I flashed a smile as I sat down beside him. About to give a witty remark in response, I changed my mind at last moment. “I apologize. I had a late start this morning.”
Tyler studied me for a long moment. By the look on his face, whatever he had to say couldn’t be good. I steadied myself, turning to face him directly. “Dawn, I’m afraid I have some bad news.” I looked at him and Jared before he continued. “We’re going to have to take you off air for the evening show.”
At first, I didn’t catch what he said. When I did, I could barely speak. It was ludicrous. The best reporter in the entire damn network and they were going to pull me?
“You’re joking,” I scoffed, staring him down. “There’s no way in hell you’d take me off air. I’m the one making this station any damn money at all.” Jared crossed his arms disapprovingly. My eyes returned to Tyler. “Please tell me your joking.”
“I’m afraid I’m one hundred percent serious,” he replied. “Effective immediately, you’re no longer an anchor for the WATV evening newscast. I’m sorry, Dawn.”
My ears rang. Suddenly it became difficult to breathe. Then I was pissed. I reached for the closest thing I could get my hands on. A mug that read “#1 Boss” in bold black lettering. I could have laughed. Angrily, I tossed it across the room. When it hit the wall, it shattered into a dozen pieces.
“What the hell, Dawn!” Jared yelled at me as I got to my feet. “This is just the type of behavior I was talking to Tyler about. You can’t just do whatever in the hell you want all the damn time.”
“You’ll rue the day you decided to fire me,” I turned to look at Jared. “RUE!”
Before they could utter another word, I’d stormed out of Tyler’s office, slamming the door behind me. I didn’t look back until I’d reached the elevator. When I was alone, I stood trying to catch my breath for a moment, before I let out a pitiful sob. The tears came for just a moment before I forced myself to stop. A crowd of people joined me on the elevator, and I rode down the rest of the way, stewing in silence.
After a gruesomely long afternoon in my condo, getting drunk way too early in the day, I decided to get out for the evening. With the way work had been, it had been impossible for the past few weeks to get out. Of course now, with no evening news to do, I was free to do as I wished. And all I wanted at that moment was to be as far away from my thoughts as possible.
So I ended up at “City Limits.” An elite club on the east side of the city that I’d been to a half-dozen times in the past few years. It wasn’t my favorite, but it would do the trick, and it was a short ride away. I’d gotten there early enough that by the time the real crowd started trickling in, I’d already been working on a buzz.
The woman had been in her early twenties if I had to take a guess. A tall blonde, with a lanky frame. Enchanting and bright big brown eyes that had captivated me from the moment she sat down. I’d have never picked her out from a crowd. She was a little too dorky for my tastes. But she had recognized me. And asked me about the work from my glory days. Work that had been pushed aside by the petty stories they’d given me these past few years. The kind of work that had won me Peabody's and Emmys and national recognition.
Suddenly, she’d become the only thing in the entire room.
.........................
The next morning, I woke early. It was still dark and the woman from the previous night was sound asleep next to me. I studied her for a long moment, debating waking her just to experience the night before all over again. Instead, I let her sleep, carefully dressing and heading out. When I’d reached the front of the house, I called a taxi.
Surprisingly, even in my drunken stupor, I’d remembered a great deal of the night before. As strange as it was, I couldn’t keep it out of my mind the entire ride back to the condo. The thoughts got me so hot and bothered that as soon as I’d gotten inside, I found myself buried in my bedsheets, giving myself release.
While I was laying in bed, panting softly as I tried to recover, my phone rang on the nightstand. When I looked at the number, I was surprised to see that it was Tyler. Likely calling to beg me to come back.
“I have an offer for you,” he’d said when I answered. I’d never heard him more serious in my life. I sat up on the bed, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “You either take this, or we’re done, Dawn. I mean it. No bullshit.”
“Okay, what’s the offer?” I moved from the bed into the living room. As soon as I’d made it to the kitchen, I started a pot of coffee. A hangover headache had started to hit hard.
