by Cindi Myers
“YOU’RE LISTENING to the Hawk and Honey show on KROK, Denver’s home for Today’s Rock. That was U2 with ‘All Because of You.’” Adam nodded to Erica, her signal to begin the next commercial.
“Summer is certainly in full swing here in Denver.” Hot enough, in fact, that she’d taken to wearing her hair piled up on her head. “For all your refrigeration and air-conditioning needs, call on Front Range Refrigeration. They’re an authorized Carrier dealer and can have you cooled off in no time.” She made a show of fanning herself, and unbuttoned the top button of her shirt. Once she knew she had Adam’s attention, she winked at him. “Maybe we should give them a call, Hawk. Does it feel warm in here to you?”
“I’m hot, all right, but I don’t think it has anything to do with the weather.” His voice was a sexy growl that melted her from the inside out.
“Then I’ll just have to see what I can do about cooling you off,” she purred, and hit the button to play the next song.
He ripped off his headset and rolled his chair closer to her. “I don’t think a song is going to cool me off,” he said softly.
“Mmm, maybe what you need is a tongue-lashing. I could get you nice and wet. Would that cool you off?” She looked toward the ceiling, miming innocence.
“You like to torture me that way, don’t you?” He slipped his hand under her skirt, stroking the top of her thigh.
She caught her breath. “Careful,” she warned, glancing toward the windows that looked out over the KROK offices.
“No one can see my hand. Only your face.” He nudged one finger under the leg opening of her panties. “Just make sure they can’t see by your face what I’m doing.” He slid his finger lower, parting her folds.
“That’s not fair,” she whispered, gritting her teeth, to keep from moaning.
He grinned. “But you started it.” He pulled his hand away and rolled his chair back, as far from her as the small booth allowed. His face was flushed and, in spite of his nonchalance, he was breathing hard.
“We must be crazy,” she muttered. “I can hardly keep my hands off you.”
“And I obviously can’t keep my hands off you.” He slid the finger that had been touching her into his mouth and drew it out slowly. She clenched her thighs together and swallowed hard, then realized it was time for the station identification. “You’re listening to KROK, 97.8. The station that rocks Denver.”
She smiled to herself as she made the announcement. Her and Adam’s on-air routine of sexy banter and flirtation lent an extra edge to the workday. After four hours trading double entendres and teasing looks, they were both so hot there were days when they barely made it into the house before they started tearing off each other’s clothes.
Listeners must have liked the extra spicy version of the Hawk and Honey show as well. In the past month, they’d captured the number one rating in the Denver market. All the more reason for Carl to repeal his stupid rule and let them date openly.
But neither of them was ready to test that theory yet. For now, it was more fun to keep their relationship secret, to play sexy games on air and spend erotic nights together.
She was getting a fast lesson in what those ratings meant. Almost overnight, it seemed she was a local celebrity. Not only was her voice on the air four hours every weekday, but also her picture was on billboards all over town, alongside Adam. People had begun to recognize her in the grocery store or restaurants. She’d even been asked for her autograph a few times, something that still amazed her.
Tanisha was the only one who knew about her relationship with Adam, and Erica trusted her not to blab. Tanisha was having her own hot and heavy romance with the man from her building, and the two friends often spent lunch hours comparing notes.
“So, is Adam a little more talkative now that you two are lovers?” Tanisha asked as they waited in line at a local deli one lunch hour.
“He’s not the most emotional man I ever dated, but when we’re alone, he doesn’t mind telling me things. He even volunteers stuff sometimes.” Just the other night, he’d told her about his days as “Airwave” Adam on his college radio station, and the outrageous stunts he and the other interns had pulled. He’d shown her a sharp sense of humor she’d only glimpsed before. “I think he’s starting to trust me more. He’s been burned in the past. So that’s something.” She picked up her tray and followed Tanisha toward a booth along the back wall of the restaurant. “What about you and Bryan? How’s that going?”
