“You have as good a chance as anyone else.Are you sure you’ve allowed enough money for all your operating expenses?”
“My salary is my largest expense, but I don’t pay myself much.As long as I can cover the other expenses, I’m happy.”
Barbara’s eyebrows rose.“I guess that’s something we can talk about later.Have you taken any photos of the studio?”
Theo shook his head.“I took a few for my sister and brother but that’s all.”
“If it’s all right with you, I’ll take some before I leave.They’ll add interest to the stories we create.”
“As long as I’m not in them, that’s fine.”
“Diana said she’d bring Charlie here to be in the photos if it’s okay with you?”
“If he’s going to be my mascot, we might as well start now.”
With a relieved smile, Barbara pulled out her phone.“I’ll send her a text.Our guests are in Bigfork, so it’s a good time to visit.”
“While we’re waiting, do you want to see the rest of the house?”
“Sure.”
After Barbara took a final look around the studio, he walked down the hallway toward the kitchen.“It’s a fairly basic layout.All the rooms open off the hallway, with the kitchen and living room at the back of the house.”
When they stepped into the living room, Barbara lifted her gaze to the ceiling.“The pressed tin panels are gone.”
Theo had been disappointed when he’d seen this area, too.“The previous owners removed most of the original features in this area.One day, I’ll replicate the ceiling and doorframes that are in the rest of the house.”
“It could have been worse.They could have installed a bright green kitchen.”
“That’s true.At least with the white cupboards, I can add whatever colors I want.Can I get you a glass of water?”
Barbara nodded.“Mom said you used to live in New York.How are you finding Sapphire Bay?”
Theo tried to hide his surprise.If Mabel knew where he’d come from, it wouldn’t be long before half the town found out.“It’s a lot quieter, but that’s why I moved here.”
“You should have lived here fifteen years ago.The only time you saw crowds of people was at the Saturday Farmer’s Market.”She pulled her laptop out of the bag she’d brought with her.“I’d better show you what I’ve been working on.These are some examples of successful Instagram posts and Facebook ads.If there’s anything you like, we could use a similar template for the radio station.”
Theo waited for her to open her laptop, then watched the first two videos.“Did you create them?”
The slow smile on Barbara’s face made his breath catch.She had no idea how attractive she was.“The first one is mine.It was part of an Instagram package I created for a cereal company.The second ad was designed by someone else, but it’s fun.More than two million people have liked it.”She clicked on a video of a parrot sitting on top of a microphone and singing.“This one was in the top ten most viewed posts last week.”
The parrot was cute, but Theo couldn’t work out why so many people would watch it.“Why was it so popular?”
Barbara grinned.“It could have something to do with the song.It was released at the same time as the video.Or maybe people like parrots more than I think they do.Either way, it created a lot of interest.”
“I wonder if we could train Charlie to sing.”
“Anything’s possible if you have the right incentive.”She checked her phone.“Diana and Charlie will be here soon.Did you have any ideas about what you’d like to focus on for your posts?”
“If Charlie is happy to help, we could take photos of him sitting at the computer or interviewing my guests.”
“That’s sounds great.There’s no reason why he couldn’t go with you when you interview people in the community, too.”
Theo thought about some of the people he’d spoken to this week.Between the wildflowers growing in Maisy Driscoll’s pasture and the World War II airplane in Daniel Carrick’s backyard, the photos would attract a lot of attention.
The front doorbell rang and Barbara smiled.“That’s probably Diana.”
“I’ll let her in.”Theo walked down the hallway and opened the door.Charlie woofed an excited greeting and Theo smiled.“Hi.”
