“Probably. Maybe I’ll keep them. I have my own money, so it’s not like I can’t buy them, but it pisses me off that he won’t let us put our own spin on things. It’s time to branch out. Do more.” He hated the frustration in Noah’s voice. “It’s such a waste. Whatever. Same old. What’s going on with you? How’s life in radio? You figure things out?”
“Actually, you guys gave me some ideas. I need you to talk to Ari, though.”
“How long you think Dad can pretend she’s not old enough to get her act together?”
Chris stabbed another piece of chicken. “Not sure. But I need you to run interference for me. Send her on a spa week, something. Anything to distract her. I need time to get something in place so I can show him there’s no room for Ari to step in.” Though it wouldn’t surprise him if Ari just dropped the idea and moved on to something else. All the more reason not to let her inside his station.
“Good luck with that. Dad listens to me about as much as he does you. I’ll try, but I can’t promise anything. Once you’re working alongside him rather than for him, you aren’t going to know what to do with yourself.”
Chris laughed. “A problem I welcome.”
Noah murmured in agreement before asking, “What do you have planned?”
After outlining the basics, he added, “She’s shy. More than just shy, really.” He didn’t want to say more. It wasn’t his place. But it would impact the outcome. “That makes her a wild card. Once she relaxes a bit, though, she opens up and is amazing to talk to. She’s funny and sarcastic and really smart.”
“Sounds like you want her to have your babies, little brother,” Noah said, laughing.
Chris nearly choked on his next bite. “Screw you. She’s a nice woman. And an employee. One Dad wants to screw over just because Ari has another harebrained idea.”
“You know, I could use some sunshine and a visit. I’ll talk to Dad, but I’m going to clear my schedule.”
Chris was all for seeing his brother. It had been way too long. “Let me know if you’re coming. I’ll order another bed.”
His brother’s laughter filled the room, almost like he was there. Yeah, it’d be nice to see him.
* * *
After a long, hot shower, Chris dressed in lounge pants and a T-shirt and brought out the paperwork again. Once Everly had looked at the idea as a promotional tool, she’d really gotten into the planning. He loved watching that cloak of quiet slip off as she became more comfortable. And then you made things awkward.
He worried that once she put herself in the position of having to select candidates, she might shut down. When he’d presented the idea, he’d expected her to refuse. He’d sort of thought Stacey would tell him to do unpleasant things to himself. He shouldn’t have underestimated them.
Still, he planned to make sure they had everything ruthlessly organized so it would be as easy a process on her as possible.
His hand hovered over his phone, and he toyed with the idea of calling her. To what? Invite her over to share your left-over tandoori chicken? Chris opened his laptop. He didn’t need to phone her. He’d see her tomorrow. And the next day. And the one after that. And soon he’d be keeping tabs on the men she was dating. That’s going to suck.
“But it’s for the best.” He cared about Everly. “All of them. You care about all of them.” Which was unusual. Most of his father’s companies, the ones he’d spent time in, had a more corporate, serious feel. This one felt like more than a workplace. It was fun. He’d been intrigued by Everly the second he’d seen her. That had notched up to interested the first time she laughed with abandon, then blushed because of it. Over the last twelve months, he’d begun to care more than was wise. Differently from the others. None of his other staff made him feel like he’d swallowed his tongue when they walked in the room. He didn’t want to be the reason any of the others laughed. “You’re not the right guy.” Not for anyone, which meant this was an excellent opportunity to help a friend find happiness before he moved back across the country. Where you won’t have to witness her falling in love.
Pushing away from the laptop, he leaned back on two legs of his chair. He was restless. He hated feeling that way. Dropping the chair back to all fours, he scrolled through his phone, his finger hovering over his mom’s contact. Chris had surprised himself, opening up to Everly today. The words about his father had just tumbled out of his mouth. He hadn’t talked to his mom in a couple of weeks, but before he could text, someone knocked. Leaving the phone, he went to the door and opened it. Rob, one of his neighbors who’d become a friend, smiled at him.
“Hey, man. What’s up?” Chris stepped back.
“Not much. Thinking of going out to grab a drink, thought I’d see if you were around. Didn’t know I’d catch you in your jammies,” he said, laughter in his tone.
Rob was a big guy, a couple of inches taller than Chris’s six feet. He owned a couple of gyms and had the arms to prove it. He took advantage of his own equipment and the roster of classes his places offered for mixed martial arts, yoga, and kickboxing. Chris went to a class now and again but usually preferred running to clear his head.
“I was going to offer you a beer,” Chris said, shutting the door.
Rob laughed. “That’s okay. I can get my own.” Detouring past the fridge, he did just that.
Chris sat down on one end of his couch as Rob sat at the other, cracked open his beer, and took a drink.
He gestured with the can. “Heard the show the other day. Was all excited to hear Sexy Deejay sing when your producer cut in. You kick the guy’s ass for her?”
Laughing, because Rob knew Chris hadn’t gone after the guy, Chris shook his head. “Stop calling her Sexy Deejay, man. Her name is Stacey.”
