went beyond friendship. “We work well together. We have fun.”
Carl picked up a letter from a stack on his desk. “I just got another memo from corporate. One of their stations in Fresno got fined ten thousand dollars because one of their jocks made a lewd remark on air.”
“You should be talking to Nick about that, not me.”
“I already spoke to Nick. Now I’m speaking to you. You may not like it, but my job is to keep all of you in line.”
He stood, afraid if he had to listen to Carl much longer, he’d say something he’d regret. “You don’t have to worry about me or Erica,” he said. “We flirt on the air, but that’s all.” And what we do off the air is none of your business.
He left the office. Nick was waiting for him, leaning against the wall, propped on his crutches. “Let me guess. You got the-FCC-is-watching-don’t-make-a-wrong-move speech.” He fell into step beside Adam as he headed down the hall.
“Something like that.”
“So, are you and Erica sleeping together?”
He stopped so abruptly Nick almost collided with him. “What makes you think that?”
Nick shrugged. “Hot young chick, unattached young guy. In your position, I’d sure be trying to get in her pants.”
“Not every man thinks like you, Nick.”
“Sure they do, even if they won’t admit it. Hey, I didn’t say there’s anything wrong if you are sleeping with her. I think Carl’s rule is stupid.”
“Thanks for weighing in with your opinion.” Adam started off down the hall again.
Nick insisted on following. “I heard about what happened at Outback Charlie’s.”
Adam stiffened, but kept walking. “What happened at Outback Charlie’s?”
“Your big revelation that you’re an ex-con.”
“I’m sure the gossip hounds are having a field day with that one.”
“Sometimes things are only a big deal if you make them into that.”
He stopped and faced Nick again. “Just what are you getting at?”
“I’m trying to tell you that if you act like your record isn’t anything special—that it’s just part of who you are, like that chiseled jaw and your knowledge of music trivia—then other people will start to look at it that way, too. But if you treat it like this big, bad secret, they’re going to think you were in for something really horrible.”
“And you know this how?”
“I know this because despite what you may think, being in this business all these years has made me a student of human nature.”
“Is that so? So all the time you’re sitting in that control booth making off-color jokes, you’re really analyzing your co-workers.”
“Not analyzing, but observing. For instance, I know that Bonnie spends so much time trying to get noticed because she’s really insecure.”
Adam laughed. “Bombshell Bonnie? Insecure? Or is there another Bonnie here I don’t know about?”
“Did you know that she has six brothers and sisters, and that they all grew up dirt poor in some shack in East Texas? She probably had to fight for attention from the day she was born.”
“How do you know all this?”
Nick shrugged. “I got her drunk one night and I asked her.” He grinned. “You should try it some time. A little overindulgence can loosen anyone’s tongue, and make them forget their inhibitions.”
“Think I’ll pass. Is there a point to this conversation?”
“I’m trying to give you some useful advice. Lighten up.”
“Thanks. Think I’ll put that on a T-shirt.”
He started to walk away. “Hey, Adam,” Nick added.
“What?”
“If you aren’t sleeping with Erica, you ought to give it a try. I could be wrong, but I think she has a thing for you.”
“Goodbye, Nick.”
Adam headed down the stairs toward the coffee room, wishing he had something stronger than coffee to liven up the morning. Did everyone suspect that he and Erica were an item? If so, how long would it be before he had to start looking for another job? The idea of having to interview again, to face all those questions about his past, made his stomach knot. No matter what Nick said, people did pay attention when they saw the words “felony conviction” on a résumé. He’d felt them physically recoil from him, seen the sick smiles on their faces as they told him “Thanks, but no thanks.”
Erica hadn’t acted that way. His shoulders relaxed as he thought of her. She was amazing. The one person he felt he could be himself with.
One more reason he wasn’t eager to let the whole world in on their relationship. Right now it was something special and private, something only they shared. And he had to