Traffic & Weather

by Magnolia Robbins

  Traffic & Weather

  Magnolia Robbins

  Copyright © 2017 by Magnolia Robbins. All Rights Reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of very brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Chapter 1

  Liz

  When had I gotten so bad at dating? Had I always been this bad?

  “Sorry I’m late,” I apologized as I slid into the booth across from her. She was as beautiful as her profile pictures - ashy brown hair and hazel eyes. We smiled at each other for a moment before she spoke.

  “Don’t worry about it. Everything okay?” She must have noticed my frazzled state. Did I forget to run a comb through my hair? I reached up casually and felt it flying all over the place. Great. Just what I needed. My hands ran through it a couple of times just as the waiter brought us water.

  “Oh, it’s just work,” I admitted, waving my cell phone. “It never stops. If it’s not a news story, it’s a production change. If it’s not a production change, it’s staff change. If it’s not--” I suddenly realized I had been rambling. A smile spread across my face as I pocketed my cellphone in my purse. “Sorry. It’s kind of my life. I get a little carried away sometimes..”

  Rachel - I think her name is Rachel, was it, Rachel? - let out a small laugh. “I like a woman who is passionate about what she does.” I felt her reach across the table and take my hand in her own. Is she really holding my hand right now? It was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe. Carefully, I slid away from her.

  “So what do you do?” Why did you say that? You know exactly what she does. “Finance. That’s right. Sorry. Nervous habit. I ask a lot of questions. And ramble. Sometimes I’ll ramble on for ages. To the point that I even forget what I was talking about in the first place. Do you ever do that?” Stop. Stop now. “Sorry.” My hand ran through my hair once more, nervously.

  “You’re quite alright, no need to be nervous.” Rachel smiled at me after she’d taken a drink of her water. “Yes, I’m in finance. Seven years now. I love it.”

  Just as I was about to reply, my phone rang in my purse. For a moment I tried to ignore it. My anxiety must have been written all over my face because Rachel motioned towards my purse. In a flash, the phone was to my ear.

  So much for a nice night out.

  .........................

  “And a bright and early morning to you, Santa Barbara. It’s currently fifteen minutes past the hour. We’re looking at another beautiful day on the California coast.”

  My fingers grazed over my alarm. 2:15. In a matter of seconds, I was awake, staring into the room. Fifteen minutes later and I was dressed and out the door.

  Dana, the four o’clock producer, tossed me a protein bar and brought a tall cup of coffee to me as I sat down in the meeting room. A dozen glazed over faces looked back at me. Typical for a Monday morning production meeting. “Good morning everybody. Thanks for making it on time today, I really appreciate it. Let’s talk business for a few minutes before we hunker down for our first morning broadcast.”

  These pow-wows that happened every morning usually consisted of concerns related to the mornings shows, last minute changes. Sometimes reporters would pitch new story ideas. We’d prep for any guests coming in on the show that day. It was one of the highlights of my morning, seeing how everything would come together. Unfortunately, I was the unpopular opinion.

  “We’ve got 10 seconds to air, everybody,” Dana called out to the floor. The camera operators readied, makeup did last minute touch ups on Steve and Becky while they checked their microphones. Dustin, our office runner, brought out final scripts and set them on the desk in front of the anchors.

  “5..4...3...2..” Dana gave Steve the signal, and he took off.

  “Good morning Santa Barbara,” Steve flashed his signature smile at the camera. “I’m Steve Burzynski.”

  “And I’m Rebecca Tates,” Becky chimed in, stifling a yawn. “And you’re watching Early Risers, from Channel 6 News. We’d like to first check in with Tracy, our traffic reporter, who is live at the scene of the 24th Street crash this morning.”

  “Switch to the onsight feed,” I called out into the production room. The shot went live to Tracy. As soon as it did, I called out to the floor. “Becky, you doing okay?”

