I wake up in a strange place, with a sudden burst of dark, heart-sinking fear as I wonder if I just dreamt everything. Then the sound of clinking glasses draws me a little further awake. I realize I’m at Ash’s place, and the fear disappears, replaced by the feeling of everything being right, balanced, peacefully blissful.

She comes into the room carrying a cup of coffee, and smiles when she sees me.

“Morning. I was just about to wake you,” she says, putting the coffee on the stand beside me and sitting on the bed.

“Morning,” I groan sleepily. “Where you going?”

She puts a hand on my naked chest, and I put my hand on hers, bringing it to my mouth to kiss her palm.

“Work,” she says, smiling from the sensation, but her eyes downturned at the subject. “Well, sort of. Pretty much the only reason I’m going in is to pack up all my things.”

“Seriously?” I say. “We’ve barely had a chance to just…I don’t know…be together.”

“Yeah,” she sighs. “Well, that’s life. There’s always something more important than the thing you actually want to do.”

“I’m sure it won’t take long,” I soothe.

She laughs. “I’m sure it will. I’ve got plants there, ornaments, tons of giant art books I was using for inspiration. Paintings, photographs, this old camera collection I was starting—” She stops to laugh at herself cutely. “I’ve got this really bad habit of over-decorating, you know? Trying to make wherever I am feel interesting and comfortable.”

“I noticed,” I say, planting another kiss on her palm. “Look, I’ll come and help. I can borrow Ginger’s truck.”

“What? No. I’ll manage with my car.”

“I’ll take the truck,” I insist. “We’ll have it done in no time.”

She looks at me, smiling at the gesture, but still unconvinced. Then she sighs regretfully.

“I don’t know…” she says. “Thanks… But it might be weird, you being there…you know? Everybody seeing my boyfriend, Candace stomping around…”

“Who cares? You don’t work there anymore. You think I could just laze around all day knowing that you’re struggling to fit a bunch of potted plants in that tiny car of yours? Forget it.”

She laughs easily now, looking at me with a sense of appreciation that compels me to draw her near and bury her in my embrace, under the covers, despite her laughing shrieks about how she’ll be late.

After meeting Ginger at Mandala, where he hands over the truck with a big grin and a fist bump, we head on over to Ash’s workplace on the studio lot and go on up to her office. She’s a little on edge, glancing around her, shying away a little when she exchanges some hellos in the lobby. No amount of subversive ass pats or whispered assurances seems to relax her. I wonder if it’s having me there, the possibility of facing Candace or Carlos again, or just the general unease of leaving all this behind, her job, her colleagues. A confirmation that she’s finally giving it all up for an unknown.

“Don’t look so worried,” I tell her in the elevator, rubbing a hand across her back, folded boxes under my other arm, “we’ll be done before you know it.”

She nods and purses her lips, trying to smile for me.

We step through her sleek office, past desks where well-dressed, stressed-looking women and conversely laid-back looking guys hunch over laptops, then go into her office.

“You weren’t kidding,” I say, as I look around the small room. Glass figurines and old cameras line bookshelves of books big and heavy enough to tile a patio, the potted plants are more like small trees, and there are several large posters up on the walls. It makes the rest of the office seem like a call center by comparison.

Ash shrugs and shoots me an apologetic look. I half-smile back and start unfolding the boxes to show I don’t mind.

As we slowly get into the rhythm of filling the boxes up, Ash directing me on what to put inside, there’s a knock at the door.

“Ash? Oh, God, it’s really happening…” the girl with the grey-blue hair says as she steps inside, looking tangibly sad.

She notices me suddenly. “Oh, hey,” she says.

“Jenny? Is it?” I say.

“Yeah,” she says, looking pretty happy I remembered her name, then turning back to Ash.

They embrace warmly, then break apart with sad, longing looks on their faces.

“Don’t…” Ash says, as she gets back to packing. “I don’t want to cry or anything.”

Jenny laughs, but I can hear in it that she’s close to tears as well.

“This place is going to fall apart without you,” she says. “We’ve already had to rerun a bunch of old segments the past few days. Ugh…don’t leave me.”

Ash crumples up some newspaper to wrap a glass figurine in.

“We’ll still be seeing plenty of each other, you can be sure of that,” she says, placing it carefully in a box. “And you know what? Soon enough they’ll hire somebody else to come in here and do way more work than their salary’s worth. Everything’s going to be fine.”

“Yeah,” Jenny says, rolling her eyes, “I’m sure Candace has an equally obnoxious nephew somewhere, or a young meathead that she’s got a crush on. Anyway, I wish I could help, but I’ve got a script to write—Carlos needs something to butcher for the big interview tonight.”

We say our goodbyes, Ash and Jenny arranging to go for drinks over the weekend, and then Jenny leaves.

“What’s this ‘big interview’?” I ask Ash.

