by Kahlen Aymes
“Keep me posted,” he said and then hung up the phone.
I swiveled my chair and then placed the phone back in its cradle, my eyes skittering over Melissa again. She was eyeing a picture of me with Remi that Chase had taken in Disney World, and there were a couple of others of the four of us, and one of Chase and me from college. My office was smallish and didn’t have space for a big bookcase or sideboard, so most of them were displayed on the “L” of my desk.
Melissa pointed at the one of Chase and me. “Is that Chase Forrester?” She glanced at me as her words fell off, her mouth hanging open with Chase’s name hanging off of her lips.
I pressed my lips together and nodded. So, she had a grasp of soccer and football. Yay. “Yeah. It is. It’s a long story that we don’t have time for.”
“Okay.” she accepted my reluctance without more questions and looked at me with clear expectation on her face.
I sighed and closed my laptop and confirmed her suspicions. “So, that was Bryan Walsh. I got the producer position.”
“Oh, I see. I thought he was going to wait until I’d had a chance to be here a few days, but… oh, well.” It was clear she was disappointed as she bent to retrieve her briefcase and handbag from the floor next to her chair. “Sorry to have wasted your time, Mr. Jeffers.”
It just felt goofy for her to call me Mr. Jeffers despite her weird boundary logic.
“Jensen,” I blurted and waved my hand in front of myself. “I’m no Mr. Jeffers.”
By now Melissa was on her feet and had pivoted to begin her trek out of my office. She paused and nodded. “Okay, then. Thank you, Jensen.”
“Wait.”
She turned more fully back toward the desk when I stopped her, her expression curious.
“Sit down. We aren’t done.”
“But I thought...” she began cautiously.
“Please, sit down,” I said again. When Melissa complied, holding her bags protectively in her lap, I continued. “This is still a trial run if you want it, but for my current job as field correspondent.” I pointed at my desk and waited for her to reply.
“Um…”
I could see her visibly swallow and then she bit her lip, clearly considering the opportunity. Personally, I thought it would be a no-brainer, requiring no thought at all. “Is something wrong? This is a great opportunity, and it will get you on a solid career path with the network. It’s a better break than I had. It took me years to get this job, and you have the chance to start at this level. Providing, that is, that we mesh, and I feel you’re a good fit. So, why the hesitation?”
“I guess… I wasn’t planning for an on-camera position.” She started fidgeting, suddenly nervous.
“But you have experience with the Dallas station, right?” I didn’t have a copy of her resume, but I’d ask Bryan to forward it via email later. I had plenty of time over the next couple of days to look it over while we were on assignment.
“I do, but it’s been a few years since.”
The reticence she was displaying seemed unnecessary. I’d never seen someone so apprehensive about a job offer before; especially a position this advanced. I offered a wry expression and a short shrug. “It’s like riding a bike, but if you don’t want it, I’ll let Bryan know you aren’t interested so we won’t waste each other’s time.” I flipped open my laptop again.
“No,” she answered quickly. “I don’t want to make a decision before I have an opportunity to check it out.”
I looked up at her. “Fair enough. I have an assignment to cover a Rams game in L.A. this weekend, and Bryan would like you to accompany the crew. It will give you the chance to see what would be expected of you in this position and give me a chance to see how you’ll do and if you’ll fit in with the rest of the staff.”
There was a brief look of shock on her face before she shook it off. “How long will it take? I have to make arrangements for my little boy. I wasn’t planning on being gone beyond today. I was flying home tonight.”
Ah, so that was it. If anyone understood the responsibility and heart-hold a child had on a parent, it was me.
“I see. How old is he?”
“He’s six. He’s with my brother, now, but I have to make sure Ben can keep him for the weekend. I don’t think it will be a problem.”
I wanted her to feel a level of camaraderie between us so that she would relax, which would make the next few days easier on both of us. Plus, I wanted her to embrace the job, so I didn’t have to spend the first weeks of my new promotion trying to fill my old position. Bryan had already given Melissa the green light, which was good enough for me; provided she did well on location and the team liked her. “I have a daughter about that age. I get it.”
