She looks at me, her eyes still flinty. “Yes?”
“Thanks for this. There’s more here than usual. I can see you pulled a lot together for tonight’s show, and I’ll try to do all of your hard work justice,” I say, but not just to assuage her hurt feelings. She’s a good co-worker and does do a great job of keeping me on track, especially with a fancy topic like this. I’m more of a ‘love her well and treat her right’ kinda guy, but obviously, some folks need a bit more guidance, and I’m glad Susannah is here to make sure I don’t do something stupid like contradict the author.
She really is the glue that keeps the show successful, even if her work is more behind-the-scenes. There’ve been several times she’s had to feed me good advice for a caller when the questions got a little beyond dark and into whoa territory. I have a pretty broad ‘book knowledge’ at least on most things, including some of the darker sides of sexual relationships, but I’ve always been sort of the ‘good guy with an edge.’ Nobody’s ever accused me of being the bad boy.
That’s one of the ways Susannah balances me. She’s dabbled in a lot of things I haven’t, or at least she comes off as familiar with them in a way I’m not, and she’s always focused on making the show the best it can be while I focus on helping the most folks. Without her driving us and scheduling topics, I’d have run out of shit to say months ago.
I see her soften, and I know despite the hard-edged bitch persona she likes to project, she’s got a real side to her too. “Sure thing, Derrick. We’ve got this. C’mon, Love Whisperer.”
There’s a teasing note back in her voice, and I know whatever made her mad about my being late is settled, or at least pushed to the back burner. Susannah is an utmost professional, and she’s ready to rock this show with me like always. “Good. Now, what’s the schedule for the other upcoming shows?”
“Like you ever remember?” Susannah says, and I smirk. She’s right.
“Amuse me,” I retort. “Imagine that I actually am a professional at this, and forget to remind me that I’m an idiot tomorrow and the rest of the week.”
“Don’t I always?”
Chapter 8
Kat
“And that, ladies, is why you should always tell your man where exactly you want him to bury his tongue. That’s what I call ‘quality time.’ Am I right?”
I was just getting my dinner ready and missed the opening segment of Derrick’s show, but now, as he gives advice to a woman who wrote in about her partner’s oral skills, I have to set my fork down before I drop it on the floor. The deep intensity in his voice sends a shiver through my body even as he talks to the whole state. It feels like he’s talking just to me.
Setting the bowl of pasta down, I hold my breath, not sure if I’m listening to Languages of Love so I can get to know Derrick’s heart a bit better, or BDSM to get to know his sexual leanings better. I’ve never been into hardcore BDSM, but the way Derrick speaks . . . maybe a little spanking wouldn’t be too bad at all.
Of course, there’s always a degree of fakeness for the airwaves. Derrick’s careful. He’s not going to divulge too much personal information, but he always manages to weave enough of himself into the advice he gives that you can’t help but get to know him. So I keep listening, mixing in the little tidbits he tosses the listeners with the information he’s shared only with me . . . and liking what I’m finding more and more.
“Okay, here’s an email from Lexus,” Derrick says. “Now, I’d like everyone’s opinion on this one. It says, Dear Love Whisperer, I’ve been with my boyfriend for three years now, and I’ve got a problem. You see, I only really feel like he loves me or gives me attention when he buys me things. For the first two and half years of our relationship, he bought me diamonds, pearls, even a new car for my birthday. Recently, though, he lost his job and he’s tried to make up for it with what he calls ‘little things’ like cooking me breakfast in bed or drawing me pictures, but it doesn’t feel the same. What should I do?”
“I have no idea what she should do,” Susannah says, “but if I were Lexus’ boyfriend, I’d be thinking it’s time to trade her in and see if there’s a better ride that doesn’t cost so much.”
“Hold on,” Derrick says, barely holding back his laughter.
I snort, thinking Susannah’s right. But the special guest tonight butts in. “I disagree,” she says in a haughty voice. “It’s obvious that L has felt a lack of dialogue with her partner as their situation has changed, and she must take the initiative to make sure both of their needs are being met on a level they agree on—”