Rock Radio - By Lisa Wainland Page 0,66
the short drive to her apartment in Aventura.
She clicked play on her answering machine and was shocked to hear Larry’s voice play back to her. That alone would have floored her, but then she heard the second message.
“Dana...uh, hi, it’s Sam. I wanted to tell you something...I uh...wanted you to hear it from me. Sorry to leave it on your machine, but I, uh, know your crazy hours.” Nervous laugh. “I’m getting married.”
Chapter 44
Larry Carter was mad. It had been two days, two long days since he left his message on Dana’s home answering machine.
She wasn’t calling him back.
It suddenly dawned on him that maybe Dana didn’t understand who he was. She was just like the people in high school. Just like the people at his work.
“Larry’s so weird.”
“A loner.”
“He kind of creeps me out.”
Larry had overheard them all a thousand times, standing in the shadows of secret conversations where truths were told. No one really knew him. No one. Not his parents who left him an orphan at age seven. Not the foster parents that kept him for a few months before rejecting him and sending him on to another home only to be discarded again. Not The Bitch who stopped loving him once he stopped paying her.
No, no one bothered to know the real Larry.
He was wonderful, caring and capable of deep love.
Through it all, Dana was always there with him every day on the radio, talking to him, telling him stories about her life. And when he’d call her, she’d talk to him and listen to him.
Not like his foster parents. Not like the people at work. Not like The Bitch.
Dana was the woman for him...she just didn’t realize it.
He was her destiny.
And now he’d have to prove it to her.
Chapter 45
Heather called Jonny at home.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Jill this is Heather from the station.” Her voice was a bit demanding. “I’d like to speak with Jonny.”
Her tone made Jill’s hair stand on end. A familiar chill went down her neck. “Hold on a moment,” she replied tersely. “Jonny...” she yelled to her husband.
“Yeah, babe what is it?” He breezed into the room.
“Heather.” She held out the phone like poison.
“Oh,” he took the receiver, “what’s up?” Jonny walked out of the room.
Jill lingered behind, still in earshot.
“We need to talk.”
“Heather, I thought I showed you how to handle that issue.”
“Jonny don’t play this secret stuff with me. Nothing was resolved earlier.” Heather’s anger turned to sadness. “I haven’t stopped crying all day.”
Jonny hated to hear a woman cry. It was his soft spot. “Look,” he whispered in the phone, “this is a bad time. Can we please discuss this tomorrow?”
“Promise me we will,” she begged. “I have strong feelings for you.”
Jonny sighed. “I promise.” He hung up the phone.
“What was that about?” Jill asked.
Jonny nearly jumped out of his skin. Jill startled him.
“Just station stuff,” he said, dismissing the conversation.
“Oh.” Jill turned and walked out of the room.
Jonny stopped her, putting his hand on her shoulder. “Really Jill, just station business.”
“I said okay.” Jill walked away.
“Okay. I’m gonna go take a shower and go to bed. I’m really beat.” Jonny wanted a quick way out of this awkward situation. He sensed hostility from Jill, but wasn’t sure why. He’d been very careful.
“Fine,” she answered flipping on the television and lying down on the couch. Within minutes he saw she was engrossed in some reality program.
As soon as Jonny left the room, Jill leapt up. She only had a limited amount of time. She quickly ran to his cell phone and began scrolling through the calls. The radio station popped up a lot, but so did the name Heather Dupree. She was sure she was the one who was having an affair with her husband. Jill flashed quickly to the night of the station kick-off party. She remembered how the slight redhead sashayed by them, flirting shamelessly with her husband, acting as if Jill wouldn’t notice. Acting as if Jill didn’t exist.
So young, so foolish, she thought, like I’d just stand by and watch another woman steal my husband from me.
Jill gave up her career to follow Jonny to small town markets so he could follow his dream to rock deejay stardom. She survived with Jonny on his barely minimum wage salary, sacrificing buying new clothes, going out to dinner and taking much needed vacations so they could pay the rent.
Now Jonny had made it. A great salary and all the prestige he had dreamed of.
They got to this point