Confidential: Expecting! by Jackie Braun

asked lightly.
    “No. You’re already gorgeous. Remember?”
    Thump!
    “So you say.” She wrapped her free arm around her middle, hugging herself in an attempt to keep the pleasure his words generated from escaping.
    “Still don’t believe me.” It wasn’t a question. “I guess I’ll just have to keep telling you until you become a believer.”
    Because she could think of nothing to say to that, she changed the subject. “What time do you need to be at the radio station?”
    “I usually try to get there about an hour before I go on the air.” Which meant he would be getting up in about five hours, given his commute. “What about you? What time do you have to be at the Herald? ”
    There had been a time in the not-so-distant past when Mallory had beaten in the copy editors, who were traditionally among the first to arrive in the newsroom. She’d stayed late in the day, too. A fifteen-hour shift wasn’t an anomaly, even when she’d had nothing more pressing to do than scroll the national news wires and read the stories. She’d considered it a badge of honor then, a display of her dedication. It seemed a little pathetic now.
    “My start time varies depending on what I’m covering. These days, though, it’s a pretty safe bet Idon’t need to be at my desk till eight. You know, about the time the lonely and unemployed start phoning your show,” she finished on a laugh.
    “They need help, too.”
    Something in Logan’s tone prompted Mallory to ask, “Is this how you expected your life to turn out when you graduated from medical school?”
    “No.”
    Silence stretched after his startlingly candid answer. The reporter in her would have pounced on it, following up his admission with half a dozen questions intended to reveal more. But all Mallory said was, “I’m sorry.”
    More silence ensued. When she could stand it no longer, she said, “Logan? Are you there?”
    “Yeah. I’m here.”
    “We’re off the record, you know,” she felt the need to point out. “It’s just the two of us…talking.”
    “The two of us.” He still sounded doubtful.
    And though part of her wasn’t sure it was the wisest course to take, she further clarified, “Just a man and a woman. Not a potential story and the reporter interested in writing it.”
    “Really?”
    “Really.”
    “What I just said could make one hell of a story, especially with a nationally syndicated television talk show in the works.” He swore ripely after the words slipped out.
    Another exclusive gem and Mallory was privy to it.But what she asked was, “Have you talked to anyone about this?”
    He laughed. “Do you mean a professional? Now that would put your byline on the Herald’s front page. Chicago’s Doctor-in-the-Know seeks counseling over career crisis.”
    His comment stung, but even more so, she felt for him. Here was a man who helped thousands with his advice, yet he had nowhere to turn when he needed guidance.
    “You know, I’m here if you ever need someone to talk to, Logan. I’m not sure what kind of advice I can offer. Helping people is a little beyond my degree. But I’m a pretty good listener,” she added. “Even when the content of the conversation isn’t for publication.”
    “You really mean that.”
    “Yeah.”
    “Thanks.” He laughed then, though without much humor. “I still can’t believe I told you that.”
    “Because I’m a reporter?” Mallory asked, the lead weight returning to her stomach.
    “No. Because I’ve never so much as hinted about that to my folks. They’re usually the first people I go to when I need to hash things out.”
    What a luxury, she thought, to have parents you could confide in and seek counsel from. “Why haven’t you said something to them, then?” she asked.
    “I don’t know. I guess I haven’t wanted to worry them. Besides, they’re so proud of me.”
    “But you have to be proud of yourself,” she saidsoftly. “You have to be happy doing what you’re doing or