  “Just having a little trouble waking up,” Becky replied, yawning again. As soon as she looked back down, Dustin had brought her a shot of coffee. She downed it quickly and tossed it in the garbage under the desk.

  “And we’re back in 5...4...3...2”

  By the time the morning broadcasts were through, it was ten o’clock, and I was running on leftover adrenaline. Eight hours of work would do that to you, and it wasn’t over yet. My head was buried in a sea of news on three computer monitors at my desk. When I finally managed to look up, Dana was hovering over me.

  “What’s up?” I asked casually, taking a long sip of coffee.

  “Ed said he wants to see you in his office in an hour,” Dana said. “Remember what I told you last week? About the changes, they want to make at the studio? I bet it means you’re getting a promotion.”

  I bit on the end of a pen, pondering on the idea. “You don’t know that for sure,” I finally said, waving her off.

  “Oh, I bet you a hundred dollars that’s exactly what it is,” Dana grinned at me, slapping the top of my cubicle. “You just wait, Liz Mudd! Executive Producer, here you come!”

  “Shh,” I waved at her, looking around the room. Dana let out a little laugh and patted me on the shoulder as she walked by. After she left, I spun around in my chair for a moment, starting to feel rather excited by the idea.

  After prepping two news stories and having a brief meeting with Steve Burzynski, I wandered into Ed’s office, making sure I was a few minutes early. He was on the phone when I made it, but he ushered me in anyway. I sat across from him at the empty seat in front of his desk. We met eyes for a moment, and I suddenly had a very large pit growing in my stomach. The look on his face did not scream promotion. In fact, it looked exactly the opposite.

  “I’m afraid I’m going to have to let you go, sweetheart,” Ed said calmly to me. My mind could hardly process the words coming out of his mouth. “Corporate wants to hire a more experienced producer for all of our weekday shows. I tried really hard to fight for you. I even asked if we could keep you on also. We just don’t have the money.”

  I found it hard to breathe. All I could do was nod.

  The next thing I knew, my staff was helping me carry things to my car. My life became a giant blur of hugs and tearful goodbyes. I barely knew what to say or do.

  “I’ll be fine,” I assured their worried faces. “There’s bound to be something out there.”

  As soon as I got home, I collapsed in a puddle on the couch. It wasn’t an hour later that my phone rang. Kathy, my sister.

  “I’m guessing Dana told you,” I sighed, rolling over and placing the phone to my ear. Dana and Kathy had been close for years. They were part of the reason I landed a job at the station in the first place.

  “How are you doing?” My sister asked me, though I was pretty sure I didn’t have to tell her.

  I hu
mored her anyway. “I’ve been better.” A bitter laugh escaped me. “I guess I’m going to have to start sending out resumes.”

  “You are not going to start applying for jobs tonight,” Kathy said matter-of-factly. “I don’t care how much of a workaholic you are. We’re going out tonight. You need a break.”

  I pondered on the idea for a brief moment before I argued. “I don’t really think that’s a good idea.” As soon as I said it, I flipped on the television. The seven o’clock news was playing. Suddenly I found myself distracted.

  “Liz,” I heard Kathy grumble in my ear. “I’m serious. Get ready to go. I’ll pick you up in an hour and a half.”

  Somehow I managed to force myself from the couch to get ready. I turned the television up so I could hear it as I found a burgundy dress I hadn’t worn in years in the back of my closet. I let my blonde hair fall around my shoulders and slipped into the outfit. It had been a long time since I’d gotten dressed up this much. I practically lived in suits and blouses. By the time I’d fixed my makeup, there was a knock at the door.

  Kathy didn’t bother waiting, letting herself in. “You know, you’re going to get murdered one day leaving your door open all the time like that.”

  “It’s a safe area,” I argued as I wandered into the hall. Kathy looked me up and down for a moment and let out a whistle.

  “Someone went all out,” my sister grinned at me as she turned the television down.

