Laine Transformation

Chapter Eight

I slave over my computer for hours before clicking submit to meet my Wednesday deadline. When it's published to the website, I watch our impressions climax exponentially .It's more than we've ever had to date and I feel a sense of accomplishment. I sit at Darren's studio off the beaten path in Humboldt Park having a glass of champagne in celebration.

"This is amazing Lainey. I'm truly impressed. We're going to be able to pull twice the amount of paid advertisements and paid reviews in no time." I clink my glass to his. He's got his glasses on and a casual button up and vest on though it's 80 degrees out today. It's exactly what I expect of him, always dressing to impress.

Darren scurries to the back room like an excited mouse on the track to some cheese. His studio is open and warm from all the light; plants hang throughout the room. There are stairs the lead up to the second landing that Darren uses as his office.

"So. I have a two part announcement." Darren hollers from the other room. I swirl my chair towards the stair and see him carry something towards me.

"The first is I got you a killer dress as a thank you." Darren hands it over to me while I put my glass down. " I've always seen so much potential in you. I couldn't have gotten Lost Shots on the ground and running at such the level it is without you." I open the bag to find a black cocktail dress inside. The neck line is plunging all the way down. The spaghettini straps hold everything in and the dress flairs out slightly about the waist. It is beautiful. Floor long and utterly breathtaking is the best way to describe it.

"Darren this is amazing. How did you pick it out? Also, thank you." He laughs.

" I had some help from your friend, Millicent O'Shea. She's incredibly feisty, but I like her. She sent me your size and I had one of my friends whose a personal shopper pick it out. Of course we showed it to Millicent for approval." He's smug because he knows he did well.

"Billie's a character unlike any other." I laugh. He grabs a bag from off the desk and hands it to me as well.

"Now, here comes the the second announcement." Darren pauses. "I've got a writing assignment for you. It's unique." He tells me.

"Ok, I can do unique. Get to the good stuff! What do I get to write about?" I ask peckish.

"I'm sending you to an exhibit on the north side. This artist's done work for a lot of big names but no one knows who they are. The artists pseudo-name is Etcher Stevens." Darren pours another glass of champagne for the two of us.

"Now, here's what I know from my sources. The artist is believed to be male and a Chicago native. The galleries are only pop ups that last about four to five days. The experience is always unique, but the medium and style is always quite different." His instructions seem like I'm going to jump in the mystery machine and join Scooby and the Gang for an adventure.

"I need you to do all the research you can on this artist and figure out who they are. I want you to interview him about his hidden identity and the exhibit. This would be huge for us. If you can do this, I'll make you an official field reporter and writer." Darren studies my reaction. I'm in shock and what he's just said to me.

"Ok, what's the plan?" I wonder. " What's my first step?" Darren points to the bag he handed me and I start pulling out he contents. Inside there's a pair of shoes to match my dress, a journal, and a handheld recorder.

"This artist is special. While he's done pop-ups in all the major cities, he mostly works in Chicago. Someone's got to know them at the exhibit. Wear the recorder to catch any conversations you have and write down anything that seems important. Tomorrow's the opening so the artist should be someone in the crowd. If you don't get enough information then you'll need to go back. I want this as your number one priority this week. Whatever it takes." Darren nods at me in a serious manner and I nod back.