“The show’s going out on a really great slot tomorrow—minutes after some big season finale of a TV show. We usually put a big segment up when we know we’ll get a lot of viewers like that, and Candace managed to arrange an interview with some actor. Though Carlos isn’t that great at interviews—it’ll basically be a fifteen minute advertisement for his new B-movie.”

“I see.”

We continue packing for a while, and I start bringing some of those gigantic potted plants down to the car, tying them up with bungee cords in the back and covering them with plastic so they don’t make a mess. When I get back upstairs for the next few boxes, Ash is talking with a meek-looking bald guy who looks like Santa Claus if he worked in the tech industry.

“Teo,” she says, spotting me over his shoulder, “this is Sean. He’s an executive producer on the show.”

“Hey,” I say, shaking his hand and quietly judging his expression, trying to determine if he’s one of the bad ones.

“I was just telling Ash,” he says, looking a little frightened of me, “that we’re really going to miss her. I’ve been keeping my ears open for anything else she might be good for—” he turns back toward Ash “and if you’re still available, I might be able to—”

“Thanks, Sean,” Ash says, seeming genuine. “I appreciate it. And yes, go ahead and let me know if you hear anything—for now at least, I’m still unemployed.”

Sean looks sad for a moment, before perking up and pulling something from his blazer pocket.

“I got you something. Nothing big—I’m not very good at gifts, but I wanted to at least try.”

He hands Ash the envelope and she flashes him a smile before opening it. She pulls out the card, reads it, then examines the small slip of paper inside with a growing smile.

Sean looks pleased. “It’s a VIP certificate for Knife. I remember you saying you wanted to go when they changed up the menu but you thought it was too expensive, and you couldn’t get reservations anyway.”

“Oh Sean, this is fantastic, thank you.”

“It’s for two, so you can take Teo,” he says, looking at me. “I mean, whatever you want, it’s up to you.”

Ash sees his awkwardness and side-hugs him warmly, like he’s a favorite uncle, and then there’s another knock on the open door.

“Hi,” the man says, grinning from ear to ear. “Just wanted to say goodbye.”

I recognize him from TV, but it’s still a little weird to see him in real life. There’s a glossy smarminess to him, an aura of smug superiority, that on television just seems to go with the territory, but which I always assumed was just for the camera. Seeing him in front of me, though, only seems to exaggerate it to unbearable levels. The guy looks at me like I’m a camera, talks as if he’s reading from a script, and acts like all eyes are on him.

“Hey,” Ash says, and I can hear in the low pitch of her voice she feels the same way I do. “Um, Carlos, this is Teo. My boyfriend.”

“Nice to meet you,” he says, offering his hand and standing up straighter, as if feeling a little threatened.

I take his hand firmly, staring blankly at his smile. When he winces and tries to pull his hand back, I just grip it even tighter.

“You’re the reason Ash is getting fired, right?” I say.

He lets out a snorted laugh of shock, a quick glance around to see if anyone else is surprised, but still I don’t let go, staring at his face as if trying to see behind it.

“Teo…” Ash says, sounding concerned, and finally I let go of the guy’s hand.

He laughs, shaking out his hand a little, and though he tries to act casual I can see that he’s rattled.

“Well, I should go prepare for the big interview. Hopefully we’ll speak again before you go,” he says insincerely, then disappears quickly.

I look at Ash, who glares at me reproachfully.

“What? I was just being friendly,” I say, spreading my hands.

Sean’s phone rings and he gains an air of urgency as soon as he looks at it.

“Excuse me,” he says, already marching out of the office. “I have to take this.”

“Sure thing,” Ash says.

I look to her and shrug.

“Seems like a nice enough guy.”

“Yeah, he is,” she says, glancing down at the gift. “Maybe too nice, actually.”

We continue packing for a few more minutes until Jenny runs into the doorway, having to stop herself by grabbing onto the frame. She looks a little flustered and panicked.

“What’s wrong?” Ash asks quickly, while the writer catches her breath.

Jenny glances back over the bullpen, sees something, then comes inside.

“Brace yourself,” she says, in a tense voice.

“What?”

The explanation comes in the form of Candace, her face twisted with rage, the glowing screen of her giant smartphone held out in front of her like some crucifix ward. She steps inside the office looking like she’s ready to explode and kill us all.

“So this is your idea of not telling anybody, is it?” she hisses at Ash. “Couldn’t resist getting a little revenge, could you?”

“Hey!” I snarl bristling at the way she’s speaking to Ash, but apart from casting a brief, disgusted scowl in my direction, Candace loses none of her anger.

“If you think for one second there won’t be consequences for this—”

“For what?” Ash asks.

Candace seethes. “Oh, please! Let’s skip the ‘playing dumb’ part, shall we?”

“I’m serious,” Ash says, with a look of sincere confusion that nobody could mistake for an act. “I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Candace thrusts her phone screen at Ash, but before Ash can even read it she pulls it back to read aloud herself.

“Hollywood Night goes from reporting on sensational affairs to engaging in them, as details emerge of the married host, Carlos King, having a long-term affair with an executive producer on the show.”