“It’s going great.” A smile spread across Tanisha’s face. “Last night he told me he loved me.”
“Oh wow. That’s so great.” She reached across to squeeze Tanisha’s hand. “I’m so happy for you.”
“What about Adam? Has he used the L word yet?”
She shook her head and stabbed at her salad. “I haven’t told him I love him, either. I don’t want to scare him off.” But every time they were together, her longing to hear that he loved her grew.
“Maybe he’s waiting for you to say it first,” Tanisha said.
“I’ve come close, but somehow, it never seems like the right time.”
“Excuse me, but aren’t you Erica Gibson, from the Hawk and Honey show?”
She looked up to see a balding man wearing jeans and a striped polyester shirt standing beside their booth. She laid aside her fork and offered a polite smile. “Yes, I am.” She nodded across the table. “This is my friend, Tanisha.”
“Don’t mind me,” Tanisha said. “I’m nobody famous.”
“I’m so glad to meet you. In fact, I’ve been wanting to talk to you about something.” He gestured to the booth beside her. “May I sit down? I won’t keep you a moment.”
“I suppose so.” The request caught her off guard. She hated to be rude to a fan, but couldn’t he see she was trying to eat lunch?
“I’m Stan DeWitter.” He shook hands with each woman and handed Erica a card. Air Stream Broadcasting was splashed in bright blue ink across the front.
“You’re with KMJC,” Tanisha said.
“That’s right.”
“KROK’s number-one competition,” Erica said.
“A friendly rivalry. I’ve heard your show,” he said.
“The Hawk and Honey show?”
“That’s right. You’re terrific. I think you’d do great as a solo act.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that.” The idea caught her by surprise. “I think the success of our show is the chemistry between me and Adam.”
“Sure, that’s great, but I’m telling you, I think you could be just as successful by yourself.”
“Are you offering her a job?” Tanisha asked.
He smiled. “I’m saying there’s a possibility, if you ever decide you’re tired of working at KROK.”
Work in radio without Adam? Why would she want to do that? “Thanks, Mr. DeWitter, but I’m happy where I am.”
He patted her shoulder. “You keep my card, and you think about it. Call me anytime if you’d like to talk.” He stood and nodded to both women, then left.
Erica stared after him. “Can you believe that?”
Tanisha looked amused. “I’d say the man knows talent when he hears it.”
She stared at the business card he’d given her. “I wouldn’t leave KROK. Why should I? We’re number one in our time slot.”
“Not even to have a bigger place in the spotlight? A lot of women would jump at the chance. For instance, Bonnie would give almost anything to have a solo slot at a top station.”
Not too long ago, she’d have been thrilled at the idea, too. After all, she’d spent most of her adult life jumping from one opportunity to the next without a second thought. But being with Adam had changed that. For the first time in her life she felt…settled. “I’m happy where I am,” she said again.
“Carl would have a fit if he heard about this.” Tanisha stabbed at her salad.
Her stomach clenched at the thought of what Carl would do if he knew his competition had approached her.
“You won’t tell him, will you?”
“I won’t tell. But hey, keep the card.”
“Why?”
“Insurance? After all, if Carl finds out about you and Adam, he could still fire you.”
“It’s not going to come to that.”
“You never know with Carl.” She shrugged. “Anyway, consider it a big stroke for your ego.”
She looked at the card again. It was flattering. And what the heck. If Carl threatened to fire them, maybe she could use this card to convince him of the merits of keeping her—and Adam—on the air.
“HEY, ISN’T THAT Stan DeWitter?” Bonnie set aside her turkey wrap and stared at the balding man with the bad comb-over who was making his way across the deli.
“Who’s Stan DeWitter?” Not bothering to set down his burger, Doug looked over his shoulder in the direction she was pointing.
“Program director for KMJC.” She scowled as DeWitter, all smiles, stopped at the booth where Erica and Tanisha were sitting. “What’s he doing talking to Erica?”
Doug shrugged. “I guess you could go ask him.”