  “If you’re dragging me out, I figured I might as well,” I replied, turning my attention towards the television as a news story about a local robbery ironically flashed on the screen. Before I could digest much of what was going on, Kathy turned it off.

  “No work tonight, got it?”

  “No work,” I agreed, grumbling.

  As long as I’d gone without going out on the town, it had been at least twice as long that I’d gone to a club with my sister. Kathy, who had been a partier as long as I could remember, knew the exact right place to go. In Los Angeles. An hour and a half drive away.

  “Are you serious? Why couldn’t we have gone out in Santa Barbara?”

  “Because where I want to take you is in LA,” Kathy retorted as we pulled off the highway into the bustling city. A few minutes later we turned into the parking lot of a rather large black building that read “City Limits.” I recognized the name almost immediately from the news.

  “Isn’t this some super elite club?” I asked as we hopped out from the car. “There’s no way we’ll be able to get in.”

  “I have my ways,” Kathy grinned at me as we made our way up to the entrance. My sister talked to the bouncers out front for a matter of seconds before we were ushered inside. I stared at her curiously, unable to believe what I’d just witnessed.

  I had vague memories of the inside of the place from the stories I’d seen on the news. The stories didn’t give it justice. It was mesmerizing. It was three stories, with balconies looking down at a huge dance floor in the center of the room. An elaborate granite-topped bar sat on one side of the large open space. Kathy took my hand and led me in that general direction.

  “Let’s get some drinks,” she decided as we took two seats at the bar. Kathy waved down the bartender and ordered before I had a say otherwise. “A vodka and cranberry for me, and two shots of tequila for this one right here.”

  My eyes went wide. “Kathy, I can’t--” My sister waved me off and nodded at the bartender.

  “Tonight is all about you relaxing,” Kathy said.

  “And getting me plastered,” I said, giving her a dirty look. As soon as she grinned at me, I couldn’t help but smile back. Moments later, there were two shots of tequila in front of me. I took a deep breath, throwing the first one down. It burned like hell. “Oh my God,” I gasped, trying to catch my breath. Kathy ushered me on, and I downed the second one, just as her drink came.

  We chatted a while. Mostly I listened to Kathy talk about her “boring office job.” I tried my best to not talk about work, but inevitably it came up.

  “You’ve been dreaming about a gig in NYC as long as I can remember,” Kathy said, shaking her head. “You need to start thinking about getting a stable job and settling down. You aren’t getting any younger.”

  “Says the woman who still parties every weekend,” I scoffed at her. The bartender brought me a vodka and cranberry like my sister, and I sipped on it. I could already feel the effects of the tequila shots hitting me.

  “I’m just saying. I have a good job. A steady job. You deserve the same thing.”

  I sighed loudly, staring out past my sister towards the other end of the bar. My eyes glazed over the different faces curiously. People watching was one of my more favorite things to do.

  Just as I was about to turn my attention back to Kathy, she caught my eye. Her face was unmistakable. To the average person, she might have been glanced over. But to someone who had followed the news religiously since she was a kid, she was the only person in the room. And she was gorgeous, with her long thick blonde hair and striking blue eyes. Those eyes that I had dreamed about and pined over for years.

  “Kathy,” I nudged her, nodding down the length of the bar. My sister turned, scanning in the general direction. Her eyes went right past her. Of course, she didn’t recognize her.

  “The blonde woman. Drinking the martini.” I said, leaning into her, so I didn’t have to speak as loudly. “That’s Dawn Reynolds.”

  “Who the hell is Dawn Reynolds?” She asked me, studying her over. “Someone you used to date?”

  Oh God, I wished. She was magical. I watched as she sipped on the drink, her dark lipstick leaving a smudge on the glass. The imagery made a shiver run down my spine.

  “The reporter? Dawn Reynolds? God, Kathy, she’s won so many awards I can’t count them all. She’s world-renowned. I don’t think there’s a large story she hasn’t covered.”

