Easy on the Eyes
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are
used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2009 by Jane Porter
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced,
distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written
permission of the publisher.
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First eBook Edition: July 2009
ISBN: 978-0-446-55062-8
Contents
Praise for the Novels of Jane Porter
Praise for the Novels of
Jane Porter
EASY ON THE EYES
“Jane Porter writes endlessly entertaining and yet deeply thoughtful novels. EASY ON THE EYES is a perceptive, tender page-turner—a
joy to read.”
—Laura Caldwell, author of
Red Hot Lies
“A page-turning novel about love, loss, friendship, aging, and beauty (not necessarily in that order). I couldn’t put it down.”
—Karen Quinn, author of
Holly Would Dream
and
The Ivy Chronicles
“Jane Porter knows a woman’s heart as well as her mind. EASY ON THE EYES is a smart, sophisticated, fun read with characters
you’ll fall in love with. Another winning novel by Jane Porter.”
—Mia King, national bestselling author of
Good Things
and
Sweet Life
“Witty and observant—Tiana’s search for love and meaning amidst shallow celebrity will stay with you long after you’ve finished
reading.”
—Berta Platas, author of
Lucky Chica
“A fun, poignant story about searching for life and love on the other side of forty.”
—Beth Kendrick, author of
The Pre-Nup
MRS. PERFECT
“Great warmth and wisdom… Jane Porter creates a richly emotional story.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Porter’s authentic character studies and meditations on what really matters make
Mrs. Perfect
a perfect… novel.”
—USA Today
“Thrills and laughs.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Porter scores another home run.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews Magazine
“Fans will appreciate Ms. Porter’s strong look at what happens to relationships when the walls come tumbling down.”
—Midwest Book Review
“More poignant than the standard mommy-lit fare.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Jane Porter understands women. This is the kind of book you’ll want to share with your best friend.”
—Melanie Lynne Hauser, author of
Confessions of a Super Mom
and
Super Mom Saves the World
“Jane Porter strikes a fine balance in the follow-up to her hit
Odd Mom Out
,
Mrs. Perfect
, a novel about losing ‘The Good Life’ only to discover what the good life really is—funny, thought-provoking, affecting…
and highly recommended.”
—Lauren Baratz-Logsted, author of
Secrets of My Suburban Life
and
Vertigo
“Porter does a spectacular job of creating… characters that resonate in the hearts of moms everywhere.”
—South Jersey Mom
“Compulsively readable… a delicious treat.”
“Real life hits trophy wife right in the Botox, in Porter’s empowering page-turner!”
—Leslie Carroll, author of
Choosing Sophie
and
Play Dates
ODD MOM OUT
“Jane Porter nails it poignantly and perfectly. This mommy-lit is far from fluff. Sensitive characters and a protagonist who
doesn’t cave in to the in-crowd give this novel its heft.”
—USA Today
“A poignant critique of mommy cliques and the plight of single parents.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Funny and poignant… delightful.”
—
Stella Cameron
“Best of all is Porter’s take on mother-daughter dynamics.”
—Newport News Daily Press
“
Odd Mom Out
is an engaging tale that examines important issues of today’s world. Behind the entertaining, witty prose are insightful
observations about real life.”
—Woodbury Magazine
“Marta is an intriguing heroine.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Keenly emotional and truly uplifting.”
—Booklist
FLIRTING WITH FORTY
“A terrific read! A wonderful, life-and love-affirming story for women of all ages.”
—Jayne Ann Krentz,
New York Times
bestselling author
“Calorie-free accompaniment for a poolside daiquiri.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Strongly recommended. Porter’s thoughtful prose and strong characters make for an entertaining and thought-provoking summer
read.”
—Library Journal
Also by Jane Porter
Mrs. Perfect
Odd Mom Out
Flirting with Forty
The Frog Prince
For Mary Katherine Porter
My sister, inspiration, and best friend
Thank you as always to my superb agent, Karen Solem, who makes me believe I can do anything.
Thank you to my editor, Karen Kosztolnyik, who works tirelessly on my behalf, nurturing every book from inception to publication.
To all at Grand Central Publishing, from the fantastic editorial department, to the creative minds in the art department,
to savvy marketing, to my publicist Melissa Bullock, to the fantastic sales team— thank you for working so hard on my books’
behalf.
