JAMES
On Wednesdays, we have artists coming into the radio station with their band to play a few live songs during the show. Today we have Pinch of Postal in the studio and every time they come to promote something, it's so much fun. While they play their single 'I Wish I Could Score With You', Bree elbows me and hands me a paper napkin.
"What is this for?" I look around to see if I've spilled something.
"To wipe up the drool. You've been staring at Lexy for so long, I'm thinking you are fifteen and have never seen a girl in your life."
"She's hot. I can't help it," I say while Bree nods.
"Yup, I agree with that. Even I get doubts about George when I see her," she laughs.
Lexy is the ideal image of a rock star, but without the nasty behavior. Her blue hair cascades down her back, dark eyes are accentuated by black and red makeup, and her lips are the darkest shade of red. And yes, I have a crush on her and wouldn't mind peeling those tight leather clothes while she sings to me.
The song ends and we go to a commercial break. Lexy bends over the coffee table to grab a drink and it gives me a view of her perfect butt.
"Jimmy? Dammit! Are you even listening to me?" Bree snaps her fingers in front of my face.
"Uh? What?"
"Aaron said to go by his office after your shift ends," she grimaces.
"What the fuck does he want? I've kept the show as PG as possible. Been a fucking saint lately."
"Maybe he wants to say exactly that. He was in a cheerful mood when he asked me to deliver the message."
Aaron Green, the programming director for the station, and my boss, rarely calls you to his office to say nice things. When he comes into the studio while I'm busy with my segment, I definitely know I've fucked up and that's exactly what happened on the day of the discussion about my fake virginity. He took me aside during the commercial break to tell me that my private matters and sexual life are not to be discussed on air. That it reflects on the reputation of the network and that people were calling to complain about the inappropriate topic. I was madly pissed because I didn't start it. It was all because that woman called and it was all out before I could even mute her. I feared for my job when Eric suggested the idea of people writing to be selected for a date, but Aaron found it a fantastic one and didn't fire me on the spot.
"Aaron, you can't be serious," I said, but the way he grinned told me it wouldn't end well for me.
"Morgan, it's that or your job. People need to forget about all the pervert things they heard this morning. Make your date picks as romantic as possible, and that's all they will remember. I need to speak to marketing. We need to update the promos ASAP."
And that's the last conversation we had. I love my job and I couldn't let something that happened in my personal time ruin it. I have heard nothing ever since and I hope that all is forgotten.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to Coffee Time with Morgan. Pinch of Postal is with us in the studio today and here they are with their latest song 'Started With A Pink Bag'! Their newest album will be available on May first. Give it up for them!"
Everyone in the studio joins my clapping and Lexy winks at me as she takes her place behind the microphone. Ozzie sings the sweet power ballad and when I look at Bree next to me, I find her with her mouth open and on the brink of tears.
"Are you okay?" I feel concerned because Bree isn't the kind of girl that cries during a song.
"Yeah," she smiles. "I think I just found my first dance song."
"Since when are you a girl?" I tease her and she punches my arm. But as I listen further, I get what she means and even have trouble hiding my emotions.
"Wow! Pinch of Postal had us all moved to tears in here," I say when the band finishes. "Thank you Lexy, Ozzie, Alec and Joel for being here as our special guests. This has been Coffee Time with Morgan. We have a date tomorrow from six to twelve and don't go anywhere, because Bree is here to give you a happy afternoon!" I cue my outro and Bree sits in the chair.
"To give you a happy afternoon?" Bree giggles. "You've raised people's expectations of me something naughty. Don't let Aaron know I said that. Let me know how it went with him."
I groan at the reminder and grab my stuff to head to his office.
"Jimmy! Wait!"
Lexy waves at me as she comes out of the studio and I feel I'm about to fangirl in front of her.
"Hey, hi!" She suddenly looks shy. "I hope you are not in a rush."
"Hi! Just on my way to see my boss. I'm really glad you guys came here today. It was so much fun. Can't wait for the album release. Big fan here," I say and slap myself internally for my dorky remark.
"Thank you for having us. We are also looking forward to the official launch. If it was our choice, we would have released the demos we recorded on tour already. Uhm, I was wondering if you are available sometime soon for a coffee or a drink."
