Free Sunny Says by Jan Hudson Page A

several times. “Yes,
of course you are, Mr. Hoaglin. Perhaps you weren’t aware that I conceived this
idea of an in-depth study of street gangs and had it okayed by Hulon Eubanks,
the KRIP news director.”
    “I’m sure Hulon didn’t know that
you were planning to prance around by yourself in the seediest, most dangerous
part of town interviewing hoodlums.”
    “But I wasn’t by myself. Carlos
was with me.”
    “Carlos ought to have his butt
kicked. Maybe having to look for another job will teach him to have better
judgment.”
    Sunny’s eyes widened. “But you
can’t fire Carlos.”
    “I already did.”
    A sour knot formed in her
stomach and inched its way up her esophagus. How had she ever thought there
might be a warm, lovable side to this . . . this Simon Legree? She fought back
the tears that stung her eyes and glared up at the man towering over her.
    “If Carlos goes, I go.”
    “Meaning?”
    “Meaning, Mr. Hoaglin, I quit.”

Chapter Five
     
    “Like hell you do!” Kale
stormed. But when Sunny planted her fists on her hips, jutted her chin, and
glared up at him, he knew he was in deep stuff.
    “Like hell I don’t!”
    “You have a contract.”
    “Check your files, buddy. My
contract lapsed two months ago. But even if it hadn’t, I’d rather go back to
frying hamburgers at a fast-food joint than work for a domineering, chauvinistic
blockhead like you. In any case, I don’t need your job, Mister Network Stud. If
all I wanted to do was the weather, I have a standing offer from the national
cable channel for twice the salary you’re paying me.” She poked her finger in
his chest. “Put that in your pipe and smoke it!”
    Sunny snatched her purse from
his hand, jerked the car door open, got in, and slammed the door. She sat there
for a few moments, then rolled down the window.
    “Forget something?” Kale asked.
    Her lips were pinched as tight
as the drawstring on a bag of marbles. She held out her hand. “My keys.”
    He dangled them out of reach. “Forget
about quitting, and I’ll give them to you.”
    Fury blazed over her face like a
flash fire. “I won’t be bribed! Hell will freeze over before I set foot in KRIP
again!”
    Sunny shoved open the Escort’s
door, whacking it against him with such force that he stumbled and almost fell
on his backside. She scrambled out of the car and started clomping down the
street on her broken shoe.
    “Where in the hell are you
going?” Kale shouted.
    She ignored him. He caught up
with her and grabbed her arm. “I asked where you’re going.”
    Shaking off his hand, she stuck
her nose higher in the air and said, “I’m going to find a taxi, if it’s any of
your business.”
    “You’re not going to find a taxi
around here.”
    “Then I’ll walk home.”
    “That’s telling him, honey,” a
woman said in a slurred voice. She was part of a small crowd that had gathered
in front of a bar to watch them.
    “Oh, hell, Sunny.” He ran his
fingers through his hair and swiped his hand across his face. “It’s too far to
walk, and you’ll break your ankle with your shoe like that.”
    She took off her ruined heels
and shoved them against his chest. Automatically, his hands captured them. “Satisfied
now?” she asked.
    “I’ll give you a ride, little
mama,” said a man dressed in a flowered satin shirt.
    Kale glared at the glassy-eyed
pimp, who leaned indolently on a low-riding black Caddy with curb feelers and
extra chrome.
    “No thank you, sir,” Sunny said,
starting off at a brisk pace toward the bay and downtown.
    “Dammit, Sunny, you can have
your keys.”
    She turned and gave him a
withering look. “Shall I detail what you can do with the keys?”
    “That’s telling him, honey,” the
woman said again.
    Kale was torn between wanting to
throw her over his shoulder and carry her, kicking and screaming, to the car,
and trotting along behind her to see that she wasn’t molested. He’d almost
decided on using force when a taxi