In It to Win It

by Ella Jade

  “Do you have any experience to go along with this paperwork?” She arched a thin eyebrow. “Do you have a professional reel?”

  Wade laughed to himself, he didn’t have either one. He did have plenty of game footage on film, though, and post-game stuff. “I’ve not conducted any interviews, except for course work. But I’ve been interviewed on air plenty. I’m not camera shy, and when it comes to sports, particularly football, I doubt you’d find anyone with more knowledge. I know what to ask, I know who to target, and with the National College Signing Day and Draft Day right around the corner, I’ll get you a good story.”

  “What about being on location? The hours can be demanding.” She looked Wade over, and he felt like she might soon propose that he stand and turn slowly. But if the display got him a job, he’d even take his suit coat and shirt off.

  “Field work is my favorite, any time, any day.” He hoped he didn’t sound desperate, even though he was. Finding work near the university or in his hometown would have been a breeze, but he needed a break from the sympathetic expressions so many people had given him since the news broke. He had to get away. Three hundred miles away.

  “I’m not certain if you’re aware of the station’s circumstances, but we’re currently in a bit of a transition.” The woman, Maureen Blanch, stood and came around her desk. “Would you like to see the station?”

  She brushed by Wade, sauntered toward the door, and he followed. “You’re making changes?” Wade asked.

  “Yes. We’re working on our viewership. We plan to target more of the under thirty-five audience.”

  She conducted the tour, continually talking, introducing Wade to the account executives in advertising, and showing him the newsroom, then the weather center. The place was much smaller than he expected.

  Once they were standing in front of her office door again, she handed him a business card. “The station needs a news team who will strive to obtain our goals, and I believe you are the final piece to the set. Come by tomorrow around one o’clock and we’ll do test shoots with the other anchors, confirm the chemistry. Call me if you have questions between now and then.”

  * * * *

  Rebecca Ryan threw her car in park, grabbed her gym bag, and jumped out of the vehicle. She was late for workout class again. Her job, as much as she had initially loved it, was wearing her down with the odd hours and her demanding boss wanting everything perfect. Most nights she didn’t get home until after midnight, then she needed to wind down, which normally consisted of her having a small snack and a glass of wine while she read in the few moments of silence set aside especially for her.

  In the past three weeks, she’d pulled numerous all-nighters and her head had not hit a pillow before seeing the sun come up, resulting in catnaps before her day started all over again. She needed to put an end to the nonsense, there was too much at stake, too much she was responsible for. At least she had her workout class to help keep her focused, generally. Today, the second she stepped inside the facility, Rebecca noticed her white and gold, faux designer purse hanging from her shoulder rather than the athletic bag containing her water bottle and towel. So much for the ‘exercise makes focus’ theory.

  She released an aggravated huff and turned sharp on her toes to run to the car, but slammed hard into a concrete wall of sorts, and sprung back, landing straight on her butt. The impact of hitting the floor knocked out her breath, and she took a jagged gasp for replenishment as the contents of her purse scattered across the floor.

  “Are you hurt?”

  Rebecca’s gaze followed the voice to a man big enough to fill the doorframe who was in the process of kneeling down. He held out a hand to help her, but the definition of the muscles in his arms had her awestruck. His forearms, his biceps, and the way they seamed perfectly, connecting to thick shoulders highlighted by the tight, black workout tank.

  “Ma’am, are you hurt?” he asked for the second time, interrupting her gaping stare.

  Her face went hot, her mind scattered even more. He’d called her ma’am. Huh, she would no longer do without rest. Her mother warned her a long time ago that lack of sleep ages a person fast, and it also makes them crazy. She shook her head and began crawling around on the floor haphazardly scooping up her belongings and shoving them in her purse. How dare he? She was only twenty-four! And last she checked she didn’t even have wrinkles yet!

  “Ma’am?” He handed her a tube of lipstick. “I didn’t see you. Are you sure you’re not hurt?”

