yes, you called me a dog.”
I shook my head. “I said I gave the dog a bone. It’s not literal—it’s an expression. Like I gave you a treat. Was it not a treat? Don’t tell me you didn’t appreciate the mocha gesture.”
She hesitated. “I would have . . . if I hadn’t spilled it in the studio.”
I nodded. “Not a surprise with your bad luck lately, especially with your boyfriend dumping you on the air.”
“Don’t remind me.” Lori’s left eye twitched. “I’m flattered that you listened to my show.”
I threw my hands up. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. People around the station were talking about it. Let the record show that I don’t do silly love songs and never will. And while we’re on the topic, no offense, but your sugar-coated advice is not my cup of tea, either.”
“Believe me, I know. You prefer beating them over the head with it.”
“Better than beating around the bush.”
Lori narrowed her eyes at me. “Are you sure you’re not a caveman?”
“Are you sure you’re not a nun?”
“I’ve hit the jackpot!” Kyle laughed and pumped his fist in the air. “This is going to be ratings gold! I called it!” He rubbed his hands together and went back over to the other side of his desk, taking a seat. “Okay, okay, this is even better than I could’ve imagined. Please, both of you, sit down.”
Lori and I had only one thing in common.
We both stared at Kyle like he was crazy.
“And how did you know my name at Peet’s?” Lori asked.
“It wasn’t that difficult to read your custom license plate. Lori-thirty-nine. What’s the thirty-nine stand for? The number of times you play Celine Dion in a day?”
Lori placed her hands on her hips. “No—the number of times I’ve thought about bopping you over the head since you walked into this office.”
“I’m a genius!” Kyle gestured to the two chairs in front of his desk. “Come on, sit down. You can’t see what’s happening, but I can. I envisioned you two together and my gut was right. Mark my words, you will have the number one show in the market in less than a month.”
Lori sighed and remained standing. “Look, Kyle, I really appreciate you offering me the job, but I think the only thing that Ben and I will ever agree upon is that this has disaster written all over it.”
I nodded. “She’s right.”
Kyle folded his hands behind his head. “Lori . . . you need a job, right?”
She nodded. “Yes, but—”
“And Ben, you want to keep your job, right?”
I stared at him, not enjoying his threat at all.
The little Harry Potter weasel had all the power and he knew how to use it.
“I know for a fact that there are zero on-air radio job openings in San Diego at the moment,” Kyle added. “Now, take a seat and hear me out on this.”
I glanced over at Lori, groaned, and then slid into one of the chairs.
Lori sighed and shook her head, as if she also thought we were both being sentenced to death by the electric chair. She glanced at the chair again, then at me, but kept standing.
Who does this woman think she is? She would be lucky to work with me!
Kyle picked up the pen from his desk and scribbled something on his notepad.
What is he doing?
He set the pen down, tore off the sheet of paper, folded it twice, and held it toward Lori like he was passing her a note in a high school classroom.
She blinked. “What’s that?”
Kyle grinned. “The first number I wrote is your guaranteed salary for the first month, which would be an official trial period that either of us can walk away from at any time. If the ratings go up after that, and I guarantee you they will, the figure that I wrote underneath that is your salary for the first year which would come with a contract.”
She hesitated, but then stepped forward and snatched the paper from his hand. She glanced over at me and then back down at the paper, unfolding it.
Lori’s eyes went wide and then she started laughing. “You’re kidding, right?”
Kyle shook his head. “Mornings pay a lot more than nights. You obviously knew that.”
“I did, but wow. That’s really . . . something.” She glanced back down at the piece of paper again, smiled, stuffed it in her purse, and sat down next to me.
I studied her for a moment. “You’re in? Just like that?”
Lori shrugged. “All things considered, yes. Money