“The little girl in these pictures?”
I nodded, smiling brightly. “Yes. She’s a little spitfire.”
“She’s beautiful.”
“Thank you. What’s your son’s name?”
“Dylan. I have to make a call to my brother to see if he can watch my son.” She reached for her purse and pulled out her phone.
“Fine. I’ll step out for a minute while you do that. I have to speak to the travel department to get arrangements made for you.”
I didn’t really need to walk to the department personally; I could have called or emailed, but I wanted to give her privacy to make her call. I got up and walked around my desk and past her speaking as I left the office. “Take your time.”
I pulled the door shut behind me and made my way to the operations floor. I hardly ever walked through the offices, and never on the sixth floor. It was a lot more sterile than the levels inhabited by the news, writing, research, and on-air staffs. There were only a few offices on this level, and I didn’t know where I was going. There was a dark-haired young man, probably a college intern judging by his T-shirt, sitting in the closest cubicle about ten feet from the elevators. He was concentrating hard on his computer screen, clearly engrossed. “Hey, man. Can you please tell me where I can find the travel department?”
He glanced up as a look of disbelief spread across his face. “Mr. Jeffers!” He stood up abruptly and pointed toward the southwest corner of the building. “It’s right over there, sir!”
I patted his shoulder as I passed. “Thanks. What’s your name?”
“Mark Weaver, sir.” He seemed almost giddy; his smile was infectious.
“Keep up the good work, Mark.”
“Thank you, sir!”
I flashed him one in return and continued to my destination. The travel department was essentially the network’s own travel agency and was separated from the rest of the floor by two glass walls with a door in the one facing the cubicles.
When I went in; all ten of the people working inside looked up from what they were doing, even those talking on the phone.
“May I help you?” A thin, older woman walked forward toward me, dressed in business casual, as was everyone who wasn’t at executive level or talent.
“Yes, thank you. I’m Jensen Jeffers, and I have an assignment in L.A. with a crew tonight, but I need to add one more person to the roster. She’ll need a plane ticket and a hotel room.”
She went to her desk and picked up a piece of paper. “Melissa Ellington? Yes, we have it all arranged.”
That son of a bitch, Walsh! I thought, incredulously. He was one step ahead of me.
“Alright, then. Thank you…” I glanced at the nameplate on her desk. “Natalie.” I grinned at her.
“My pleasure, Jensen. Since you’re down here, you’re saving me the trouble of sending these up.” She handed me a manila envelope with my name printed on the label. I knew from experience that the envelope contained the itinerary, the boarding passes and hotel information for the entire team, as well as car information.
“Thanks.” I held it up in a sort of farewell salute as I pushed open the glass door to leave the department; once again weaving through the mass of cubicles on my way to the elevators. Employees glanced up at
me and smiled, though continuing their work.
The elevator took me down to the second floor where the room full of company paraphernalia was located. Melissa probably didn’t have many clothes with her, and I decided to get her a couple of ESPN shirts, a jacket, and a hat. She probably wouldn’t need the coat in L.A., but Wyoming was decidedly colder. I had to pause, wondering why I’d be thinking about her in any way beyond this weekend. It wasn’t a good idea, and I needed to stop.
The small room required a key, and I didn’t have one, so I went in search of Cindy who would be able to open it for me. In a matter of two minutes, she was unlocking the door and going inside with me. She flipped on the light and pulled a clipboard off of the nail it was hanging on just inside the door.
“That clipboard is a bit archaic, isn’t it?” I teased.
“It is, but it’s easier than remembering what the staff takes out of here and entering it into inventory at my desk. This way, I just have to do it once a month.”
“Ever heard of an iPad? Or, you could bring your laptop with you,” I added sardonically. Cindy was a nice woman, and she and I had become friends over the years. She knew my entire story.
