"Ha! Goes to show how much you know, smart-ass. She lives with Erik Collins. They've got quite the thing going."

"You don't say." I consider the screen again. Generally, I'm not wrong about these things so this news does surprise me a bit. "Too bad. She really strikes me as the type who would enjoy a tongue bath."

"Nah. Well, at least not from you, but I'll bet old Erik 'Super Stud' Collins finds himself on his back more often that not. I'm betting she likes to be on top. I'm guessing she gives quite the ride."

"I could fix that problem." I smile as I crook my finger to the woman I was checking out earlier. "If she were with me, she'd be on her back and enjoying every heart-pounding, muscle-jolting minute of it as she writhed around on a nice set of silk sheets." I drop my voice just a bit and lean closer to him. "You know what I mean: when a light sheen of sweat breaks out on our bodies as I fuck her silly."

"You know you've got quite the ego there." Gary remarks as he shifts in his seat to make the proper adjustment. His grin fades as the woman comes over to me laying a gentle hand on my shoulder.

I move my mouth to her ear. "So, can I buy you a drink?"

She nods as her other hand travels slowly down the opening of my shirt.

"Careful, darlin', you'll cause my buddy here to have a heart attack." We both glance over at Gary who is staring and not doing a damn thing to try and hide it. I raise my eyebrow at him as her hand travels under my shirt, her fingers grazing against my nipple. If Gary wants a show, I can give him a show. "You were saying?" I motion for the bartender again.

"Ah, hell! Nothing, forget I fucking said anything." He turns to the bar, sipping the beer I just bought him. Poor Gary, he never gets the girl.

"So, sweet thing." I turn back my attention to the woman on my shoulder. "Other than me, what'll you have?"

She smiles. " How about a Screaming Orgasm?"

"Well, I was thinking a drink first, but, hey, I'm game for anything," I tease, as I slide my hands under her blouse caressing the small of her back.

"It is a drink, silly." She gives my nipple a little pinch. Oh, she's gonna be fun.


<Fade Out>


Coming next week at its new regularly scheduled time of Thursday, 9pm EDT, Must Read TV:

Episode Two: Powder Room

Sensationalist television makes my blood boil. The ‘cutting edge’ camera shots and pure lack of decorum are media and not news. I hate that the business is a reaction to the ratings and not the events of the world. I hate more that my own station is pushing that direction. Our competition has stepped up to the battle, wielding flashy sets and expensive, form-fitting suits of pastels. The ratings show that audiences like this hip look and we’re losing to the competition. Change is afoot and I can smell it like rotten meat on a campout in June. I wrinkle my nose with distaste as I finish my tea and turn my attention to the stacks of files Gail handed me. I turn down the volume again, finding the tall woman distracting.


* * *

Have you been Exposed?

Episode Two: Powder Room

I take one last look in the mirror: steel gray skirt suit with a white silk blouse and two inch heels. Yup, this is my look. My professional look, that is. My private look is more likely to be baggy sweats and a T-shirt. I glance back at the clock by the bed. "Oh shit!"

Grabbing my purse from the bed, I start digging for my car keys as I head through the penthouse. I call for the elevator, continuing to look for my keys. "Okay, Kelsey, think… keys… keys…" I take a deep breath when I realize where the keys to my Mercedes are. "Erik! You little shit!" I climb up the stairs back to the bedrooms, glancing down at the 'do not disturb' sign on the knob to Erik's room. It is quite clear that he has company. "Hope your friend doesn't blush easily."

I throw the door to his room open. "Erik?" I call as I stroll inside, clicking on the bedside lamp. My roommate and 'live in lover' Erik Collins lays on his side, back to me, arm draped over some young man he brought home last night. I sit down on the edge on the bed and poke him in the shoulder. "Erik?" I do at least whisper. I don't really want to wake his guest.

He rolls over, opening a bleary eye in my direction. "Kels, my love." He grins as he wipes his eyes, taking a few moments to blink and focus. He’s handsome even just from slumber: tousled blonde hair framing an angular face and clear blue eyes. He’s smiling at me and even though I’m late and frustrated, I find I can’t muster the anger that had been coursing through me moments before. But I don’t let him off the hook completely.

"Cut the crap. Where are the keys to my Mercedes? I'm running late."

