Glancing at her watch, Isabella decided to utilize the thirty minutes available before she made the command appearance in Sam's office to accomplish a couple of things on her list. "Okay, I'll call the radio station now and record their weather spot. That'll leave me with a few minutes to record a couple of blurbs for tonight's weather forecasts."
After a hectic half hour, she made her way through the news room to Sam's office. Passing the news team's pod, Kyle Mason directed a wink and leer her way, which earned both of them a seething glare from Joanne Kent.
Isabella almost felt sorry for the woman. It must be tough carrying on an affair with the biggest womanizer in the city right outside your husband's office door. Then again, Joanne was a major bitch who never missed the chance for a dig when they were alone in what passed for their makeup room. Now that she thought about it, the cheating slut needed a dose of arsenic more then she needed sympathy.
"Come in, come in." Sam's door was open and he called out to Isabella, "Close the door and take a seat." He indicted the only empty chair since the other two chairs crowded around his desk contained male bodies.
How lucky can I get, she thought when her eyes met those of Leif Moultar, or Mr. Albino as she referred to the station owner in moments of frustration. "Good to see you again, Leif." The man's blank expression didn't change when he nodded his acknowledgment of Isabella's comment. His pale skin, white blonde hair and iceberg eyes creeped her out the first time she met him and continued to do so.
Repressing a shudder, she turned her glance from the man who signed her paycheck to the person in the chair next to him. She caught her gasp before it escaped. Sitting before her was the best piece of eye candy she'd seen in a long time ... possibly ever.
Even sitting, she could tell he was a large man. The suit jacket stretched across his broad shoulders and tapered down to a slender waist. The sleeves appeared to barely contain the biceps that threatened to rip the fabric covering them.
She was a sucker for a strong face, especially one with a cleft in the center of the chin. The blue eyes reminded her of a pool of water, calm and deep, but the thing that made her fingers itch was the hair. Barely brushing his ears on the side, the long blonde top, shot with streaks of red and copper fell to one side of his forehead and over an eyebrow. She wanted to reach out and brush it back just to see if it felt as silky as it looked. Women paid good money for hair that color.
"Isabella? Are you feeling okay?" Sam looked at her with concern.
"Great. Never better." She quickly recovered from the zone she'd drifted into while her eyes devoured the stud-muffin.
"Good. I want to introduce you to your newest team member. This is Galvin Haldor." The blonde hunk stood and held out his hand.
Isabella reacted automatically, placing her hand in the one extended toward her.
"Nice to meet you, Izzy." Galvin's smile revealed a dimple in his right cheek.
The deep, rich voice combined with the lethal smile sent shivers down her spine. "Me, too," she mumbled. Then it hit her. He called her Izzy. Who the hell did he think he was? Nobody called her Izzy since Gino tried it when they were kids and she busted his nose.
New team member? Where did Sam get off hiring someone for her department without bringing her into the decision? Nope, this wasn't going to work. She wasn't some teenager who went ga-ga over a drop-dead, gorgeous male.
"Sam, don't you think you should've brought me in on the interviewing and hiring decisions for my department? After all, I am the Chief Meteorologist." She glared across the desk at the station manager daring him to dispute her.
"Well, you do have a point, Isabella, but this was an opportunity we couldn't let get away." Sam squirmed uncomfortably in his chair and glanced at Leif. "You know we're in a ratings war here and Leif ... ah, Mr. Moultar knows Galvin's father, and when they were talking..." Sam ran his finger under his shirt collar in an attempt to loosen it. "Well, he found out that Galvin was looking for a job and thought he was exactly what the station needs. We know you draw a strong male group, but with Galvin here on board, it would increase our female demographics."
Isabella heard Sam's audible sigh of relief when she turned to face Leif Moultar. "You felt it was your place to make this decision without consulting me?"
The pale eyes reflected the emotion of a hunk of steel. "When it's your signature on the checks, then you can make any decisions you want." His voice dripped the same ice reflected in his eyes. "No, I didn't feel the need to get your approval."
Isabella took a deep breath to gain a moment to control the rage flowing through her veins. She could end up unemployed if she wasn't careful. The impulse to tell Leif where to stick his job subsided and reason took over once again. She'd just bought her apartment when the building converted to condo units and the down payment took all her savings. The last thing she needed right now was to put herself in a position of no income, desperate enough to take any job offer.
"You are correct, Mr. Moultar. You do sign the checks." She bit hard on the inside of her cheek to keep from adding it would be her reputation on the line if his brilliant idea didn't work.
Directing her attention to Galvin, Isabella indicated her defeat with a tip of her head. "Okay, Mr. Haldor. You can start tomorrow. Be here by two and we'll begin your training."
"Why tomorrow? I'm available now." Galvin grinned and she felt her insides melt.
"I'm not ready for you. I need to get a training program outlined and right now my focus is getting prepared for the six o'clock news."
"I don't think Galvin will require much in the way of training." Leif Moultar chose to step in again on behalf of his protégé. "He can start now. There is no need to delay."
"Fine," Isabella fired back. She hated losing control and she hated the stilted way the station owner always talked. Right now, she despised everything about Leif Moultar, but especially his power over her life.
Isabella stood and headed for the door with Galvin directly behind her. Outside of the prying ears of Sam and Leif she turned and faced him. "Let's get a few things straight. I'm the Chief Meteorologist at this station and you follow my instructions."
"Whatever you say, Izzy." Galvin grinned.
"To begin with, I say don't call me 'Izzy.' The last male who did that ended up with a broken nose." Isabella figured it was none of his business it was her then six-year-old brother.
"Like I said, whatever you say," Galvin said as he followed her toward the weather pod. "Izzy," he mumbled under his breath.
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