Girl Power (9 page)

"If I have to, but I'd rather buy you a nice lunch at the Burgers & Salads I saw a couple blocks away."

Burgers & Salads
, Brenda loved their salads. All of a sudden, egg salad, which she'd had for the last two days, didn't sound so good. A grilled chicken

Caesar salad with their special raspberry/passion fruit iced tea sounded much

better. "All right, let's do it."

Several emotions crossed the heartthrob's face, two of which she recognized

as confusion, and indecision. She thought he was going to object, citing the fact that lunch wasn't dinner and Burgers & Salads was not exactly romantic, but he surprised her by grasping her hand and saying, "Bacon cheeseburger with

onions. Heartburn, here we come."

Fifteen minutes later, the pair hustled into the popular eatery and settled

into the last available booth. Mickey, uninvited, sat next to her. Brenda glanced around. No one, save one smiling woman with two young children noticed. She

nodded and Brenda returned her nod. "Mickey, you're on the wrong side of the booth. People will stare."

"Let'um."

Brenda's stomach did it's flip flop thing when Mickey looped an arm

around her shoulders and whispered in her ear, "I want to be close in case you got some fool notion to kiss me."

She turned and gazed at the man who starred in the not so wholesome,

nightly dreams she'd started having. "Well, don't hold your breath."

Mickey contemplated her for a long moment. From the motion of his sexy,

thin lips, she thought he might try to kiss her. Instead, he said, "I like your hair like that."

"Really? You like it natural? I didn't have time to fix it this morning."

"Ah-huh. I like it."

Just then, the waitress came up. "Are you lovebirds ready to order?"

We are not lovebirds Brenda started to reply to the waitress until she looked

up into the eyes of a light caramel skinned woman. She glanced at her nametag—

Jayda. "We are not lovebirds. He wants to be and I'm thinking about it."

"Well, you make a lovely couple. Are you ready to order?"

After placing their orders, Mickey returned to the discussion about her hair,

"I like your hair every way you wear it, straight, pulled back, ringlets, and natural. I guess it's because you are beautiful. Every time I see you, you are more stunning than the last time."

Brenda turned to Mickey. "You are a shameless flatterer. I know I'm not bad looking, but beautiful? I'm certainly not stunning.

While Brenda gazed at him, Mickey cupped her chin. "Well, I think you are,

and that is all that matters."

Mickey stared longingly at her for some seconds, causing her pulse to race

again. She pulled away. "What do you need to tell me?"

"Two things. My paper wants me to get an interview with Sally Cummings.

Do you think she'd mind?"

"I don't know. It would be better if your paper was a national publication."

"That's the point. The Herald is part of a large publishing company and they would distribute the interview to some hundred associated newspapers."

"That would be good. I'm almost sure she'd do that."

"Great. Here's a list of questions. I don't have to formally interview her. Just give her the list of questions and she can write her answers underneath each

question. When she's done you can fax it to me."

Brenda took the paper, folded it in half and shoved it into her purse. "What else? You mentioned a couple things."

"I have a talk radio host who would like to interview Sally, but she may not want to do it."

"Why?"

"He's a right wing radio host with mostly radical right listeners."

"Hmm, I doubt she'd be interested, but I'll ask her. Give me the details."

Mickey handed her another sheet of paper. "They're all on here."

Brenda glanced at the paper. Floyd Meldren, radio 680AM, Weekdays 1PM

to 4PM, Right is Right. "What does Right is Right, mean?"

"That's the name of his show."

Brenda whistled. "I wouldn't hold my breath on this one."

"I'm not. I'm working on a guest slot on a TV show, too, so keep your

fingers crossed on this one."

Brenda held up her crossed fingers. "I will."

Mickey grew serious. "Baby, how about a movie? That Fats Taylor movie is

starting tonight. It's supposed to be really good. What d'ya say?"

She wanted to see that movie and she couldn't think of anyone she'd rather

see it with than the handsome hunk who was smiling at her. "I think I'd like that." Mickey's eyes rounded, as did his mouth. "Really! You want to go?"