To Megan Crane, Liza Palmer, Lilian Darcy, and Christine Fugate, thank you for the hours and hours you spent reading this
manuscript and generously sharing your time, talent, and opinions. I wouldn’t have found the end, or the middle, without you.
I loved the brainstorm, the edits, and even the rants.
To my guy, Ty Gurney, and my boys, Jake and Ty Gaskins, thank you for giving me such a wonderful life away from the writing
life. You make me feel very loved and happy.
And lastly, to my readers. Thank you for embracing my stories. You are the reason I write.
T
iana, how do you feel about a co-host?”
Only a couple minutes into the closed-door meeting with my boss, Glenn, the executive producer of
America Tonight
, and he drops that bombshell.
How can he be so casual about something so huge?
And something so
bad
?
“Co-host?” My voice doesn’t wobble, but I’m stunned. Horrified. For nearly six years I’ve been the sole host of the show.
It’s a show that debuted with me as the host, a show that’s earned me the nickname America’s Sweetheart. “Why would I do that,
when it’s my show?”
He hesitates, looks at me, thick sandy eyebrows shot with gray, before answering bluntly, “Your show’s in trouble.”
I silently count to five and speak only when I’m certain I’m perfectly in control. “You said it was a temporary blip. You
told me twice in the past few months not to worry.”
“Unfortunately, I was wrong. The downward cycle hasn’t reversed, and the network wants changes. They’ve brought in outside
consultants who’ve done extensive market studies. The consultants believe that the best approach is to bring in some young
blood.”
The words
young blood
chill me.
I think of myself as a warrior. I’ve been to hell and back with the death of my family and then my husband. I’ve battled to
build my career and sacrificed a personal life to be where I am today. But the one thing I can’t fight is time. I’m going
to age. And apparently I already am.
But none of this matters. Nothing matters but ratings, stats, and demographics.
“Do you have any young blood in mind?” I ask, crossing one leg over the other under the hem of my bronze St. John skirt. I’d
already changed for the
Larry King Live
interview and was just about to leave Horizon Broadcasting for the CNN studio in Hollywood when Glenn called me into his
office.
“Shelby Patterson,” he says.
“Shelby?” My voice comes out strangled. I not only trained Shelby, I helped develop the weekend show for her because I thought
she had so much promise. I was right. And they wonder why successful women are afraid to mentor younger women.
“Her weekend show has strong numbers,” he continues, “particularly with the younger viewers, demographics you desperately
need.”
Desperately.
Young blood.
He and I are both wordsmiths, and these are not good words. This is not a good conversation. I’m in trouble.
My heart races and I press a hand to my lower rib cage as if I could slow the mad beating. Max, my agent, should be here.
Max, my agent, should be defending me, protecting me. This is my career. My life. God knows I don’t have a life outside
America Tonight
. No husband, no kids, no hobbies or free time. Everything I have, everything I am, is invested in this show. “How good are
Shelby’s numbers compared to mine?”
“She’s outperforming you by nearly twenty percent.”
Oh. Stunned, I suck in a quick, sharp breath. Those are unforgivable numbers in any business, but here, in the delicate world
of television market share, that’s pretty much a catastrophe.
“We think the solution is to bring Shelby onto the weekday show and make Manuel the sole host for the weekend show. You and
Shelby would be co-anchors, like Mary Hart and Mark Steines on
Entertainment Tonight
.” Glenn gets up from behind his desk and walks around to sit in the gray chair next to me. “Nothing’s been done yet. I just
wanted to get a feel for your reaction before it became formal.”
I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. I feel as if I’m on a plane that’s going down and I can’t stop it. Can’t
exit.
But I can escape this. I can survive. I just have to focus. Be calm, because I know how this goes. I’ve watched it happen
a hundred times. You add a co-anchor to boost ratings and eventually the new young talent replaces the mature talent. I’m
being phased out. He doesn’t need to say it, but if I’m not damn careful, this is the beginning of the end. “Have you considered
other correspondents for the position? Like Manuel, for example?”
“He’s thirty-four. Shelby’s twenty-eight. She’s youthful. High energy. She’d bring a new dynamic to the weekly show and pull
in some of those numbers we’ve lost.”
“You’re right, she’s great on camera, and she’s definitely high energy, but she doesn’t know how to write a story. She just
delivers— ”