Page 51 of Just Another Silly Love Song
I shook my head. “She didn’t find much at all, actually, just your upcoming appearance at the Helen Woodward Animal Center. Although I doubt she knows what she’s doing. I can do some snooping later on to get the real dirt.”
He grinned. “Have at it—I’ve got nothing to hide. As for radio, it wasn’t even part of my long-term plan. I got my degree in psychology and wanted to supersize it. I ended up getting a PhD to boot.”
I arched my eyebrow so high I was sure it almost touched my hairline. “You’re a real doctor?”
Ben shrugged. “I don’t go throwing around the title, but yeah. The radio part came later as a result of being frustrated working within the mental health field.”
“How so?”
He thought about it. “Well, how can I say this without offending you, and then you biting off my head?”
I sighed. “If it’s the truth, you can tell me. And I will save the head removal procedure for our show tomorrow morning.”
He chuckled. “Fair enough. Psychologists are known for being good listeners, because that’s part of our job, obviously. From the get-go, I had decided I wanted to work for a private office and not some big hospital. It felt more intimate and I could have my own office. The management at the medical office complained that I was helping them solve their problems too quickly.”
“What? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“Believe me—it’s a thing. They preferred for me to keep asking questions until the patient figured out what they needed on their own. I wasn’t allowed to give straightforward advice, even though almost always I knew what the problem was and how they could resolve it immediately.”
“Why would they ask you to do that?”
“Money. The more patient visits, the more our office got paid.”
“Why didn’t you change employers?”
“I did. And my next employer operated the exact same way. It was horrible because in some cases I would know how to resolve the issue on their very first visit, but since they typically would sign up the patient for a six to ten week program, depending on the issue. I would have to drip-release my questions and thoughts on what they were going through in order for the office to get fully paid. It was dishonest, and I had to find a way out.”
“How did you find it?”
I nodded. “I had a friend who was working in radio at the time at a news-talk station. He called one day and told me they had a new health segment on the morning show and were looking for someone to interview on the subject. They wanted to talk about stress in the workplace and how that could affect relationships. One interview turned into almost fifty, and almost all the questions about relationships. But the best part was I didn’t have to hold back my thoughts. I was able to offer direct advice and be as blunt as I wanted. It was a release for me, honestly. That was my outlet after being held back. I loved it. The problem was, it didn’t pay any money since I was just a guest on their show sharing my expertise. Fortunately, a year later a competing news-talk radio station, the one you are now working for, called me with an idea for a new morning show that was all about relationships. A full-time gig. I jumped on it and never looked back.”
I nodded, admiring what he had done. “That’s impressive. Most people who get into radio or television do it because it’s something they want to do and they pursue it as a career. For you, it practically fell into your lap.”
“It did, and I couldn’t be happier, even though I paid almost three-hundred thousand dollars for an education I’m not even using.”
“That’s not true because you never would have been interviewed the first time at your friend’s station if you weren’t an expert in the field. Besides, you use that education on every call, even if you’re as subtle as a ferret in a henhouse.”
Ben laughed. “Good point.”
The waiter brought two plates of tiramisu and placed them on the table in front of us. “Enjoy.”
“Thank you,” Ben and I said together.
I picked up my fork and cut a piece, putting it in my mouth. “Mmmm.”
Ben chewed and nodded. “Yeah . . .”
“Why didn’t you use Dr. Baxter on the air when you started?” I took another bite of my dessert.
“The usual. Ratings. Dr. Baxter wasn’t catchy, and the radio station thought it was a little on the generic side. Dr. Tough Love was more gimmicky and the radio station wanted a personality to build a morning show and advertising campaign around. When I started out doing those interviews they had sold me as someone who was giving tough love, because I was giving advice to a lot of people who didn’t want to hear it.” He forked another bite of tiramisu and put it in his mouth.
“And why did you think this would offend me, and that I would bite your head off?”
Ben set his fork down, thinking about it. “When I started out, I was basically doing what you were doing on your former night show. I would listen to what they were saying, offer them support and encouragement, without telling them exactly what they needed to do to fix the problem. I hated that.”
I smirked. “Well, I love it. And keep in mind that most of my listeners who called in weren’t looking for actual advice. They just wanted someone to listen, and I was happy to be there for them.”
“Yeah . . .” Ben nodded. “I guess I never saw it that way.”