"Ah-huh." Brenda's pulse rate doubled when he leaned in and kissed her cheek, then kissed her chastely on the lips.

The touch of his soft lips flipped her stomach over. She wanted a real kiss.

He leaned in and kissed her fully on the lips. Her heart beat a tattoo against her rib cage. Loving the feeling of his lips against hers, she returned the kiss until Jayda set a shallow bowl before her. "Here you go, chicken Caesar salad, sweetie.

I must say for not being lovebirds, you two are sure friendly."

Brenda's heart thumped so hard she could feel it in his ears. Like a moth to

a flame, Mickey inextricably drew her to him. As the waitress set his heartburn

special down, Brenda stole a glance at Mickey. She detected a look of regret. The regret was mutual. God help her, she wanted to wrap her arms around him and

squeeze and hug and kiss him silly.
I'm playing with fire. I hope to God, I'm not
making a mistake.

Stand Aligned For Equality Takes Off

We ask justice, we ask equality, we ask that all the civil and political rights that belong to citizens of the United States, be guaranteed to us and our daughters

forever." —
Susan B. Anthony

Monday morning Brenda entered Sally Cummings office. "Hi, Sally."

She looked up. "Good morning, Brenda. You look chipper today. Something

good happen to you?"

Brenda flashed a coy smile. "You could say that."

"Yeah?"

Brenda took a seat in one of the chairs that fronted Sally's desk and sat up

straight. "Friday, Mickey called and wanted to go to lunch with me. He said he had some promotional options to discuss."

"What were they?"

Brenda set two typed sheets of paper in front of Sally. His newspaper wants

an interview from you. That the interview would be published in all the sister

papers and be available on the internet. Sounds like a good idea to me."

Sally glanced over the papers. "These are the questions he wants to ask me?"

"Yes. He's not going to come in here and ask them. He just wants you to

write your answers down. Once you do, I'll get them back to him."

"All right. What was the other thing?"

Brenda pursed her lips and continued, "I doubt if you'd be interested, but a certain conservative radio talk show host is interested in interviewing you."

Sally cupped her chin with her hand. "Hmm, that could be interesting. Who

is it?" "His name is Floyd Meldren. He's on radio 680AM, Weekdays 1PM to 4PM." "Never heard of him."

"Me either, but then again, I don't make a point of listening to talk radio."

Sally snickered. "Especially, conservative talk radio. Let me think about it.

Now, how was lunch with the handsome reporter?"

Recalling her Friday night date gave Brenda goose bumps. "It was nice."

Brenda squirmed in her seat. "I ah…went to see Dry Run, the new Fats Taylor movie, with him."

"Did you have fun?"

"Yes." Brenda averted her gaze and fidgeted. "After the movie he took me to a night club and we danced and…ah…"

"What?"

"Ah we…"

"What?" Sally laughed. "Spit it out girl."

Brenda glanced around the room. "We kissed on the dance floor and when

the music stopped, we—"

"Hold on. You don't have to give me details. Did you have fun? That's all I want to know."

She joined her hands. "Oh, yes. It was the most wonderful date I ever had."

"That's exactly the way young love should be—passionate and full of fun.

When are you going to see Mickey again?"

"I don't know. Maybe never. Sally, I can't trust myself with him."

Sally snickered and grinned. "Oh, I think you'll go out with him again.

Besides it isn't every day you find someone who can push your buttons."

Brenda scolded her, "Sally!" but her eyes sparkled as she giggled. "That's what I'm worried. No one has ever pushed my buttons as easily as he does."

Sally picked up the interview questionnaire. "I'm going to fill this out so you can get it right back to your boyfriend."

Brenda smiled broadly.
Boyfriend? I like that
.

~ * * ~

Kelly stepped into Lindy's office in the company of a slightly gray-haired

man wearing cowboy boots and a Stetson. "Lindy, I'd like you to meet Lee Casey, my favorite uncle."

Lindy studied him for a few seconds. As advertised, he was a tall,

distinguished looking older man, but not as old as she'd pictured. The most

noticeable thing about him was his penetrating, blue eyes. Realizing she was

acting rude, she scrambled to her feet and shook the man's hand. "Good

afternoon, I'm Lindy Rollins. Good to meet you, sir. Kelly has told me what a

wizard you are."

