Chapter 1: Amanda’s Birthday

“BINGO!” said Jared Reznik loudly to himself.

Immediately after saying that Jared reached into the drawer just below the newspaper he was reading and pulled out a blue pen. A circle was then quickly scribed around the small article in the Job Vacancies section of that same newspaper. Jared didn’t actually read the article then and there but did quickly take note of three capital letters that headed that one particular job vacancy listing. Those three letters in boldface type were simply the letters B S C. Jared didn’t take any further notice of it than that but closed up the paper and started clearing the bench space.

“Right!” said Jared to himself again. “I’ll get to you later but right now there is work to do!”

The newspaper on the kitchen bench was then very quickly folded up and placed neatly into the magazine rack that stood in the lounge room of the two bedroom bungalow he rented with his girlfriend Amanda Shore.

Once the newspaper was tucked away Jared set to work fixing breakfast for his girlfriend. Today was her birthday and Jared wanted to surprise her with a little bit of TLC before her day started. For some strange reason the relationship between the two of them had seemed a little strained lately and Jared was hoping to circumvent some of that with this breakfast in bed gesture.

Thus it was that Jared Reznik set to work preparing a bowl of Amanda’s favorite muesli cereal accompanied by two slices of toast with marmalade and genuine New Zealand butter. Jared also poured a lovely hot cup of coffee that he set down with everything else on a very pretty breakfast tray with a soft, pink floral design that he had bought specially for the occasion.

When all was ready the tray was carefully lifted off the kitchen servery and carried with great care down the passage way to the bedroom. As Jared entered the room he began to sing, “Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday my Amandaaaaaaa! Happy birthday to youuuuuuu!”

As Jared finished singing he dropped the tray a little bit so he could see over the top and down towards the crumpled figure lying under the blankets. That crumpled figure stirred as it began to stretch out under the warm bed clothes. Amanda Shore then rolled onto her back and opened her eyes and looked back towards Jared’s frame as it stood motionless in the doorway. Amanda quietly looked at the tray of stuff Jared was holding then she looked at his face then she looked out the bedroom window then she looked just as quietly at the green LEDs of the digital clock just by her face. That was when the quietness ended - very abruptly!

“Oh, SHIT!” burst out of Amanda’s mouth as her mind began to register what those green digits actually meant.

“Oh, SHIT!” she said for the second time. “Is that the real time. Fuck sake, Jared! Why didn’t you wake me up sooner. You know I’ve got a very important client to see this morning!”

Jared looked back at his girlfriend with a slightly bewildered look on his face before replying with, “Yer ... I know about that! But that’s not until 10:00am. It’s only 7:30am! You’ve got time for some breakfast, surely? Look, I made you a whole tray of stuff.”

Amanda just glared back at Jared and snorted back with, “You just don’t get it do you!? You think I have to stop my whole life just to fit in with yours. Well, that’s just not how it is. Quick ... move aside so I can get into the shower.”

The bewildered look on Jared’s face was growing and he was doing nothing to hide it.

“NO!” he eventually replied. “I’m not trying to take over your life or anything like that. I ... I ... I just thought ... I just thought ... I just thought you might like some breakfast in bed for your birthday. That’s all! You’ve got two and a half hours ahead of you yet before you have to be at that appointment so why the sudden panic!?”