Page 8 of Ten Rules for Faking It
Maybe that was true if he didn’t mind choosing between proving himself to his father or not living up to a long legacy of familial expectations. Chris hadn’t paid much attention when his dad purchased the station, along with a number of other businesses under the same umbrella, because he hadn’t realized, at the time, it was going to be his final stepping-stone. Nathaniel Jansen loved setting out hoops for people to jump through, and as the youngest of Nathaniel’s four kids, Chris had the most to prove. His brothers were already working intheir preferred areas of their father’s companies. Not that they didn’t get shoved through the wringer on a regular basis, but at least they were doing what they loved.
He leaned back in his leather chair, ignoring the groaning creak it always made, and closed his eyes, covering his face with his hands. Nope. Couldn’t unsee the sadness in Everly’s expression. Or the way her backbone had gone ramrod straight and she’d pulled on that goddamn titanium shield. She was the toughest woman he’d ever met. It was all kinds of attractive, but it also kept her slightly removed. A bit untouchable.Definitely untouchable.He had to remind himself of that all too often. Quiet, a little socially awkward from what he could tell, and very talented, she was like invisible lightning. When he was near her, energy burst through his veins, making him abnormally tongue-tied.You’re her boss. Who has one foot out the door.
Her angry, on-air confession ran through his head again. The listeners would get over that. Most would laugh it off, not that there was one funny thing about it. Remembering the humiliated tinge of her voice carved a hole in his gut. Professionally, the dead air was a slightly bigger problem. It shouldn’t be a big deal—glitches happened. But his father kept him under a microscope, waiting for him to screw up, for any chance to tell Chris that he hadn’t earned his right to ascend the ranks. He hadn’t worked this hard, come this far, to have something minor block him from the prize.
His door slammed open, and Stacey Ryan stood in the opening, hands on her hips, glaring at him like somehowhewas the enemy.
“This was my fault. I overstepped, but you shouldn’t have sent her home. Youknowhow good she is at her job. How much it means to her,” she started, her gaze burning into his brain stronger than the headache.
He knew, but only because the deejay told him. Whenever he was around Everly, they did an awkward dance of him offering curt sentences and her giving back polite nods.
Chris loosened his tie, wishing the windows in his office actually opened so he could get some fresh air. “I didn’t send her home to be a jerk. This is better than having to field calls about her goddamn love life to all the people who are already phoning in. She’d hate that, andyouknow it.” He pointed at her and stood up, pacing the pathetically small room.
The thought of Everlyhavinga love life unsettled his stomach. It had to be some sort of karmic irony that he met a woman who intrigued him more than any other at a time when keeping his eye on the end goal mattered more than ever.
The phone hadn’t stopped ringing since Everly’s detailed confession. What the hell kind of idiot would cheat on that woman? He thought of his father and cringed. Onanywoman. But especially someone like Everly. She was five and a half feet of pure awesome, and maybe he didn’t tell her that—he had no right—but the guys in this town couldn’t be stupid enough not to realize it on their own. She was better off without Simon the asshat. He just hoped she knew that.
“So far, the calls have been in her favor. They want to help her and maybe strip Simon of his boy parts,” Stacey said.
Chris winced. The laugh that burst from his chest turned into a sigh. He leaned against the low windowsill. Stacey stayed in the doorway, crossing her arms over her chest. The two women couldn’t be more different, but he knew they were good friends. Stacey was about the only person at the station who’d broken through Everly’s well-built walls.
“She wouldn’t want that either. What were you thinking, going live like that? She constantly shies away from being in the limelight, but you thought it’d be a good idea to put her on the radio?” Everly spoke on-air now and again when she and Stacey went back and forth about something or she told Stacey who was calling in, but those times were few and far between.
Guilt flashed across her features. “Shewasn’t supposed to be on the air.” Stacey’s shoulders slumped. “She hates birthdays. I wanted to do something fun that might get her excitedfor the big three-oh. I thought it’d be funny and she’d get dozens of shout-outs from listeners on social media.”
Chris sent her a wry grin. “That’s already happening.”
She nodded, her eyes studying the carpet. “Not exactly the way I’d hoped.”
There was probably a protocol to deal with the deejay’s lack of professionalism, but Chris wasn’t looking to make her feel worse. Though, in the end, he wasn’t in charge, and his father was looking for ways to point out his failings. The ratings needed to go up, not down—particularly in this segment.
He didn’t want to discuss this anymore. He needed some air, a drink, a hard run… something. Pushing off the sill, he walked closer to Stacey. “It’ll be okay. We’ll field the calls and comments, and it’ll go away. Isn’t it quitting time for you?”
“Pretty soon. I’m getting some things ready for tomorrow, then I’m going to go and buy Everly five pounds of chocolate, a six-pack of wine coolers, and a really big vib—”
“Don’t,” Chris groaned, his lips twitching, “finish that sentence.”
Stacey grinned unabashedly. The phones continued to ring, and he knew their listening audience—mostly women in the fifty-five-plus age bracket—would love the chance to share their opinions.
“Well, I’m heading out. I have a meeting with a couple of new sponsors.” He hesitated, tried to infuse his tone with a casualness he didn’t feel. “You think Everly is okay?”
Stacey regarded him for a moment, and Chris had to work hard to keep from giving anything away. Boss and employee. Practically strangers. He was just asking for a friend. Wasn’t that what all the cool kids said?How the hell would you know what they say?The truth was, he’d never cared much about what others thought of him. But he cared about what Everly thought. And if she was all right.
“Yes.” Stacey’s expression didn’t match the certainty of her tone.
“I didn’t mean to make her birthday worse.”
“I’m not even sure that’s possible,” Stacey said in an uncharacteristically quiet voice.
He hadn’t even known it was her birthday.Because she never talks to you!And he never asked. It was easier to keep a wide berth between them. The attraction he felt—which he was quite certain she did not reciprocate—had been almost instantaneous.
After another uncomfortable minute of Stacey looking at him too closely, she left. Chris tunneled his fingers into his hair. Never mind the dead air, if his father got wind of his… whatever he felt toward Everly, it’d be one more excuse to prolong his purgatory. Chris had no intention of staying in San Verde, California. He loved the weather, but this city wasn’t on anyone’s list of most important places to see. While his father hadn’t exactly asked if he’d wanted to come here, the station was the most intriguing subsidiary of the communications corporation his father had bought. Career came first, and he couldn’t change that for a shy woman who made his chest feel too tight when he wasn’t even sticking around.
Chris fought the urge to pace or, worse, call Everly. He had an hour or so before his first meeting. He couldn’t spend it thinking about Everly, so he did what he was used to, what he was good at—he buried himself in work.
Despite the fact that San Verde was a smallish town, it had its perks. Though he wished it were on the water, the ocean was only an hour away. The cost of living was a lot better than bigger cities, and there were some excellent restaurants. The one where he’d just had lunch—and signed on new sponsors—had a chocolate-caramel pie that made his mouth water.
He glanced over to the passenger side, still unsure why he’d asked for an extra to go.Right. You’re so unsure you’re already heading toward her place.He’d felt slightly guilty looking upher address but told himself it was her birthday. She deserved something to turn it around. Chris couldn’t stand the thought of Everly’s entire day being ruined. Was she hurt—or worse, heartbroken—over Simon?None of your business.Not only was there a strict no-fraternization policy at the station, it’d be one more strike his father could put next to his name.
