Find Me I'm Yours

Chapter 5

Hey guys!  Find Me I'm Yours is NOW ON SALE for only $2.99!  Can you believe that low price? !?  You can get the whole book through Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.  Go here to get it: http://findmeimyours.com/how-to-get-and-read-the-book

When the ATM spit out $40.00 in cash, I could have sworn it said, "You've only got $9.48 left until next Friday's paycheck, losah!"

I was so excited/nervous to meet artist/undercover barista Shane that I sped to Studio City as fast as my scooter would go. When I arrived and saw only one guy working behind the counter, with Shane on his name tag, I almost turned around and ran out as he was totes adorbs, but looked way younger than Cooper. I'm open and fluid, and there are many exceptions I'd make for love, but cradle robbing? Not so much.

I turned away from the counter and reminded myself that this was all about the camera and not necessarily the camera seller.

"Hey, I'm Maggie," I said to him. "I'm here to buy your camera."

"Oh, it's not mine," he answered.

I don't know which was louder, my exhale of relief or the sound of him steaming soy milk.

"The guy selling it just left it here and asked me to collect."

Hmmm... a little suspect. What if the camera didn't work? Or the charger was left at Disneyland? I took a cursory glance through the case and all seemed in order. Camera, lens cap, instruction booklet, charger, cords. "So what if I have any problems with it?"

"You can contact the seller through the ad on Craigslist."

"OK."

We made the exchange, and he winked at me as he handed me one of those crazy lollipop birthday cake thingies that Starbucks sells and I SO don't get. I don't know which was scarier-the wink or the pink waxy ball on a stick. I thanked him, and asked for a bag, feigning fullness, but really I thought I'd take the freaky dessert to Malcolm, just in case he was pissed that I'd come in late. It always seemed to work for Coco.

The boss wasn't even there when I arrived. Maybe he was at the beauty parlor getting his puffy hair done. Coco took the camera bag and excitedly started rifling through. "This is so old school cool! Come on, let's do a screen test."

"No way, I have helmet hair. For reals."

"We're not gonna use the footage. Just to see if the thing works. What's this?" She pulled an envelope out from the bag. "It was tucked under the lining."

"I don't know. I didn't see it before." I took it from Coco and opened it. Inside was a MiniDV tape with a HELLO MY NAME IS sticker on it. But the name part was blank. "So should we play the tape and see if something's on it?"

"That's kinda creepy if you ask me," Coco said, cringing.

"Fine, so you'll look the other way till I make sure it's not a snuff tape or porn or something." I peeled off the sticker and put the tape in the camera.

I looked into the large rectangle viewfinder.

And that's when it happened. Everything led up to this moment. The dating site challenge from Coco. Me deciding to buy a camera. The intriguing ad. The follow-through of buying the camera, and actually picking it up. Everything aligned to bring me to this impossible moment of such possibility.

(check out the video in sidebar)

If you didn't check it out, here's what it said: