Page 10 of Wicked Player

This had trouble stamped in bright red all over it.

“Okay. Good night, John.”

“Good night, Beth.” He pressed his lips to mine one more time. He didn’t use his tongue, just his mouth in a lingering sweet kiss, the kind you’d give your love at the end of a long day but needed that connection before sleep. That wasn’t what this was. I had to remember that.

I didn’t respond. I rolled to my side while he dressed, the clank of a buckle and the rustle of his clothes a hundred times louder than before. And then his shoes. The door opened and I imagined him looking back, perhaps biting his bottom lip before he made the decision to stay a little bit longer.

I ripped off the blindfold and sat up, hoping, wishing he was still there. Changed his mind. But the room was empty and I blinked several times to clear the haze of darkness I’d been shrouded in for so long.

“Well, Elizabeth, you sure do know how to return to Velvet with a bang. That’s for sure.”

Four

Elizabeth

“Elizabeth!”

I jumped at the sharp shout of my boss Shane’s voice. He was a large man with a personality ten times larger than his waist. I’d worked at XTCP News for five years and he still scared the crap out of me every time he shouted.

Across the desk from me, Will peeked out from behind the computer monitor. His blue eyes crinkled and his shoulders were shaking from laughter. “When are you ever going to get used to that?”

“Probably never.” I’d already stood from my chair. When Shane boomed, I moved. I’d busted my butt for my boss, for this moment. The moment where I learned the head anchorwoman was going on maternity leave soon. I’d approached Shane last week, essentially begging him in the most professional way possible, to allow me the anchor seat while she was out for twelve weeks.

This morning, barely awake, groggy from lack of sleep and sore muscles and my head in the clouds thinking of why those muscles were sore from Mr. Anonymous, I’d logged onto my computer, scanned my computer email, and grinned when I saw the XTCP family had a new family member.

Chase Mason Jones was born at three o’clock in the morning.

Which meant today, one of my lifelong dreams could come true.

Hope blossoming, I grabbed my tablet and stylus and hurried to Shane’s door before he could boom my name again.

He had a loud voice and a huge smile, with an even bigger belly. He also wore a full salt and pepper beard he kept cropped in the summer heat and grew out in the cooler winter months. By Christmas time, he wouldn’t need a fake Santa beard to play the role. He’d look exactly like Jolly Ol’ Saint Nick.

He also had a wife and three kids he bitched about all the time, but in that way you knew he loved them more than he loved his beer and the Raleigh Rough Riders, our local NFL football team. And he loved his beer and football a whole heckuva lot.

I left his door opened as I entered his office. Shane was a good guy, one of the best bosses I’d ever had. The only time his office door had ever been closed was the day he received a phone call from his dad, letting him know his mother had passed away unexpectedly.

“Good morning,” I said as I entered.

He pushed away from his laptop and settled his forearms on his desk. “Hey, Elizabeth. Come in and have a seat.”

I was already on my way so when he was done speaking, I was able to slide right into the plush, dark gray chair across from him.

“What can I do for you today, Shane?”

My voice sounded professional. My thoughts weren’t.Please pick me. Please give me this. Please pick me.

“As you know, Shayla is now officially on maternity with the arrival of Chase early this morning.” His grin went soft, likely remembering the births of his own three kids, and before I could say anything, he continued, “Want you to know I considered your request. Thought about it. Debated back and forth.”

Please pick me. Please choose me.My internal chant was losing hope by the moment.

“Okay…”

“In truth, you’re a great reporter. One of the best reporters we have and I hate the idea of losing you to the desk. You’re engaging. Viewers love you and you report fairly without bias while being able to inject humanity and realistic sympathy into every difficult story.”

I heard it coming before he said it. Saw each letter form on his lips as they came out of his mouth.

“But I’m temporarily giving the position to Amanda.”

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