7 Days and 7 Nights Read Free Page B

belief in counseling, he had no interest in providing it to his listeners. He was in the entertainment business, and his show was designed for mental stimulation—not rehabilitation.
    At ten seconds to air, he hunkered deeper into his seat and took one last shot at the hoop. The coffee had grown stale, and his aim was faulty. The digital clock on the wall provided his countdown, and on cue, he said, “This is
Guy
Talk,
where a guy can be a guy. I’m Matt Ransom.”
    â€œHey, Matt.”
    Matt recognized the deep drawl of one of his regular callers, a long-haul trucker who’d picked up his lifelong nickname as a linebacker for the University of Georgia Bulldogs. “Hi, Dawg. How ya doin’?”
    â€œNot so great. My girlfriend, JoBeth, wants to get married.”
    â€œAw, hell, Dawg. This is not Relationships Anonymous.”
    â€œI’m sorry, man, but I’ve got to talk to somebody.”
    â€œCan’t we talk about football? Or maybe the relative merits of owning versus leasing a vehicle?”
    â€œI need some help here, Matt. JoBeth’s been listening to that Dr. Olivia. I need somebody on my side.”
    Matt looked to his producer, Ben, for assistance, but the coward refused to look him in the eye. A check of his monitor showed only one caller waiting. There wasn’t a commercial break in sight.
    â€œAll right, all right. What seems to be the problem?”
    â€œWell, I don’t think there is a problem. But JoBeth keeps going on about her biological clock. Says it’s time to settle down and start a family.”
    â€œWhy don’t you just tell her you need some time? I’m sure she doesn’t want to rush into anything. How long have you been dating?”
    â€œThree years.”
    â€œThree years? Good Lord. How long does it take to figure out whether you want to be with somebody?”
    â€œThat’s what
she
said. And aren’t you the one to talk? How many times have you been named Bachelor of the Year, now, Ransom?”
    â€œA few.”
    Dawg snorted. “Not exactly settling down and making any life-altering commitments yourself, are you?”
    â€œNope.”
    â€œHow come your girlfriends aren’t calling in on that show to complain?”
    â€œBecause I don’t give them anything to complain about. I’m honest. I tell them right up front what they can expect, namely a good time, but I don’t pretend I’m offering anything more than that.”
    â€œAnd that works for you?”
    â€œAlways has. Let me put it this way, Dawg: Real guys need to be real clear. Then there’s no problem.”
    â€œWell, it’s a little late for that now. JoBeth’s a fine woman and all, but I’m just not ready to do the marriage thing again.”
    â€œI hear you, Dawg. But I’ll tell you, it’s a whole lot easier to say that up front instead of later in self-defense. You’ve put yourself in the middle of a classic no-win situation. Whatever you do now, you’re pretty much screwed.”
    Matt terminated the call and glanced at the clock, relieved to discover it was almost time for a commercial break. He took one of the holding calls, listened to some more less-than-macho whimpering, and dumped the rest, signaling Ben he was ready to move on.
    This was what came of telling men they were supposed to have a sensitive side; it made them wimpy. He didn’t like it one bit.
    At long last Matt heard the strains of his theme music. He needed this break, and when he came back on the air he wasn’t going to allow any more whining. Matt looked through the small plate-glass window, glared at Ben on general principle, and then leaned in to the microphone. “This is
Guy Talk
. . . not Dear Abby. If you’ve got something manly to say, give me a call. It’s a Freefall Friday.”
    At the all-clear signal, Matt stood, removed his headphones, and headed out of the studio. He made it