The man in the footage was so gorgeous that Shayla was glad Anthony had the first few lines of the story. She was too focused on the dark, rugged face of the kitten-saving biker to do anything else but stare as he picked up the kitten and zoomed away on his bike. Though the video was of less than stellar quality, it was plain that the biker had tattoos creeping up his neck and peeking out from his sleeves. And his actions? Well, they spoke for themselves.
Except they didn’t really speak for themselves, because soon the camera was on her again and she was meant to being doing the speaking.
Shayla’s eyes snapped to the teleprompter. “This report follows on the heels of a string of violent incidences involving biker gangs in Templeton and the surrounding area,” she said. “I think we can all agree that this sight is a refreshing one, and is undeniably heartwarming. If you or anyone you know has more information about the man or the kitten, please let us know by phone, text, or tweet.” Shayla smiled and prepared for the camera to pan to Anthony.
Amy jumped into Shayla’s view, gesturing toward the teleprompter. Shayla’s eyes dipped back down.
“We have a breaking development on this story,” she said, trying not to smile at the ridiculous notion of a breaking development on a small town piece about a rescued kitten. Was it going to be revealed that the kitten itself had been a part of the gang violence?
“It appears that the owner of the kitten has seen our show, and has called in. I have Jacklin on the phone right now. Hello, Jacklin.”
Shayla was nervous now. She would have to respond organically to a phone call. What if she messed up? She kept her smile plastered on her face, though inside she was a shivering mess of nerves.
“Hi.”
Jacklin was clearly a child. A shy child, at that.
“Can you tell me why you’re calling today?”
Shayla tried to keep her voice as kind and gentle as she could muster, not wanting the girl to freeze up.
“That kitten is my kitten.” Shayla heard words of encouragement in the background. “I wanted to call in so that the guy who has him could return him. So he’d know where to go.”
Shayla smiled at the girl’s shy words. “That’s very smart of you, Jacklin. We’ll do our best to find your little kitten for you, okay?”
“Okay. Thank you.”
Amy waved at her to continue with the teleprompter, but Anthony took over instead.
“If you are the person who found the kitten, or you know who did, please call the station so we can reunite the pet with its owner,” he said, flashing his bright smile.
Shayla glanced over at him, confused as to why he’d cut her off, to see his fists clenched in a tight ball on the desk in front of him. Was the camera seeing that? What the hell was his problem?
When they cut for commercial, Anthony’s knuckles were practically white.
“What was that about?” Shayla asked.
He ignored her, jumping off of the stage to the refreshment table. Shayla followed him with her gaze as Amy hustled over and began hurriedly talking. Meg came over to adjust Shayla’s makeup.
“Is it normal for him to just take over?” Shayla asked in a hushed voice.
Meg shrugged. “I dunno,” she said, wiping under Shayla’s eyes with a sponge. “I just do the makeup.”
And, until today, Shayla had just done the fetching—but she’d always kept a keen eye on those around her. That being said, Shayla did want to be reporter. Watching things like a hawk came with the territory. She’d never seen Anthony up close during a broadcast, though. Usually she would be relegated to the green room, where she’d let the special guests know when they were due to go on and which way to walk.
Though, to be honest, it didn’t surprise her that the Anthony was more of a jerk than she’d previously thought. She only hoped that he wouldn’t swoop down on her like that for the rest of the broadcast. She’d been on fire so far, but something like that would definitely put her off her game.
Anthony sat back down right before rolling, not even glancing at Shayla. She rolled her eyes just before the camera began to film, but plastered on a smile as thick as her makeup just in time.
And then it was time to hop up the career ladder.