You have another caller!”
Tess looked out at her in alarm. Where were they all coming from? Tess had no sooner said goodbye to Rosa than Helene had plugged the next caller through.
“Hello, caller, can I ask you your name and problem?” Tess asked tonelessly.
“Yes. So, like your last caller, my problem is a business orientated one.”
“Well, you must have also heard me say that we’re just dealing with emotional problems this morning,” Tess said flatly.
“But there’s an emotional side to it as well,” the caller cut in quickly. Tess thought she caught a funny, familiar lilt to his voice.
“So. Are you going to tell me what it is? The problem?” Tess asked impatiently. She was aware of Helene giving her dagger looks through the glass screen but all Tess cared about at this stage was getting rid of this caller and getting herself out of the studio.
“Well,” he said slowly, “I’m considering investing in a business. But it’s mainly because someone very close to me has asked me to. And I’m not convinced it’s a good idea.”
“And?”
“So should I heed what my head is telling me to do and give the business a wide berth – which is what any self-respecting businessman would do? Or should I indulge the person who wants me to invest, and for once in my life, do something that isn’t motivated by the bottom line?”
“Isn’t the standard advice for business folk that you don’t mix business with pleasure?” Tess asked uninterestedly.
“Yes it is. But isn’t there more to life than business?” the caller countered.
Ollie chose that moment – finally – to speak.
“I think you seem to be going around in circles here, Tess!” he sniggered.
“Yes, I think we are,” Tess quickly agreed. She had told everyone this was going to be a disaster, but it gave her no pleasure to be proven right. She leaned into the mike. “In fact, I don’t think I’m the best person to consult on this problem. So from Tess Morgan on the This Morning show ... it’s goodbye.” Tess heard her voice shake on the last word.
“No. Wait!” the caller was still on the line, but Tess had already thrown her headphones onto the desk. She stood up to leave. She could vaguely hear Ollie talking to the caller in soothing tones, apologising on her behalf.
“I’m so sorry about this, caller. But it seems that’s all for today, folks, from our new Agony Aunt of the Airwaves, Tess Morgan. Not exactly what I was expecting mind you, and probably not what you were expecting at home either, folks. But these things take time to settle and no doubt Tess will be back soon with another batch of your problems. Can’t wait. Meanwhile, it’s time for another disc.”
And the sound of another heavy metal number blasted over the airwaves.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Tess’s face was flushed scarlet as she stumbled out of the studio. She was dimly aware of Helene waving her arms at her, exclaiming how she had just abandoned a caller on-air, and Sara saying she hadn’t given any details for where listeners should send their problems.
Tess rushed past them, close to tears. She hurried to her desk, intent on grabbing her bag and getting out of the building. She glanced at Andrea, who was staring at the radio with a bewildered expression. She jumped up when she saw Tess, her eyebrows almost disappearing under her fringe.
“
What
just happened?”
Not trusting herself to speak, Tess gestured for Andrea to follow her. Outside on the main street, while she waited for Andrea to catch up, she gulped in deep breaths of fresh, cold air. Passers-by were going about their business, shopping and sipping coffee in Zelda’s cafe across the street, unaware and uncaring that Tess had just made a monumental fool of herself. That thought calmed Tess down somehow and by the time Andrea exited the building, she was already beginning to rationalise everything.
The sky hadn’t fallen in, she told herself, as Andrea linked her arm and steered her
Tess looked out at her in alarm. Where were they all coming from? Tess had no sooner said goodbye to Rosa than Helene had plugged the next caller through.
“Hello, caller, can I ask you your name and problem?” Tess asked tonelessly.
“Yes. So, like your last caller, my problem is a business orientated one.”
“Well, you must have also heard me say that we’re just dealing with emotional problems this morning,” Tess said flatly.
“But there’s an emotional side to it as well,” the caller cut in quickly. Tess thought she caught a funny, familiar lilt to his voice.
“So. Are you going to tell me what it is? The problem?” Tess asked impatiently. She was aware of Helene giving her dagger looks through the glass screen but all Tess cared about at this stage was getting rid of this caller and getting herself out of the studio.
“Well,” he said slowly, “I’m considering investing in a business. But it’s mainly because someone very close to me has asked me to. And I’m not convinced it’s a good idea.”
“And?”
“So should I heed what my head is telling me to do and give the business a wide berth – which is what any self-respecting businessman would do? Or should I indulge the person who wants me to invest, and for once in my life, do something that isn’t motivated by the bottom line?”
“Isn’t the standard advice for business folk that you don’t mix business with pleasure?” Tess asked uninterestedly.
“Yes it is. But isn’t there more to life than business?” the caller countered.
Ollie chose that moment – finally – to speak.
“I think you seem to be going around in circles here, Tess!” he sniggered.
“Yes, I think we are,” Tess quickly agreed. She had told everyone this was going to be a disaster, but it gave her no pleasure to be proven right. She leaned into the mike. “In fact, I don’t think I’m the best person to consult on this problem. So from Tess Morgan on the This Morning show ... it’s goodbye.” Tess heard her voice shake on the last word.
“No. Wait!” the caller was still on the line, but Tess had already thrown her headphones onto the desk. She stood up to leave. She could vaguely hear Ollie talking to the caller in soothing tones, apologising on her behalf.
“I’m so sorry about this, caller. But it seems that’s all for today, folks, from our new Agony Aunt of the Airwaves, Tess Morgan. Not exactly what I was expecting mind you, and probably not what you were expecting at home either, folks. But these things take time to settle and no doubt Tess will be back soon with another batch of your problems. Can’t wait. Meanwhile, it’s time for another disc.”
And the sound of another heavy metal number blasted over the airwaves.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Tess’s face was flushed scarlet as she stumbled out of the studio. She was dimly aware of Helene waving her arms at her, exclaiming how she had just abandoned a caller on-air, and Sara saying she hadn’t given any details for where listeners should send their problems.
Tess rushed past them, close to tears. She hurried to her desk, intent on grabbing her bag and getting out of the building. She glanced at Andrea, who was staring at the radio with a bewildered expression. She jumped up when she saw Tess, her eyebrows almost disappearing under her fringe.
“
What
just happened?”
Not trusting herself to speak, Tess gestured for Andrea to follow her. Outside on the main street, while she waited for Andrea to catch up, she gulped in deep breaths of fresh, cold air. Passers-by were going about their business, shopping and sipping coffee in Zelda’s cafe across the street, unaware and uncaring that Tess had just made a monumental fool of herself. That thought calmed Tess down somehow and by the time Andrea exited the building, she was already beginning to rationalise everything.
The sky hadn’t fallen in, she told herself, as Andrea linked her arm and steered her
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