Rock my world - By Cindi Myers Page 0,38
to have her dream job and her dream man at the same time. Surely she was smart enough to find that way.
BY THE TIME Bonnie got home that night, she had worked herself into a fury over her latest mistreatment at the hands of KROK management. Doug was waiting for her, lounging on the sofa and watching TV as if nothing in the world was wrong.
“Shut off that noise. I don’t want to hear it,” she snapped, and tossed her purse on the coffee table in front of him, narrowly missing an open can of beer.
He hit the off button on the remote and rescued the beer. “Tough day?”
“It was a horrible day. The worst.” She whirled to face him, hands on her hips. “You’ll never guess what they’ve done now. Never in a million years.”
He sipped the beer. “So tell me.”
“They’ve put that, that, nobody, Erica whatever-the-hell-her-name-is, in the drive-time slot with Adam Hawkins.”
“I see,” he said, looking puzzled. “And that’s bad because?”
“Because I should have had that position, not some amateur like her.” She began to pace, high heels making sharp round circles in the thick pile of the carpet. “Nobody even had the courtesy to warn me. I showed up to do the traffic report at four and there she was, sitting in my chair. The one I always sit in to do my reports. I couldn’t believe it.”
Erica hadn’t even been smart enough to move out of the way. Bonnie should have known then something was up. “You’ll have to stand today,” Adam told her, not even bothering to apologize. “We’ll try to have another chair for you tomorrow.”
“What is she doing here?” Bonnie couldn’t even look at Erica, instead focusing on Adam.
“Adam and I are doing the afternoon show together now,” Erica said, as calmly as if she was announcing the time.
“Oh, are you?” Bonnie practically purred. She knew better than to let them see how she was really feeling. How enraged the news made her. She even smiled at Adam. “Did you suggest her for the position?” she asked.
“It was Carl’s idea.” Erica butted in again. “He thought listeners were ready for a change.”
“If the listeners want a change, Carl should give them me,” Bonnie said now to Doug. “Carl obviously hates me. He discounts all my hard work and gives some…some child, a complete amateur, her own show when she’s only worked on the air a few hours.”
“If he’s so against you, maybe you should get a job somewhere else.” Doug helped himself to an apple from the bowl on the coffee table.
“I don’t want to go anywhere else. KROK is the number one station in Denver. Going somewhere else would be like taking a demotion.”
Doug took a bite from the apple. “Maybe you could sue.”
“Believe me, I’ve thought of that. But why should I have to pay a lawyer to get what I deserve?” She began to pace again. “No, I need a way to open Carl’s eyes to my value at the station.”
“How are you going to do that?”
“I don’t know. But I’m always thinking. Always looking for my opening. And when I find it, they’ll all be sorry they took me for granted.”
“I don’t see how anybody could take you for granted, baby.”
Doug always said the right thing, one of the reasons she liked having him around. But words weren’t always enough. She wanted proof that she was valued. She wanted her own radio show and the fans she deserved.
She was tired of people standing in the way of her dreams. If she had to shove them over to get what she wanted, then it was time to start shoving.
9
“THAT WAS ‘Into the Morning’ by The Weekend.” Adam segued into the next promo. “Speaking of the weekend, on Saturday from one to four I’ll have the KROK swag van at Highlands Audio, 42nd and Federal. Stop by and get your free KROK bumper stickers or T-shirts. I’ll also have some CDs and concert tics to give away. While you’re there, check out the great deals on home and car stereo systems.”
“Would that be the brand-new swag van?” Erica asked, right on cue.
“That’s the one. A replacement for the one totaled in Naughty Nick’s accident. Stop by and check out the sick paint job on this baby. So what are your plans for the weekend, Erica?”
“I’ll be at the Green Day concert Saturday night. And Saturday afternoon, I’m having a new bed delivered.”
That certainly wasn’t in the script, but he played