it after you call and reply soon!  Your honest, trustworthy, kind and most amazing friend in the universe, Tina. -)—

            Alison groaned.  It wasn’t like she didn’t WANT to get a good job, earn money and become a productive member of society, it was just that she’s been to enough job interviews to last two lifetimes after The Incident.  “The Incident” being fired after accidentally spilling hot boiling coffee on her fat cow of a manager.  She covered her face in memory because that wasn’t even all!  She then got promptly sued by the same manger for embarrassment, emotional trauma and the cost of the spilled coffee.  Alison snorted, how the hell could you measure “embarrassment” and “emotional trauma” with money?  How?  Alison argued that the manager weighed over 500 pounds (a fact) and was as ugly as a pig, being a walking embarrassment, he should be used to it.  She also came to court with a mirror and said that if her manager looked into it, he would see emotional trauma in front of his eyes.  Needless to say, she lost the case and had to pay a grand total of $501.25  (the $1.25 being the cost of the coffee).  The worst part was that The Incident is now included in her job record, cruelly endangering any chance of a good future job. 

            Well, it’s just one phone call and you were a journalist at your old job also.  Maybe they won’t even ask about The Incident, they might over-look it!  Alison groaned at her own wishful thinking.  Even a blind person can’t over-look the huge section in her record dedicated to the endless complaints of her ex-manager.  It was like a gaping hole in her past, a burden she wished she could forget but noooo, that old fart just has to ruin her future because of a little harmless coffee.  So what if the coffee was at skin-burning temperature?  The cow deserved it nonetheless!

            Just do it!  Alison hesitated as she picked up the phone.  That’s it, just punch the numbers in, you can do it!!  7…9…0…she stopped before hitting 3.  What if it’s going to be just another slow-mo repeat of The Incident?  What if her boss is just another replica of Mr. Old Fart?  What if…what if…they have COFFEE there?!!  Alison slammed down the phone.  She took a few calm breaths.  Aw heck, JUST DO IT!  She mentally screamed at her brain for sounding like such a cliché and picked up the phone really fast before her mind could figure out what she was doing.  Punching in the numbers at break-neck speed, she waited as the annoying beep-beep-beep sounded in her ear. 

            “Good morning.  Meltori News, how may I help you?” a pleasant–sounding voice greeted Alison.  She clutched the phone tightly and instantly switched into her I’m-pretending-I’m confident-for-the-sake-of-a-job-even-though-I’m-not-so-just-play-along voice.  “Hi, may I please speak to Cindi?”  The pleasant voice never faltered, “Yes of course, please hold.”  Relaxing music shot like a wave from the other end.  Alison tapped her fingers to the music as she waited.  After several long minutes, a deep male voice spoke from the other end. 

            “Hello?”  Alison gulped, “Um, er…are you Cindi?”  Somewhere in Alison’s mind, she doubted it.  The voice on the other end gave a throaty chuckle, “Ha, no!  Cindi’s actually away right now.  Can I take a message?”  Oh great, I didn’t expect this!  What do I do now?  Leave a message and maybe not even get a response or…?  “No, I think it’s okay but when do you think she’ll be back because I’m calling about the job offering and I would really like to talk to her about it,” Alison replied and mentally slapped herself silly for rambling.  Now he’ll think you’re desperate for the job!  Wait, oh I yeah, I AM DESPERATE! 

“Hmm…I think she might be back in an hour or so, but if you drop by our building later, you can talk to her and maybe do an interview or whatnot.”  Alison frowned but what choice did she have?  “Sure, I’ll drop by later.”  After copying down the address, she hanged up.  She sat still staring at the phone in her hand.  Who the hell says “whatnot” anymore?

            An hour later, Alison grabbed her favorite long coat, bag and headed off into the old winter air.  Here goes…

            “No, no, miss.  I was wondering if CINDI is in—not Cicely, CINDI!” she shouted into the old grandmother-like secretary’s face. 

            “There, there, dearie.  You’re going to have to speak up, my ears aren’t what they used to be!” the lady replied in normal volume, making it seem like Alison was the one with the hearing and voice controlling problem.  “Okay, sorry,” Alison sighed as she rummaged through her vintage bag and pulled out a neat notebook and pen.  “IS CINDI IN?” she wrote onto the paper and showed it to the secretary.  The lady leaned forward and squinted her eyes at the paper.  Oh God, please not let her be blind too!! Alison prayed. 