  She grabbed the makeup from him and forced it in her bag. “Stop calling me that,” she snapped. “I’m fine.”

  His head flinched. “Stop calling you what?”

  A short cackle left Rebecca’s lips and she hopped up. Getting to her workout now would be pointless. She glanced to the behemoth brute of a man who now stood a few feet away giving her an apologetic look, or maybe he was disquieted by her erratic behavior.

  “You’re staring.” She smoothed her hair back out of her face, tried to appear less like a maniac. “And please do not address me as ma’am.”

  “What should I call you if I don’t know your name?”

  “Something other than ma’am. I’m only twenty-four. Why are you looking at me so weird? I didn’t intend to run into you.”

  The left corner of his mouth lifted to a slight grin. “Your necklace. It’s about to fall off.”

  “No,” Rebecca whispered. She grabbed for it around her neck, but the jewelry wasn’t there. Her heart rate shot through the roof as she immediately began to pat down her body, her gaze searching the floor at her feet. Where had it gone? She couldn’t lose the necklace! It was the second most important thing in her life, her safety net.

  “Hey.” The guy’s voice was deep but soft. He bent down so they were eye to eye. His were pale blue and creased at the edges when he smiled. “It’s right here.”

  Rebecca followed his hands, watching as he lifted the necklace from where it had slipped down her low-cut yoga top, the small tiger’s eye stone bobbling over the outside of the material. Relief washed through her, and she realized years had passed since a man had been this close to her breasts. She held in a sigh, even managed to thank him without sounding breathless and desperate.

  “You’re welcome,” the man said, handing over the jewelry. He took a step back, towering over her five foot five-inch frame. He scanned the floor around them. “Did we get everything?”

  “I think so.” Rebecca kept her tone even as she spoke. She tucked the necklace in a zippered side pocket on her purse. “Look, I’m majorly sleep deprived and hate that I came off completely unhinged. My hours at work are nuts, my boss is a deranged perfectionist that no matter what I do I can’t please, and apparently I’m battling a serious bout of insomnia.”

  “It’s no problem.” He glanced at the clock on the wall to her right, then looked toward the weight room. She knew when to take a hint, and the guy obviously had a life he needed to continue.

  She did too. Missing her workout was a blessing anyway since she had to run into the office early to meet with the manager. “Okay, well, thanks again,” Rebecca said, heading for the door. She glimpsed over her shoulder. “And I’m sorry about our crash.”

  * * * *

  The last time Wade had been this anxious he’d been sitting in the Hawks’s head coach’s office awaiting his destiny of being a pro football player. What else could he have done to make the cut, what more did he need to do? A wave of soul destructing thoughts crept in, forcing him to quickly shove away the devastation before letting it consume him as he straightened his tie in a hallway mirror at the studio.

  Wade shook out his arms, loosening them up like he had before heading on the field during every game. They felt good, and he wished he would have done another round when lifting. The daily workouts served as a multipurpose necessity. Earlier he concentrated on building muscle in his arms, shoulders, and back, but he used the time to channel and crush the nerves eating him up on the inside.
/>   He needed a job, this job, to fund his journey, to make his dream come true.

  Minicamps were four months away, and even though he never stopped training he had to be in better shape than before, and his mind had to be straight. Another reason why he moved, he didn’t need distraction, and staying at Cape with his old roommate, or even in the same town with his ex-team would be nothing but disruption.

  “Good afternoon, Wade.” Maureen Blanch came down the hall with a smile.

  “Hi, Maureen,” he said, then second-guessed himself, wondering if he should’ve called her Ms. Blanch.

  “Are you ready for your final test? The crew you’re working with will be here soon. And just so you know...not to add any pressure, but if you nail this I’m prepared to offer you our late night position. If you fail, you’ve wasted my time.” She laughed, and he tried to do the same, but he didn’t find the hilarity in her announcement so he faked it and ended up sounding like an asthmatic donkey.

  Maureen gave him a confused look and started walking. “Let’s see what you have to offer.”

