Totally Fine

Chapter 1

So much to do. So many people to see. So many plans to put into action!

The phrase ‘busier than a one-legged man in an arse-kicking competition’ doesn’t really apply to me, because I’d be far too busy to even get to the competition in the first place.

‘Busier than a one-legged man, who’d like to attend the arse-kicking competition, but just cannot spare the time between meetings’ is a more accurate idiom – but nowhere near as catchy.

My brain is buzzing with a whole series of disparate jobs that I wish I could manage over the course of the next few weeks . . . but here I am in the perfect storm of them all needing to be sorted out today.

And then there’s little Teddy’s birthday party!

Okay, that probably shouldn’t take precedence over the stuff I’ve got to do for actual, proper work – but I promised my new girlfriend, Annie, that her nephew’s birthday was going to be one for the ages, and I don’t want to let her down – not this early in our relationship.

It’d set a very bad precedent, wouldn’t it?

I don’t want to let Teddy down, either. Poor kid’s been through the wringer with his parents’ divorce, according to Annie. So, showing him a good time for his eighth year on this planet is the least I can do.

But first, it’s the appointment with Zenith Games – and trust them to have a development studio out here in the sticks, rather than in the centre of town, like anyone with a sensible grasp on logistics.

This is a beautiful part of the country, what with its rolling hills, quaint villages and at least one very picturesque little church I wouldn’t mind attending a special occasion in, but it’s a pain in the arse to drive through, on a day where I could really do without the extra journey time.

Or being stuck behind this tractor. 10.30 is going to rapidly become 10.

40, and even 10.50, if I don’t get a wiggle on.

And I hate being late for meetings. When you’re the guy being paid to co-ordinate events, it doesn’t do much for your reputation to be late.

Sets up a precedent in the client’s mind that you’re unreliable.

Which doesn’t help my stress levels in the short term, or my bank balance in the long term.

Thankfully, the tractor turns off onto farmland after I’ve only been stuck behind it for about five minutes, so it could have been worse. My face is only a mild shade of pink, instead of the bright puce it would no doubt have been if I’d been behind the bloody thing all the way to the studio.

Maybe I won’t be late, after all!

My stress levels reduce somewhat – enough for me to start singing along to the radio again.

It’s all fine. I’m going to be fine. I can get through this meeting with no problems, and I have plenty of time to spare before I see the craggy-faced, leather-clad monsters of rock that Howling at the Moon most definitely still are.

They may need a little help getting up and down the stairs to the stage these days, but they can still rock out with the best of them, once they’re on it.

Getting that out the way as well should leave me the evening free to pop over to Elaine’s to see about the claustrophobic poodles.

Then after that maybe I’ll get ten minutes to have a chat on the phone with Annie, when I can promise her that I’ll get to Teddy’s birthday party arrangements tomorrow.

It’s still a good few weeks off anyway, but I like to get these things sorted out way ahead of time, to make sure that any changes or problems can be dealt with.

I don’t think I’d be able to do this job if I didn’t know how to forward plan properly. Especially not as a freelancer. I am my own secretary – and can’t exactly fire myself if I do a bad job.

Ring ring.

I nearly jump out of my skin as the noise from my phone bounces around the car’s interior.

Well, well. Speak of the devil! It’s Maurice from Mega Lanes – the bowling alley Teddy apparently loves more than any other place in the world.

Maurice is probably ringing about my plans to theme the alley with a metric shit tonne of Jurassic Park memorabilia for the birthday party.

According to Annie, Teddy is a huge fan of that film series, and I want dinosaurs everywhere.

Absolutely bloody everywhere. Not a square inch will be dinosaur free.

They’ll be rammed in. The poodles would have a heart attack.

Best not take the call now, though. Not with my brain as busy as it is.

I’ll have to get back to him later today.

I have to concentrate on Zenith Games for the moment. My bank account demands it.

But it’s fine. I have loads of time to think about Teddy’s birthday, and how I’m going to impress the hell out of Annie with what I’ve got planned. No point in stressing myself out today more than I need to.

Best to just keep my head down, get through the rest of today – and then I can take a breather.

Everything is fine.

Everything is totally