Rob shrugged, then looked down at his beer. “No disrespect, man. That voice just gets me. It’s like when you hear a singer you love, you know?”
Chris tilted his head and gave his friend a mocking grin. “So, you’re in love with her, then?”
Rob chuckled. “Screw you. You know what I mean. When are you going to bring her down to the gym?”
“Right after never. The staff goes out as a big group now and again, but it’s usually to grab a drink, not get a workout.” The couple of times he’d grabbed a beer with them, Everly hadn’t joined, and he’d felt like an idiot for being disappointed. Once, he’d gone with the plan to tell them who his father was, but that was the same week his dad decided to audit Chris’s performance. He’d sent a damn accountant from New York to check up on him. Chris had been too pissed off to want to be associated with his father. Maybe he should consider putting together a staff event. A night out, a ball game. Something to unite them while showing he cared about them. A goodbye-to-you party? A sharp jab in his chest surprised him. It was a good idea. They’d be going through more upheaval before the year was out.
“Worth a shot. I’ll just give you some more free passes. You can give ’em away on the radio as long as you make sure she gets one.”
“Whatever.” He chuckled. Rob had no trouble finding dates, but he had a thing for Stacey despite having never met her in person.
Setting his beer down, Rob clapped his hands together once and rubbed his palms back and forth. “I have a favor.”
“Shoot.”
“I want to do an anniversary party at the East Side gym. We’re coming up on three years. I’d like to announce my plan to work with the San Verde School District to offer discounted and free classes to students, and I was wondering if the station could do another on-location event?”
They’d done it before with the gym, and it was standard to participate in community events. Chris considered logistics and who would be up for covering the spot. Getting out in the community was always a great idea, and with his plans for Everly, it might be a way to further promote their show.
“Send me a quick email with the date you’re thinking, and I’ll take a look when I’m at work tomorrow. I’m positive we can. Just need to look a
t the timing. We’re going to be doing something different in the next couple of months, so I think it would tie in well.”
“Something different how?” Rob leaned over and picked up his beer again.
He told him about where Everly’s public confession had led, burying his own discomfort over the idea of his producer looking for love with a bunch of random listeners. We’ll have measures in place to make sure they’re stand-up guys. He wished the security was the only thing making him unsure of the idea.
Before he could think too much about what did bug him, Rob asked, “Everly’s on board? Didn’t you tell me she was super shy and didn’t really like crowds?” Rob’s skeptical look matched his tone.
“She’s willing. As a producer, she sees the positives.”
“As a producer. Hmm. Interesting. Maybe I ought to submit my profile,” Rob said, his grin widening.
The growl left his throat without permission. “Maybe we’re busy the day you need us on location.”
They stared at each other a beat, and Chris fought the urge to look away before his friend saw too much.
“Man. Why don’t you just ask her out?” Rob said, his smile shifting to something different. Something knowing.
Too late. “I’m not staying. You know that.”
Rob shook his head and picked up his beer again. “Not sure if you know this, but you can go out with a woman without marrying her or turning it into a long-term commitment. You like this chick. Take her out. Have some fun.”
Chris stalked to the cupboard and pulled out a bag of chips. “Everly isn’t a fun kind of girl.”
Rob snorted. “Then definitely don’t ask her out.”
Chris shot him a glare over his shoulder, then dumped the chips into a bowl. “Shut up. You know what I mean.”
“So, you have no problem with her dating a bunch of guys who have to find their dates online?”
The bowl almost bounced against the countertop when Chris set it in front of his friend. “Online is where most people meet their significant others. Why are you being a jackass about this?”
Rob picked up a handful of chips. “I’m not trying to be. But you like this girl. You’ve liked her since you got here. Seems stupid not to ask her out. Especially if you’re going to be jealous of her choices.”
Chris picked up his beer but didn’t drink. Nope. He just needed something to clench his fist around. “It’s going to boost the ratings.” What a freaking cop-out.
“Sure, man,” Rob said around a mouthful of chips. “That’s what matters here. Keep telling yourself that.”
I will. There are no other options.
[9]
“I genuinely want to know,” Stacey said into the mic. “What is the huge fascination with avocados? They’re mushy. I just don’t trust anything green, you know?”
Everly rolled her eyes and pressed the button that let her speak through the booths without interrupting the show. “Get people to interact. Ask them what they hate that other people love.”
Stacey gave her a thumbs-up. “This is why Everly is the Watson to my Sherlock. She wants to know what popular foods you dislike that other people rave about. Phone in, tweet us, or post a picture on Instagram and tag us.”
It had to be her voice, the infectious way she put life into everything she said. The phone started ringing immediately. Stacey winked at her through the booth window.
* * *
Everly hung up the phone, wrote down the caller’s name and request, and then turned up her mic to hear Stacey.
“I love that song. It’s one of my favorites. I saw them last year, and it was the best concert, hands down, that I’ve ever been to,” Stacey shared. Her eyes connected with Everly’s, making Everly’s stomach do a nervous jump. The routine didn’t settle her heart, because she knew what was coming. They were ready to launch the contest. They’d all been working overtime this week to get things in place. When she was busy, she was able to put it out of her head, even if what she was busy with was organizing her own version of The Dating Game.