“Maybe I should. Maybe I should go over and introduce myself.” But she remained seated as DeWitter slid into the booth next to Erica. “Then again…” She held out her hand. “Give me your cell phone.”
“Who are you going to call?” he asked, even as he pulled his phone from his hip.
“I’m not going to call anyone. I’m going to take some pictures.” She frowned at the phone. “How does this work, anyway?”
He leaned across the table and took the phone from her hand. “Point this. Push this button. Easy.”
She jerked the phone away from him. “Okay.” She aimed the phone in the direction of the booth where the threesome had their heads together. “Don’t they look cozy?”
DeWitter handed over one of his business cards. Bonnie snapped a photo of the exchange. “Perfect.”
“What are you going to do with those pictures?” Doug asked.
“Maybe I’ll show them to Carl. I bet he’d be really interested in knowing his afternoon ‘star’ had lunch with Stan DeWitter.”
Doug glanced over his shoulder again. “He’s not eating anything.”
“So?”
“So they aren’t having lunch together. They’re just talking.”
She rolled her eyes. “KMJC is our biggest competitor. If Erica’s getting cozy with DeWitter it’s like…like sleeping with the enemy.”
Doug frowned. “I don’t think he’s sleeping with her. I don’t get that kind of vibe at all.”
“I didn’t mean literally.”
Doug mopped up ketchup with the last of his French fries. “Why do you care, anyway?”
“You don’t know how awful it is to be there every afternoon while she and Adam do their so-called sexy act. Erica wouldn’t know sexy if it walked in the door wearing a pink boa.”
He smiled. “You’re sexy, I know that.”
Okay, so maybe Doug wasn’t so dumb. He always knew what to say to make her feel better. “Exactly. So if sexy is what Carl wants, why doesn’t he give me my own show? Instead I’m stuck in weather and traffic hell while her picture is on billboards all over town, next to Adam’s.”
“You don’t still have a thing for him, do you?” Doug put his hand on hers. “I’m not usually the jealous type, but for you I might make an exception.”
She jerked her hand away. “No, I do not have a ‘thing’ for Adam. The man didn’t appreciate me. He didn’t deserve me.” She turned her attention back to the booth. DeWitter had stood and was apparently saying goodbye. What she wouldn’t give to have heard his conversation with Erica. “I’m going to find a way to get rid of Erica, then I’ll convince Carl to hire me as her replacement.”
Doug scowled. “You mean working with the Hawk?”
“Sure. Why not?” She smiled. “Carl can play it up as the return of the ex-girlfriend. It’ll be better than reality TV!”
“I’m not crazy about you working with him again.”
“I didn’t ask you, did I?” She softened her tone a little. “It’s just a gimmick. An angle. That’s life in rock radio. You’ve got to have a gimmick. Sometimes even being a bombshell isn’t enough.”
“IT’S YOUR FAVORITE time of year, people.” Carl addressed the mandatory staff meeting early one August morning. While the new intern, Davie, operated the control booth, everyone else gathered in Carl’s office for what Nick referred to as “the annual ass-chewing.”
“I thought the big office party wasn’t until Christmas,” Nick said as he lounged on Carl’s sofa, his bum leg propped in front of him. He’d recently graduated from wheelchair to crutches which, he claimed on his show, made it easy to pick up women who felt sorry for him.
Carl ignored the dig and continued. “As you know, September begins the new fiscal year for the station, so we have to close out the old year. That means it’s time to take inventory.”
Groans greeted this announcement. For one long weekend every August, the station switched to a music-only format while every available person took shifts counting and cataloging the thousands of CDs in the station’s collection. Duplicates and out-of-date material were donated to charity or used as prizes in future station giveaways.
It was boring, repetitive work that everyone did their best to get out of. “Ohhh, I feel a relapse coming on.” Nick grabbed at his leg. “I don’t think I’ll be able to come in, boss.”
