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segment. The news is kind of slow today.” Anne sum-moned Veronica to the control room. “Veronica, I need you to get me a pair of boxers immediately. I’m thinking a burgundy paisley would be nice, in silk, of course. What do you think?”
    Veronica stood at the door looking perturbed. “I’m not a message boy.”
    “No, but you’re a great shopper. Now get going, the show starts in forty-five minutes. I’ve got show prep to think of.”
    Veronica went stomping off and Hilton could tell she didn’t like being treated as the office gofer. Serves her right for being a clothes Nazi, Hilton thought smugly.
    “So what’s this?” Anne asked, looking at the Web cam Hilton had set up.
    “I want to videotape the show and run the stream on the Web site.”
    “Are you serious?”
    “Yes, you’ll need to put your blazer back on so you’ll look presentable,” Hilton said as she took it off and handed it to her.
    “Right,” Anne said, looking all business. She put the blazer on and straightened out the collar.
    “Yeah, ‘cause you know Veronica won’t like it if you look sloppy,” Dave said.
    “I don’t know if I’m entirely comfortable with this idea. What if I look bad on camera?”
    “I’ve seen your promotion pictures. You’re very photogenic.
    You’ll look great. Besides, most listeners expect radio people to be homely. In this case, I think they’ll be pleasantly surprised,” Hilton said.
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    “Oh, well, since you put it that way,” Anne said with a laugh.
    Hilton smiled and led Anne to her chair in the booth. “Let’s see how this works.” She went into the control room and adjusted the frames, had Anne move around in her chair and then had Anne come back to the control room and look at the video stream on the computer.
    “Hey, that actually works,” Anne said, obviously pleased with Hilton’s efforts.
    “I am not late for work!” an elderly woman said emphatically as she marched across the room. Thick black-rimmed glasses magni-
    fied her pale blue eyes. She was wearing a purple flowered print dress and an enormous red hat with a long black feather. She nearly took out Hilton’s eye as she stormed by in her beige square-heeled shoes. She seriously looked like she’d escaped from the old folks’ home down the street.
    “No, Lillian, I wasn’t talking to you. I was saying it works,”
    Anne enunciated, pointing to the Web cam.
    “I always leave at the same time, take the same bus and arrive at the same time. Consequently, it’s not possible that I’m late,” Lillian said. She peered down at Shannon, who was sprawled out on the floor sound asleep.
    “Yes, Lillian, I know,” Anne said.
    “And what on God’s green earth is that?” Lillian said, nudging Shannon with her foot.
    Shannon groaned.
    “It’s Hilton’s dog, Shannon,” Anne replied.
    Shannon opened her eyes and then licked Lillian’s ankle.
    “I had a boyfriend that used to do that,” Lillian said. She eased over gently and patted Shannon’s head. “Nice doggy. I read an article the other day that pets in the workplace are supposed to reduce your blood pressure. Is she on the payroll?”
    “Of course,” Anne said.
    “Pity she can’t do promo work. We could replace you-know-who with the tight hair,” Lillian said, nodding in Veronica’s direction.
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    Anne laughed. “I’m going to go do some quick research on the history of underwear.” She left for her booth.
    Shannon followed her, having obviously decided that since everyone had filled their spaces in the control room that it was too crowded. She returned to her usual spot in center of the floor under the fan in the main office.
    “Who is that?” Hilton whispered to Dave.
    “She’s the call screener.”
    “The call screener is deaf?” she asked incredulously.
    “Yeah,” he said, going back to setting up the board.
    “But you’ve been screening calls all