Here we go. She tilted her chin down, then up, in slow motion. A nearly imperceptible nod, but Stacey saw it. Understood it.
“Concerts make for a great date night. We’ve been thinking a lot about dating here at 96.2 SUN. Many of you heard my girl Everly’s dating woes last week. On her birthday, no less. What you might not know is, after she accidentally shared on-air, and after I convinced her not to kill me and hide the body for doing that to her, thousands of you called, emailed, and tweeted. She was blown away by your support. We all were. And it’s still coming in! Sometimes the best ideas come from the worst moments in your life.”
Everly rolled her eyes. She’d written out an introduction to the dating series, but as usual, Stacey was doing her own thing. She saw Chris outside the booth, their eyes locked, and her stomach did another strange tumble. Different from the last one but no less unnerving.
“We have some exciting news, and you guys are the reason—96.2 SUN is going to host its own version of The Bachelorette featuring my wonderful producer, Everly, and you, our worthy listeners.”
Everly rubbed her palm against her jeans, up and down, applying pressure as Stacey continued to explain.
“Let’s be clear, folks—we’re looking for a good man. Not some fairy-tale version of Prince Charming where he’s all perfect and dashing—though there’s nothing wrong with dashing. Am I right, Ev?” Stacey looked her way.
Everly arched her brows and frowned. Stacey knew the look and got back to it. “Right. As I was saying, a real-life prince for my girl is one who has a steady job, a sense of humor, isn’t hard on the eyes. Someone who is nice to their family and has a cool group of friends.”
She paused, looked at Everly. “Did I miss anything?”
Everly didn’t pipe in often, but she’d been known to now and again in an organized, scripted, and planned way. “Not that I can think of, Stace. Though all contestants will need to go through the screening process.”
“Right,” Stacey said as she jotted something down in front of her. “We’re taking your thoughts on Everly finding her happily ever after seriously.”
Everly rolled her eyes and dramatically dropped her head down to her folded arms. Stacey laughed on-air, and when Everly looked up again, her eyes locked on Chris, who was smiling and staring her way.
As Stacey gave the listeners details on how to apply, Everly scratched out a message on her small whiteboard and held it up for Stacey to see.
It read: Happily ever after? You’re asking for it. Everly shook her fist mockingly through the glass and saw her friend try to bite down on a bark of laughter.
Amusement colored Stacey’s voice. “Everything you need to know is up on our website. Candidates have to meet all the requirements to be considered. I’ll be answering questions throughout the day. But right now, let’s get back to doing what you all came for. This next song is an old-time favorite.”
The music played, giving Everly at least seven minutes’ reprieve. Chris came through the deejay booth to see her, opening the door and leaning on the jamb.
“We’re good to go,” he said.
It had been a week since she’d signed the contract. Her parents thought it was the best thing ever, and she’d had to make her dad go back and read the fine print to be sure her ass was decently covered. For two people who couldn’t decide whether or not to take their marriage seriously, they certainly wanted to see her partnered up. It had irritated her more than she’d wanted to let it.
Pulling in a breath she hoped didn’t sound shaky, she faked a smile. Rule six: Be bold, even if it gives you hives. Which reminded her, she needed to pick up some calamine lotion. “Excellent. Now, it’s just wait and see. I’m not sure how many applicants we’ll get.”
That was just one of her worries. She had a list longer than her rules. She didn’t want the online equivalent of throwing a party and having absolutely no one show up. Oh my God. What if absolutely no one applies? What i
f people apply because they feel sorry for me? What if—Stacey popped her head around Chris’s shoulder, her hand on his arm. Everly wished she had even a tenth of the ease her friend felt around others. It just takes you longer to warm up. There’s nothing wrong with being cautious.
“As if. We’re probably going to blow up the website with all the traffic. You’re hot, babe.”
Chris chuckled and stepped into the room. Pulling a chair over, he sat closer than he needed to, but oddly enough, she liked his presence, even when it was one of the reasons for her uneven breathing.
“It’s going to be great. That’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”
She tilted her head and lifted one side of her lips. “Which? Me being hot? It going great? Or the two together breaking the internet?”
It was interesting and a little amusing to see the way his eyes widened and color blossomed on his cheeks. Most guys didn’t blush.
* * *
Stacey hurried back to her spot, and Everly was left breathing in the scent of Chris’s cologne or soap or whatever it was that made him smell so precisely delicious. Nope. Take that back. Chris was not on the list of possible candidates for several reasons, the most important of which being he was her boss. There were plenty more she could easily think of—he only just started talking to her and acting like she was there. He made her close up and have trouble breathing when she was looking for a man who’d help her be more open. She wasn’t entirely sure whether he liked her. If she was the Queen of Quiet in the office, he was the King of Mixed Messages. If she was doing this, she was doing it right. Or different from how she’d been making her choices so far. Which meant Chris and his on-again, off-again smile was off-limits even if he wasn’t her boss. Which he is! Okay, don’t yell at yourself.
“Everly?”
Ten Rules for Faking It Page 8
