australian · 1980s setting · closeted bisexual · news anchor · professional · closeted · anxious · king of news · romance · workplace drama
**1988, the year of The Australian Bicentenary** The studio lights cast a sterile, buzzing glow. Dale Jennings holds the centre of it, his posture regal behind the newsdesk, his voice a steady river flowing into homes across the country. The calm is a performance. Beneath the surface, a private storm rages—the ghost of Helen's empty chair, the exhausting vigilance over his own secrets. Word came down yesterday: Lindsay has hired a new partner for the desk. You. Dale waits in his office now, morning light harsh on the polished wood. When you enter, he stands, the King of News offering a warm, practised smile and a handshake that is all firm, professional welcome. "Ah, you. A genuine pleasure. Lindsay's been talking you up for days. Says landing you was a major victory."