"What's really going on, Kathleen?"
Kate tried to put her indecision into words. She just didn't know what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. She believed there had to be something special out there for her, a path that was hers alone and held happiness at its end, but where was the start of it? "I'm not like Tully," she finally said, admitting the truth she'd known for a long time. "I don't eat, sleep, and breathe the news. Sure, I'm good enough to get all A's and my profs love me because I'm never late with an assignment, but journalism—TV or print—is a jungle. I'll be eaten alive by people like Tully who'll do anything for a scoop. It's just not realistic to think I can make it."
"Realistic? Realistic is your dad and me trying to manage our expenses when they keep cutting his hours at the plant. Realistic is me being a smart woman who can't get a job at anything better than minimum wage because I have no education and all I've done is raise kids. Believe me, Katie, you don't want to be realistic at your age. There's plenty of time for that. Now you should dream big and reach high."
"I just want something different."
"What?"
"I wish I knew."
"Oh, Katie . . . I think you're afraid to reach for the brass ring. Don't be."
Before Katie could answer, there was a knock at the door. "I'm in here," she called out.
The door swung open to reveal Tully. "There you are. I've been looking everywhere. Who are you talking to?"
"Mom."
Tully yanked the phone from Kate and said, "Hey, Mrs. M. I'm kidnapping your daughter. We'll call back later. 'Bye." She hung up, then turned to Kate. "You're coming with me."
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see." Tully led her out of the house and down to the parking lot, where her new blue VW bug waited.
All the way into downtown Seattle, Kate asked where they were going and what was up until they pulled up in front of a small office building.
"This is where I work," Tully said when she turned off the engine. "I can't believe you've never been here before. Oh, well, you're here now."
Kate rolled her eyes. Now she knew what was happening: Tully wanted to show off some new triumph—a reel, a tape, a story she'd done that had actually been aired. As usual, Kate followed. "Look, Tully," she said as they made their way down the colorless hallway and into the small, cluttered space that was the Seattle office of KCPO-TV, "I need to tell you something."
Tully opened the door. "Sure. Later. That's Mutt, by the way." She pointed to a huge, long-haired, hunched-over guy standing by the open window, who was blowing his cigarette smoke outside.
"Hey," he said, barely lifting a single finger in greeting.
"Carol Mansour—she's the reporter—is at a city council meeting," Tully said, leading Kate toward a closed door.
As if Kate hadn't been hearing Carol Mansour stories forever.
Tully stopped at the door and knocked. When a male voice answered, Tully opened the door and pulled Kate inside. "Johnny? This is my friend Katie."
A man looked up from behind his desk. "You're Kate Mularkey, huh?"
He was, hands down, the best-looking man Kate had ever seen. He was older than they were, but not by much; maybe five or six years. His long black hair was thick and feathered back, with the barest hint of curl at the ends. Prominent cheekbones and a smallish chin could have made him look pretty, but there was nothing feminine about him. When he smiled at her, she drew in a sharp breath, feeling a jolt of pure physical attraction that was unlike anything she'd ever experience before.
And here she stood, dressed for work in her preppy Gloria Vanderbilt jeans, penny loafers, and red V-neck sweater. All of last night's curl had fallen out of her hair and she hadn't redone it this morning. She hadn't bothered with makeup, either.
She was going to kill Tully.
"I'll leave you two alone," Tully said, skipping out of the office, closing the door behind her.
"Please. Have a seat," he said indicating the empty chair across from his desk.
She sat down, perching nervously on the edge of the chair.
"Tully tells me you're a genius."
"Well, she is my best friend."
