Cast a wide net {O2A}

[Brody Tucker]

CHICAGO _ It was one winter afternoon at the GCW Tower when freelance journalist Brody Tucker started to come face to face with reality.

One of the great wrestling companies going into its next season and she'd found just the right angle to cover one of the season's biggest TV stories. She was even on a major magazine's dime to do it. The research was all in order and she already had a few contacts – well PR folk – but she'd maybe told a little white lie about her access to the “important” people. She spent a moment locked in the glow of her phone as if studying the pitch letter she sent would make things better.

“Take a deep breath, then just rush a famous person. I'm too damn charming for them to resist,” she told herself after ducking in the bathroom to give her suit a final once over and wipe the snow, sleet and or freezing rain off her glasses. The hair was looking fine as is though. It had never been so so short or so blonde until recently but she'd decided it was a good look for her.

“On to the heavy lifting.” She marched back out into the lobby and stood poised by the elevators knowing the odds of someone coming or going were in her favor in this human terrarium they called a corporate headquarters.

[Crymson]

"That... is... FREEZING!"

[/size] loudly exclaimed the girl with the blood red hair coming through the front entrance. "UGH!" Fed up with the slow traffic a few miles back, Claire Arlett had ditched her cab. She could make it back to the tower faster on foot, having spent the day purchasing some new clothes to make up for all that she'd lost with her car in it's accident. For some dumb reason, whoever towed it left everything she had inside to only get destroyed by the hideous weather. *Sigh.* Morons. She was just glad she saved a lot of her Ohio money.

"Yeah, don't go out there..." she said to the poor receptionist that witnessed her little "show" walking through the door, turning her head and watching Claire walk past, a snowy, wet mess following her. Claire had tried to brush and shake everything off as good as possible... but, yeah. It just didn't happen. Didn't matter. Soon the janitor would be down to clean it, and soon Claire would be in her nice... hot... shower...

Just has to get up the elevator...[/i][/center]

[Brody Tucker]

“Let me get that for you.” said Brody, happy that her journalism career was officially off of life support. If she'd played Six Degrees right in her head this was going to be easier than she thought. Plus she was lucky enough not to go sift through a bunch of basic questions with a rookie she didn't have tape of. Time to show everyone why they trusted her with this. She sidled over to the door and hit the up button for her.

“Looks like you've had one hell of a day.” She smiled and gave the bags a conspicuous glance. “Must've been worth it though. So, where are the rich and fabulous shopping these days?”

[Crymson]

"Thank you," she said, stepping in quickly. "And, H&M, down on Michigan Avenue. Picked one hell of a day to start replacing my wardrobe... but I'm running light on the quick, convenience store pickups... so... whatever. Was just nice getting away from the Tower for a few." Turning, she looks at the control panel, pushing the floor for her button. "Was there any floor in particular you were looking for... Miss...?"

[Brody Tucker]

“Brody Tucker. I guess it isn't fair that I already know who you are, is it? Looks like your media wrangler is up by the corporate offices. I just hope I'm not walking home with a handful of press releases.” she said with a sigh trying to drum up a bit of sympathy.

“I'm sure they're fighting us off with sticks with the season premiere coming up in a couple weeks. Are you starting to see preparations starting around here? I assume they have you in and out of TV studios now, but the atmosphere has to be different,right?”

[Crymson]

A reporter? Oh well, some company that isn't a Guns 'N Roses reject rapist is more than welcome... She wonders if he's still in jail after that scene she made. "Well, I personally am not in studios left and right, they may be saving that for when I'm completely healed up after my car accident... but, hey, I'm back in Chicago, right? Must mean that the atmosphere is far different. Starting to feel like home too."

She reached down, wrapping her other hand around the strap of her hand bag, shaking some of the snow off lightly. She was still somewhat a mess. "Hey, listen... if you're going to take any pictures of me for whatever you're running... can we make sure it's not going to be snowball-mess me going in them?"

[/i]

[Brody Tucker]

"What, you don't like the verite element? " she said with a laugh.

“Relax, after today I think Carrie – my editor – is going to start thinking big.” This was one that could launch a lot of careers. Of course that builds to the shop talk. “I'm seeing live stills for art. Although I bet we could do more if I can actually get the access I'm looking for? If all the stuff I think is there is it might warrant a photoshoot. Real Annie Leibovitz stuff if we're lucky. But of course that means hounding most of you Debutantes for the next few weeks. Hopefully I can get a pass for the gym here today.”

[Crymson]

"Use mine," she said, raising her purse up. "They just gave me another one, because I told them I'd lost it. The other one is sitting in my nightstand drawer. All it is is a magnetic strip security card... faculty, wrestlers, all of them can use it."

She wasn't going to dig it out at the moment, as her hands were full. "Besides, I'm sure that the Debutantes could use a lot more exposure. If I recall correctly, last year was slow all around. So, every little bit helps, right?"

[Brody Tucker]

“Is today my birthday or something? Thanks, you know helping print journalism like this actually counts as a charitable contribution these days.” At least she got a laugh out of her industry joke.

“This won't go to waste. I actually want to talk to everyone if I can. You've got a lot of great personalities in the division, present company included.” She said wondering if it still counted as kissing ass if it were true. “Lots of stories up and down the card to really sell this year, if I can get people to talk. And we were kind of kicking around the idea of a profile of the champ as the meat of the thing actually. That's if she's obliging.”

[Crymson]

"I wouldn't know. I've never met her myself... Last year was just too... "meh," for my presence here." She shrugged, "Best thing to do would probably be here to track her down and just pestering her. You probably just got lucky I'm in a good mood today as it was." She raises her bag, "New clothes tend to do that to a person."

The elevator bell sounds, and the doors slide open with a hiss. "Listen, I need a shower big time. I'm in suite 7 on this floor, so feel free to give it a knock with anything that you do need and I can possibly help you with. We'll see what all happens," she said, with a smile, stepping through the door. Her foot remains in the door track to keep it from closing. "It was good meeting you."

[Brody Tucker]

“You too.” she said satisfied with the day's work so far. She gives the card a once over as the door closes and pushes a button below corporate so that she can head back downstairs. This was worth a reassuring call to the editor she thought.

“It's me, you'll never guess who I just talked to. Plus, I think I got her. I'll let you know something by the end of the week.”

-30-