Page 23 of Full Contact

“Occupational hazard.”

He stayed beside the monitor while we watched it again. His shoulder brushed mine when Priya tilted the screen toward us. Neither of us moved.

The crew packed up with twenty minutes still on the clock. Peaches supervised from the couch, having decided the equipment bags were acceptable now that they were leaving.

Mark stood at the door with his bag over his shoulder and walked me through the next steps. The introduction would go out during camp, while everyone was returning and before the regular episodes began. I would see the finished cut first. Nothing posted without my approval.

“How long for the edit?” I asked.

“A few days. Priya’s fast.”

“And the posting time?”

“Depends when you approve it.”

I agreed to all of it. Then I asked whether episode two would include the courtyard.

“If Peaches is willing. Priya wants to see what the light’s like out there.”

“Peaches prefers the afternoon,” I said.

“Then we’ll work around her schedule.”

“She’ll appreciate that.”

“Anything else?” Mark asked.

“That covers it.”

“Then we’ll get out of your building.” He looked past me at the couch. “Goodbye, Peaches.”

She didn’t respond.

The edit arrived a few days later. I watched it at home, on the couch.

They had kept Peaches walking out of my introduction. They had kept the toy she stepped over, me lifting her onto my lap, and the entire answer about the chair. Nothing showed the building or the street. Nothing intruded on her medication or her food. The whole thing looked like an afternoon I might actually have.

Mark’s laugh came through clearly, just off camera. I watched that part once more with the volume turned up.

Trier: Approved.

Mark: Posting tomorrow, 11 a.m. Does Peaches have any final notes?

Trier: She thinks you could have used more of her.

Mark: I’ll explain the concept of an introductory episode.

Trier: She’s heard concepts before. She snubs them.

The next day, I found the link waiting when I got back to my stall after morning skate. I sat down on the bench and opened it.

The episode was live on the team account. There we were: my living room, my cat, and my hand resting along her back while I talked about the chair. Then Mark said something from behind the camera, and the man on the screen looked up at him.

I remembered being filmed. I hadn’t realized I looked that pleased about it.

Chapter four

Mark