  I could see Kathy watching me out of the corner of my eye. My intense look of longing must have given me away because a smirk spread across her face.

  “Oh man, you have a crush on her!”

  My attention turned back towards my sister abruptly. I could feel the heat overwhelming my face. It made her look all the more amused. “I may have a small, very minor crush on her,” I admitted, swallowing a large gulp of the drink in front of me.

  “You should go talk to her,” Kathy said, nudging me off the stool.

  “Dawn Reynolds? There’s no way I could talk to Dawn Reynolds--” I trailed off, finishing the last bit of my drink.

  “Of course you can talk to her,” Kathy said, handing me her drink. “Liquid courage.” Suddenly the overwhelming urge to go to her overcame me. I took the rest of Kathy’s drink and chugged it down before I hopped down off the stool.

  “Are you going to be okay?” I asked her, realizing I’d be leaving her alone.

  “I’ll be just fine.” Kathy gave me a wink, and I nodded, weaving my way through the crowd.

  There were a few seats empty along the left side of Dawn. As I approached, I noticed the slinky black dress she wore. The way it cut up her side exposing the creamy white long legs beneath. The dress plunged at her breast line, leaving little to the imagination. My heart raced so hard in my chest by the time I’d gotten to her, I didn’t think I’d make it without passing out.

  As soon as I sat down next to her, my mind changed abruptly. We met eyes for a moment. The first time I’d ever met eyes with her in person. She was even more stunning face-to-face. Those blue eyes pierced into me so intensely I thought it might break me. I offered a small smile before I waved the bartender down. Instead of a vodka cranberry, I turned to Dawn and found myself speaking before I realized what I was saying. “What are you having?”

  Dawn paused for just a moment, twisting those delicious deep red lips for a moment before she responded. “A French Martini.” I nodded at the bartender and asked for another drink for Dawn. She offered a small smile of gratitude.

  “Thank you,” she replied
, finishing off what was left of the drink she’d been working on.

  I sighed softly for a moment before I dared to respond to her. “I hope you don’t mind me being forward, but I’m a huge fan.” Dawn raised an eyebrow curiously at me. “I’ve followed you ever since I was a teenager. You’re kind of my hero.” For a minute I felt embarrassed for rambling, but she seemed to be flattered at the compliment. Our eyes met again, and it sent shivers through me. She was the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen.

  “Like your coverage of living with the Iraqi refugees,” I continued. “I mean, that was the most amazing reporting work I’ve seen. Ever.” Finally, I managed to get myself to stop. “Sorry, I’m just a huge fan.”

  “I’m impressed you remember that story,” Dawn said as the bartender brought our drinks. She took a sip and then smiled at me. “That was quite a few years ago.”

  I nodded, taking a sip of the martini. I’d never had one before, and surprisingly it was delicious. We exchanged glances with one another for a moment before Dawn spoke again. “Did you watch the story about the African poachers? That was a particular favorite of mine.”

  Dawn and I talked for a while, mostly about her work. I’d never been more fascinated with a person in my life, and never felt more intrigued to listen to someone talk. Even if it was the most difficult thing in the world given how incredibly beautiful she was. Another drink in, and it felt as if she was starting to draw closer to me. Our hands touched more often. We shared more glances between one another.

  My entranced state was briefly interrupted when Kathy tapped me on the shoulder. She leaned into me, handing me a pair of keys. “I don’t mean to interrupt. I just wanted to give you these. I’m going to take off.” Kathy motioned to a man standing directly behind her. I gave her a smile and pocketed the keys to her guest house. “Have fun.” She grinned at me and exchanged a glance with Dawn for a moment.

  After Kathy left, Dawn leaned in towards me, placing a hand on my leg. It was a subtle thing, one I’m sure wasn’t meant deliberately, but it sent a shock through me, unlike anything I’d ever felt before. “Would you like to dance?”