mouth. What was
happening to her?
The waiter appeared.
“I’ll have another one.” She jiggled her cocktail.
Wes raised an eyebrow. “I’ll have what she’s having.”
Okay, they were two adults having dinner and drinks. It
shouldn’t be so charged with sexual tension. But it was.
“So you handled Pat today. I must say I am not one-hundred
percent convinced he’s an autumn.” Macy couldn’t stifle a belly laugh. It
wasn’t helpful when she was trying to be the sarcastic ice queen, but Wes
succeeded in easing some of her tension.
“God, you have a great laugh.” He just kept coming, didn’t
he?
“Not too ladylike.” Macy had a hard time taking the
compliment.
“But infectious. You don’t laugh much do you?” Wes asked.
“Is this pertinent in some way?” Macy was going to try like
hell to steer things back to work.
“Everything is pertinent about you. But let’s talk shop
since that’s how I tricked you into supping with me.” Wes was working to keep
her from bolting, that she could tell, and she appreciated it. She would bolt
before she flamed up and jumped him again. Jumping him or running away from him
looked like her only two options. Sitting and talking with him had her wanting
to kiss him again.
“Okay. So how did you know what I said to Pat Walters?”
“I know all and see all.”
“You do? How very NSA of you.”
“Actually I was about to head into the meeting to make sure
all was going well this morning and you were in the middle of eviscerating Pat.
I admit I hovered in the hall. I wish I had it on tape, so I could play it
back—again and again.”
“We’re going to have to let him go. I’ll do it, with your
approval of course. ANCR can help with the search for a new ND.” She finished
her first cocktail and instantly the second cocktail she’d ordered and a prime
rib appeared in front of her.
“You ordered for me?” She was constantly thrown off by this
guy. “What if I don’t like red meat?”
“You do.” He had to be guessing. But it was a great guess.
Not eating had caught up with her and she dug in. “See?”
Macy noticed Wes watched her mouth, and hoped nothing juicy
was sliding down her chin. “Good guess.”
While she ate, she decided to turn the conversation to Wes.
“So, how’d a captain of industry wind up here?” She was curious. Was WLUV a
little toy? Was it just a billionaire’s hobby like car racing?
“This is the deal. Either you come up with a way to save WLUV,
or convince me it can be saved with some reasonable measures, or I’ll shut it
down in less than a year.” Wes didn’t really answer the question.
“Well, no pressure there.”
“I sense you thrive under pressure.”
“True.” She did, and there wasn’t any point in lying about
it. Deadlines, pressure, fast-paced environments, she’d flourished in them as a
reporter and now, as a consultant. Her goal was to turn her newsrooms into
intense and competitive offices because she knew they produced the best work.
They finished dinner and Macy couldn’t remember enjoying a
meal more. She’d wound up with three martinis – one past her limit – and she
felt loose, happy, maybe even a little buzzed.
They’d had a really nice conversation which mostly stayed in
the neighborhood of work. Macy uncorked a little about her passion for news,
for storytelling, and for doing it in a way that made viewers pay attention.
Wes seemed interested and asked about some of her strategies for WLUV. Macy
enjoyed sharing her plans, what had worked at other stations, and what she saw
as WLUV’s strengths.
Wes paid the check and he escorted her to the lobby, his
hand on her back as he guided her to the elevators, “I’ll see that you get
safely to your room.”
“You seem overly concerned with my safety. Honestly, it’s
not necessary. I can take care of myself.”
“I insist.” Wes pushed the up button. When the doors opened,
he entered the elevator with her. They were
happening to her?
The waiter appeared.
“I’ll have another one.” She jiggled her cocktail.
Wes raised an eyebrow. “I’ll have what she’s having.”
Okay, they were two adults having dinner and drinks. It
shouldn’t be so charged with sexual tension. But it was.
“So you handled Pat today. I must say I am not one-hundred
percent convinced he’s an autumn.” Macy couldn’t stifle a belly laugh. It
wasn’t helpful when she was trying to be the sarcastic ice queen, but Wes
succeeded in easing some of her tension.
“God, you have a great laugh.” He just kept coming, didn’t
he?
“Not too ladylike.” Macy had a hard time taking the
compliment.
“But infectious. You don’t laugh much do you?” Wes asked.
“Is this pertinent in some way?” Macy was going to try like
hell to steer things back to work.
“Everything is pertinent about you. But let’s talk shop
since that’s how I tricked you into supping with me.” Wes was working to keep
her from bolting, that she could tell, and she appreciated it. She would bolt
before she flamed up and jumped him again. Jumping him or running away from him
looked like her only two options. Sitting and talking with him had her wanting
to kiss him again.
“Okay. So how did you know what I said to Pat Walters?”
“I know all and see all.”
“You do? How very NSA of you.”
“Actually I was about to head into the meeting to make sure
all was going well this morning and you were in the middle of eviscerating Pat.
I admit I hovered in the hall. I wish I had it on tape, so I could play it
back—again and again.”
“We’re going to have to let him go. I’ll do it, with your
approval of course. ANCR can help with the search for a new ND.” She finished
her first cocktail and instantly the second cocktail she’d ordered and a prime
rib appeared in front of her.
“You ordered for me?” She was constantly thrown off by this
guy. “What if I don’t like red meat?”
“You do.” He had to be guessing. But it was a great guess.
Not eating had caught up with her and she dug in. “See?”
Macy noticed Wes watched her mouth, and hoped nothing juicy
was sliding down her chin. “Good guess.”
While she ate, she decided to turn the conversation to Wes.
“So, how’d a captain of industry wind up here?” She was curious. Was WLUV a
little toy? Was it just a billionaire’s hobby like car racing?
“This is the deal. Either you come up with a way to save WLUV,
or convince me it can be saved with some reasonable measures, or I’ll shut it
down in less than a year.” Wes didn’t really answer the question.
“Well, no pressure there.”
“I sense you thrive under pressure.”
“True.” She did, and there wasn’t any point in lying about
it. Deadlines, pressure, fast-paced environments, she’d flourished in them as a
reporter and now, as a consultant. Her goal was to turn her newsrooms into
intense and competitive offices because she knew they produced the best work.
They finished dinner and Macy couldn’t remember enjoying a
meal more. She’d wound up with three martinis – one past her limit – and she
felt loose, happy, maybe even a little buzzed.
They’d had a really nice conversation which mostly stayed in
the neighborhood of work. Macy uncorked a little about her passion for news,
for storytelling, and for doing it in a way that made viewers pay attention.
Wes seemed interested and asked about some of her strategies for WLUV. Macy
enjoyed sharing her plans, what had worked at other stations, and what she saw
as WLUV’s strengths.
Wes paid the check and he escorted her to the lobby, his
hand on her back as he guided her to the elevators, “I’ll see that you get
safely to your room.”
“You seem overly concerned with my safety. Honestly, it’s
not necessary. I can take care of myself.”
“I insist.” Wes pushed the up button. When the doors opened,
he entered the elevator with her. They were
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