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Kate stood there, clutching her fake leather briefcase to her chest, wondering what she should do

She had just decided to take off her jacket when Johnny appeared, looking both incredibly handsome and profoundly pissed off

"Mutt! Carol!" he yelled, even though they were all standing right there "That new co I don't knohat the hell it is Mike is faxing the info They want you to go to the company headquarters and see if you can talk to the boss Bill Gates"

Tully surged forward "Can I tag along?"

"Who cares? It's a bullshit story," Johnny said, then went back into his office and slammed the door

The next few moments were a blur of chaotic athered up their supplies and rushed out of the office

Kate stood there after they left, in the now-quiet, vacant office, wondering what in the hell she was supposed to do

Beside her, the phone rang

She peeled out of her jacket, hung it over her chair back and sat down, then answered "KCPO news This is Kathleen How may I help you?"

"Hey, honey, it's Moreat first day at work We're so proud of you"

Kate was hardly surprised Soed; her fauys"

For the next few hours, she found it re almost constantly, and the in-box on her desk looked as if it hadn't been touched in years The files were an absolute rossed in her work that the next time she looked at the clock it was one o'clock and she was starving

Certainly she was allowed a lunch break? She got up from her desk and crossed the now-clean office At Johnny's door, she paused, gathered her courage to knock, but before she could do it, she heard yelling fro with someone

It was better not to interrupt She set the phone's answering machine on autoht herself half a haht a cup of clam chowder and a BLT as well A pair of Cokes finished her order Bag in hand, she ran upstairs and switched the phones back on

Then she went to Johnny's door again; silence came from the other side

She knocked timidly

"Come in"

She opened the door

He sat at his desk, looking tired His long hair was a h it constantly, shoving it back from his face Dozens of newspapers covered his desk, so hing "Shit I forgot you started today"

Kate wanted to make a joke about it, but her voice wouldn't cooperate She was so keenly aware of hi that he hadn't even known she was here

"Coht you ht ? I'm sorry, I--"

"Sit down" He pointed at the chair opposite his desk "I appreciate it, really I can't remember the last ti their lunch All the while she felt hi It made her so nervous she almost spilled the chowder

"Hot soup," he said, his voice lo, intimate "So you're one of those"

She sat down, looking at him, unable not to "One of those?"

"A caretaker" He picked up the spoon "LetNo divorce"

She laughed "Guilty How about you?"

"No dog Not so happy"

"Oh" She tried to think of so else to say "Are you married?" popped out before she could stop it

"Nope Never You?"

She smiled "No"

"Good for you This is a job that takes focus"

Kate felt like an i to focus on saying so that would make him admire her, and she couldn't evenSo about hiht Finally she said, "You think they'll coood story at Microsoft?"

"Israel invaded Lebanon yesterday Did you know that? They've driven the Palestinians back to Beirut That's the real story And we're in the shit-ass office, dicking around with soft news" He sighed "I' a bad day And it's your first" He sht me soup Tomorrow I'll play nice, I promise"

"Tully told me you used to be a war correspondent"

"Yeah"

"I guess you loved that, huh?"