“What—” I start, taking the phone in trembling fingers before remembering. “That time you were screwing with my phone, when I stepped out to take a piss.”
Susannah shrugs, finally deciding that offense is the best defense. “I had to do it. I just wanted to see what I was up against. I needed you here with me, and knowledge is power. If I knew what you were doing, I could cover for you, work with you, maybe get you to see the light that you don’t need her and she’s screwing everything up. We’re on the cusp of greatness here, and it’s everything I’ve worked so hard for. And you’re not only letting it slip away, you’re walking away for some damn pussy. After I listened to a few of the conversations, I thought it would be good for the show. Hell, it got me hot and I don’t even think of you that way. If she got mad and dumped you, then you’d re-focus on the show and we could go back to how it was before. Win-win.”
“Win-win? Like before?” I ask, staring at my phone. My hands are shaking so hard I can barely control myself, and the world narrows to a single black tunnel as I stare at the welcome screen for the spyware. My fist clenches, squeezing the sides of my phone until there’s a cracking sound, and suddenly, my phone’s screen goes black. I drop the wreck on the table and look up at Susannah. “How on earth could it be like before after what you did?”
Quincy doesn’t let her respond. “Susannah, you’re fired. Gather your shit and get out.”
“You’ll be hearing from my lawyer,” Susannah growls. “You hear me? I’m gonna own this station by the time I’m done with you.”
“Ms. Jameson, you’re going to be lucky if you don’t serve time. I’m reporting your actions to the police even if Mr. King here doesn’t. You’re not walking away from this. Your actions have risked the station and the show. I’ll call security to escort you out.”
Instead of waiting, Susannah storms out, kicking my office door open before screaming in rage as she heads down the hallway. In the strange silence that follows, I turn to Quincy, who’s watching my office door close on its pneumatic hinge. “I’m sorry about all—” I attempt.
“Forget it,” Quincy says. “I actually listen to the show, Derrick. Not as a boss, but just as a listener. Maybe she was carrying more load behind the scenes, but the success of the show on-air is about you and there has been something different lately. You seem happier on-air, like you believe the happily ever after shit you peddle, and it gives us all hope, even my crusty old soul. Maybe we need to get you an assistant for the prep and a co-host for on-air, but regardless, what Susannah did is about as wrong as it gets.”
I let out a relieved sigh, realizing I’m not fired too. “What about the show? We had to be breaking some rules last night.”
Quincy shrugs. “We’ll probably catch some shit, but as long as we don’t pull anything like that again, we’ll be fine.”
“And the show tonight?” I ask, looking at my cracked phone. “I really shouldn’t have done that . . . how the hell am I going to call Kat now?”
“Go get a new phone. If she meant that much to you, you have to know her number,” Quincy says. “As for your show, we’ll cue up one of the recorded ones. Take a few days, get yourself together, and we’ll line up some help for you. I know we’ve got some producers in-house who would give anything to work with the Love Whisperer, and I’ll put out some feelers for a co-host. Think of it this way, you’ve got a hell of an opening monologue to do if you want.”
“Yeah . . .” I mumble, not sure what else to say. “Quincy, I know I should start helping with everything now, but—”
“Go handle your business,” he says, patting me on the shoulder. “We got this.”
I think. How am I supposed to reach out to Kat when she isn’t answering me and I don’t know where she is? Suddenly, it hits me, and I look Quincy in the eye. “Actually, I need to get on the radio tonight. At least that first half hour or so. Think Phil would mind being my producer tonight?”
He gives me a small, tight smile. “Hell, if he can’t, I think I can still run a basic board. Just don’t ask me to do any digital magic.”
Chapter 26
Kat
I’m lying on the couch, trying to ignore the pain inside me by shooting balloons with monkeys on Elise’s laptop when she comes in, carrying her phone. “Kat!”
“What?” I mutter, watching as a giant black blimp appears on screen. How appropriate, it fits my mood.