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First published in Great Britain by HarperImpulse 2015
Copyright © Lynn Montagano 2015
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Ebook Edition © January 2015 ISBN: 9780007558445
Version 2015-02-10
âAmelia Meyers.â
Julian Archer always announced my name so the entire newsroom could hear it even though we were in the confines of my office. Part of me liked the way it sounded wrapped in his Scottish accent. The other part of me knew he wanted something big. He perched himself on the edge of my desk and fidgeted with a pen. The brash, allegedly difficult host of The Archer Hour bubbled with excited energy. I leaned back in my chair, ready for whatever insane request heâd no doubt throw at me.
âWe have Brent Garrison on this week.â His sharp blue eyes gleamed. I stifled an eye roll. Iâd been dreading this weekâs show since my first day of work here.
âHeâs my biggest get all year and I expect nothing but perfection,â he continued. âYour track record so far is impeccable. Since you started our ratings have soared. This week should be no exception.â
Julian hopped off the desk and started pacing. Everything he did had a certain flourish to it. Tugging at his shirtsleeves, he spouted off another round of âexpectationsâ mostly to hear himself talk.
âItâs a five minute segment,â I interrupted. âJust stick to the talking points and youâll be fine.â
âBe prepared to make changes if needed.â
âBe prepared to follow the rundown exactly as Iâve laid it out.â I lifted an eyebrow. âThis isnât the Brent Garrison hour. Heâs part of one segment.â
Exhaling in dramatic fashion, he placed his hands on his hips and looked at me. âI donât like being on a leash. Although Iâve grown quite fond of the way you tug at me.â His smile was flirtatious and gross at the same time. âAlastair Holden is a lucky man.â
Not a day goes by when Julian doesnât invoke the name of my fiancé. Not that I minded too much. Anytime Alastair filled my thoughts was like being in heaven. Julianâs constant mentioning of his name was done out of pure determination. He wanted an interview with Alastair and he wanted it yesterday. I was the concrete wall heâd have to bust through in order for that to happen. Unfortunately for him, I wasnât about to budge.
âTell that boyfriend of yours if he ever changes his mind about that exclusiveââ
ââto call me,â I said in unison with him. âDonât hold your breath waiting for the phone to ring.â
âFeisty.â He grinned.
After Julian finally left my office, I sighed and focused on the checklist of tasks I wanted to finish before noon. I had a standing lunch date with my best friend Stephanie Tempe and couldnât wait to get out of the office for a little while.
Before that could happen though, I had my morning meeting with my news director, Sam Dunning and producer, Robbie Watson. Theyâd both welcomed me into The Archer Hour family with open arms before summarily throwing me out of the frying pan and into the fire. This program was in shambles when Iâd started. Thereâd been a revolving door of executive producers, a lack of direction and a general feeling of apathy among the staff. The past few weeks had seen a drastic improvement but we still had a long way to go.