“Okay, smartass,” she shot back, rolling her eyes. “What do you need?”
“I’m thinking one of the T-shirts, a polo, jacket, and a hat?”
“For Missy?”
I nodded, scanning the labels that were stuck on the shelves to indicate the item and size of the various stacks of clothing above them. Cindy’s use of Melissa’s nickname made me pause. It suited her. I was hoping that soon she’d feel comfortable enough to allow the crew to use it; myself included.
“Yes. What’s her story? She’s intelligent and pretty, but she seems… I don’t know…” I shrugged. “Closed off.”
Cindy had compiled a stack of items, longer than I’d asked.
“Well, you’re trying to hire her, not date her.” She grabbed a hat from another pile. There were many different styles and with different logos for various shows.
“No, shit? Really?” I asked, wide-eyed and mocking. I bent over to scrutinize the shelves, finally finding what I was looking for and adding it to the stack. Cindy picked it up and looked at the label inside the neck and wrote it on the clipboard. “I’m just not sure an on-air job will be her thing.”
“Take this weekend before you make up your mind, Jens. ESPN can be intimidating. She’s been on-air before this.”
“I know that, but she admitted she didn’t want to be in the talent pool. This could all be for nothing.”
“Just get through the next few days. I think this should be enough clothing.”
“Agreed.” I found an empty box and placed all of the items in it, before picking it up. “What do you know about her?”
“Not much. She and her young son live in Jackson Hole, Wyoming with her brother, and she’s worked in a couple of network jobs. That’s about it.”
She wasn’t much more help than Melissa herself. “Thanks for the stuff. See you, next week.”
“Have a good weekend,” she said.
“You, too.”
When I got back to my office, Melissa was no longer on the phone, but Lonnie Baxter, another reporting correspondent, was hanging out talking to her. She looked uncomfortable as he loomed over her in the cramped space.
“No, but thank you, anyway.” I could see she was bristling and her demeanor, while professional, was visibly cold.
“Lonnie,” I greeted him, as I walked in, back around to my chair and setting the box of clothing on my desk. “Can I help you with something?” My question was pointed and implying that if he didn’t have a real reason to talk to me, he needed to get the fuck out.
“No. I just wanted to meet this stunning woman.”
I offered a bland look. “Melissa, Lonnie Baxter. Lonnie, Melissa Ellington.” I waved a hand between them. “You’ve met her. Now, can you excuse us?”
His job was on the same level as mine before my promotion, but we didn’t work directly together. We were never on the same assignment and had separate crews, so I only knew him casually though he had a reputation, which he was proving more than well-deserved.
He hovered, not wanting to leave. “What’s your hurry, Jeffers?” I cringed. Lonnie had been with the network longer than I, and he was always trying to throw his superiority in my face. He was in for a big surprise when he found out I would soon be his boss.
“We’re working.”
“What’s going on?” Lonnie prodded rudely. Now I knew why I didn’t like this guy. “Are we hiring her?”
“Bye,” was all I said, nodding hard at the open door. “Adios.”
He figured out he wasn’t getting anywhere and so changed his tactic. “I just came in here to invite you both,” a sly grin spread on his smarmy face, “out to Jake’s for drinks after work.”
“We’re on assignment. The flight is at seven. Sorry.”
“I get it,” he persisted. “I get you.” He pointed at me with his index finger, offering a wink and a smug nod.
God, he was a dick; I scowled at him, hard. He was such a disrespectful fucker. Melissa’s expression filled with anger and her back visibly stiffened as she sat up straighter in her chair. I racked my brain as to why he still had a job, something I might be able to correct soon. “That’s where you’re wrong. You don’t get anything. Get out of my office.”
“Woa…” he put up both hands.
I walked around my desk, prepared to push him out the door, but my forward movement caused him to step back and outside of the office. I shut the door in his face the second he cleared the doorframe.
