Disclaimer

-----

Jeremy takes a deep breath outside of Sam´s office. He wipes his sweaty palms on his pants one final time before knocking on his open door. Jeremy waits patiently and watches Sam pack some belongings into a cardboard box.

Sam continues to pack, and Jeremy continues to wait. Jeremy knocks again.

Jeremy: Excuse me?

Sam: (continuing to pack) What is it?

Jeremy: I apologize if I am interrupting anything-

Sam: You´re not.

Jeremy: Okay.

Sam: Good.

Jeremy: Yeah.

Sam finally stops packing.

Sam: Now, you´re interrupting me.

Jeremy: Yeah. Sorry.

Sam looks at Jeremy and knows if he were to say "boo", Jeremy would faint on the spot.

Sam: I hope this isn´t the point of your visit.

Jeremy: The point? Yes, of course. You wanted to see me.

Sam: Yes.

Jeremy: I´m here.

Sam: I can see that.

Jeremy: Yesterday, you summoned me to your office. I was busy the whole day, and you had left by the time last night´s show ended. Now, I am making myself available to you.

Sam: It´s taken care of.

Jeremy: What is?

Sam: What I originally summoned you for.

Jeremy: I don´t understand.

Sam: You didn´t make yourself available, so I found someone who did.

Jeremy: Make him or herself available.

Sam: Yeah.

Jeremy: So I´m no longer needed.

Sam: For the time being.

Jeremy: Okay. Good. Great. I´m glad the situation has been resolved. I can´t help but notice you´re packing.

Sam: You´re wasting time.

Jeremy: Right. I´m just thinking it´s early to be packing.

Sam: It´s 11 in the morning.

Jeremy: I mean... it´s early, especially with you leaving in two weeks. Some people observing this may believe you´re packing your belongings early.

Sam smirks.

Sam: Yeah. I like to get a head start. You know, be a little proactive.

Jeremy: Proactive is good.

Sam: What´s the story coming out of Charlotte?

Jeremy: I´m not aware of a story.

Sam: You´d better get back to work.

Jeremy: Yeah.

Jeremy turns momentarily.

Jeremy: Thanks.

Jeremy quickly leaves, and Sam continues packing his belongings.

-----

Dan casually walks through the active newsroom. Some people make eye contact with him, but they say nothing. Others completely ignore Dan. Dan begins to fume over his suspicions of what may have happened.

Dan enters his office and begins to relax as he sees Casey sitting on the couch.

Dan: If you´re going to be continuously hanging around, somebody ought to give you a job and put you to work.

Dan grabs his mail and shuffles through it.

Casey: I´ll be leaving momentarily.

Dan: Just long enough to butter-up Isaac? Say, how´s playing hard-to-get working out for you?

Casey: The verdict is still out.

Dan: I think they´re already in their sentencing phase.

Casey: It´s... it´s going to work.

Dan: Whatever you say.

Casey becomes more serious.

Casey: How was your date last night?

Dan throws down his mail at the sound of Casey´s tone.

Dan: It wasn´t a date.

Casey: Danny.

Dan: I don´t care what story Natalie concocted. It wasn´t a date.

Casey: Hot, new club?

Dan: It was all right.

Casey: And what about Kuruma Zushi? A plate is over a hundred dollars. Don´t tell me you are getting serious about her.

Dan: Have you been sneaking a peek at my planner?

Casey: Natalie took the phone call confirming your reservations for tonight.

Dan: Great. Now everybody knows.

Casey: Except Jeremy. And JoAnne, whom - may I remind you - is your longtime girlfriend.

Dan: Casey. I´m looking at the bigger picture here. Just give me a little more time.

Dana enters the office.

Dana: Daniel. We´ve got time at 2:20 for the interview with Clemens.

Dan: How much time? Five minutes?

Dana: Have seven good questions printed on my desk in ten minutes.

Dan: I just got here.

Dana: You´d better start typing. Time´s a tickin´.

Dan: What about Casey?

Dana: (to Casey) Bug the crap out of him. (to Dan) You´ve got nine minutes.

With a flip of her hair, Dana whisks out of the office.

-----

With a sympathetic posture, Natalie enters the editing room. She finds Jeremy working on a tape.

Natalie: How are you doing, Jeremy?

Jeremy: Okay.

Jeremy continues to cut a highlight package.

Natalie: Did you want to come over tonight and watch Conan?

Jeremy: We´ll see.

Natalie: The guests are really good tonight.

Jeremy: Who are they?

