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She put her arms around his neck and started to sway her hips, slowly moving closer toward him until his back was to the wall and she was pressing against him.
She unzipped her dress, let it fall to the floor.
Johnny glanced down the hallway. "Katie!" He opened her purse, got the key, and opened the door. They hurried into their room and fell onto the sofa, kissing with a passion that felt both familiar and new.
"I love you," he said, moving his hand down toward her panties. "Try not to forget it, okay?"
She was too breathless to answer, so she nodded and unzipped his pants, shoving the fabric aside. She vowed to herself that she wouldnt let her insecurities run rampant again, wouldnt forget his love.
Two weeks later, Tully stood at the window of her enormous office, staring out. Shed known for ages that something was missing in her life. Shed hoped that moving back to Seattle and starting her own show would somehow fill that empty place inside of her, but she hadnt been so lucky. Now she was simply more famous, endlessly wealthy, and still vaguely dissatisfied.
As always when she was unhappy, she turned to her career for the fix. It had taken her a while to come up with the answer, a course of action that would challenge and fulfill her, but in the end, shed figured it out.
"Youre insane," Johnny said, pacing in front of the window that looked out over Elliott Bay. "Format is king in television. You know that. Our ratings are second only to Oprah, and last year you were nominated for an Emmy. Companies cant line up fast enough to provide giveaways and promos to our audience. These are indicators of success. "
"I know," she said, distracted for a moment by her own reflection. In the window glass, she looked thin and worn out. "But Im not a rule-follower, you know that. I need to shake things up a bit. Mix it around. A live show would do that. "
"Why do you need to do this? What more do you want?"
That was the $64,000 question. Why was it that she never had enough? And how could she possibly make Johnny, of all people, understand?
Kate would understand, even if she disagreed, but her best friend was too busy lately to talk much. Maybe that was part of what was wrong. She felt . . . disconnected from Kate. Their lives were on such different paths these days. Theyd hardly spoken since the anniversary party. "Youre going to have to trust me on this, Johnny. "
"It could turn all Jerry Springer in an instant, and our credibility would be shot to hell. " He moved in toward her, frowning slightly. "Talk to me, Tul. "
"You couldnt understand," she said, giving him the only truth she knew.
"Try me. "
"I need to make a mark. "
"Twenty million viewers watch you every day; whats that, nothing?"
"You have Katie and the kids. "
She saw when understanding dawned. He gave her the poor-Tully look; no matter how far she ran or high she climbed, that look seemed somehow to follow her. "Oh. "
"I need to try this, Johnny. Will you help me?"
"When have I ever let you down?"
"Only when you married my best friend. "
He laughed and headed for the door. "One try, Tully. Then we assess. Fair enough?"
"Fair enough. "
The deal stayed with her in the weeks that followed. She put her nose to the grindstone and worked like a maniac, giving up her ever-meager pretense of a social life.
Now, finally, the moment of truth had arrived, and she was worried. What if Johnny was right and her brilliant idea degenerated into melodrama?
There was a knock at her office door.
"Come in," she said.
Her assistant, Helen, a recent graduate of Stanford, poked her head in. "Dr. Tillman is here. Hes in the green room. I put the McAdams family in the employee lunchroom and Christy is in Teds office. "
"Thanks, Helen," she said distractedly as the door closed.
