stuttered and he started laughing.
“You make me laugh more than anyone else I know.”
“I’m going to take that as a compliment.”
“You should, that’s how I meant it.” Colin stared at me across the table for a beat. “Does it bother you to be the other woman? It strikes me you wouldn’t be the type to share.” He raised a hand. “Don’t get pissed, I mean that as a compliment too. I would think you would want to be treated like you were, well, a princess.” He smiled. “Okay, maybe not a princess but treated like the single most important thing in his life.”
“It’s not as easy as just getting what we want.”
“You strike me as the kind of person who usually goes full speed toward what you want.”
“I do. Sometimes.”
“You’re an enigma, Callighan.”
“No, I’m not.”
“What, you want to argue that you’re simple? I’m starting to think you like to argue just for the sake of arguing. Ever wonder if you just like the fight and the issue doesn’t matter?”
“Our listeners might love your Andy Griffith homespun therapy, but do me a favor and spare me,” I said, and Colin raised one eyebrow.
“Are you saying you won’t be my Aunt Bea?”
“I changed my mind. You’re more Goober than Andy,” I said. Colin laughed. It was impossible to insult this guy.
“Goober was always my favorite.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. Why are you always dissecting my life? How come we never talk about your issues?”
“What do you want to know? Ask away, I’m an open book.” He leaned back and wiped a smear of ketchup off of the side of his mouth. I knew he expected me to ask some smart-ass question, and he was already crafting the perfect comeback.
“Why did you agree to do the show with me?” I asked quietly, surprising the both of us. If I could kick myself, I would. A smart woman, like a lawyer, never asks a question to a guy where she doesn’t already know the answer. Colin looked at me for a second, not saying anything and then leaned forward.
“I want to be number one. I’ve wanted to be number one for a long time. I’ve been close. I could build a mountain with my second place runner-up sashes. I needed a co-host, but the right co-host. I listened to the tapes of our first show together and I could hear the snap. That show sparkled, I could hear the difference. I liked your attitude. The show needed to be shaken up.”
“And I’m pretty shaky.”
“That you are. That you are.” He raised his half finished martini to me. I paused for a moment and then lifted my drink toward him, meeting him halfway.
* * *
I woke up with my head pounding like a bad metal band. I could feel those leather wearing long-haired freaks bouncing around inside my skull smashing their guitars against the back of my eyeballs. My saliva had turned into an Elmer’s glue-type substance, which could explain why my tongue felt stuck to the roof of my mouth. I rolled slowly over on my side; my brain felt like as if it had torn free of its moorings and was at risk for sliding out my ear if I wasn’t extremely careful.
My cell phone rang. The sound waves smashed against my skull. Must stop sound. My hand shot out from under the covers and fumbled for my handbag on the floor. I found the phone and flipped it open.
“Murgh.” My mouth was still glued shut with Elmer’s spit.
“Hi!” Jonathon said. I never knew he talked so damn loud. We clearly need to have to talk about the importance of using your inside voice when on the phone. For someone who was sneaking around, being soft-spoken wasn’t his strong suit. “I got your messages, but I couldn’t get away last night. I’m so sorry we couldn’t get together.”
I heard a mumble. My eyes popped open. Colin laid there, his head on the pillow next to mine. I could see each individual bristle of his beard poking from his skin. His lips
“You make me laugh more than anyone else I know.”
“I’m going to take that as a compliment.”
“You should, that’s how I meant it.” Colin stared at me across the table for a beat. “Does it bother you to be the other woman? It strikes me you wouldn’t be the type to share.” He raised a hand. “Don’t get pissed, I mean that as a compliment too. I would think you would want to be treated like you were, well, a princess.” He smiled. “Okay, maybe not a princess but treated like the single most important thing in his life.”
“It’s not as easy as just getting what we want.”
“You strike me as the kind of person who usually goes full speed toward what you want.”
“I do. Sometimes.”
“You’re an enigma, Callighan.”
“No, I’m not.”
“What, you want to argue that you’re simple? I’m starting to think you like to argue just for the sake of arguing. Ever wonder if you just like the fight and the issue doesn’t matter?”
“Our listeners might love your Andy Griffith homespun therapy, but do me a favor and spare me,” I said, and Colin raised one eyebrow.
“Are you saying you won’t be my Aunt Bea?”
“I changed my mind. You’re more Goober than Andy,” I said. Colin laughed. It was impossible to insult this guy.
“Goober was always my favorite.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. Why are you always dissecting my life? How come we never talk about your issues?”
“What do you want to know? Ask away, I’m an open book.” He leaned back and wiped a smear of ketchup off of the side of his mouth. I knew he expected me to ask some smart-ass question, and he was already crafting the perfect comeback.
“Why did you agree to do the show with me?” I asked quietly, surprising the both of us. If I could kick myself, I would. A smart woman, like a lawyer, never asks a question to a guy where she doesn’t already know the answer. Colin looked at me for a second, not saying anything and then leaned forward.
“I want to be number one. I’ve wanted to be number one for a long time. I’ve been close. I could build a mountain with my second place runner-up sashes. I needed a co-host, but the right co-host. I listened to the tapes of our first show together and I could hear the snap. That show sparkled, I could hear the difference. I liked your attitude. The show needed to be shaken up.”
“And I’m pretty shaky.”
“That you are. That you are.” He raised his half finished martini to me. I paused for a moment and then lifted my drink toward him, meeting him halfway.
* * *
I woke up with my head pounding like a bad metal band. I could feel those leather wearing long-haired freaks bouncing around inside my skull smashing their guitars against the back of my eyeballs. My saliva had turned into an Elmer’s glue-type substance, which could explain why my tongue felt stuck to the roof of my mouth. I rolled slowly over on my side; my brain felt like as if it had torn free of its moorings and was at risk for sliding out my ear if I wasn’t extremely careful.
My cell phone rang. The sound waves smashed against my skull. Must stop sound. My hand shot out from under the covers and fumbled for my handbag on the floor. I found the phone and flipped it open.
“Murgh.” My mouth was still glued shut with Elmer’s spit.
“Hi!” Jonathon said. I never knew he talked so damn loud. We clearly need to have to talk about the importance of using your inside voice when on the phone. For someone who was sneaking around, being soft-spoken wasn’t his strong suit. “I got your messages, but I couldn’t get away last night. I’m so sorry we couldn’t get together.”
I heard a mumble. My eyes popped open. Colin laid there, his head on the pillow next to mine. I could see each individual bristle of his beard poking from his skin. His lips
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