Free The Cinderella Reflex by Joan Brady Page B

So who do you work for?”
    “Oh, it’s nowhere important,” she said dismissively. “The local radio station here – Atlantic 1FM. Do you listen to it?”
    “I don’t live in Killty – I’m just in town on business.” He raised an eyebrow. “But how can I help you?”
    “Well, I’ve never done anything like this before and I haven’t a clue how to kick it all off. It’s not that easy to get the right sort of callers – people who are fluent and who won’t dry up under the pressure of being on the radio. They don’t just ring in out of the blue. You have to go out and find them. My boss thinks I should make some stuff up to start it off, but I’m not sure if that’s exactly ethical.” Her voice trailed off. When she said it out loud like that, it sounded pretty precious. Maybe Helene was right. Maybe she should just make the stuff up and stop stressing so much about it?
    “But you think it would be ethical for me to ring you?” He pushed long legs out in front of him and gave her a quizzical look.
    “Well, of course it would be. You’re a real person with a real problem. You’ve just said so yourself. So it would be authentic and our listeners would get that straight away. It would be perfect to get me started off.”
    He smiled. “So tell me a bit more about it then. Are you excited about this chance to go on-air?”
    “Excited? No. Terrified more like. I’ve told Helene it’s probably going to flop. Helene’s my boss.”
    “So how do you know it’s going to be a flop?”
    Tess shrugged. She was beginning to regret starting up this conversation. She thought he’d just agree to do what she asked, or not. But he was giving her the third degree. “I suppose I don’t know for sure. But …”
    “Look, I’d like to help,” he said. “But it does seem weird, if you don’t mind me saying so. I’d have to broadcast my problem on-air and have everyone hear it?”
    “Well, you don’t have to worry about anybody recognising you, if you don’t live around here. It’s not as if Atlantic has a huge audience. Helene, my boss, says we’re haemorrhaging listeners! As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the only people who get to hear your problem are myself and Ollie, the presenter. And Helene and a few of the rest of the staff of course. And my parents – they always listen in on the internet. And my sister Verity – she lives in London.”
    “So what else can you tell me about the station?”
    “It’s tiny. But maybe for not much longer.”
    “Why?”
    Now he really was curious! Hah – she was reeling him in! But just in time she remembered Helene’s dire warnings about not spreading rumours and she pursed her lips.
    “I can’t really say any more. Sorry.”
    “Okay. So what if I want to help you out? How do we do it?”
    Tess felt a wave of elation. He was interested! She sat back and breathed a long sigh of relief. “That would be fantastic! This is my plan. You tell me what your problem is, I go away and research all I can about it – see what a real professional might have to say about it. And then when you ring me on-air on Monday,” she added rapidly before he could change his mind, “I’ll have the answer all ready for you. The listeners will think you’ve just phoned in off the cuff and I’m just very clever at answering problems.” She made a face. “Sorry if I’m destroying the magic of radio for you.”
    He leaned back in his chair, contemplating his scuffed, tan cowboy boots. “No, it’s all very interesting. But here’s something I don’t understand. You have a new slot on a tiny flop of a station with hardly any listeners – if nobody rings in, what’s the big deal? If there’s so few people listening in, who will even know?”
    “I’ll know. And Ollie Andrews – the presenter – will know and will smirk into my face about it. And Helene Harper will know and use it to get on my case even more afterwards. But if people hear you it will