Seduced by the Playboy

“Online?” she repeated, shaking her head. “As in on the internet?”

“Yup. Sexy Chicago Newscaster Goes Off on Baseball Superstar, and since it’s gone viral, it’s received thousands of hits.” Simone slid the laptop in front of Angela, clicked on the appropriate link and said, “See for yourself.”

Angela gasped when she saw her image on the screen. “H-h-how come Demetri looks all calm, cool and collected and I look like a raving lunatic?” she stammered, unable to believe her eyes. In the heat of the moment, Angela felt as if Demetri was attacking her, but that hadn’t been the case at all. He was chill, at ease, and his tone was so soft, she could barely hear what he was saying. Unfortunately, she heard her curt, clipped tone loud and clear.

“I’m going to be the laughingstock of late-night television!” she wailed.

Simone put her hands on Angela’s shoulder. “Girl, it’s not that bad.”

“You’re right. It’s worse.”

“Look on the bright side—”

“There isn’t one.”

“Yes, there is.” Simone tapped the computer screen. “You’re working the hell out of your new Chanel shorts suit, and all those sessions with your personal trainer are definitely paying off because your booty looks good!”

“You’re not helping, Simone.”

“And as usual, you’re being overly dramatic.”

“No, I’m not.” Angela cringed when she heard the note of despair in her voice, but she couldn’t help the way she was feeling. Being secretly recorded unnerved her, but having the video posted online, for the whole world to see, made Angela want to curl into a ball in the middle of the kitchen floor. “I want to be taken seriously as a journalist, and this whole episode with Demetri is only going to set me back.”

“Or it could catapult you to stardom, and you could end up with your own reality show!”

Angela gave her best friend a blank stare.

“What? Throwing a tantrum on camera has worked for dozens of other stars. I don’t see why it can’t work for you.”

“Why would someone waste their time uploading this stupid video on YouTube?”

“Probably just for kicks. People post all sorts of wacky things online these days.”

Angela winced and then dropped her face in her hands.

“Sorry, girl. That’s not what I meant.”

“But that’s exactly how I look. Wacky,” she admitted, swallowing a sob. “I bet Demetri posted the video to get back at me, to make me look like a fool.”

“You think so?”

Angela gave it more thought and considered exactly what had transpired between them that afternoon. “I don’t know. He had no way of knowing what would happen, but I wouldn’t put it past him. He’s surly and bitter, and this sort of thing is right up his alley.”

“So, what happened after your boss ordered you into her office?”

Angela told Simone an abbreviated version of her terse ten-minute meeting with Salem. She admitted being so wound up after her argument with Demetri, she couldn’t concentrate on what her boss was saying. But she did vividly remember Salem inviting the baseballer on her show. “I can’t believe Salem invited him to appear on my show!”

“I don’t understand why you’re mad. Having Demetri Morretti on your show will send your ratings through the roof!” Simone said, throwing her hands up in the air. “For some reason, people love to hate that guy, and since he hasn’t done a sit-down interview in years, viewers will tune in. I don’t even like baseball, but I’d definitely watch!”

“I’d rather have a mime on my show than Demetri Morretti.”

“No one said you had to play nice, Angela. Do the interview your way,” she advised. “Put him in the hot seat. Ask tough questions. That’s what viewers want to see. Good, hard interviews with today’s hottest stars.”

Nodding her head slowly, she considered her best friend’s advice. Angela knew if she grilled Demetri Morretti on air, her boss and everyone in the production team would be licking their chops. “Simone, you’re brilliant!”

“I know. That’s what I keep telling my husband, but he doesn’t believe me!”

The women laughed.

“I better get started on dinner.” Standing, Simone gathered her case files and dumped them into her briefcase. “Marcus will be home soon, and I still haven’t seasoned the chicken.”

Angela watched her girlfriend, moving anxiously around the kitchen, and was glad she didn’t have to rush home to cook dinner for a man. If I ever get married, my husband will cook for me, she decided.

“You didn’t touch your tea,” Simone said. “Do you want me to reheat it?”

“Sure, and don’t forget the vodka this time!”

Simone raised her eyebrows.

“What? I’m stressed-out,” Angela argued, feeling the need to defend herself. “I want Eye on Chicago to do well so I can move on to bigger and better things, but I hate the thought of having Demetri Morretti on my show. The guy’s creepy.”

“Yeah, creepy fine,” Simone quipped, ambling over to the microwave. She put the mug inside and hit Start. “I read in Forbes magazine that his new mansion is so big, he needs a helicopter to get him from one end to the other!”

Angela’s eyes strayed back to the computer. For some reason, she couldn’t stop thinking about Demetri. He had a dreamy look and such a compelling presence, he could give a perfectly healthy woman asthma. Long after he’d stalked out of her studio, Angela was still thinking about how good he smelled, how broad his shoulders were and how sexy he looked in his workout gear.

“The guy is so frickin’ hot, actresses and pop stars are constantly fighting over him!”

Scowling, Angela took the mug Simone offered her and cradled it in her hands. “I don’t see why. He’s a pain in the ass. And rude, too.”

“Girl, don’t hate. Demetri Morretti is the hottest thing in sports right now and for good reason. He’s guest starred on a slew of TV shows, hosted Saturday Night Live, and he’s been on the cover of dozens of magazines, as well.”

Angela raised an eyebrow and studied her best friend closely. “For someone who doesn’t like baseball, you sure know a lot about the guy.”

“It’s not my fault. My husband’s a sports addict, and he thinks Demetri’s mad cool,” Simone explained, opening the fridge and grabbing a bag of mixed vegetables. “They’ve worked out together a few times at Samson’s and really hit it off.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Girl, please, with all I’ve got going on I can barely remember what day of the week it is, let alone who Marcus trains on a daily basis.”

“The fifteenth can’t come fast enough,” Angela said, slumping down into her chair. “I’m really looking forward to us hanging out and cutting loose. It’s long overdue.”

Simone glanced up from the marble cutting board. “We have plans for Friday?”

“Ah, yeah. We’re going to the grand opening of Dolce Vita, remember?” Angela shot her friend a funny look. “I’m covering the event for the station, but I should be done and ready to party by eight—nine at the latest.”

“Sorry, girl, but I can’t go. Marcus has the weekend off, and he’s taking me away for a few days,” she explained, a girlie smile exploding onto her face.

“What are you going to do with the boys?” Angela asked. “Cart them off to your mother-in-law’s house again?”