Page 8 of Through the Storms
Lana groaned. “See. That’s why they took my lesbian card away years ago.”
A loud clamor came through the speakers, and Carol yelled, “Goddamn it.”
“What happened?” Lana asked with concern.
“I tripped over Frank’s clunky boots and fell into the garbage cans.” More clanking came from the speakers. “I should throw them out in the yard,” Carol muttered.
Lana laughed at the visual. “Are you in the garage?”
“Yes. I started getting ready as soon as I heard your voice.” A car door slammed, and Lana heard what sounded like Carol’s carstarting. “I’ll be there in twenty,” Carol said, and then the line went dead.
Lana let up on the accelerator and brought her car back under the speed limit. No sense getting a ticket with her exit ramp just up the road.
She drove through the quiet downtown toward the station, located on the edge of the industrial section of Oklahoma City. Lana scowled as she approached. The building didn’t get any more attractive no matter how much she wished it would. The tan outer walls looked dingier every year, but still no one ever painted them. If it weren’t for the small sign that saidKOOK 13on the side of the building, it would likely be mistaken for a factory.
If the station kept gaining market shares, who knew, maybe it could relocate downtown. She imagined delivering the weather from a glass studio where the passersby could watch as they strolled through the city.
Since none of the office staff worked on the weekends, the number of cars in the parking lot was sparse. Only the skeleton crew needed to produce the six o’clock news would be in the building. If she were lucky, she could slip into her office undetected. The last thing she wanted was to be cornered by the perky twenty-something who did the weekend entertainment news.
Lana chastised herself. Her conversation with Oakley was making her cranky. She’d once been that twenty-something who’d caught her break at KOOK 13, so she needed to be kinder.
Lana scanned her pass card over the sensor and entered the building. The guard at the front desk smiled up at her. “Ms. Monroe, it’s nice to see you.”
“Hank. They got you pulling overtime?”
“‘Fraid so, but I ain’t complaining.” He smiled. “What brings you in on a Sunday? Filling in?”
“Later.” Lana smiled. “I wanted to get a jump on the weather projections for the coming week.” It wasn’t a complete lie. With the ominous weather patterns brewing, it wasn’t a bad idea, especially since Oakley would be out there in that ridiculous car.
“You okay?” Hank narrowed his eyes.
“Just thinking about the possibilities for tornadoes this week.”
“I’m sure glad you do what you do. I feel safer knowing you’re keeping an eye on all those clouds.”
She didn’t want to go into a weather lesson with him and explain it was much more than clouds, so she said, “I do my best.”
“You save lives. That’s what you do.”
She couldn’t help smiling at his sincere proclamation. He was right, though. She took pride in her role of keeping her fellow Oklahomans safe. “Thanks, Hank. I needed to hear that today.”
“Any time.”
The corridors were empty.Good.She didn’t want to talk to anyone else when she felt this lousy. When she arrived at her office, she flopped into her chair and logged into her computer. She’d have a few minutes to look at the radar before Carol arrived.
“That’s not a good look,” Carol said in a loud voice.
“Holy shit.” Lana’s heart raced. “When did you sneak up?”
Carol laughed and jiggled the gigantic picture, which looked to be at least six feet wide. “I’d hardly call it sneaking. I dropped this fucker twice, thinking you’d come to my rescue.”
Lana blinked. “Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously. I even swore for good measure. If I hadn’t seen your car, I’d have figured you weren’t here yet.”
Lana jumped from her desk and muttered an apology. “I guess I was absorbed.” She frowned. “That weather system has me unsettled. I’m not liking the conditions.”
“Help me drag this to my office, and then you can tell me all about it.”
