Change at Jamaica Station

Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve 

Tabby has a Meltdown              2018 NYC

I wake up in a cold sweat and have a dizzy spell. It takes me a moment before I realize I'm at home, in bed, and I have a new set of nightmares to add to the ones of Matthew on the 99th floor of the North Tower on a Tuesday . It takes another moment to remind myself of the date. It is not 2001, not 9/11. It's the beginning of summer and I am a television star. It seems so unrealistic, even the events of 9/11 seem more probable than me becoming an overnight sensation, and I close my eyes again. How did I get here? Will the nightmares ever stop?

I wonder how many more months it will take for these new nightmares to go away, or if they will stay with me as I process everything that has happened, that did happen on that day at Penn Station; the day I got too curious about someone's sandals. Matthew's message, to move on and spread love still pushes me but they have been replaced by foggy dreams and nightmares. Now I've got a job, responsibilities and, weirdly, I'm dating, but what seems very odd this morning is that I've done something else to attract the world's attention by accident.

Why did I take a picture of the tombstone and post it on Instagram? I'm really getting in over my head, and well paid or not, I probably am still not ready for social media or dating, so I call Gerri and try to get my story in order, but she keeps interrupting me.

"You're dating your boss?" Gerriann asks into the Bluetooth earpiece, and I can hear her walking around her office organizing her desk. "Sooo unlike you. I mean dating, of course."

"Where are you? Can we meet?" I ask.

"I'm watching the sun. It's shining in my windows overlooking the gorgeous colors of Central Park. I'm at work, of course. I'm in prison here. Bored to a coma like state. Can't leave, but let's do the running commentary thing to keep it fun, K? For starters I'm putting on a pink neon wig. My assistant is used to it." Gerri states.

" , Ok. For starters, I am not putting on a wig. I'm in bed hiding." I tell her as I sit up in bed.

"Are you alone in bed?" Gerri asks.

"Yes." I hiss back at her.

"Damn. I hate when that happens." Gerri says.

"Yeah, a hug would have been nice to wake up to, but I am lying in bed in looking out the window and freaking out." I don't mention that there are several large fresh flower arrangements, from Andy, my admirer. "I have been here since yesterday afternoon when the police came to visit, and haven't showered or changed out of my pajamas since. And, you should talk. You don't exactly date, Gerri." I answer sarcastically.

"OK, point taken. So how is dating? Is that why the police came?" Gerri asks in an amused voice.

"Well, I'll get to the police part in a minute. Dating started out as work dinners with Andy at first, but then I scheduled a media lesson with Derek, in PR, and he insisted I needed a new phone so I can keep track of social media and trends that relate to the show, but he didn't have time to go with me to the Apple store. So, Andy went with me, and..."

"Wait a minute, hold on, lady. You're telling me that Andy Hart, your actual boss, the owner of the best football franchise, and the second largest media company in the world, took you to the Apple store to buy a phone?" Gerri asks in disbelief. "You are so not even.... You go girl."

I sigh in a frustrated way, and Gerriann keeps her mouth shut. For a few moments all that can be heard is my yoga breathing, a slightly too personal sound, that resets the tone of the conversation to something more ominous. When I stop the loud breathing, I hear Gerri throwing things.