  She led him inside the studio, which was busy with people working on cameras, making sure the lighting was right. Someone wearing a phone headset dashed by him straight to one of the three news desks and placed a yellow piece of paper in the center. Another person stuck their head in the door and said something about someone being late. Everyone around him seemed in a chaotic rush. He’d never felt so out of place, and suddenly his tie felt extra tight, cutting off circulation to his entire head. He tugged at the knot and took a deep breath.

  “Blaine South is in the burgundy shirt, he does weather.” Maureen nodded in the man’s direction. “Did you meet him yesterday?” She didn’t wait on Wade to answer, waving her hand toward another guy making his way to the news desk where the piece of paper was placed. “Dominic Bailey, he’s one of our co-anchors, and the other isn’t here yet.” Maureen sighed. “Let’s get you introduced and see how you operate in front of the camera.”

  She directed him to a royal blue desk with a good-sized monitor hanging on the shellacked wood grain wall behind it.

  “We have this morning’s sports report for you to work with. Have a seat,” she said.

  The instant Wade got comfortable in the chair, the technician lit up the teleprompter and before he knew it, Wade McKinney was talking to the camera as if he knew each viewer on the other side personally. All of his apprehension dissipated, and the heaviness he’d been lugging around during the past few months lifted. He enunciated each word with perfection, the delivery was flawless.

  Maureen crossed her arms over her chest and lifted a hand so that a few fingers rested on her lips. After a few seconds, she turned to the cameraman. “Was that as good as I thought—”

  “I’m sorry I’m late!” Flurried streaks of deep purple haze and dark brown hair flashed by Wade. “It won’t happen again.” The woman scurried to a chair on the other side of Dominic, cleared her throat. “What did I miss?”

  “Plenty,” Maureen said with a touch of ice.

  “Maureen,” Dominic stepped in. “Don’t forget we’re here early as a favor to you.”

  “You are getting paid. Promptness is always required,” Maureen shot back. She glanced at the brunette. “You have five minutes to rehearse the script. Oh, and Rebecca Ryan, meet Wade McKinney, KDRD’s newest sports anchor.”

  I got the job! Wade resisted the urge to throw his arms in the air signifying a touchdown. Instead, he played it cool, giving his new boss a quick nod of acceptance before rising to meet Rebecca. Approaching, he overheard her mumbling to Dominic about how busy her life was. When he stopped in front of her, he recognized the news anchor at once.

  “Please tell me you took a nap since I last saw you,” he said.

  Rebecca met his gaze straight on, then narrowed her eyes in confusion. “Excuse me?”

  She didn’t remember him. Fair enough. He’d help her out. Wade glanced at her neck and found the necklace there, the light of the studio reflecting off the gold chain. The jewel on her chest lay against her tan skin, just above the seam of her dress.

  “I’m glad to see your necklace wasn’t broken,” he said.

  She placed her hand on the dangling trinket, then realization washed over her expression. “The clasp came loose. Thanks again—”

  “I hate to interrupt, but you’ve only got a few minutes left to go over the script, Rebecca,” Dominic said, and he began rehearsing as if Wade weren’t there.

  Rebecca smiled at Wade. “Welcome to the team.”

  Chapter 2

  “Rebecca, I need you to find me the moment you finish filming the promos,” Maureen stated as she pranced by her and went straight to Blaine.

  The woman refused to make eye contact with Rebecca. What was her problem? It wasn’t as if this job had been handed to her. Rebecca worked hard, put herself through school while still managing to pay the bills and keep up a home. And until a few months ago, all without help from anyone. Plus, she had never been late for work before. Yeah, the rest of her life, the personal part, was scattered and hard to manage, but she coped and did the very best she could. When it came to her job though, she was always the exemplar professional.

  “How about joining Blaine, Maureen, and me for drinks tonight?” Dominic asked while settling in the chair next to her with a mug of coffee. He smiled, showing off his pearly whites. Since the day she met him, he had been obsessed with finding the best teeth whitening product. It seemed to be working, because his smile was gorgeous.

