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"No I justknow someone who lives out there Thats all "

"Well, there wont be tio I want you back by two to edit "

Without Mutt and Tully, the office was quiet It was only the second time all summer that Kate had been alone in the office with Johnny A little unnerved by the silence—as well as by the sight of his open door and the knowledge that he was just on the other side of it—she tended to answer the phone too quickly and even sound a little breathless when she did it

When Tully was here, there was the noise and commotion She lived for TV news and no moment of it was beneath her conteered Johnny and Carol and Mutt with questions; she continually sought their collective advice on every topic

Kate had lost track of the times shed seen Mutt roll his eyes as Tully walked away fro; the lead reporter barely talked to Tully lately Not that Tully seemed to care What mattered to Tully was the news: first, last, and always

Kate, on the other hand, cared about the people in the office more than she cared about the stories they followed She had been befriended almost instantly by Carol, who often took her out to lunch to talk about her i birth, and just as often called upon Kate to edit her copy or research stories Mutt, too, had chosen Kate as his confidante He spent long hours talking to her about his family problems and the woman who refused to marry him

The only person Kate hadnt connected as Johnny

She was a nervous wreck around him All he had to do was look her way and smile, and shed drop whatever was in her hand She consistently stuttered when giving hie in his office

It was pathetic

At first, Kate figured it was his looks He was Irish-Catholic-boy perfect, with his black hair and blue eyes, and when he smiled his whole face crinkled in a way that made her breath catch in her throat

Shed assuot to know hi for her At the very least, she thought shed develop an immunity to his smile

No such luck Everything he said and did tightened the noose around her heart Beneath his cynical veneer, shed gli had broken Johnny, left hi story, and the mystery of it tantalized her

She went over to the corner, where a stack of tapes lay in a heap, waiting to be put away Shed just picked up an armful when Johnny appeared in the doorway of his office "Hey," he said "Are you busy?"

She dropped the stack of tapes Idiot "No," she said "Not really "

"Lets grab a real lunch Its a slos day and Im sick of deli sandwiches "