His fascinating eyes seemed to smile. He threw his head back and laughed.

"Young lady, I've been around long enough to have been called everything, but I do believe you are the first person ever to call me a wizard."

"I'm sor…I didn't mean…"

He laughed again. "Don't worry, no offense taken. Besides isn't that why my niece brought me here, to work magic?"

Lindy turned to Kelly. "Please sit down, both of you." They sat in the available office chairs. "Would you like refreshment? Coffee, soda, bottled water?"

Lee leaned forward. "Coffee would be nice. Black, please."

"And you, Kelly?"

Kelly leaned back in her chair and set her arms on the armrests. "I'll have coffee, too."

"Cream and sugar?"

"Yes. Splenda if you have it. Otherwise, sugar."

Lindy pushed the intercom button. "Millie, would you bring three coffees

along with cream and Splenda or sugar."

"Yes ma'am."

Lindy turned the intercom off and leaned back. "Coffee will be here in a

minute. Did Kelly tell you what I need?"

Lee shifted in his chair. "Vaguely. She said you needed advice on how to

run a national campaign."

"That's right. Lee, do you know what we're trying to do here?"

"Of course, I do. I haven't been out of the country. Anyone who pays

attention knows you're trying to get a women's political party going." He

chuckled. "Good for you. I say it's about time the two lethargic, lumbering parties have a vibrant, new thoroughbred to give them a run for their money."

He waggled his bushy eyebrows. "And since the misguided Citizens United

decision, I do mean money."

"I know. Money's a problem."

"It shouldn't be at first, because the other parties won't take you serious unless you rise in the polls. Even then, they'll be reluctant to split their PAC

money over two candidates."

"You don't have a problem, knowing what we're doing, working with

women?"

Lee laughed again. "On the contrary, from their precise, practical

intelligence, to their familial loyalty, to their divinely sculpted curves, I love every aspect of women." He glanced at Kelly, who blushed. "Ask my niece."

Kelly rolled her eyes. "I wasn't going to mention this, but Uncle Lee has a reputation as something of a ladies man."

~ * * ~

Three days later, Sally had barely taken her first sip of coffee since arriving

at the office, when her intercom buzzed. "Yes, Millie?"

"It's Brenda. Millie's not in yet."

"Yes, Brenda. What do you need?"

"I have someone on line one who claims to be Winfred Opry's personal

assistant and wants to speak with you."

"Claims? You don't believe her?"

"Her's a him or rather she's a he. It's not that I don't believe him, it's just that we've been getting a lot of crank and nasty calls from men since we went public.

Let's just say I'm skeptical."

"Hmm. Tell him someone just stepped into my office. Get his number and

tell him I'll call right back. If he gives his number, he's legit and say 'Oh wait a second, she's free now. I can ring you through, sir'."

"That'll work. I'll be back in a minute if he's legit."

A minute later, the intercom buzzed, again. "Yes, Brenda."

"Sally, Dillon Reed is on line one for you."

"He's legit, huh?"

"Don't know. He gave me his number, so he's all yours."

"Thank you, Brenda." Sally clicked off the intercom button and pushed line one. "Sally Cummings. What can I do for you, Mr. Reed?"

Dillon spoke in a cordial tone with a New England accent. "Hi Sally, it's nice to meet you. That's a mammoth project you're undertaking."

Sally smiled. "So we're finding out."

"Sally, I work for Winfred Opry. In this morning's Tribune, she read your

interview about your women's party and she's intrigued."

Mickey's interview is out? "I'm glad to hear that. Like most women, I

respect and admire Winfred. Naturally, we would welcome her help, if she is so

inclined."

"And she wants to help. How would you like to be on her show?"

Sally swallowed. "Her show? This so sudden. When would it be?"

"We had a cancelation for tomorrow's taping. Would that be too soon?"

"That's pretty soon. When would be the next opening?"

"In a month."

"Hmm. That's too far off. If I do it, I'll be bringing the co-founder and my campaign manager. Any problem with that?"