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this week.”
    “Lillian was on vacation visiting her older sister in Phoenix,” he said matter-of-factly.
    “She has a sister older than her?”
    “Yeah, and get this, they’re both chain-smokers … Pall Mall Reds. So much for the healthy lifestyle crap.”
    “This doesn’t make any sense.”
    “Welcome to monkey-land,” Dave said.
    “How can she screen calls if she can’t hear the callers?”
    “She can’t. That’s the beauty of it.” He leaned over to check out Hilton’s handiwork. “This is really going to improve ratings on the Web site.”
    “Thanks,” Hilton said, trying not to blush.
    Forty minutes later, Veronica breezed into the studio with a small bag from Nordstrom’s and handed it to Anne who was sitting on the couch in the anterior of the studio reading her research notes on underwear. “Are you sure this is an appropriate topic for our listeners?” She raised her eyebrow and pursed her lips.
    Hilton smirked, thinking someone like Anne Counterman didn’t get where she was by listening to everything her producer told her. Hilton was getting the sense that Anne did what she wanted when and how she saw fit.
    “I’m going to change. I’ll be right back,” Anne said, glancing up at the big clock on the back wall. In radio everyone lived by that clock. It was eight minutes to the top of the hour.
    When she came back, Dave and Hilton were sitting on the 32
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    couch waiting for her. Lillian still had her head down on the control room desk taking a quick power nap. Dave had assured Hilton that this was an every day occurrence and that she’dbe pumped and ready to go when the show started. Anne walked around a bit, adjusted her black linen trousers and nodded. “These are more comfortable, not to mention that they totally alleviate the panty-line issue. Okay, we’ll start the show off with the underwear discussion. Got that, Lillian?” Anne said, leaning into the control room door. Lillian woke with a start.
    “Underwater? Like fish stories?” Lillian inquired, abruptly sitting straight up.
    “No, like boxers,” Anne said.
    “I knew a boxer once. He had terrible table manners,” Lillian said.
    “Just remember, anything to do with clothes is fine,” Anne suggested. She gave Dave a pregnant look.
    “I’ll watch her,” Dave muttered.
    The intro music for the show started. Anne’s theme song for the show was Aretha Franklin’s song, “Respect.” Hilton took her seat in the control room and watched the video stream on the ancillary monitor she’d set up. This was going to work awesome.
    Anne did an impromptu monologue on the virtues of underwear from the research she’d done on the Internet. She gave a brief history and then extolled the virtues of various undergarments.
    Dave switched on the top-of-the-hour news and weather along with station identification for KCOM-FM while Lillian screened calls. Hilton carefully monitored the video stream.
    “There’s someone here who wants to talk about thongs,”
    Lillian screamed. “Is beachwear what we’ve sunk to?”
    Dave reached over and transferred the call. Anne gave him the thumbs-up signal.
    “It’s a slow news day, Lillian,” Anne said.
    “Hello, Anne, this is Heather and I am wearing a thong.”
    “Aren’t they uncomfortable?” Anne asked.
    “No, not at all. They make you feel free, not stifled by excess fabric,” the breathy voice said.
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    “Are you a leggy blonde?” Anne inquired. She rolled her eyes and smiled mischievously at the video cam.
    “Of course. You must be psychic,” the woman said.
    “You’ve got heels on right now, don’t you?”
    The woman laughed flirtatiously.
    Satisfied with the video stream, Hilton went to get a bottle of water from the employee lounge that was located just down the hall from the studio. She noticed the FedEx driver standing at the reception area obviously waiting for the