Sophie's Playboy Read Online Free Page A

leg over the other knee. That was one thing she already loved about this job. The dress code. She liked Melina, too, important since they'd be working so closely.
    "How come you don't host a show?" Sophie asked. "You have the perfect voice for it."
    Melina laughed. "I didn't always speak so clearly. I came from Greece when I was sixteen, and had very broken English. I was fascinated by radio and learned all I could, but there was no chance for me on the air. I like producing. I get to speak often enough. I wouldn't want to be in your seat full time, anyway. Takes too much energy."
    Sophie understood that, but couldn't empathize. She had energy in spades. She was jazzed just talking about the show, never mind doing it.
    "I thought you were Greek," she commented. "But Van Horn isn't a Greek name, is it?"
    Melina smiled thinly. "No. My ex-husband was ... not Greek." She glanced at her watch. "I must go. I have an appointment. I'll see you Monday."
    "Think we got it?" Sophie asked, biting her lower lip.
    "Absolutely. You'll be fantastic." She waved over her shoulder and disappeared down the hall.
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    Sophie transferred her chewing from her tender lip to her overworked cuticles. She hoped Melina was right. She thought change was hard when she knew where she was going. If the show flopped, there'd be nothing under her when she fell.

    * * * *
    "Good afternoon, and welcome to Rant and Rave! The talk show that lets you get it off your chest. Today's Rant topic is waste. There's too much of it, without a doubt. What kind of waste bothers you the most? Food? Packaging? An intelligent mind on a menial job, or maybe a warm heart on a two-timing jerk. Share it! Call 555-3246. All phone lines are open."
    Sophie relaxed and settled into her chair. She lowered the microphone just a bit. "What annoys me the most today about waste is paper. All these electronic gadgets are supposed to make our offices paperless. But we print something off the computer, fax it, then make a copy and mail the original to them. And what about on the other end?
    We get the fax, then the original."
    Melina signaled that she had a caller. Sophie nodded and smoothly picked up the call.
    "Kyle, you're on the air. What's your rant today?"
    "Garbage."
    "Well, that fits the theme. What about it?"
    "We're wasting it. It's a prime energy source. We have literally tons of it rotting in landfills and on barges." Kyle rattled some technical explanation that went right over 27
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    Sophie's head. Melina made a face, and Sophie cut him off at the end of a sentence.
    "That's fascinating stuff, Kyle, and information we did not know. Thanks so much for calling. Our next caller is Lissa. Go ahead, Lissa."
    Melina gave her a thumbs up and she shrugged. She hoped she hadn't sounded rude. The guy was a listener. And her first official caller.
    Lissa went right into her rant. "I hate when the grocery clerks waste bags. I mean, we have enough bags at home already, I don't need them to put one item in each bag. If you say to pack them fuller, they argue that the bag will break.
    Then they should have stronger bags!"
    "Hear, hear, Lissa. And it gets worse when they double bag."
    "Yeah! And you tell them not to and they ignore you like you don't matter."
    The calls continued. From waste of supermarket bags came complaints about sales clerks who ignore customers or move too slowly, which led to people who walk or drive or talk too slow.
    Halfway through the second hour, Sophie got her first repeat caller.
    "Thank you, Rick, for enlightening us. Melina, who's next?"
    "Parker on line three."
    "Go ahead, Parker. What's your rant?"
    "Wasted time."
    Even with so few words, Sophie recognized those warm tones. She grinned.
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    "Can you be more specific? Rick just told us about all the time we waste in the bathroom."
    "I'm talking about time wasted on the golf course. Golf