“They mean well,” she said quietly.
Maybe she was wrong. Oh, please, be wrong. Everly squeezed her hand back, words impossible.
Being twenty years old, it happened quickly.
The worn, gray, bedraggled pieces of paper fluttered to the ground as the donkey burst with a loud pop. Cardboard, paper, confetti, a couple of candies, and years’ worth of condoms she’d slipped away erupted into the air.
“No,” Everly whispered.
Laughter erupted, and Everly felt like she might dissolve into the grass. Or burst into flames.
People scrambled to pick up the “prizes,” scooping it up from the ground. Hoots of laughter pierced Everly’s ears.
“They’re flavored!” someone yelled.
“Mine is ribbed,” someone else called.
“What the heck?” Her mother’s voice could be heard through the din.
“Jessie! Did you put these in here?” her father yelled through laughter.
Everly pulled her hand out of her aunt’s hold, shook her head when her aunt tried to speak. Her parents’ laughter felt like shoving large granules of salt into a bleeding wound.
Stacey appeared at her side. “Come on.”
She took Everly’s hand and pulled her toward the side gate. They slipped through it, unnoticed, the boisterous commentary fading with every step. When they got to Everly’s car, Stacey swung around and faced her, irritation shining in her typically easygoing gaze.
“I’m sorry. I should have texted you to give you a heads-up. From now on, we have a special code word. It’ll mean your parents are comin’ in hot.”
Everly could only laugh. It came out half-strangled like maybe she was choking on her mortification instead. “That’s all I’m saying. That’s not even their fault, though. Not entirely.”
“What?”
Everly leaned against her car. “Remember I told you how she was always slipping condoms in my purse growing up? I shoved them all into the donkey in my closet. She found it and thought it was full of twenty-year-old candy.”
Stacey groaned and leaned her head on Everly’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry. You can definitely add no surprises to your rules list.”
Everly shook her head. “It’s full. You need to start your own.”
Stacey lifted her head and leaned beside her on the vehicle. “My parents would have been scandalized. I always thought you exaggerated a little with your stories about your parents. I can’t believe how hard they laughed.”
Everly looked up at an airplane flying overhead.
They stood in the silence for a moment before Stacey spoke again. “It could have been worse.”
“How?”
Stacey giggled. “We could have been live on TV.”
Rolling her eyes, Everly pushed at Stacey’s head.
Her friend’s smile slipped. “I’m sorry I didn’t warn you.”
“It’s okay.”
“I got you a present,” Stacey said, lowering her lashes.
Everly groaned.
Stacey pulled something from her pants pocket and held it up between two fingers. It was a glow-in-the-dark condom. She waved it back and forth.
Laughter jostled her shoulders. “I hate you a little.”
“Come on! I couldn’t help it. Tell me this wouldn’t be fun. It’s like a whole different kind of lightsaber. Aren’t you a little curious?”
Everly shoved her shoulder while Stacey bobbed her eyebrows up and down, slashing the condom through the air, making a whooshing noise that Everly suspected was meant to sound like an actual lightsaber.
“I’m good with never knowing,” she said, glancing back at the house.
“I find your lack of curiosity disturbing,” Stacey said.
With a resigned sigh, Everly turned back toward her childhood home. She couldn’t hide forever. Stacey tucked the condom in Everly’s pocket, but Everly removed it and tossed it back at her. “I already tried my new thing for this month. It’s your turn.”
“Challenge accepted.”
[19]
Chris tuned in to the station’s channel on his laptop while dialing his mother’s number. Stacey and Everly were doing a half hour of music that would be finished soon, then the entire staff would gather for their weekly meeting.
“I wondered if you’d forgotten my number,” his mother said instead of hello.
He smiled. “You know the phone works both ways, right?”
She laughed, and he smiled wider. “I’ve heard it does. How are you, sweetie?”
He sat down at the conference table, scrolling through the station’s website. “I’m good. Busy. The station is doing a unique promotion featuring one of our producers—”
“You’re saying that like I don’t follow what you’re doing,” she interrupted.
Chris stopped scrolling. “You follow the station?” Pride burst in his chest.
“I follow you. I feel like you’ve found your niche. The Facebook posts are fun. I’m looking forward to seeing who Everly chooses.”
His heart constricted. “She’s still got a few dates.” Including one tonight. “She’s amazing. Even though the idea of this blindsided her, she’s handled it with charm and grace. She’s become some sort of media darling, and if you knew her, you’d know she hates it. We were already turning things around here, ratings-wise, but this cinched it. There’s no way we don’t end the year on a positive note.”
“I like the sound of your voice,” his mom said through the phone.
He wasn’t entirely sure what she meant by that. He could picture her lying by a pool after a morning of coordinating charity events. She kept herself busy giving back to others. Sometimes he wondered how his parents had fallen in love; they were complete opposites. Which is why it didn’t last.
“My voice hasn’t changed since I was twelve, Mom.”
Her laughter floated through the line. “I mean when you talk about the station and Everly. You sound … home.”