“Ben Stewart just left ‘Rise and Shine,’” Tyler started. The minute he said it, I let out a huff into the phone.
“First you put me on as an anchor, and then you want to move me to a morning show? Have you lost your fucking mind?” I could barely contain my anger. “Let me clarify for you one more time--”
“This isn’t a negotiation, Dawn,” Tyler said firmly. “You either take this offer, or you’re done with WATV. You’ll lose the rest of your pay for your contract. There won’t be any more offers. So tread carefully, I’m warning you.”
Somehow I managed to calm myself. “Rise and Shine. You want me to be the new co-host, I’m presuming?”
Tyler cleared his throat. “For the remainder of your contract, yes.”
My contract was for an additional two years. Two years of bullshit fluff news. I was nearly certain that I’d rather be jobless than reduced to what that entailed. However, instead of arguing, I asked the next question that was on my mind.
“How much am I owed still by my contract?”
“One point five million for the next two years,” Tyler said flatly. He knew I would ask. I held my tongue. That much money was worth not being irrational.
“I’ll have to think about it,” I replied, trying to stay calm. “How long do I have?”
“You show up this afternoon for a run-down of the show and to meet your colleagues. If you don’t show, I’ll consider that your resignation.”
Tyler didn’t wait for me to respond. I heard the phone click on the other end, and I pulled the phone from my ear. My heart was pounding furiously in my chest. The reality of my life had changed so fast, I could hardly keep up.
After I’d had a chance to calm myself down, I went to the television and flipped it on. Not surprisingly, Rise and Shine was still on for it’s nine o’clock hour. And, as Tyler had stated, Ben Stewart was nowhere to be seen. Kate Walker, the other host, was busy handling the show by herself. I’d met her on a few occasions and never liked her much. She was too interested in topics I couldn’t stand. Celebrity gossip. Pop culture.
The show stayed on for a little over a minute before I could hardly take it. I turned it off angrily and threw the remote. When I collapsed on the couch, I found myself cursing loudly into a pillow.
Before I knew it, it was going on lunchtime. I barely had an hour to make it down to the station for the meeting. I found myself pacing the floor for a very long time, unable to decide what I wanted to do. Finally, I threw on a presentable looking outfit, tossed my hair into a bun, and made my way the two blocks to the high rise. Surprisingly, for the first time in a very long while, I arrived with minutes to spare.
The Rise and Shine studio sat in the basement level of the building. In my two decades of working for the network, I’d never been down there or had any interest in going. As I punched the elevator down, I scowled, hardly able to believe what I was doing. A handful of people were bustling around when the doors opened. I found myself heading down a hallway filled with set props and artwork. As I turned the corner, I found myself wandering out into the set of the show. A crowd was gathered by the cameras. It seemed as if they’d just finished up doing promos.
Tyler stood at the far side of the room, next to a blonde woman who had her back turned away from me. As I started to make my way over, he caught my glance and looked genuinely surprised to see me. When he waved me over, the woman beside him turned. I found myself stopping in my tracks when she did.
Those delicate features, mixed with her bright brown eyes and that tall, lanky frame. Even if she had been a fling, I wouldn’t have forgotten her. Not after the night we’d had. We stared at each other for a moment as I managed to force myself over. The expression on her face was unreadable. Just seeing her made me ache in a way I wasn’t used to.
“I see you decided to show up,” Tyler said, looking somewhat pleased. “Dawn Reynolds, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.” Tyler put a hand on the blonde woman’s shoulder. “This is Elizabeth Mudd. She’s going to be the new executive producer for Rise and Shine.”
My heart nearly lept through my chest. Instinctively, I outstretched my hand. When she took it in her own, electricity shot through me.
“You can call me Liz.”
Chapter 3
Liz
After our meeting, Tyler had taken me down the elevator to the studios. When the elevator doors had opened, it felt as if for a moment I’d stepped into a somewhat decorated dungeon. The concrete walls were lined with photos from the show but otherwise were barren and cold. There were set decorations and miscellaneous props lining the sides of the walls. It was hazardous, to say the least.