Natalie: The television promo said they were going to be really good.

Jeremy: I´ll be fine.

Jeremy spins around to Natalie.

Jeremy: Do you know how many cans of spaghetti you can buy for a hundred dollars? Seventy-two. That´s seventy-two meals.

Natalie: I´m sorry.

Jeremy: The quality of food and service must be exceptional in order to have a dollar value equivalent to seventy-two meals.

Natalie: I don´t think they serve canned spaghetti.

Jeremy: I´m just saying...

Natalie: Are you going to talk to Dan?

Jeremy: Why?

Natalie: I don´t know.

Jeremy: If he wants to see Lorie, that´s his prerogative.

Natalie: Do you want me to do something more?

Jeremy: I didn´t want you to do anything.

Natalie: Jeremy, come on.

Jeremy: Please, Natalie.

Jeremy spins back to his assignment.

Jeremy: I´m fine with all of it.

Natalie stands and is unconvinced by Jeremy´s statement.

-----

Isaac takes the time to stretch his legs by walking down the corridor from his office. He decides to continue walking even though Casey is walking toward him.

Casey: Great show, last night.

Isaac: You´re back again.

Casey tags alongside Isaac.

Casey: We went down to Anthony´s after the broadcast.

Isaac: Good.

Casey: I thought it was good to rebuild some of the camaraderie with everybody.

The two walk into the newsroom.

Isaac: Casey, you shouldn´t be here, especially with negotiations ongoing.

Casey: You made me an offer.

Isaac: And you turned it down.

Casey: And my agent made a counteroffer. It´s how we negotiate, Isaac.

Isaac: Is there a way we could work in a clause requiring you to remain at least 100 feet away from me at all times?

Casey: That´s going to be difficult when Danny and I are doing the show.

The two stop in the middle of the newsroom.

Isaac: Casey, do you mind if I give you a piece of advice?

Casey: I don´t mind.

Isaac: Don´t assume anything.

Casey: Excuse me?

Isaac: I´m going to a meeting. You can´t follow me into the boardroom.

Isaac walks away.

Casey: Okay.

-----

Dana walks into Sam´s office. She´s surprised at the void of items inside the room. Besides the office furniture and the assignment dry erase board, the only things inside the room are a laptop computer and Sam.

Dana: We... we missed you in the meeting, Sam.

Sam: Yeah.

Dana: Where did all of your stuff go?

Sam: All the stuff belongs to the network.

Dana: No personal effects of any sort?

Sam: No.

Dana hesitates before asking her next question.

Dana: Are you leaving today?

Sam: Yeah.

Dana: But... but... I thought you were leaving in two weeks.

Sam: Things change.

Dana: Well, Sam. I just assumed it was professional courtesy to work your full obligations.

Sam: I thought it was professional courtesy to admit that I was leaving today.

Dana: What about your job? You still have deadlines and responsibilities.

Sam: My job ended the day this network settled into second place.

Dana: Okay.

A disappointed Dana turns to leave.

Sam: Dana, I have to tell you something.

Dana turns around.

Dana: What is it?

Sam: I´m not the type of man who wears his emotions on his sleeve.

Dana waits for more.

Sam: It may come as a bit of a shock when I say this.

Dana waits for it.

Sam: I´ve been smitten with you.

The statement enters Dana´s head and swims around before settling. She busts out in laughter.

Sam: I see where my emotions have contributed to your personal enjoyment.

Dana: (giggling) It´s not... it´s not that, Sam. It really isn´t.

Sam: Okay.

Dana: It´s just... nobody uses the word "smitten" anymore.

Sam: Maybe they should.

Dana finally stops giggling.

Dana: Why are you telling me this?

Sam: Because I´m never going to see you again.

Dana: No. I´m certain we´ll run into each other at some point-

Sam: No. After today, I will never see you again.

Dana takes a breath.

Sam: Goodbye.

Dana: Wait a second. Wait a second. You were smitten with me. You had certain feelings for me.

Sam: That is what I said.

Dana: So, my involvement with Casey, it made you jealous?

Sam: No.

Dana: But if I wasn´t dating Casey, you would have asked me out?

Sam: No.

Dana: No?

Sam: No.

Dana: But you said you were-

Sam: I wouldn´t have asked you out.

Dana: Why?

Sam: Why?

Dana: If you´ve come this far with your admission, you might as well give me an explanation.

Sam: Why I would never ask you out?

Dana: Yes.

Sam: Because I´m not that man.

The two stand in silence.

Sam: Goodbye, Dana.