Free The Word Master by Jason Luke

good for the program. We’re getting more fantasy calls from other women because of her.”
    “Then what? How do you want to handle this?”
    “I don’t know,” I admitted. “Let’s see what happens tonight. Maybe she won’t phone again. I made it clear to her last night that it was against policy to meet. Maybe she will accept that.”
    Nancy didn’t sound entirely convinced. “Okay,” she said reluctantly, “but if she does call in to the station tonight, talk to her off air. Don’t put her on the radio, Jericho. This needs to be dealt with discreetly. I said to you when we first spoke – listeners want their fantasies to be available, even if they’re not attainable. Remember that.”
    I sighed. “I remember,” I said. “But meeting this woman face to face could be a bad idea.”
    Nancy’s voice hardened a little – just enough to let me know she disagreed. “Meeting this woman might be the only way to settle the issue and prevent it from overshadowing the success of the show,” she countered.

Chapter 10.
     
    April greeted me in the corridor of the radio station with an angry bluster. “Did the horror-bitch call you about the changes to tonight’s show?” she fumed.
    She was dressed differently. Gone was the open-necked blouse and the gaping neckline that revealed the tops of her breasts, and gone were the tight jeans that had clung to the curve of her hips and ass like a second skin. Instead she was dressed demurely in a loose-fitting sweater and casual slacks. The long flowing cascade of her hair had been tamed and tied back from her face in a ponytail. She looked like a different woman.
    She must have seen the flicker of surprise that registered on my face. She checked a burst of outrage that was bubbling on her lips and wrinkled her nose.
    “This is the real me,” she said, flapping her hands in a gesture that invited a comment. “No point carrying on the charade of the flirtatious vixen when you know my little secret, and there is no one else that matters in the building.”
    I gave her appearance a more considered appraisal.
    “I like the real you,” I said warmly. “Very striking.”
    “Thanks,” April smiled. She dabbed at her hair with vain preening fingertips, and then seemed to remember her anger. She pursed her lips and planted her hands on her hips. “Well?”
    “Well what?”
    “What are the changes to the show?”
    I frowned. “Nancy didn’t tell you?”
    April shook her head. “Hey, apparently you are the new Golden Boy of talk back radio,” she said with an edge of sarcasm. “She told me you would fill me in on all the changes when you arrived.”
    I let April’s comment slide. “Who is producing the program tonight? Is Cecily back at work?” I asked casually.
    April shook her head. “The rumor around the station is that she won’t be back at work until next week.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Some sort of family crisis, apparently.”
    I grunted. “So it’s Grover again?”
    April nodded.
    “Is he here yet?”
    April gave me a quirky smile. “He’s bird watching.”
    “What?”
    “Bird watching,” April said again more slowly, and then jabbed her thumb in the direction of Nancy Collett’s office. “The view from the dragon’s office is directly opposite a high rise apartment complex. Grover takes a pair of binoculars in there sometimes and checks the building to look for strangers having sex.”
    I almost laughed. Almost. “Are you serious?”
    April nodded, then turned wordlessly on her heel. I followed her along the corridor until we were standing in the open doorway of Nancy’s office. Grover was hunched over at the waist, powerful binoculars clutched to his eyes. He was pressed against one of the full-length windows, a gloomy shadow in the darkness.
    April cleared her throat and I saw Grover straighten guiltily. He saw April, and then he saw me. The hand holding the binoculars fell to his side.
    “Oh, hey man!” he said uncomfortably.