WLUV Box Set: Ignited, Consumed, Burned Read Free Page A

heels.”
    Macy struggled to put her girlish reaction on lockdown. She
had a job to do and mooning over Wes Thompson was not on the WLUV rehab plan.
She felt a few flutters and clenches in places she didn’t want to think about
while at work, places that had been dormant for months...
     Why did she make a point of noticing he had no wedding ring
on? The very last thing she needed was a romantic complication in her life. She
put her coldest consultant face back on and got to work. She decided it was
best to barrel ahead with her plan of attack for WLUV.
    “Hi. I’m Macy Green and I’ll be with you for about six
weeks. The normal way we operate is to come in and out,” Macy winced internally
at her own choice of words. “But since you’ve contracted with us at our gold
tier of service, I’m here to help you really get things ready for February
sweeps and then throughout the duration, if you like what you see.”
    “I’m sure I do,” Wes said. 
    Macy was pretty sure she was hearing things. Did he just go
right for double entendre? “What you see on the air, that is,” she clarified.
    Bernie coughed a few times, and she thought she heard him chuckle.
This was not going exactly right. She stiffened her spine. Macy’s efforts were
always focused on things going exactly right.
    “Yes, I told Dave Raynes we’d need the best and that there’s
a lot of work to be done here.” Apparently Wes and Dave Raynes, the co-owner of
ANCR, were acquainted. Macy reported directly to Raynes; she could not afford
to botch this job.
    Bernie piped up, “I was going to give her the ten-cent
tour.”
    “Actually Bernie, I’ve freed up my schedule this afternoon
so I’ll do the honors. I’m sure Macy here has a lot of questions and I know you
need to get back to the newsroom.” Wes effectively dismissed Bernie, and Macy
thought she saw the older man’s eyebrow lift as he turned to walk out. Even for
a washed-up newsman, he didn’t miss much.
    “Yep, time to feed the news hole. I’m sure I’ll see you
later Macy. I’m at your service, consultant lady.” Bernie waddled out of the
office.
    A small finger of panic arose as she realized she was now
alone with Mr. Wes Thompson. She’d never been so physically affected by another
person in her life. It was distracting, and it left her off balance. This is
what she got for living the life of a nun for the last year—she had the
internal reactions of a teenager when faced with a handsome man.
    Edit that, a handsome, sexy man. No, no, a handsome,
sexy, muscular… Macy had to force herself to focus. She needed her brain right
now and it appeared her libido had taken control of the ship.
    Wes walked from behind his desk and towards her.  She took a
reflexive step back, but he put his hand on the back of her shoulder to gently
pivot her focus to the wall of the office. Her nerve endings all jumped in
response. What was her problem? She couldn’t really feel his fingertips through
her suit coat and her silk blouse, but she swore each finger sent a jolt to her
skin. Out of nowhere, and instantly, this man thawed what she’d had packed away
in the ice box for ages. Since leaving Phil, she had no interest in any
entanglements.
    Wes’s light touch moved to her shoulder blade to guide her
to where he wanted her to direct her focus. “Here, these pictures on the wall
will give you a little bit of history.  My dad was the original owner, but
things have gone to pot. I’d really like to see if there’s something to salvage
here if WLUV can be profitable.”
    Macy looked at several framed black and white pictures on
the wall. A kid’s clown show, a cooking show, a weatherman doing his forecast
outside on a chalkboard, a couple of white guys with giant collars and
mustaches… either these were all nostalgic photos from the early days, or they
were photos of the cast of Anchor Man. “Great pictures, I can see why
the station is important to you and your family.”
     She knew she