“This is going to be cleaned up, right?” I looked at Tyler, and he shrugged.
“You’ll have to talk to Marty about that,” he replied as we turned a corner into the studio.
“And Marty is?”
“I’m Marty,” a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard and dusty brown hair came up to meet me. “The production manager for Rise and Shine. You must be the new executive producer.”
I stuck out my hand, offering a smile. “Liz Mudd. Nice to meet you.”
Marty grinned and looked at Tyler. “Look how wide-eyed and eager she looks. We’ll break her soon enough.” I couldn’t help but feel slightly taken aback by the comment but I shrugged it off. “Let me give you a little tour.”
We wandered through the studio, which, in spite of it being in the basement was relatively nice for being a budget show. There was a variety of sets. A “living room” style set, a typical “desk” set, a “standing” set and a “kitchen” set.
“There’s a lot we can do with this,” I thought aloud as Marty showed me everything. They turned to look at me, and I waved them off. Once we’d made it through the studio, Marty weaved me down another hallway.
“What’s with all the props in the hallway?” I asked Marty as we weaved past another pile. “Seems kind of dangerous.”
“No room,” Marty admitted. “I’d change that if I could. You wouldn’t believe the accidents we have because of it.” His comment didn’t make me feel any better, but I didn’t reply. Instead, we all remained silent till we reached a room. The door was marked “Kate Walker.” When Tyler knocked, I readied myself. Although I’d seen her on the show before, we’d never met in person.
“Jesus, Marty, can’t a woman get a minute of--” The door swung open. Kate was dressed in a robe, a glare stretched across her face. It quickly transformed into a small smile. “You could have told me we had visitors.”
“Liz, this is Kate Walker. I’m sure you’ve seen her on the show before.” Marty nodded towards her.
“Liz Mudd,” I returned her smile, extending my hand. “I’m the new executive producer.”
Kate let out a huffy laugh. “Oh dear, another one already, Marty?”
“Be nice, Kate,” Marty warned. “We were just giving her a little tour. Want to tell her anything about the show?”
“It’s a trainwreck,” Kate said matter-of-factly. “They’re thinking about shutting it down, aren’t they Tyler?” When Tyler didn’t answer her, she let out another little laugh. “I would expect to stay very long.”
What was with all these people, I wondered to myself. And better yet, what had I gotten myself into?
“You’re due for promos in five minutes,” Marty reminded Kate. She rolled her eyes, shutting the door behind her. Marty turned to me and shrugged, and I couldn’t help but laugh. “She’s a peach. But she grows on you, I promise.”
“Our new co-host should be here today,” Tyler said, looking at his watch. “Although I wouldn’t count on her being early.”
The three of us wandered back out into the studio as the production crew was getting set up. Marty introduced me to the small group as they worked. Tim, who was in charge of lighting and sound. Rachel, makeup, and hair. David, Cara, and Robbie, cameras. Justin, the runner. They all seemed nice and friendly enough. Once I’d been properly introduced, I started to feel a little better about the situation.
That was until I heard Tyler speaking to a woman behind me. A woman whose voice sounded oddly familiar. I felt Tyler tap me on the shoulder and I turned swiftly. Those blue eyes met mine, and I felt a wave of emotions rush through me at a rapid pace.
“This is Elizabeth Mudd. She’s going to be the new executive producer for Rise and Shine.” My ears were ringing as Tyler introduced me. Neither Dawn nor I could take our eyes from one another.
“Call me Liz,” I said bleakly, holding out my hand for her to shake. Breathe, Liz, breathe.
“Dawn,” she replied. “Dawn Reynolds.”
“I’m familiar,” I said, trying desperately to remain stoic.
“Dawn’s going to be the new co-host for Rise and Shine,” Tyler explained. “She’s quite a celebrity. With your experience in the business, I’m sure you know all about her.”
“All about her,” I repeated. “Big fan.” Then it occurred to me to address the elephant in the room. “I thought you worked for the evening show?”