Chris leaned too far back in the chair, nearly toppling himself. “I don’t know about that. I’m heading home in less than six months. I’ve got plans to unite all Dad’s HR departments and communication systems. I’ve got surveys ready to go for each of the companies to find out where they think we’re lacking. I’ve been waiting for this chance. It’s what Dad has promised me.”
“I know that, sweetie. But is it still what you want?”
Mostly. “Of course.”
His mom was quiet, but he didn’t get a chance to ask her what she was thinking because some of his staff started to trickle in. “I have to go. I’ll talk to you soon?”
“Anytime. Just remember, honey, if you’re happy, maybe it’s okay to stand still.”
A smile tugged at his lips. Was she drinking before noon or purposely speaking in riddles? “Sure, Mom. Love you.”
“Love you back.”
Mason sat down across from Chris and grinned. “Chatting with Mom on your break?”
Chris laughed. “Unlike you, I don’t get a break.”
Jane, the receptionist, joined them. She had a pile of files in her arms, and Mari trailed behind her, the two of them finishing a conversation. Mari and Mason exchanged an odd glance, making Chris curious.
Chris turned up the segment as Stacey’s voice cut in. “Well, lovely listeners, that’s our show for today. Remember, our girl Everly has date four tonight. Tonight’s candidate is Andy, a twenty-nine-year-old model. Evs, if you don’t feel well, I’m happy to fill in for you. Hmm. She’s giving me a look, you guys. I think she wants this one for herself.”
Jane and Mason laughed.
Stacey continued, “Log on to our Facebook page tomorrow for the details. In the meantime, I’ll be giving away a gift card for Mocktails to one lucky follower on our Twitter account tomorrow. Just make sure you answer my question of the week and use the hashtag.”
Advertisements started up. They had about forty-five minutes of ads and music before the next deejay would chime in.
<
br /> A few minutes later, Chris and all his staff, minus the remote deejay, gathered around the conference room table.
They went through the agenda, adding to it. Chris’s eyes drifted more than once toward Everly. Her hair was down again. It looked really good, soft around her delicate features. She’d worn it up so often that seeing her like this still surprised him. Not nearly as much as the events of her birthday party had.
Kitty, their sales manager, spoke up first. “We’re selling more ad time than we ever have, and our reach is growing. We have a couple of national companies that just signed up to work with us.”
All good news. Chris needed to take a closer look at the figures for the subsidiary companies under the radio’s umbrella and see if a steady cash flow through one arm would be enough to keep the others functioning.
“Which means we should be trying new things now while we can pull in more listeners and advertisers,” Mari said, again looking at Mason.
He shrugged, and Chris had no idea what was going on between the deejay and his producer.
“Everly has an idea,” Stacey said.
Chris was in the middle of looking her way when he caught the flicker of irritation on Mari’s face. He turned to Everly and smiled. It felt like days since he’d seen her, and that was stupid since it had only been a day. But he hadn’t chatted with her alone, away from a crowd, on the phone, or via text in a couple of days. The last thing you need to do is start making her a part of your daily routine. She’s an employee. Like Mari or Stacey or Mason. Only looking at them across the table didn’t make him want to move closer and see if he’d catch a hint of vanilla.
“Go ahead,” Chris said.
Everly glanced around the room, and he wondered if she picked up the tension from Mari. “I think we can grow the station and our audience in a new way. I’d like us to consider doing a podcast. Stacey’s segment on her opinions and whether people share them is one of our most popular. I think people enjoy the interaction—the human piece that is often lacking from online engagement.”
“I love podcasts, and my favorites are always the ones where listeners are invited to take part. Interviews and guest spots can be fun and pull listeners in,” Mari said, turning her body toward Everly.
Chris smiled, folding his fingers together under his chin as he listened to them go back and forth.
“Exactly,” Everly said, her face lighting up. God, she was stunning when she really dug into something she enjoyed or felt passionate about. He wondered … no. He wouldn’t let himself wonder about her passion in any area other than work. The sooner he left California and returned to his real life, the better. He was getting muddled, being pulled from his goals.
The conversations continued as they talked about segments, weekly promotions, schedules, and the live event coming up. By the time the next deejays were needed in the booth, they’d almost wrapped up. Everly stayed seated while Chris chatted with Jane about the upcoming staff party. When she left, he took a seat near next to her.
“You okay?” He liked the flush of happiness on her face. She was good at her job, and when she forgot to be nervous, well, she was magnificent.
“I am. I just wanted to apologize again for my party. I’m sorry you got dragged into it.” A deeper blush rose up her neck.
He tore his eyes from the view and met her gaze. “Don’t be. The take-home gifts were awesome.”
Everly’s eyes widened, and he was just about to tell her that he was totally joking when a laugh burst from her lips. She covered her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking.
He chuckled. It had been more than a little shocking to see condoms shooting out of the cardboard donkey. Her parents were unlike any parents he’d ever met.
Pulling gently at one of her wrists, he smiled at her reassuringly. “I was really honored to be part of it. No need for apologies.”
She nodded. “If you say so. Just don’t, uh, rely too much on those goodies. Most of them are about fifteen years old.”
