Night Beats: Ghost in the Vending Machine

Chapter 20: Pineapple Coconut

The sun had barely crested the walls that surrounded the studio complex by the time Emma was finishing her coffee and stepping onto set. Her late nights always made Mondays treacherous, and she considered having another cup before letting the first one absorb fully into her bloodstream.

"Good morning," Cass' voice caught her off guard. He waited by the craft services table, a sausage biscuit in one hand, coffee in the other, and a smile that was suspiciously chipper. "How was your weekend?" He took a sip while waiting patiently for an answer.

"What is this you're doing?" Emma threw another K-cup in the Keurig and hit the button.

"Whatever do you mean?" The reply was far too naive, and Emma had the feeling he was trolling her in retribution. "I can't ask how you're doing?" Cass set down his coffee and broke off a piece of his biscuit.

"Since when do you ask me how I'm doing?"

"Since always. What's the problem? Are you hungover?" He tossed the bread in his mouth and chewed.

"Aren't you?"

"No." He covered his mouth while speaking. "I actually stayed sober all weekend."

Emma squinted and looked him over. "Why?"

"What do you mean, why? I can't go a whole weekend without drinking?"

"You can, but you never do." She took her coffee as it sputtered to completion.

"If you must know, I spent Saturday into Sunday with Th-" He cleared his throat. "Tyler. And, as it turns out, he's in recovery. He's fine with people drinking, but I didn't want to be a dick. Plus, I figured it would be good for me."

Emma became hung up on his genuine expression and accidentally poured too much sugar into her drink. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah. We really hit it off. He took me to his artist collective to see his studio. Did you know he makes his own shirts and doesn't just have them printed?"

"I did not."

"He even travels to set up booths and sells his work at fairs and festivals. Apparently he likes to keep a part time gig for the off season and so he's not spending too much time in the studio."

"Wow."

"I'm seeing him again on Friday. Not sure what we're doing yet; might just play it by ear. I think he likes the woods..." he tapered off as Derrick wandered by, "Hey, Derrick, you like the woods, right?"

"Uh, sure. Why?" He looked at Emma then back to Cass.

"What's a good place to go that's 'outside'?" For whatever reason, he put it in quotes.

Derrick cleared his throat, obviously unprepared to be assailed so early in the morning. "For what, like hiking?"

"Uck. I mean, yes. Hiking." Cass was a 'city boy', and as such, carried an extreme allergy to everything outdoors.

"I don't know. DeCew or Mount Nemo." He fiddled with the strap of a bag he had slung over a shoulder. Emma wracked her brain, but couldn't recall a time Derrick carried a satchel, much less one with colorful patches. "W-why do you ask?"

"No reason. Oh, hey, Steven wants you to go see Fynn as soon as you get here. We're switching to a different episode than planned, and you're the vamp of the week."

Derrick's face may have blanched enough that he could have played undead right then and there.

"Y-yeah, sure. I was already on my way."

"Cool. I might pick your brain later. I don't know anything about 'outdoors'." He added another implied air quote, and Derrick nodded before wandering off.