The Love Machine Read Online Free PDF Page B

slowly. “Morgan will claim I’m butting into his department.”
“Not butting in. As President of Network Television, you have the right to suggest changes in any department.”
Dan smiled. “Suggest, but not act .”
“Let’s not fool with semantics. Morgan will come running tome. I’ll pretend it’s a surprise, but I’ll say that your job gives you the power to hire new personnel.”
“Suppose Morgan doesn’t quit?”
“He will,” Gregory said. “I’m betting on it.”
Then Gregory tossed aside his unlit cigarette and Dan stood up. The interview had ended. His life had been spared. He left the office with a new sense of security. His job was not in peril, and wouldn’t be for some time. Gregory wanted him to be hatchet man on Morgan. He was dizzy at the thought of the new prestige this would give him in the business. Everyone knew Morgan’s relationship with Gregory Austin. And now he, Dan-ton Miller, Jr., would make the announcement that he had appointed Robin Stone as Head of Network News. They would actually believe that he was big enough to fire Morgan White and that Gregory Austin would sit back and accept it! The word would be out all over town: “Danton Miller, Jr., has autonomous power.”
His hand shook as he wrote and rewrote the memo to Morgan White. After rephrasing it several times, he dictated it to Susie. He wondered how fast she’d get the news around the building. He sat back and reached for a cigarette, then, recalling his pledge, he tossed it unlit into the wastebasket.
He stood up and stared from his window. The sun was shining, the sky was almost a Wedgwood blue. Spring was coming and he’d be alive to greet it.
He turned around calmly as Morgan White burst into his office.
“What is all this about?” Morgan demanded.
“Sit down, Morgan… .” Dan reached for his cigarette case, hesitated, then snapped it open. Hell, if there was a God, He knew a man had to have a cigarette at a moment like this!

FOUR
    T HE DAY AFTER the big announcement was made, business went on as usual at IBC. Robin Stone’s picture appeared The New York Times with a brief statement announcing his appointment as President of News replacing Morgan White, who had resigned. There was a sense of suspended apprehension in the news department as everyone waited for Robin Stone to appear. Robin had always been a loner, so there was one speculation that took all precedence—“What was Robin Stone really like?” The only person who had come near to socializing with him was Bill Kettner, a cameraman. On two occasions he had gone to a bar with Robin after the eleven o’clock news. On both occasions it was to watch a night ball game. Robin Stone liked baseball. He could also polish off three vodka martinis as if they were orange juice. This was the sum total of information that had been dredged together.
A few of the girls had seen him at P.J.’s, always with a pretty girl. Sometimes Jerry Moss was with them. Jerry Moss seemed to be his only male friend. They met every day at the Lancer Bar for a drink.
“Where in hell is the Lancer Bar?”
Jim Bolt said he thought it was on West Forty-eighth Street.
Sam Jackson was sure it was on First Avenue.
They looked it up in the phone book.
It was on East Fifty-fourth Street.
No one had ever been there.
On Wednesday afternoon, half the news department went to the Lancer Bar.
Robin Stone never showed.
On Thursday one of the researchers went there because he had liked the Lancer Bar.
Robin Stone was there.
With Jerry Moss and the most beautiful girl in the world.
There was nothing to do but wait for Robin Stone to make a move. It came late Friday afternoon. A message was placed on the desks of all news personnel:
THERE WILL BE A MEETING IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM ON THE EIGHTEENTH FLOOR, MONDAY AT TEN THIRTY.
    R OBIN S TONE
They began filing into the conference room at ten twenty. At ten twenty-five Ethel Evans entered. Jim Bolt glanced at her curiously. She had no business