Page 15 of The Fake Out Flex

My boss and the formidable executive producer of The Morning Buzz.

A one-woman powerhouse, responsible for my ever-growing collection of ugh boots.

And also my personal hero for a bold decision she made in her life. One that inspires me, especially on days when I'm dealing with my mother.

Upon joining The Morning Buzz straight out of college, I quickly learned that conversations with Margo can splinter into a million different directions, so you have to be prepared for anything she might throw at you.

"I need some more information to work with," I say, keeping pace with her. "What sort of tattoo are we talking about, and where would you put it?"

"On my back. Something massive and tacky. Will mortify my kids when we go to the beach."

I tap her arm. "And those are your top three reasons right there."

A smile spreads across her face. "I knew I hired you for a reason, Freeman."

We take a sharp left by the photocopier.

"So, you wanted to talk to me?"

"I do, and I'll warn you now, this isn't going to be an easy conversation."

My breath hitches, but I'm not entirely surprised. I had a feeling this would be coming. "Is it about my latest numbers?"

"It is, hon."

"Thought so."

The network runs a series of focus groups to assess what our audience likes and dislikes. Ratings are still the most important metric, but they only tell us how many people are tuned in at any given time. They don't reveal what the audience thinks about what they're watching, or why they choose not to watch certain shows or segments.

Every few months, a group of randomly selected people is brought in, led into a viewing room, and shown a variety of segments from the show. They receive a knob and are instructed to dial it as they watch. The scale goes from zero to one hundred. Zero means they have no interest in what they're seeing, one hundred means total interest. They also have an option to 'click off,' which would be the point when they would change the channel or choose to stop watching the show if they were at home.

The most recent testing took place last week, and I've been dreading finding out the results.

After an initial burst of interest when I first joined the show—oh, how novel, someone not shouting that the world is on fire and instead reporting on positive, uplifting, interesting stories—my numbers have been on a slow, steady downward trajectory ever since.

Except for one notable bump, but it doesn't count because it was for all the wrong reasons.

We migrate toward the back corner of the office, where it's quieter.

"Let's start with the positives."

"There are positives?"

"Of course there are. Quite a few of them. People adore you, Evie," she says, giving my forearm a gentle squeeze. "You've got the highest number of social media followers out of all the on-air talent, apart from the leads."

I knew this already. "I've been getting chilly vibes from Mandy the weather girl lately, ever since I overtook her on Instagram."

"Yeah, well, her forecast isn't looking that great based on the latest testing, so brace yourself for some arctic conditions coming your way. She's falling, you're gaining."

"Noted. Avoid driving in icy conditions."

"Now, on to the focus groups."

Here it comes.

"First, the good news. Viewers love you as a person. You scored off-the-charts for likeability and relatability. Your upbeat optimism resonates with people. People feel like they can trust you. That's important—and increasingly rare in the current landscape."

She's building up to a but. I can feel it.

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