Free Do or Di by Eileen Cook

heartless child welfare worker.”
     
    “You shouldn’t have said things were working out,” Colin pointed out.
     
    “Thanks for the hindsight.”
     
    “Like I said, I’m full of great ideas.” He spread his arms wide.
     
    “Was keeping me on the show your idea?”
     
    “It’s a good opportunity for you. The ratings are high. I’ve listened to you do traffic. You’re the only person I know who can have an opinion on traffic. I figured it wouldn’t hurt my show to have a bit of that unpredictability.” Colin didn’t meet my eyes.
     
    “I notice you didn’t mention that it’s good for you too. It shakes up the show.”
     
    “Fine. Consider me shaken.”
     
    “Was the rest of it your idea too?” I crossed my arms over my chest.
     
    “What do you mean, lover?” He lingered over the last word as if it were a chocolate in his mouth.
     
    “Please don’t call me that.”
     
    “You better get used to it. Wayne wants everyone in the station to believe we’re in a relationship so that the story is believable in case anyone checks it out.”
     
    If I closed my eyes I could almost hear the whispering and snickering that must be happening in the back halls and over the cubicle walls. Colin’s love life was prime time news at the station. It seemed like there wasn’t a female within the office walls who hadn’t had a crush on him at some point. It was possible a few of the guys had a thing for him too. I cannot believe I agreed to this.
     
    “Am I making a huge mistake?”
     
    “Which one? Letting people think you’re dating me? Being a mentor to Princess Di or dating a married man?”
     
    I jumped. “How do you know about Jonathon?”
     
    Colin leaned against the wall with exaggerated casualness. “A guy keeps his eyes and ears open around here, it’s amazing the kind of things he can pick up.”
     
    “Does everyone know?” I fought the urge to look around in case anyone was sneaking up on me.
     
    “I doubt it, but you know this kind of gossip doesn’t stay underground for long.” He caught my eye. “Don’t give me that stink eye. I’m not going to tell anyone.”
     
    “Let me guess. Despite your private life, you feel quite comfortable sitting in judgment on mine. You think dating Jonathon is a big mistake.”
     
    “You’re the one supposedly being haunted by dead ex-royalty in the guise of a teenage girl, maybe you should ask her if it’s a mistake.” Colin gave me a curt nod and then headed off.
     
    I looked at my watch. We had a couple hours until the show started. I needed to find Diana and convince her to come back to the station so that my boss would think I’m a worthy human being. If this is a mistake, it won’t be the first one I’ve made. Practice makes perfect after all.
     

Chapter Eight
     
    The call to the Positive Partnership organization was not positive. I was hoping it would be a simple process, that after one call to them, they would forward a nicely summarized psychiatric report and a phone number where I could reach Diana. Turns out nothing in my life can be simple.
     
    “I can’t release information about Diana without her written permission. What I can tell you is outlined in the information package you received at the event. Diana’s mother has substance abuse issues and has been in and out of recovery centers. Her father hasn’t been involved in her life for several years now, and at this point social services has been unable to locate him in order to enforce the child support order. She has no siblings. Her test scores show her as having above average intelligence, but her attendance in school has been very spotty.”
     
    “Do you know about her, uh, interest in Princess Diana?”
     
    “Princess Diana?” I could hear her pause before she flipped through the papers. “There isn’t anything in the file about that, but these kids often pick an unusual focus or hobby. It is a chance to define themselves outside of their home lives.