Avery smirked. “What the hell about ballet is sexy?”
Allison cocked her head to the side, her lips pursed. “I think ballet is hella sexy. Especially if you want to incorporate it with an evening with your man.”
So, you think learning to balance on my toes and dance around a room will take less physical strength than pole dancing?”
Allison’s eyes shifted. “Good point. But…. With pole dancing, you need to have upper body strength.”
“I think I’ll be okay. I’ve got good upper body strength, believe it or not.”
Allison sucked her teeth then shrugged. “Just be careful, will you?”
“Of course.”
“And I mean, take it easy.”
“You mean take it slow.”
“Yes.”
Avery chuckled. “Aww, I didn’t know you cared.”
Allison frowned. “Don’t play with me.” She took another bite of her bagel then washed it down with orange juice. “In the case that you bust your ass, though, you might want to appoint someone at WTZB as your stand-in when you take time off.”
Laughter filtered through their space as Avery chortled. As the owner of WTZB Chicago news station, Avery Michele Valentine was the leading news station in the city. Allison Valentine was the newsroom editor, and for the last few years, the two were closer than ever.
“How about I make you a partner? What do you think about that?”
Allison’s eyes grew big. “A partner?”
“Yes.”
“That’s huge! Why would you play with me like that?”
“Who said I was playing?”
Gawking, Allison reached over and felt Avery’s forehead. “Let me make sure you’re okay.”
Avery ate another piece of her pancake. “Mmmm, this is so good.” She chewed while Allison checked her neck. “Do you want to check my pulse too?”
“Maybe I should.”
“Why does this surprise you so much?”
“Because WTZB is your baby. Your grandfather’s legacy. To add someone as a partner is practically splitting the ownership. That’s a big deal.”
Avery shrugged. “It was never my dream to own WTZB. I’ve held on to it and allowed it to flourish out of respect for my family. But it’s my whole life outside of this illness. I’d love to spend more time with DeAndre and share the responsibility of the news station. You’re the perfect person to help me do that. I trust you. We’re damn near family.”
“Shit, we are. We’re both Mrs. Valentine. We’re literally family.”
The two women laughed, and Avery nodded. “So, will you consider it?”
“Oh my gosh, this is so huge.” Allison couldn’t believe it. She was astonished. “Why did I never know that you felt that way about owning WTZB?”
Avery puckered her lips then took another drink of her orange juice.
“Maybe because it was never a topic of discussion. It’s not that I don’t like what I do. I found fulfillment in bringing the city the news at the top, middle, and evening part of the day. I found the passion in it and understood why my grandfather loved it so much. But still, with this Lupus and now married, I want to relax a little more. I don’t care for the hustle and bustle that comes with full ownership.” Avery glanced around the eating area, the cars that passed down the street, then back to Allison. “I don’t mean to lay this at your feet as pressure. Trust me, it is no pressure. I know what it feels like to put something on someone who never intended to take this career route. That’s the last thing I want to do with you. I’ve already been looking at other prospects for partners in case you turned it down.” She smiled.
Allison crossed her legs, her foot bouncing as she stared at Avery.