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Natalie is dancing around Dana's office.

Natalie: My man is coming back to me.

Dana: Natalie.

Natalie: Can you believe it?

Dana: Natalie.

Natalie: He's on a plane right now headed for New York. He's going to see me tonight. Oh! I can take him to the party after the fight!

Dana: Speaking of the fight-

Natalie: I really hope he can stay a little longer this time.

Dana: Focus Natalie.

Natalie stops dancing around.

Natalie: I am focused.

Dana: Work on tonight's fight. You can dance around all you want once the fight is over.

Natalie: Aren't you happy for me?

Dana: Of course, I am happy for you.

Natalie: Normally, I wouldn't think you would need any prodding for you to express your happiness.

Dana: I am happy for you, Natalie. Right now, I am a little more focused on this fight.

Natalie: Okay.

Dana: Good.

Natalie: Fine.

Dana: Natalie.

Natalie: I mean, I come in dancing around, and I would think you would take a moment to join me. You couldn't even take a moment to smile or even laugh and be happy for me?

Dana: I'm not going to bust out into a cancan, if that's what you are expecting.

Natalie: Michael is coming for me, Dana. He's coming to see me.

Dana's phone rings.

Dana: Hold that thought.

Dana answers her phone as Natalie continues to shimmy around the room.

Dana: (into phone) Dana Whitaker. Yeah, sure. Could you hold on just for a second?

Dana places her hand over the receiver.

Dana: Natalie, this is going to take a little while. I'm sorry. Would you mind checking back with me in a few minutes?

Natalie stops dancing.

Natalie: Sure. Whatever.

Natalie leaves the room as Dana continues with her phone call.

-----

Dan and Casey sit at a table inside a fast-food restaurant. The two munch on burgers and fries.

Dan: You'd think he'd really want to go.

Casey: Maybe he wasn't feeling well.

Dan: No. He went to the last championship match we covered.

Casey: He was there for all seven seconds of it.

Dan: He had a really good seat.

Casey: Maybe he was worried about the traffic after the fight.

Dan: These seats were even better.

Casey: Traffic can be a real pain in New York City.

Dan: Traffic is always a real pain. Plus, the fight is in Atlantic City.

Casey: That too.

Dan: I don't understand what could have caused him to change his mind.

Casey: Maybe there isn't an answer.

Dan: There has to be an answer.

Casey: Maybe the answer isn't so clear.

Dan: The newspapers are calling this the fight of the century. Who would want to miss out on that?

Casey: Apparently several people.

Dan: We used to watch the fights. My dad would have beer, and I would have root beer. We watched Hector Rivera when he was just starting out. We watched him fight his first professional bout. It was local, so only the local station carried it, but we got to see his first fight.

Casey: You've been able to follow his entire career.

Dan: What could have changed his mind?

Casey: I don't know.

Dan: Yeah.

Casey: Your food is getting cold.

Dan: Huh?

Casey: Your food.

Dan: Yeah.

Casey takes a sip of his soda as Dan bites into his burger.

-----

Isaac is working on paper work and taking a phone call simultaneously.

Isaac: (into phone) Yeah. That sounds great. Everything is going as planned. I'll talk to you later.

Isaac hangs up the phone with his left hand as he continues to write with his right.

A jumpy Natalie knocks on Isaac's open door.

Isaac: Natalie.

Natalie: Hey, Isaac. You got a minute?

Isaac: I'll take sixty of yours, if you have any to spare.

Natalie: Great.

Natalie skips into the office.

Natalie: This is going to be an excellent fight.

Isaac: That's good to hear.

Natalie: It's going to be a breeze.

Isaac: I don't know if I am comfortable with everybody shooting the breeze like that.

Natalie: We're ready for this evening.

Isaac: Dana has kept me abreast of what has been going on.

Natalie: She has?

Isaac: Do you have something pertinent?

Natalie: Yes.

Isaac: Okay.

Natalie: Dana doesn't think I am focused.

Isaac stops writing.

Isaac: I see.

Natalie: But I am totally focused.

Isaac: Then you're fine.

Natalie: She thinks I'm distracted because of the gift I received from Michael yesterday, and the fact I just found out that he is flying into New York as we speak.

Isaac: But you're focused on the fight.

Natalie: Totally. Completely.

Isaac: Wasn't it you who lost the tape for last night's broadcast?

Natalie: It was just a momentary lapse.

Isaac: And weren't you late for a production meeting?

Natalie: Which one?

Isaac: The one which took place an hour ago.

Natalie: I was working on something for the fight. It didn't completely slip my mind. How did you know I was late?

Isaac holds up a piece of paper.

Isaac: I've been receiving memos on every little thing.

Natalie: Okay.

Isaac: The network needs for you to be focused on the fight.

Natalie: The last thing I want to do is let you or Dana down.

Isaac: Good.

Natalie: Even though I probably won't be here for much longer.

Isaac: You're moving to Los Angeles?

Natalie: I have some job prospects- some leads.

Isaac: Well, I'm happy for you.

Natalie: Thank you, Isaac.

Isaac: If you don't mind Natalie-

Natalie: Did you ever have a gut feeling something was going to work out, no matter what the odds were against you?

Isaac: We're not talking about the fight?

Natalie: I just want your opinion of Michael.

Isaac: I don't know him.

Natalie: I was just wondering if you knew everything was going to work out with Esther, when you first got together with her.

Isaac: Will you leave me alone if I answer this question?

Natalie: Yes.