“Nice try, but it won’t work. I’m putting you with Davie, Bonnie will work with Audra. Jerry and Charlie will take a shift, and Erica and Adam can pull the evening shift.” He looked up from his list. “Any questions?”
Erica stuck her hand up. “I have one, but it’s not about inventory.”
Adam gave her a questioning look. “What is it?” Carl asked.
“Your policy about on-air personalities dating each other. How open would you be to changing it?”
Carl’s eyes narrowed. “Why do you want to know?”
She looked around the room, confident smile in place. “That new guy, Davie, is kind of cute. I was thinking of asking him out.”
“Forget it. There’s a reason for that rule. If you don’t know what it is, you should ask your partner, Adam.”
Adam slid lower in his chair. Erica spoke again, unfazed. “I don’t think everyone should be punished just because a couple of people made a mistake.”
“Well, I’m the manager here, and I do think so.” He set his notebook on the edge of his desk. “Anything else we need to address?”
No one said anything. Carl clapped his hands together. “All right then. Inventory starts Friday.”
They rose to leave. Carl put a hand on Adam’s shoulder. “You stay a minute. I want to talk to you.”
Adam suppressed a groan. Talks with Carl almost never ended on a positive note.
While the others filed out, Bonnie stayed behind. “I need to talk to you,” she said to Carl.
“What about?”
She glanced at Adam. “I have some pictures to show you I think you’ll find very interesting.”
“Did Playboy ask you to pose again?” He shook his head. “Believe me, Bonnie, I’m not interested.”
Color flooded her cheeks. It took Adam a second to realize Bonnie was actually blushing. “These aren’t pictures of me,” she said.
“I don’t have time for this now.” Carl put a hand on her shoulder and steered her toward the door. “Maybe later. Right now I’m busy.” He pushed her out the door and shut it behind her.
“What was that all about, I wonder?” Adam asked.
“With Bonnie, who knows? She’s always bitching about something. Last week it was the fact that she’s mentioned last on the Web site. The week before it was her picture on our new billboards.” He sank into the chair behind his desk. “The woman is a pain in the ass. If she weren’t so popular with listeners, she’d have been out of here a long time ago.”
“Maybe she feels like she
has to push to get any recognition.” Adam never thought he’d defend Bonnie, but Carl did come down hard on her sometimes, and despite her questionable personal behavior, she was good at her job, and popular with listeners.
“I didn’t keep you here to talk about Bonnie.”
“Then what is it?”
“What’s up with Erica? Why is she asking about that dating rule?”
He shrugged. “You heard her. She wants to go out with Davie.”
Carl studied him a moment. “That’s strange. I would have thought she had the hots for you.”
Adam shifted in his chair, somehow managing to keep a straight face. “Why would you think that?”
“The way you two flirt on air—you sound pretty into it sometimes.”
“Guess we’re both good actors.”
“So you have no personal interest in each other?”
“We’re friends.” True enough, though what he felt for Erica went beyond friendship. “We work well together. We have fun.”
Carl picked up a letter from a stack on his desk. “I just got another memo from corporate. One of their stations in Fresno got fined ten thousand dollars because one of their jocks made a lewd remark on air.”
“You should be talking to Nick about that, not me.”
“I already spoke to Nick. Now I’m speaking to you. You may not like it, but my job is to keep all of you in line.”
He stood, afraid if he had to listen to Carl much longer, he’d say something he’d regret. “You don’t have to worry about me or Erica,” he said. “We flirt on the air, but that’s all.” And what we do off the air is none of your business.
He left the office. Nick was waiting for him, leaning against the wall, propped on his crutches. “Let me guess. You got the-FCC-is-watching-don’t-make-a-wrong-move speech.” He fell into step beside Adam as he headed down the hall.
“Something like that.”
“So, are you and Erica sleeping together?”
He stopped so abruptly Nick almost collided with him. “What makes you think that?”
Nick shrugged. “Hot young chick, unattached young guy. In your position, I’d sure be trying to get in her pants.”