"My pants." He gestures to the back of the chair, glancing to his bedmate who still sleeps soundly. I can tell from the muscular tanned back and the shock of bleached blonde hair that Erik hasn’t strayed from his surfer boy tendencies yet, and it makes me smother a grin. He’ll grow up some day but for now he prefers to play the field. "Sorry. We got in late. I didn't want to wake you," he continues, oblivious to my silent thoughts.

I retrieve his pants, fishing out my keys, capturing them in my palm to muffle the jingle. "No problem. I'll see you later."

"Hey?"

"What?"

"I have a late lunch with Calvin Alexander to-day." He grins at me as he sings the 'today' in his sentence. "Would my lovely and beautiful girlfriend please join me?"

"What time?"

"Two."

I draw a deep breath, running through my own hectic schedule. "Can you meet me at the studio?"

"Yeah, no problem."

"Okay, if you can meet me there at one-thirty, I should be able to cut out and go with you. You know how Chambers loves it when we go out in public together. If he sees you picking me up, he should bend over backward to get me out of there."

"Great. See you then." As I start to pull the door shut, his voice carries to the hall. "By the way you need gas."

"You little shit," I mumble, heading back down and calling for the elevator again. I grab my purse and cell phone just as the doors open and the attendant steps out.

"Good morning, Ms. Stanton." He smiles, holding the door for me. He’s a retired bellhop. I didn’t know people actually retired from such positions, but he told me that with pride many times our first few weeks here. He’s dressed smartly in a dark green uniform with gold piping and I think he looks plain silly, but he’s pleasant enough and always polite. And better yet, if he suspects something about mine and Erik’s relationship, he keeps his mouth shut. Of course, I tip him well.

"Good morning, Carl. Can you do me a favor?" I step onto the elevator and turn to face the grinning attendant.

"Of course, Ms. Stanton."

"When Erik tries to leave this morning, get him stuck between floors." I grin as I pull my sunglasses from my purse and slip them on.

"I'll do my best, Ms. Stanton." He gives me a wink and presses the button that will take us to the parking garage.

Before I turn to leave, I press a twenty into his palm. "For at least five minutes." I return his wink and head for my red Mercedes convertible.


* * *

My assistant meets me at the entrance to the studio. Gail is a nice enough girl, but something about her annoys me. I’m going to have to figure it out one of these days, but right now I am running late and don't have time to think about anything. Especially since Gail is shoving a stack of folders in my hands. "You're..." she starts, pulling the door open for me. We hustle down the hallway to my office.

"Don't even say it," I say, holding up a warning hand. "I know I'm late. It's obvious I'm late." I rifle through the folders. "What's the most urgent thing here?"

"Well, the top story coming off the wire is about some young Hollywood type who barricaded himself in his house early this morning and took his underage girlfriend hostage..."

"I'm not talking dirty laundry, Gail. I'm talking about real news."

"They're trying to schedule an interview with the Commander of the Coast Guard for you in the wake of the Kennedy thing."

"Yeah, could be something good there, I guess." She pushes the door to my office open and I head straight for my desk. I retrieve the remote from another stack of papers and begin switching on televisions. Then taking a deep breath, I turn to my assistant. "Could you get me some tea, please?"

"Sure."

As she leaves, I sit back for just a moment. Glancing up at the screens, I find myself captured by the absolute bluest eyes I have ever seen.

The crawl at the bottom of the screen identifies the pair as belonging to Harper Kingsley, a camera woman for True TV. Too bad, she was attractive until I knew she was tabloid. Brains do count for something in the total package. Memo to self: tell Erik this insight.

I am still chuckling over that thought when Gail brings back my tea. I don't like the taste of coffee, never have, even though I love the aroma of it. Each day begins with a cup of Earl Gray tea with just a hint of cream to smooth it out. Maybe Gail wouldn’t annoy me so if she’d picked up on that small habit and was actually ready for me each morning. Maybe that’s too much to ask for. I shrug the thought off, watching the small brunette fuss with some files piled in my out basket.

As Gail turns to leave, she sees the blue eyed wonder on the screen, my attention also turns back to those impossible eyes. "That's the woman the wires are going crazy about. She talked Sagemore out of his gun. Handed him a penlight instead."