Now his eyes widened, and as she told him about her mother stuffing condoms in her purse at every opportunity, he had a moment of longing. He loved his parents, but he couldn’t imagine them being that relaxed with him. His mother was gentle but firm and had always invited them to speak freely, but none of them had wanted to discuss their sex lives, and she’d seemed happy to pretend they never had one.
Their father … well, he was too busy building an empire after his own father died, and when he did have time, he was usually dating or marrying a woman who had no interest in his kids.
“You’re lucky,” Chris said as she stood up.
“Because my parents believe in safe sex even if it’s glow in the dark?”
Laughing, he stood beside her. “That and because they care. You matter to them.”
“I do. They’re a lot to take sometimes, but you saw them on one of the good swings. When they’re happy together, their love is amazing to witness.”
“Not so much when they aren’t?”
She shook her head. “I realized I don’t know much about you when my dad was grilling you the other night.”
They walked out of the room together toward his office.
“What do you want to know?” he asked.
She shrugged. “Do you like working here?”
His gaze narrowed. “Sure. It’s great. You guys are great.” Did she sense something? He hadn’t told them he was leaving because that was a sharp dart to an overfilled balloon. Staffers didn’t feel like giving their all to management that wasn’t sticking around. Plus, he didn’t want to worry them. He’d leave them in better shape than he’d found them, and his successor would carry forward with their triumphs.
“You have siblings?”
“Three. All older. One sister, two brothers.”
They went into his office. Was she curious or wanting to know something in particular? He liked the idea that she might want to know more about him.
“Is this what you imagined yourself doing?” She leaned against his desk, much the way he had a few weeks ago when he’d run the promo idea by her and Stacey.
“No. Not really. I mean, not broadcast media in general. Communications, yes, but I never thought about the radio aspect of it.” Tell her. My dad owns the station, so I was given the opportunity to turn the place around as my final level of the jumping-through-hoops game.
“Now I just need some deep dark secrets,” she said, straightening.
His breath caught in his throat, but when she followed the statement with a laugh, he relaxed.
“I feel like everyone knows so much about me now, and I hardly know anyone,” she said, her tone quiet, almost reflective.
“Do you feel exposed?” He didn’t like the idea.
She shook her head. “Not as much as I thought I would. I’ve started to realize that being so introverted and nervous hasn’t just stopped people from getting to know me but me from getting to know them.”
Something like pride and affection mingled in his chest and filled his body with energy. This was good for Everly in ways he couldn’t have predicted.
“You’re a very special woman, Everly.”
Her breath hitched, and her gaze fastened on his like a magnet finding its mate. The words hung between them. He was afraid to speak because he didn’t want to take back what he believed so strongly, but he also didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable.
His phone buzzed, and Jane’s voice filled his office. “Line two for you, Mr. Jansen.”
“I’ll let you get back to work,” Everly said, leaving the office.
Chris’s heart rate doubled, and he took a few deep breaths before picking up the phone.
“Jansen,” he said.
“It’s me,” his father said curtly.
Chris sighed. “What’s up, Dad?”
“I axed the publishing company. Legal has started the paperwork,” his dad said without preamble.
Shit. What? There were five companies under the Harco Me
dia Entertainment umbrella—the radio station, an ad agency, a publishing house, a digital software company, and a cybersecurity firm. Chris was doing his best to unite all of them because of their commonalities and hoped to amalgamate them in some way rather than getting rid of any of them.
“Why would you do that?” He gripped the phone so tightly, the skin around his knuckles went white.
“Let me think. What was that reason again? Oh, right. I own the places; I wanted it gone. It was a conflict of interest with another company I’m looking at.”
Chris breathed in and out slowly, through his nose. “These five are under my control right now. You had no right.”
“I didn’t call to argue this,” his father interrupted. “Just sharing the information before the emails came through. Didn’t want you to be surprised. I know how you like your communications.” His dad laughed like Chris’s background, education, and interest in that field were a joke.
Less than six months. He was almost there. As long as Dad follows through and doesn’t screw you over. He hated the thought. His mother’s words from earlier ran through his brain. Was he happy? Professionally, if his dad weren’t involved, he would be. Which brought up the question of whether or not he could ever really find his place when his father kept changing the playing field.
[20]
Everly yawned on her way into the station. She couldn’t keep up with her social life, which was a problem she’d never encountered. Both dates this week had been lacking in the entertainment, enjoyment, and interest categories. Her fourth candidate, Andy, had met her at the restaurant with an entourage. She hadn’t noticed at first, but when he kept looking around, she realized that he’d brought a group of friends. When he asked to introduce her to them, she’d faked a headache and cut the evening short.
Last night, curled up on her couch, alternating between reading, watching cooking shows, and searching animal shelters, had been her favorite night this week. She’d texted back and forth with Stacey and Chris. Chris had wondered if she was going to kickboxing, but she’d been too tired to go. She smiled now, remembering that she’d promised to kick his ass the next time they sparred. Maybe it was all talk, but she was looking forward to the next class and had asked Stacey to join them.
Ten Rules for Faking It Page 17