Isaac: No, and good-bye.

Natalie: Wait a second. You didn't think things were going to work out with Esther?

Isaac: I thought things were going to work out with Marie.

Natalie: Who's Marie?

Isaac: She was before Esther.

Natalie: Marie?

Isaac: And Janice.

Natalie: Janice was...

Isaac: Before Marie.

Natalie: You thought things were going to work out with Janice, and then Marie, before you met Esther?

Isaac: I was convinced. I thought I was in love with Janice and then with Marie.

Natalie: But how did you know?

Isaac: I didn't.

Natalie: And what about Esther?

Isaac: I was cautious. I was also a little older and a little wiser.

Natalie: But you didn't have this gut-feeling? You just didn't know it was going to work out?

Isaac: You have to realize, in order for things to work out, you need to work on what you know. Just knowing something isn't going to make it happen. It requires work, respect, dedication, and most importantly, love.

Natalie: You didn't put the work into the relationships you had with Janice and Marie?

Isaac: I thought knowing it was everything. I didn't actually start to work on a relationship until I met Esther. Plus, she was willing to work on the relationship, too. That's what makes our marriage work. We've constantly been working together.

Natalie: Okay.

Isaac: Satisfied?

Natalie ponders Isaac's words.

Isaac: Natalie?

Natalie: Yeah. I've got to work on the fight. I'm focused.

Isaac: Good.

Natalie: Thanks, Isaac.

Isaac: You're welcome.

Natalie leaves the office.

-----

Dan walks into his office and immediately grabs the phone.

Dan: There has to be some sort of explanation.

He begins dialing as Jeremy enters the room. Dan hangs up when he sees Jeremy.

Jeremy: Did I disturb something? If you want some privacy, I can come back in a few minutes.

Dan: What do you need, Jeremy?

Jeremy: The crew is getting ready to head to Atlantic City.

Dan: I need to be going.

Jeremy: Yes.

Dan: Do me a favor.

Jeremy: Sure.

Dan: If my father calls here, I need for you to call me on my cell phone.

Jeremy: I will.

Dan: Immediately.

Jeremy: The moment I get off the phone with him is the moment I am calling your cell phone.

Dan: Thanks, Jeremy.

Dan grabs his winter jacket and leaves the office.

-----

"Natalie, call places."

Dana and Natalie are inside Dana's office.

Natalie: It's twenty minutes until 8.

Dana: I just want to be prepared.

Natalie: We've got plenty of time.

Dana: I know. It seems like we're a little...

Natalie: Too prepared.

Dana: Yes, too prepared.

Natalie: We've done our jobs.

Dana: Up to this point. We just need to execute flawlessly over the next three or four hours.

Natalie: We can handle it.

Dana: I know. I'm happy for you, Natalie.

Natalie: I'm happy for you, Dana.

Dana: I'm talking about Michael. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier.

Natalie: It's okay.

Dana: Would you like to dance?

Natalie: Not really.

Dana: Is everything okay?

Natalie: Hmm? Yeah. Everything is fine. I'm just thinking about the fight.

Dana: Good.

Natalie: Have you ever noticed... um...

Dana: Noticed what?

Natalie: That I never sought your advice on my relationship with Michael?

Dana: Yes, I did.

Natalie: It isn't because I don't trust you.

Dana: Okay.

Natalie: It's just you have a history of making bad decisions with your relationships.

Dana: Are you trying to make me feel good about myself?

Natalie: Well, no. Yes. I'm just saying.

Dana: It's okay.

Natalie: But you haven't given me your opinion.

Dana: Oh what?

Natalie: Whether or not I should move to Los Angeles.

Dana: You're a grown woman, Natalie. You can make your own decisions.

Natalie: I know.

Dana: Plus, I have a history of making bad decisions with relationships.

Natalie smiles.

Natalie: Dana, what do you think?

Dana smiles and thinks about it for a moment.

Dana: You can get a job out in Hollywood. I think you can be very successful out there. I think you could do live broadcasts or taped episodes. You've done an excellent job here.

Natalie: Thank you.

Dana: But there's one more thing.

Natalie: What's that?

Dana: I don't want you to go.

Natalie: You're going to tell me how Michael doesn't treat me with respect or he really doesn't love me.

Dana: Actually, I wasn't.

Natalie: Then why don't you want me to go?

Dana: I would miss us. I would miss these moments with you.

Natalie: These moments.

Dana: Yeah, these moments before a big broadcast. The times we go to Anthony's. Do you remember the time we went out and tried on those outrageous dresses?

Natalie: You had one made from ostrich feathers?

Dana: Artificial ostrich feathers.

Natalie: Orange and pink and huge.

Dana: Outrageously huge.

Natalie: Do you remember the time we trapped Jeremy, Casey, and Dan inside the utility closet?

Dana: And dropped rotten eggs in from the ceiling.

Natalie: Those were good times.

Dana: Those were great times.

Natalie: Yeah.

Dana: That's what I'll miss. It's purely selfish reasons, but it's what I'll miss.

Natalie: It's not selfish.

Dana: Yes, it is.

Natalie: You're not making an aggressive attempt to keep me here.

Dana: Like I said, Natalie, you're a grown woman. You're capable of making your own decisions.

Natalie steps over and hugs Dana.

Natalie: Thanks, Dana. You're my best friend.

Dana: You're mine also.

The two let go of each other.

Natalie: I'll go call places.

Dana: Let's give it a few more minutes.