  “I can’t, but thanks for the invite.” She grinned back at him, knowing there was no way she could go. Not ever. “I will soon though.”

  “Broken record.” He rolled his eyes, then gave her a disappointed look. “I heard the same thing last time, sweetie.”

  “Okay, okay. Next week, I promise.” She straightened the collar on his crisp cotton shirt. Feeling like they were being watched, she turned and shot a glare at Maureen. The woman was relentless but too rapt in conversation with Blaine to care about them. Rebecca turned her attention back to Dominic. “You know I’m a planner.”

  He laughed out loud. “Girl, you are the most non-planning planner I’ve ever met.”

  She let out a sigh. “I know. But I try, I really do.”

  “Wonder if the new kid in town is down for a drink?” Dominic motioned to Wade.

  He was kicked back in a chair at the sports desk. The muscles in his shoulders and arms pushed the fabric of his shirt to the limit, but not so it was obnoxious, more like his clothes were custom cut to fit. He was huge in comparison to the studio furniture, his blue eyes sweeping the room, taking in the disarray around him.

  “Can’t hurt to ask,” she murmured.

  “What’s with the lusty gaze, missy?” Dominic’s eyes were wide and exuberant, assumption written all over his face.

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Rebecca wished Maureen would pull her head out of Blaine’s ass, allowing them to get started on the promos so Dominic would transform into his macho news anchor character. She wasn’t in the mood for ‘girl’ talk. Rebecca pushed the yellow piece of paper with scribbled notes on it toward him. “Help me run through this script so I can avoid failure this one time today. Please.”

  “You get a pass this time, doll. But next time I catch you giving come-hither eyes to the sports guy, I expect some explaining.”

  “Let’s get to work!” Thanks heavens! Maureen to save the day! The general manager made her way back to the main desk where Rebecca and Dominic chattered, her pumps clacking against the floor as she walked. “We’ll get a shot of each of you in your prospective sets, then you can move to the stage for a few takes.” Her stare lingered on Rebecca for a second too long for comfort. “Corporate poured a ton of money into making the new backdrop, and I fully expect them to be pleased with positive viewer feedback.”

  * * * *

  A little over an hour later the group of four finished with vigor and mega
watt smiles. “Late night, KDRD Channel 4, the news team for you, by you.”

  Rebecca was ecstatic to be done with the torture. Blaine was to her left, Dominic to her right, and Wade was directly behind her. Their positions were fine at first, but the heat of Wade’s body warming her backside from head to toe had her in a tizzy within minutes of his standing there. She felt the ruddiness in her cheeks, heard the weakness in her voice, and Maureen asked twice within a ten-minute span if she had a fever.

  “All right, crew, we need still shots, then you’re free until the evening staffers meeting at six.” Maureen waved Kara, the studio’s official photographer over. “Get me a few group pics, and I want individuals as well. They’re sizzling today. Oh, and make sure you finish with Rebecca first.”

  So much for sneaking out. Rebecca had hoped Maureen forgot she wanted to talk. The next half-hour, in total dread and thankful the group photos went by quickly, she went through the motions of smiling for the camera while crossing her arms, leaving them at her sides, hooking her hands behind her back, and any other positions Kara requested. She was able to sneak a few peeks in on Wade at least. Dominic and Blaine appeared to entertain him by showing him around the coffee bar and snack center, the biggest perk of working at KDRD other than the paycheck, which didn’t exactly line her pockets with gold.

  She watched Wade grab a bottle of water and an apple. No surprise. One look at the guy and anyone could tell he took care of his body, maybe even a little compulsively. Why on earth had someone like him ended up in Brighton at a shotty, small-time news station? He turned up the bottle to drink, and Rebecca held her breath, staring at the muscles in his neck contracting as he swallowed.

  “Rebecca?” Kara pulled her out of the trance. The photographer scrunched her eyebrows. “Are you okay?”