Is she asking me out? "Sure, I can call you sometime," I say, trying to keep my cool.
She takes her phone out and asks me for my number. "I'll be grateful to pick your brain on this. Joel and I have been interviewing bands to play at our wedding, but no one seems to understand what we want. When I heard on the radio the whole thing that happened at the wedding you were DJ-ing, I knew I had to have a chat with you."
Feeling like an idiot for thinking she wanted to go out with me when she's engaged to her band member, I promise her I will call soon and say goodbye as politely as I can before I humiliate myself by showing disappointment. When I come into Aaron's office, he gives me a bright smile and somehow it makes me feel worse that I just felt.
"Come with me, Morgan," he stands up from his desk and motions for me to follow. "As you remember, yesterday was the deadline for all the ladies interested in writing to you. We have received some replies, and before you go home, I would like for you to sort through them and pick five potential candidates. I'll have my assistant contact them to schedule the dates. You can meet them here at the station and head out to your date from here. We'll pick up the tab, so make sure you bring them to a public place where people can see you."
How bad can it be to pick five from a bunch of letters? Aaron ushers me into a meeting room and laughs at my reaction because there are bags upon bags of mail and tons of boxes scattered all over the room.
"Two thousand and thirty eight responses. Let this be your punishment for your stupidity. Enjoy," he closes the door and leaves me with the gigantic mess.
On the table, someone left a letter opener and a utility knife. I grab the nearest box and open it with the knife, almost stabbing the box. Inside, I find a heart shaped cake that has grown moldy and makes me gag. The shipping date is from a week ago.
"Jeannette, I found a green cake in a box," I say to Aaron's assistant. "Can you find a trash bag for me?"
"Oh, darling, are you okay?" She rubs my arm as she stands up from her desk.
"Overwhelmed. I don't know how I will sort through all of that," I admit in defeat.
"I'll help you. Give me a moment."
When Jeanette comes back, she brings a roll of trash bags, picks a thick folder from a chair and sits next to me.
"Okay sweetheart, let's open the boxes first. Here in this folder are the emails that I printed for you. I just told Aaron off for making you do this alone."
There's only a person who Aaron fears in this office and that's his assistant, for which I'm grateful. We open box after box with the weirdest gifts that range from lingerie, to candles, to sweets, to condoms, to dead flowers. Before even looking at the letters, I scan the photos and put aside the ones I believe fit my taste. We discard some gifts which won't be of use to anyone and place the rest aside for the station staff to bring home. I get a chunky envelope and as I open it, a small white thing falls from it.
"WHAT THE FUCK!" I feel horrified at the realization of what it is.
"What is it?"
"A tooth! Somebody sent a fucking tooth!" I rub my arms and walk in circles. I'm so freaked out.
Jeanette laughs and gets the letter out. "She was mopping when she heard Eric's prompt and in her rush to get her phone, she slipped and broke her tooth. That's her proof of her dedication to you."
"It's nuts! I feel sorry that she hurt herself, but no, that goes in the trash bag."
Hours pass by and we sort through most of the mail bags. After reading the letters, I set four apart. I'll need a fifth, but I'm so tired. Jeanette even had food delivered and when I finally get home, I'll just crash in my bed.
"Jimmy?"
Bree stands by the door and watches me with worry. I grab my phone to check the time and see that her shift is over.
"Is this what he wanted to talk to you about? You've been here all the time opening letters?" She asks, and I can only nod as a reply. "Are you done?"
"No, I still have that folder of emails to go through."
Bree sits next to me and starts reading the emails while I rest my eyes. She's known me for so long that I can count on her help to find a match. Jeanette comes inside with bags of Chinese food and I'm so tired that I can barely muster the desire to eat.
"I think I found her, Jimmy," Bree hands me an email and I just look at her picture.
She looks familiar, especially her eyes remind me of someone. I then grab the email and it says that her name is Emma. She's 26 years old and works as an office assistant.
"I trust your pick. Here are the other four," I hand the letters to Bree.
"All good, but my money is on Emma," she says as she scans the papers.
Were the circumstances different, I would look forward to these dates, but right now, all I want is for this to be over.