“Dawn was recently transferred,” Tyler explained, though I could tell by his tone of voice what it really meant. She’d done something to piss them off that made them take her off air. With Dawn’s status, it must have been something big too. She stayed quiet, finally looking away from me to let her eyes wander around the room.
God, I hated how beautiful she was. It was so distracting when all I wanted to be was angry. All I could think about was how she’d been in Kathy’s bed a few hours later. Naked. With me. I found myself staring at her lips, remembering how they felt trailing down my skin. It sent a shiver through me.
Snap out of it.
Tyler turned to Marty, giving him an awkward pat on the shoulder. “I’ll let you handle it from here.” He looked at me for a moment and then to Liz. Somehow I think he knew there was something weird going on, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, I watched him disappear down the hallway before I turned to look at Marty. I did my best to ignore the fact that Dawn was a mere foot away from me.
“Production meeting, anyone?” Marty suggested.
For the next hour, I was pitched ideas left and right from the staff. As they talked, I took notes, trying to keep up as best I could. It seemed as if everyone was on a completely different page as far as what they wanted to do.
Dawn had conveniently sat across the table from me. Although not nearly as revealing as she had been the night before, she still looked distractingly nice. She wore a low cut light pink blouse. Her blonde hair was pinned up messily on her head, exposing her long neck. If I hadn’t been on such an adrenaline rush to get started working, I would have lost myself in her. Somehow, I managed to snap out of it.
“I thought we could finally run the segment about popular baby names this year. I think people would be really interested in something like that.” Jane, I think her name was Jane, spoke up.
“The shelters agreed for us to do another adoption promo,” Dave spoke over Jane.
“We need to fix the plumbing in the bathroom,” Emily, an intern, mentioned. “It’s getting really bad.”
“We secured the rock band to come in for next week, but I just need confirmation that we’re still on.”
“What about the new sci-fi movie? Weren’t we going to try to get one of the leads to come in for the 6am show?”
“One thing at a time, guys,” Marty finally broke the chaos. I was still busy taking notes. Finally
, I looked up at them smiling.
“Let’s run the baby name segment next week. Adoptions are always good, I need you to get back with them and secure a good time. Let me know. Plumbing in the bathroom. I’ll make some calls today, that will be a priority. Rock band, great. We’re go. Let’s look into who we can secure from that movie to come in. Let me know what you find out.”
While the meeting was a mess and nothing like I was used to, I was impressed by their enthusiasm regardless. The only person who looked completely appalled in the room was Diane, who seemed to scoff at every segment and story idea people had. Every time I heard her sigh heavily, I felt myself growing more annoyed. Finally, I turned to look at her.
“Do you have any ideas, Dawn?”
Dawn looked surprised, to say the least, that I’d called her out. When those blue eyes met my own, she stared at me for a long time before she spoke. Her lips curved into the smallest smile as she drummed her fingers on her cheek. Those long delicate fingers that wouldn’t stay off of me hours earlier. “I’m just listening,” she replied.
I cleared my throat and turned back towards the rest of the group. “Alright, guys. Great ideas. If you have any more suggestions, I’ll be here for the rest of the afternoon getting caught up. I’m passing out my business card. It has my cell phone. Feel free to call me if you need me. Anytime.”
The cards spread across the table. As soon as Dawn picked up a card, I instantly regretted passing them out. The last person in the world I wanted to be able to contact me was her. Not after this morning. I shook it off, standing up from the desk. As I left, some of the employees shook my hand and offered me warm welcomes.
When I moved out of the room and to the other end of the basement where the staff cubicles sat, I noticed Dawn Reynolds dressing room, presently being revamped. Flowers were being brought in, as well as various pieces of lush furniture. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.
My desk had barely been vacated by the previous producer. Papers were still scattered everywhere. There was even leftover food in a drawer that was starting to mold. I did my best not to gag as I cleaned out everything. It took a good half hour to get it presentable. When I’d finished dusting off the ancient hardware at my desk, I looked up to see Dawn leaning against the wall of the cubicle, smirking at me.
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