Infommunity - Part One

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CHAPTER SIX: INFOMMUNITY - PART ONE

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Phil futzed with the tie around his neck and watched all his coworkers mill about the break room nervously. For most of them, this would be the first time they’d been on television, so anxiety was high as they struggled with makeup and microphones.

Phil had done some appearances and spots as a science expert over the years working at Infommunity, so he wasn’t nearly so affected by it. If anything, he wondered why KAYZ News was even interested in their expansion. Sure, KAYZ was a local TV station and Infommunity was gaining quite the reputation, but he wouldn’t have thought it newsworthy.

But he supposed, surveying the flurry of people running around their offices, any publicity was good publicity.

Phil looked over the heads of fellow hosts, wondering where Pip was. He’d hoped to talk to her before the press conference, but they’d been in meetings all day, with no time for even a cup of coffee. He wanted to know what had happened with Sam; God knew, his niece wasn’t talking to him about it.

He spotted her with Will, Nita, and a perfectly groomed, blond woman who he remembered from the KAYZ local evening news. They were all shaking hands and smiling. Schmoozing, he supposed. Pip—beautiful, personable, and unbelievably sellable—had become the face of Infommunity’s expansion. Everyone wanted a picture or an interview or a sound bite.

Phil tilted his head curiously at Pip. She looked different today. With her hair straightened and tamed into a demure updo paired with a sleek but almost severely conservative skirt suit, Pip was the epitome of the modern, professional woman.

But, Lord knew, she didn’t look like Pip.

Not to say that Pip wasn’t modern or professional. Or that she didn’t look nice all done up like that. But the Pip he knew was fun and quirky, with her own style and sense. She was vivacious and filled any room with her...well, with her.

And, sure, he got it. She was putting on a face for the news crew. Just like everyone else in the room. Just like he was in dress slacks and a tie today instead of his usual khakis and a sweater vest, she couldn’t very well go on the news wearing one of her thrift-store couture outfits.

He got it, he did. But still, even though he understood and even though Pip still looked stunning, all made up for the cameras, Phil found himself frowning at the results.

At least, she still seemed to be acting like the cubemate he knew. His lips quirked a bit as he watched her. Pip was in her element. She was all jokes and quips and that rich, throaty laugh. And, even from across the office, Phil could see the interviewer just falling under her spell.

He’d talk to her after the interview. Maybe take her out for drinks or dinner, to toast her first big TV interview. She deserved this moment; he’d let her have it.

He allowed himself to be shuffled about the conference room, finding himself in the back but close to the interviewer, flanked by his other more established Infommunity hosts. He waved quickly at Pip who had been settled right front in center, who smiled back, excitement glittering in her dark eyes even as she nervously touched her now straightened, tucked-in coif.

“You’ll be great,” he mouthed.

“Thanks,” she mouthed back.

They shushed everyone and started to roll the camera.

“I’m Wendy Graceland and I’m here at Infommunity’s headquarters,” the perky, blond anchor said into the camera, “where the internet’s largest collection of information is looking to expand even further. I’m joined by the site’s owners Will Arlow and Nita Bhatia here to tell us more about it.”

Nita nodded, the bun she had her long, dark hair braided into bouncing, and said, “Infommunity is an online multimedia encyclopedia website, seeking to make the digital information market easier to access, navigate, understand, and relate to.”

“Essentially, Wendy,” Will said as he adjusted his thick-framed glasses, “we’re looking to answer every question you could possibly think of by gathering the most inquisitive minds we can find to scour every news story, site, article, and study and present it to you in an easy-to-read, understandable, and hopefully entertaining way.”

“Which you’ve already done with your well-known podcasts and blogs, like Ask the Egghead, Everyday Arithmetic, and Pages of History.” Wendy looked at her notes. Turning to Phil, she asked him about what it was like to report on the most cutting-edge science developments. She asked Rick how he transformed such a dry subject like math into an engaging talk about how to live smarter and easier. She asked Laura about the importance of the past on the present and the future.

Wendy had a question for just about every host, assuring them all that they would review the tape and gather the best of the interviews and compile them together.

“And, Pip Jones,” Wendy said, finishing up the Infommunity staff, “you’re Infommunity’s latest addition, right?”

Phil watched Pip sit up straight, looking confident and camera-ready as the lens focused and loved her. “That’s right, Wendy.” Pip gave a beaming smile. “I was incredibly honored that Infommunity asked The Deviant Nerd to join their online family.”

“It’s an interesting add, isn’t it?” Wendy checked her notes. “I mean, given the site’s encyclopedia-ish feel—with podcasts and blogs about math and science and history and economics and even cooking and basic DIY repair—a podcast and blog that’s essentially a sex and romance advice column seems out of character, doesn’t it?”

“I’m sorry?” Confused laughter flustered Pip’s voice.

Phil could feel the whole staff stiffen, bristle at the confrontational question. His eyes narrowed. What was this woman up to?

“I understand the site’s aim to appeal to the broadest, most mainstream audience possible,” Wendy went on, ignoring the rest of the group to lean forward toward Pip, “but what do you have to say to those who have said that the acquisition of your podcast is just a tabloid-y attempt to cash in on the trendy popularity of BDSM because of Elliette Roberts’s run-away hit Steele’s Edge?”

———

Pip held out her hand, trying to quiet the indignant grumbles coming from her coworkers. It certainly wasn’t the question she’d been expecting, given the rest Wendy had thrown out in the other interviews, but she should have. No one knew better than Infommunity that news and information was a business. And, news or not, Wendy had a job to do.

Pip’s hand unconsciously touched the top button of her high-necked blouse, clearing her throat softly as she gathered her thoughts. “The Deviant Nerd is about relationships and love and sex of all kinds, kinky and vanilla, gay and straight, polyamorous and asexual,” Pip said, folding her hands over the constricting material of her skirt to stop herself from fidgeting as she settled herself in the conference room chair. “And, while Steele’s Edge has brought many aspects of BDSM out of the closet and bedrooms and into the public eye, it’s a practice as old as sex itself.”

“Of course,” Wendy said with a friendly, but pointed nod, “but, as you said, it’s really only recently that it’s become a part of the modern public consciousness.” Pointing to her notes with fabulously, almost artistically manicured nails, she traced every word on the page as she said, “Lionel Wayne, from the Foundation for Defending Families, was quoted saying, ‘advocating and glorifying deviant behavior outside the traditional norm not only teaches that such behavior is acceptable—normalizing and tacitly approving it—it commodifies and sells it in such a way that it tantalizes and targets the young and naïve.’ ” She looked up at Pip, her blue eyes both curious and more than a little bloodthirsty as they blinked with inquisitive innocence. “Do you worry that presenting your self-proclaimed deviant opinions alongside the extremely factual and encyclopedic content on the website will be construed as lending it more validity and intellectual credence than is warranted?”

“That’s enough.” Will stood up, his already gel-spiked hair seeming too much like an indignant cat’s as he shooed at the cameras. “The interview is over.”

“No.” Pip tossed out an assuring hand to her boss.

God! She frowned. Had that come off as defensive?

Well, she felt a bit defensive.

But was that really how she wanted to appear on camera?

Pip coughed and straightened her tailored suit coat that had shifted oddly with her sudden movement. “I’ll answer.” She nodded stiffly and sat back, her spine straight.

If only she knew how to answer.

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