“Sorry about the village idiot,” I offered with a sympathetic smile and a roll of my eyes; then reached inside the box to pull out the smallest item.
“It’s okay. He’s a bit…” she struggled for the right word.
“Dickish?” I offered, chuckling.
She couldn’t help but huff out a surprised laugh, and for the first time, she seemed to relax, even if it was against her will. I was still trying to figure out the reason behind her closed demeanor. Maybe there were too many morons like Lonnie in her past.
“That certainly… fits.”
“You have no idea. Here.” I pushed the box toward her. “These are for you. Did you bring any jeans to Atlanta?”
“I have one pair with me.”
“Good. You’ll need them on this trip. Did you clear it with your brother?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” I held up an ESPN Sports Center Football jersey in a medium youth size. “Will this fit Dylan?”
Her beautiful face split into a bright smile and I could swear there was a catch in her voice when she spoke. For the first time, I found myself hoping for a thaw.
“It’s just a little big, but, thank you. He’ll love it. He’ll really love it.”
MISSY
Unexpectedly, and somehow unnervingly, I was sitting in coach smashed between Jensen and a two hundred and fifty-pound cameraman on my way to L.A., instead of back to Wyoming. The cameraman was so huge that he needed the aisle seat so he could spill over. It was a problem when the flight attendants were doing the beverage service.
I was still in my business suit while everyone else was in jeans and ESPN gear. I felt a little out of place, but I was saving my one pair of jeans for the game on Sunday, but I’d probably have to wear them both days. I wasn’t sure if I was excited or apprehensive… but it felt good just being here, doing this… having a chance to go back to work, even if it wasn’t the job I’d planned on.
I was happy there was still an opportunity to work at ESPN after Jensen Jeffers had landed the job that I thought I was interviewing for, but I was frustrated. Why did they even bother talking to me if Bryan Walsh already had his mind made up? Which was surely the case.
Getting back in front of the camera would be a fantastic prospect if it weren’t for my need to lay low out of Derrick’s purview; more for my son, than me. The la
st thing I wanted to risk was being on-air and Derrick showing up to cause trouble.
He did come to Jackson Hole once after I’d moved in with Ben. There was a nasty confrontation, and it had been easy to get a restraining order after that. I had no idea why he didn’t push to stop the divorce or why he’d left us alone thus far, but it was entirely out of character, despite the restraining order. I had no sense of security moving forward because the document only had jurisdiction in Jackson Hole, and I wouldn’t have my brother to protect me in Atlanta.
Derrick was, no doubt, still volatile, and I just wanted to stay off his radar to build a nice life for me, and Dylan. That was all I needed. My heart seized in fear; being on camera would be a monumental risk.
Wyoming was beautiful, but it was too far from my mother, and I missed city life. I’d been looking forward to this job, and now this.
The handsome man to my left, who might become my boss, was reading something on his laptop and working. I’d seen him on television a few times registering briefly how gorgeous he was, but never dreaming that one day we might work together.
He sensed me looking at him and glanced in my direction, pulling one of his white earbuds out of his ears. “Is Eric’s snoring keeping you awake?”
Jensen had the small light over his seat turned on, but the one over my head and Eric’s were dark. Overall, the lights in the jet’s cabin were low. The flight from Atlanta to L.A. was non-stop, at least.
After the trauma I’d suffered at Derrick’s hands, I’d vowed never to let another man hurt me, or my son, ever again. In response, my heart had hardened, and I’d protected myself by not allowing anyone close to me. Admittedly, I had a hard time trusting most people, but there was something gentle about Jensen that caught me off guard. I realized I’d have to be extra careful around him. I’d learned that I couldn’t take people at face value, and it was the hardest lesson of my life. Even though he seemed honest, I couldn’t blindly trust him. It wasn’t personal; I didn’t do that with anyone anymore.
“No. Yes.” I couldn’t help but smile, putting a hand up to cup my mouth so that the sleeping man wouldn’t hear my criticism of him. “He is really loud.”
