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“I have a small staff who could handle it, or you could have someone at your station do it since you have the equipment set up here already,” she says.
“And is this something you’d want to do?” he asks, turning his attention toward me.
I snag my bottom lip between my teeth as if I’m considering it, and then I nod. “I think it would be a great way to benefit the community and to show goodwill toward our new coach.”
He studies me for a beat as he calculates what he knows about Lincoln and me with what Ellie is proposing. He tosses out a few more questions that Ellie already has prepared the answers to before he finally nods. “I need to discuss it with Ken,” he says, naming the station owner, “but pending his approval, I’ll have our lawyers review your contract. I’ll also figure out who can produce this for us since you’re right, we have the manpower and the staff to handle it. I’ll chat with our social media team to pull teasers, but between your reporting and this podcast, I think this will be the ratings boost we’ve been looking for.”
I feel the heavy weight of what he’s saying.
He’s putting a lot of pressure on me to boost ratings for our station.
I know I’m up to the task, but I just hope he’s not putting all his eggs into the wrong basket.
CHAPTER 16: JOLENE
Ken approves the podcast immediately, and we’re signing Ellie’s contract a day later with plans to get the first episode up before training camp begins.
That means we have a whole hell of a lot of work to accomplish in a rather short window of time.
Lincoln wants to get a few episodes done before training camp so we have something waiting in the wings just in case, and I’m definitely not opposed to that idea, though I like the immediacy of filming weekly so we can keep up to date on current events.
It’s a Friday morning after I kissed Jonah a million times since he’s going to his dad’s house after school—much to both of our dismay, but my lawyer is still working on getting Jeremy cut from the visitation plans—when my phone rings.
And speak of the devil, it’s Jeremy.
I cross my fingers that he’s calling to let me know he can’t take Jonah this weekend. It’ll simply give me more fuel to cut him out.
Instead, when I answer, I’m met with silence. “Jeremy?”
“She left. Alyssa took the girls and left.”
I can’t tell if he sounds drunk or sad. Maybe both.
And I have no idea what to say.
“I’m so sorry. That must be heartbreaking.” My voice is flat, but I’m at work. I’m not exactly here to listen to this dude’s sob story, particularly when he cheated on me with the woman who just left him a little over seven years ago—a constant reminder anytime I think of my son’s age.
“Thank God Jonah is here this weekend so I won’t be alone.”
Poor Jonah. That’s an awful lot to put on a kid. I don’t say anything because I’m still not quite sure how to handle this one.
I’m waiting on a social visit to prove Jeremy doesn’t deserve mandatory visitation, and now that Alyssa isn’t there, I’m more convinced than ever that Jonah has no safe zone at his place.
“I’m sorry to call you at work,” he says. “I just needed…someone.”
Yeah. I felt that way too when I found out he cheated on me.
I’m not about to volunteer for the position this time around. He hurt me, and I’ve never forgiven him for it. But over time I learned that I am much, much better off without him.
“I’m sorry you’re hurting,” I say, my voice still flat. “But please don’t put this on Jonah.” The end comes out a little more pleading than I intend for it to.
“What is that supposed to mean?” he asks, his tone defensive, and I knew I made a mistake the second the words came out of my mouth.
It was better when he was sad. Now he’s angry, and he’s directing it at me, and then he’ll direct it at Jonah. He’s not violent, so I’m not worried for my son’s physical safety, but his emotional well-being is a different story completely. I don’t want this to be one of those times when my son comes home from his dad’s house and he’s sad for two days. I hate when I feel helpless to do anything until he emerges from the fog.
“It means exactly what I just said. If you need to vent, find an adult who wants to listen. Don’t make your kid miserable because you are.” Oops. More words I immediately regret.
He’s quiet a few beats, and I wait for him to unleash the wrath on me.
