"So listen up gals. If that front door of yours is sticking and you're tired of slamming it closed here's a little tip; take an ordinary bar of soap and rub it along the doorframe. I know, I know, you're asking yourselves bar soap? But trust me it works like a dream."
Virginia Szabo Metcalf smiled into the camera with a bar of soap in her hand and silently thanked her mother for the idea.
"Before I go, I just wanted to say thanks to all of you for your wonderful cards and letters congratulating me on my marriage. My husband Jeff," And she blushed at the thought of what that meant to her. "Is currently in Lawrence Kansas with the Cleveland Indians farm team and has been doing really well. It's quite an experience to trail your groom around from one small ballpark to another but it was something that I wouldn't have missed for the world. So until next time, this is Mrs. Jeff Metcalf saying see you then"
And she smiled until she saw the small red light on top of the camera go dark.
"We're off the air." Ginger heard the cameraman advise everyone and she put the soap down on the counter. The studio lights blinked off and it took her a moment to readjust her eyes to the normal room light and it was then that she saw Linda.
"Ginny, you were great." She smiled. "And it's your first show as my sister in law."
Ginger smiled back. "Your mother seemed to take it really well that I eloped with Jeff. My mother was fit to be tied, mostly because she didn't have the chance to wear the dress she bought when I was going to marry Arthur."
"You wouldn't really have gone through with it would you? Knowing how much you still loved Jeff?" Linda asked her.
"Of course I would have because I didn't know that he still loved me." She explained. "So what brings you down to WREQ? I thought you'd be covering that big housing deal the Sloan's have going."
"I was actually on my way to the Sloan plant to talk to Mr. Sloan but Mother wanted me to ask you if you wanted to move in to her house."
Ginger must have looked as surprised as she felt. "I never thought about that. Jeff and I never talked about where we would live and I just assumed that I would stay with my parents until he got home."
"It makes sense, don't you think? Besides, Mother called from New Jersey and in her haste to leave with Al and Michael, as she put it she forgot that Charlie and I are in the house alone."
"Oh for Pity's Sake Linda, who cares what people think? Charlie is with Gina and you've been making eyes at that handsome editor of yours. No one would believe that there was anything going on that shouldn't."
"Making eyes?"
She rolled her eyes at Linda. "You know what I mean. Let the old busybodies gossip all they want you know that everything is above board."
"I know that and Charlie knows that, but you seem to forget that we were gossiped about before." Linda pointed out.
"And whose fault is that Linda Metcalf? That British tramp of course." She frowned.
"Mother wants you to come live at her house and said that you could move into Hank's old room. She thought it was only fair because Jeff had to move into the attic when Hank and Sarah were getting married. Now that you and Jeff are married, she wants him to have a real room."
"I don't know what to say."
Linda smiled at her. "Say you'll come. It won't be like having your own house but at least you won't be living like a single girl in your parent's house. Besides, Charlie is with Gina so much that I'm usually by myself."
It didn't take Ginger much time to think it over. "Well, seeing as how I spent almost as much time in that house growing up as I did in my own I don't know how I could say no."
Linda smiled and grabbed her into a hug. "Thanks Ginger."
"I just wish Jeff were here." She sighed as she picked up the bowl of icing and carried it to the sink.
"I'll move Hank's things into the attic when I get home and I'll let you take care of getting Jeff's things downstairs." And Ginger saw her look at her wristwatch. "In the meantime, I have to get to the Sloan plant before it closes and you can move in tonight or wait until tomorrow, it's up to you."
"Let's do it tomorrow. I want to talk to my parents and let them know what I'm planning."
"In that case, here's a key so you can let yourself in if I'm not home. It's yours to keep as long as you want." She added as she handed Ginger a house key.
"Thank you." And she hugged Linda. "Don't let Mr. Sloan give you the runaround when you ask him those hard questions."
"I'll see you tomorrow." And she waved as she walked out of the studio.
Ginger turned her attention to the dishes in the sink and began to run some water to wash them. The studio telephone rang and before she had the chance to dry her hands, Miss Wescott appeared out of no where and picked it up. "Miss Wescott." And she sighed. "Miss Szabo, it's your baseball player."
Before she plucked the phone out of the woman's hand Ginger gave her a sarcastic smile. "That's Mrs. Metcalf."
"Don't be long, Mr. Melon wants to speak with you." She sniffed and walked into the control booth.
She made sure Miss Wescott was out of earshot before she put the phone to her ear. "Hi."
"Hi yourself. I sure miss you." He told her and she heard it in his voice.
"I miss you too. How's the road trip going?" She asked and wished she were there with him. "You can't possibly do better than you did yesterday."
"I did swell yesterday but today I struck out twice and got an error." He sounded disappointed.
"Try not to worry too much about that Jeff. One bad game shouldn't hurt your chances." Ginger tried to encourage him, as a good wife should.
"I play better when we're together." He told her.
She smiled and felt her cheeks warm. "You play better when your mind is on the game. And I'd bet a dollar to a doughnut hole that your mind wasn't on the game."
His laugh on the other end of the line was soft and when he spoke again, his voice was lower. "I was thinking about those shortstops we were working on."
"Oh my word!" She whispered.
"Don't tell me that you don't think about it either." He challenged her.
"Of course I do. We waited for so long and it seems that's all we were doing until I had to come home." And she laughed. "Well that and watching you play baseball."
"What was more fun?" His voice had grown husky.
"I don't think I need to answer that buster because you already know." She looked around and hoped no one was listening in.
"I'm sorry Ginger but I've got to go, my two minutes are almost up." He had to be looking at his watch.
Darn those two-minute calls.
"We're here for another couple of days, so I'll call you after the game tomorrow. I love you."
"I love you..." She didn't get to finish because the line went dead. "Too."
The voice of Miss Wescott crackled over the intercom. "Miss Szabo, Mr. Melon is waiting."
"I already told you that it's Mrs. Metcalf." Ginger barked at Mr. Melon's assistant who seemed intent on irritating her. She slammed down the receiver, harder than she knew she should have. But Mrs.Virginia Metcalf missed her husband and Miss Wescott wasn't making it any easier.