Chapter Five

Jenny tried hard not to stare at the man whose voice was making her ears tingle. She didn’t want to believe that the deep, soft, and sexy sounds were emanating from the same mouth who had callously called her bitch only minutes before. If she’d learned anything at all from her years in the radio business, she knew that when people changed their name, they also changed their personality. Jenny Reed was a person Doris had invented. The life that Jenny was leading, Doris never could. She wondered whether it was the same for Johnny King. Or maybe he was trying to hide something, like the fact that he was related to the boss’s wife.

Their abbreviated shift went by quickly.

“How am I doing?” Johnny gave her a sheepish smile as if to say he already knew the answer.

“Not bad for your first half-hour. But hosting full shift during drive time will be is a totally different test. We’ll see how well you do tomorrow morning. You know this was my solo shift for a long time.” And it still would be my shift if you weren’t related to the boss, dammit.

“Yeah, so I heard. I want you to know I had nothing to do with that. I didn’t even know about it myself until today. I hate to wake up early. I’m a night owl myself. How about you?”

Jenny glanced at the clock and said. “We can talk later, we’re on in three seconds.” She put on her headset and pretended to rehearse the commercial she was going to record later. She could feel Johnny’s eyes, like laser beams, scanning her entire body.

 I don’t like this man. I want him out of my face.

“How about lunch after the show?” Johnny persisted.

“Can’t. I have to record some commercial spots and answer some fan mail. I probably won’t get out of here until after six.

 Great excuse, girl.

“C’mon, you have to eat, or are all Californian women anorexic?”

Cocky sonovabitch Take away that phony tan, sandy brown hair, and those perfectly capped teeth and what would you have?

Jenny cued him to begin the next song intro and once again was amazed at the tones coming out of his mouth, which answered her own question

You’d still have that incredible voice, that’s what you’d have!

The flashing red light of the telephone interrupted Jenny’s thoughts. Sometimes she was so engrossed in her work, she wouldn’t see it. There were many times when she had kept someone waiting on hold for fifteen minutes or more. The damn thing annoyed her, but it was the only way to signal a phone call since a ringing sound could go over the air. Jenny set up the board for the next set of songs and commercials, and then picked up the phone.

“Where did he come from, how long is he staying, and is he married or gay?” It was Kathy from the switchboard. Jenny was surprised since Kathy usually she didn’t start work until after ten, after taking her two young boys to pre-school.

“Kathy? What are you doing working this early?”

“It was Brian’s idea. He asked me to get an audience response to a new announcer. Am I ever glad I took the kids in early. You would not believe what’s been going on here since our new Johnny King started talking! The calls have been coming like crazy. Jenny, I want all the dirty, little details.”

Jenny turned her back away from Johnny and whispered into the phone, “Down girl. The only thing I can tell you right now is that he’s Brian’s brother-in-law, he’s from Minnesota and his teeth are capped.”

“I’m not interested in his teeth!” Kathy said and they both laughed. “Jen, Marlene just called from her car phone. She’s stuck in that accident mess on the 405 and might not make it here on time. Can you cover for her?”

“Sure, no problem. I can cut that spot later. And it gives me a good excuse to get out of lunch with Johnny.

“Great. I’ll call her back and tell her not to rush. Rush hour is an oxymoron.”

Jenny hung up the phone and looked at Johnny who was grinning evilly, indicated he had heard her conversation.

“Sorry, 20-20 hearing. Great reviews, yes? By the way, my teeth aren’t capped.”

Jenny could feel her face starting to blush, but she remained in control. “For a short day, you were ok. We’ll see how you do tomorrow.”

Jenny once again took notice of the time and made the proper notation on the daily log in front of her. She was just about to sign it when the next engineer came in to relieve Wes.

“Have no fear, Marvin’s here!” Wes grimaced and left the booth.

Marvin Hooperman was one of six permanent staff engineers at KKTM and the one person at the station who knew more about electronics than Thomas Edison. He had been at the same job since the KKTM heated up its electrodes some fifty years ago. When Jenny had time, Marvin would tell her fantastic stories about the golden age of radio, before automation made the board practically run on auto-pilot.

“That’s your cue to leave. Our shift is now officially over.” She said to Johnny.

“So, why are you still here?” He responded.

“I’m waiting for Marlene. She got stuck in traffic. You can leave now. I can handle this alone. I have to talk to Marvin about some program changes during the commercial break. Don’t be here when I get back.” Jenny left the studio and entered the engineer booth.

“Marvin, did you know that Denise, not Brian owned the station?” she asked.

“No, is that a fact? It wouldn’t surprise me. I knew Denise’s father and was very surprised to find out that he had willed the station over to Brian when he died. Frank was a radio man. It takes a certain type of person to be a success in this business and I never thought Brian had it. The recent ratings prove my point. Now, out of the blue he hires a new guy? I always knew Brian didn’t have an ounce of radio blood in him, but I still thought he was in control of the decisions at KKTM.”

“That’s how the new guy got the job, Marvin. He’s Denise’s brother. You and I have worked our way up the ladder in this business and then Brian hires a complete unknown who thinks he knows everything. It sucks.”

 “He does have a nice voice.” Marvin said, stating the obvious.

“Nice is putting it very uh...nice, Marv. Anyway, I’d better get in there. Talk to you during the break and you can tell me all about Denise’s father.” And everything you know about her brother.

The conversation with Marvin had taken Jenny dangerously close to her air time. She was trying to avoid going into the control room while Johnny was still there. Every time she looked up through the glass, the voice with the perfect teeth was staring back at her.

“I know it’s my magnetism,” Marvin said, “but if you don’t get your ass in there we’ll be coming out of commercial with only the sound of the bugs on the wall to intro your show.”

Reluctantly, Jenny left the control room and walked into the studio. She was irritated to see that Johnny hadn’t moved from his seat. He motioned for her to sit on his lap when she entered the room.

“Please remove yourself from my chair. I’m on in fifteen seconds.”

“C’mon, Jenny. I’m sure we can take this show to new heights of excitement. Sit!”

“I have no intention of sitting on your lap.  Now will you please get out of here and let me go to work!” Jenny tried to keep her voice as calm as she didn’t feel, but the anger was beginning to churn in her stomach. She knew if he didn’t leave in exactly ten seconds, her audience was going to hear all seven words the FCC wouldn’t allow to be broadcast.

“All right, all right, I’m going.” Johnny rose from the seat. As Jenny started to sit down, he whispered to her “I’ve warmed the seat up for you. See ya later.”

She was just about to answer when the red light signaled that her microphone was on. Trying her best not to choke on the overwhelming smell of Johnny’s heavy cologne, Jenny began her show.

Jenny sat back in her chair and let the music take her thoughts away from the rude, obnoxious person who had just left the room. See him later? She’d rather be in conference with the heads of the FCC then see him later. Too bad she had promised Kathy she would try to get the inside info on the guy. Kathy had been recently divorced and it was the least she could do for her co-worker, but it wasn’t going to be easy, or a whole lot of fun.

Okay, Kathy. I’ll do it, but I won’t like it. You’re going to owe me big on this one, girl. I just hope that someday I’ll have a good reason to collect.

Jenny’s attention returned to the program. She was totally unaware that a very good reason to collect on her debt was, at that very minute, on a non-stop flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida and that someday was just around the corner.