~I disclaim~
~~~~~~~~~
" Why would they send me letters?" she was afraid she already knew. " Because each day you'll read through the letters and pick one the best one. You'll read the lucky man's letter on the air"
The promotions director nodded along enthusiastically as if jamming to her favorite band. " I like it. It's new. fun." She paused, cocking her head to the side. " But, Jack, what will they win?" "Hmm. What will they win?" Jack paused, squinting his eyes and thoughtfully stroking his chin. " The daily winners will each receive a T-shirt, of course. A special, limited-edition, Chloe T-shirt." He shot a look at the program director. " How soon can we get those?" she jotted down a few notes, then looked up. " I can have a design for your approval by the end of the day. T-shirt by the end of the week."
T-shirts? They were making T-shirts? Chloe sank lower in her chair, trying to catch up with her stomach, which felt as if it had slipped out of her body and lay flopping around on the floor.
" Excellent! The daily winners will get T-shirts. Weekly winners will get a special Love Letters to Chloe prize pack."
Oh, dear lord, will the humiliation never end? Chloe felt her throat tighten and swallowed to loosen the knot forming there.
She glanced around the table. Everyone was watching her, trying to gauge her reaction. The promotions director smiled as she warmed to the idea. Mimi's face was flushed with guilt. Then there was Brady. He was tapping out an anger rhythm with his pencil.
He fooled a lot of people with hid good-natured appearance. blonde hair and crystal blue eyes combined with his six foot frame gave people the impression he was a bear of a man. A teddy bear--cuddly and playful. But she knew better. His cuddly exterior cloaked a will of iron.
Brady watched her. " Aren't you going to say anything?" She looked up and met Jack's gaze. " Well, Chloe? What do you think?" She sucked in deep breath, nudged Brady's knee under the table as a preventive measure, and smiled bright. " Sounds really.interesting." Jack narrowed his eyes, assessing her. " Um, so how long will this-" carnival of humiliation"-contest last?"
" Three weeks. There will be a grand-prize winner. You'll get to pick the lucky man, of course.
The pencil Brady had been tapping against the table snapped in his fingers. The anger written so clearly on his face made her stomach tighten. She tried to catch his eye, but he was glaring too intently at Jack to notice. So she nudged him with her knee gain. This time he nudged back. His gaze met hers across the small table." Please don't do anything stupid" she tried to tell him with her eyes.
His gaze was darkened with barely suppressed emotion-anger in her defense. She shivered in response. She'd always fight her own battles. And would fight this one, as well, despite the temptation to let him fight it for her.
Awareness snaked through her. She jerked her knee away from his. Turning her attention back to Jack, she asked," and the lucky man will win a vacation or something, right?" "No, no, no. Something much better." His lips curled in a self-satisfied smile. " He'll win a date with you" In an instant Brady was on his feet." She's not doing it." Jack's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. " That's for Chloe to decide."
" Why would they send me letters?" she was afraid she already knew. " Because each day you'll read through the letters and pick one the best one. You'll read the lucky man's letter on the air"
The promotions director nodded along enthusiastically as if jamming to her favorite band. " I like it. It's new. fun." She paused, cocking her head to the side. " But, Jack, what will they win?" "Hmm. What will they win?" Jack paused, squinting his eyes and thoughtfully stroking his chin. " The daily winners will each receive a T-shirt, of course. A special, limited-edition, Chloe T-shirt." He shot a look at the program director. " How soon can we get those?" she jotted down a few notes, then looked up. " I can have a design for your approval by the end of the day. T-shirt by the end of the week."
T-shirts? They were making T-shirts? Chloe sank lower in her chair, trying to catch up with her stomach, which felt as if it had slipped out of her body and lay flopping around on the floor.
" Excellent! The daily winners will get T-shirts. Weekly winners will get a special Love Letters to Chloe prize pack."
Oh, dear lord, will the humiliation never end? Chloe felt her throat tighten and swallowed to loosen the knot forming there.
She glanced around the table. Everyone was watching her, trying to gauge her reaction. The promotions director smiled as she warmed to the idea. Mimi's face was flushed with guilt. Then there was Brady. He was tapping out an anger rhythm with his pencil.
He fooled a lot of people with hid good-natured appearance. blonde hair and crystal blue eyes combined with his six foot frame gave people the impression he was a bear of a man. A teddy bear--cuddly and playful. But she knew better. His cuddly exterior cloaked a will of iron.
Brady watched her. " Aren't you going to say anything?" She looked up and met Jack's gaze. " Well, Chloe? What do you think?" She sucked in deep breath, nudged Brady's knee under the table as a preventive measure, and smiled bright. " Sounds really.interesting." Jack narrowed his eyes, assessing her. " Um, so how long will this-" carnival of humiliation"-contest last?"
" Three weeks. There will be a grand-prize winner. You'll get to pick the lucky man, of course.
The pencil Brady had been tapping against the table snapped in his fingers. The anger written so clearly on his face made her stomach tighten. She tried to catch his eye, but he was glaring too intently at Jack to notice. So she nudged him with her knee gain. This time he nudged back. His gaze met hers across the small table." Please don't do anything stupid" she tried to tell him with her eyes.
His gaze was darkened with barely suppressed emotion-anger in her defense. She shivered in response. She'd always fight her own battles. And would fight this one, as well, despite the temptation to let him fight it for her.
Awareness snaked through her. She jerked her knee away from his. Turning her attention back to Jack, she asked," and the lucky man will win a vacation or something, right?" "No, no, no. Something much better." His lips curled in a self-satisfied smile. " He'll win a date with you" In an instant Brady was on his feet." She's not doing it." Jack's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. " That's for Chloe to decide."