INSIDE THEIR MINDS

My Own Concern

PHIL

"Good morning and welcome to channel 26 APLW, News You Can Rely On with Tate McGrath and Catherine Solgel." The voice plays over the speakers onto the set.

They had me sit between Tate and Catherine, something I could tell Catherine was almost immediatly not too fond of as the camera sat not ten feet in front of us.

"Good Morning, I hope everyone is having a wonderful day out there, today we are joined here in the studio with Phillip DeVosse Of Phil Productions located right here on the river front just down stream from us here at 27." Tate said in his usual monotone, yet somewhat cheery voice.

"After this first interview we will be joined later by a local 13 year old girl that may just be the first person of her age to file a lawsuit and win."

"So Phil. " Catherine says turning to me with a fake "in your face" grin. "Was there something you would like to share with our viewers today?"

After asking me she immediately looked past me, her eyes focusing clearly and longingly on Tate. Though both married you would have to be dumb not to know their chemistry on the show, which I've heard is one of the reasons why it is the highest viewed news channel in the area, except my own.

"I would like to share my deepest apologies with the people not only of this city but of every single viewer that had to witness the disgracefulness that was my former employee's actions. He has since been fired." I say taking turns to look at both of them and and at the camera.

"Now Phil, can the damage be undone, we have seen reports that your viewership has gone down as did your stock." Tate says reading directly off the teleprompter in front of us.

"My only concern is for those effected by the horrible words of my former employee. There is not anything I can do to change what has happened but so there is no question as to my opinion on the matter I will be donating all of the profits I make this week to Advocacy for Women."

"That is very honorable of you, but couldn't this entire incident have been avoided had you been there to stop it? Where were you while this was happening?" She asked seemingly full of herself as always. I only picked this station because of its extended reach in the community. I would have done it with my own company but I wanted my apology to be taken as sincere as possible.

"I just had a baby." I say with a smile while withdrawing a picture of Nora from my wallet.

The picture was blown up behind me on the large monitor. It was Kate's arms that held Nora as she snuggled under a pink blanket smiling up at me. The photo was cropped at Kate's shoulders and focused mainly on our beautiful baby.

"I didn't know you were expecting, Erica must be so happy." Tate says with an almost pure smile.

"Erica and I are divorced."

"Then whose..." Catherine began to ask.

"She is a very private person. All I can say is that we are living our life together in happiness with our new baby girl."

"Well." She said in a pure bitchy tone. "Congratulations."

"We will be right back with todays public announcements." Tate says and immediatly the red light on the camera is turned off.

"Thank you for joining us Phil. We were surprised to hear from you, thought all you internet guys dispised us "pure" media folk." Tate says while shaking my hand vigorously.

"Theres room for both of us." I say with a smile while removing my mic.

I leave the main studio and take a seat near the entrance waiting for the car to pick me up, a procedure I have always used after being interviewed.

I could see a crowd of people about four times the size that was inside my lobby now standing outside of their studio, expressing their rage toward me and my formor employees actions. Hopefully now they can know what I have done to better the situation.

I see that they are now rebroadcasting as the small tv in the corner of the room lit up again with their familiar faces.

"And now we have announcments. Their are 5 engagement announcements this morning." Tate says sounding robotic.

"Oh what fun." Catherine says sounding giddy even clapping in her seat like a child.

"We have George Harrison marrying Marie Yetor on Saturday morning." Tate says as their picture flashed on the screen for a mere 5 seconds then flashed back to Tate and Catherine, but then another picture filled the screen.

"Hey isn't that.." Catherine starts.

And it was. It was Erica. My ex-wife standing lovingly next to, him, Erica's divorce lawyer, Randall Winston III.

"I always win" rolled around inside my mind.

That was his slogan. That is how he conned people into having him for their attorney, with the outrageous line "I always win." On every commercial and billboard around town

"Here we have Lawyer Randall Turner III Marrying Erica Winston Next week." Tate reads sounding a little shocked.

"Guess they are divorced" Catherine says with a smirk.

I couldn't listen anymore. So I headed straight through the entrance doors and into the mob of both protesters and police.