            “Cindi, dearie?  Why, she just came in a while ago.  Just go up the elevator to west wing, turn left and into office # 41.  She’ll be there.  Good day!” the secretary exclaimed cheerfully.  Alison’s back lifted with relief.  “Thank you!” she said to the lady and started for the elevator to her right.  “What did you say, dearie?  Remember my ears aren’t what they—”  Alison sighed and waved her hand dismissively.  “FORGET IT!” she screamed instead.  Alison heard a “Speak up!” behind her and rolled her eyes exhaustedly as she walked into the open elevator.

Hey everyone!^_^  I feel soooooooooo bad that I haven’t been updating “Room Service” but I had so much stuff going on and, and …okay, I admit it: I WAS LAZY!! I was plain ol’ lazy!  I’m so sorry.  Have you ever had those days where you feel like you’ve done NOTHING productive and all you want to do is crawl in bed with a book and just read?  Well, that’s basically what I feel everyday.  Quite sad, I know.

Merci beaucoup to all The Reviewers for Room Service:

KuTiExAzNxAnGeL:  I’m so glad that you love it and took the time to review.  Thanks a lot! ^_^ does *happy dance*

lucknumba7:  Hey, thanks!  You guys are really just too smart for your own good! ^_~  I guess it’s not a cliffie anymore if you know what’s going to happen!!  I’m no good at cliffies anyway but they keep readers on their toes and that’s always fun for me!=P 

People’s Victory:  Thanks for reviewing again!=D  I love readers who read stories and are along for the ride as the author writes it.  I like Phillip too, but I kind of pity him because of Mr. Miles =(.  Some thing bad is definitely going to happen to that evil man… Read on!  (opps, I guess you nothing to read yet as I haven’t update it yet...hehe…I’m so slow) 

cbprice25:  Thanks for being a Reviewer!  I know, I’m seriously the Typo Queen.  On MSN, it’s just typos mania and will make English teachers gasp in horror.  Well, thankies!

|| Pinay ||:  Hey, I love your name!  Thanks for reviewing and I’m glad you like my story.  Keep up on the reviewing!  It’s great encouragement!

Galene:  I updated!  Yay!  Well, actually I didn’t update Room Service but at least I did something, right? *everyone shakes their heads*  RIGHT…?

beve:  Wow, I feel honoured that you reviewed my story *tear drop rolls dramatically down cheek*  I hope you’ll like this story too! 

Yisa:  Thanks but I SUCK AT WRITING LONGER!!  It’s like my brain has this barrier once I hit a certain length.  It just refuses to cooperate after the “barrier”.  I’ll keep on trying though!  Thanks!

Ck:  Hehe, I hate cliffies too, that’s why I thought I’d try it in Room Service to torture you!!  Mawhaha!  No, j/k, I’m not that mean 0:-), really!

PinkEgoBox:  Yeah, I know what it’s like to wait but at least I wrote a bit, right…?  Thanks for reviewing and bearing with me!

That Darn Kat:  I love your name too, I just have a need to compliment cool names…okay, I’ll shut up now.  Thanks for reviewing! 

Indian Chick:  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  For reviewing AND for having such an awesome favorite stories list!  Most of the time, I look at people’s favorite stories list and that brings me loads of great stories.  Please continue reviewing and I hope you like this new story as well!

RaSkO:  *Blushes*  I don’t know why, but I can never see Room Service as a good story.  Other stories I read are great but I don’t see Room Service like that.  I just see it like a story I wrote.  Thanks for telling me what tou think though!

dizzydragon:  Darn, I just remembered I have school tomorrow, damnit!!  Argh!!!  *has a fiasco and throws things around*  I probably won’t be reviewing Room Service yet then.  Thanks for reviewing!

Wow, that’s a lot of replies but it’s worth it!=)  If you want to know when I’m going to review, what I update more on, just check out my profile.  I’ll post it up there but sometimes it’s very screwy.  See ya guys! =D