Ash’s jaw drops open, but Candace doesn’t take the hint, and snorts scornfully.

“You couldn’t help yourself, could you?” Candace says. “Do you know what you’ve just done?”

“I swear to you, Candace. I didn’t say anything to the press.”

I see Carlos rush past the door, scanning the office, then notice us all inside. He comes in and covers his mouth, realizing even further that the cat’s out of the bag.

“Really?” Candace says, still spoiling for a fight. “You expect me to believe that? If it wasn’t you, who was it then? You’re retaliating because you got fired! And this is all lies. So if you think I’m not gonna have the company lawyers so far up your ass that you—”

“Honestly, Candace,” Jenny interrupts, “it could have been anyone. It’s not like it was a secret. The whole office knows—anyone who’s had anything to do with the show must have known. It could be any one of the actors or celebrities who we’ve reported on in the past, who holds a grudge, maybe, or...”

“Maybe it was your wife,” I say, looking at Carlos, but the guy’s too stunned to do more than stare at me with shock.

There are a few moments of tension, focused on the space between Candace and Ash, as if waiting for one of them to break. It’s only when Sean comes in, shoving his phone in his pocket and looking about as authoritative as he ever could, that it breaks.

“You’re all here?” he says, suddenly noticing the group that’s gathered in Ash’s old office. “I take it you all know, then?”

“It’s on fucking TrendBlend,” Candace jeers. “Everybody knows.”

“Well,” Sean continues, “I just got off the phone with the network. I’m afraid they want to let go of both of you.” He looks from Candace to Carlos. “Immediately. They want to release a statement within the next few hours, so. I’m really sorry, Candace. Carlos. It’s been a good run.”

Sean offers his hand to Candace but she slaps it away petulantly.

“You are all absolute amateurs,” she says, scanning all of us. “I should be glad I’m done here.”

She spins on her heel and marches out of the office, shoving past Carlos, who still has a hand to his mouth. His typically-tanned face so pale now that he looks almost monochrome.

He breathes deeply, casting desperate eyes over all of us, then reaches for his phone.

“I need to call my agent,” he says, his voice quivering. “And my wife. Lord have mercy.” Already typing frantically on his phone as he rushes away.

For a few moments we stand there in silence, nothing moving but our eyes as we look at each other for what’s coming next. It feels like the eye of the storm.

“Ash,” Sean says, pulling her attention away from the open door. “I know this is rather sudden…but…well—”

“You want me to stay?”

Sean nods like a begging dog.

“Very much so. If you’ll consider it, we can discuss a pay raise, giving you more control—”

“What kind of control?” she says. “Will I only have control over certain segments, or the whole show? And what about the scripts? Hiring?”

“Well,” Sean stammers, “with Candace gone, I’d like to promote you to EP, pass all her duties over to you. I spoke to the network already and they seemed open to you taking her position, so if you still want to shake things up a bit, now seems like the right time...”

Ash glances at me once again, then back at Sean. She offers her hand.

“Deal,” she says.

Sean shakes it, but he doesn’t seem quite that relaxed yet.

“I suppose it’s just you and me as producers now,” Sean says, sounding adrift.

Ash smiles reassuringly. “It always was, in a sense.”

Sean looks around the floor, wringing his hands a little.

“Well, I suppose there’s a lot to go through…but the most pressing thing is that we’ve just lost our headline segment for one of the best slots we’ve had in months.”

“Can’t we still conduct the interview with Ray Bell?” Jenny asks.

Sean shakes his head.

“I doubt it. We only got him because he’s friends with Candace—and I would put money on her telling him to stay clear of us.”

“So we’re screwed now?” Jenny says.

“What about the stuff you’ve been filming?” I ask, turning toward Ash.

She sighs heavily and says, “No. Nothing’s ready. I’m still waiting to hear back from the celebrities. Without them I don’t have anything good enough for the slot.”

Another few seconds of silence pass, and then I say, “I can get you someone.”

“You?” Sean says.

“Uh-huh. You guys familiar with Eli Compton?”

Jenny makes a sound like she just got punched in the gut.

“Eli Compton? The Eli Compton? There are probably isolationist monks in Tibet who’ve heard of him.”

I shrug. “Well anyway, I can probably get you an interview with him.”

“No chance,” Jenny scoffs. “Eli Compton doesn’t talk to anyone.”

“He talks to me,” I say. “He’s coming in for a tattoo tomorrow—private one, but I can get him to do it tonight, no problem.”

“But,” Sean says, “how would you get him to actually talk to us? For an interview.”

“Eli trusts me,” I assure him. “We go way back. I can get him to do an interview.”

“Even if you could,” Sean says, “we’ve lost Carlos. And we don’t have a backup.”

“Sure we do,” Ash says, turning toward her friend. “Jenny could do it.”

Jenny straightens her back like she’s up against a wall.

“Jenny?” Sean says, looking at her as if seeing her for the first time. “Staff writer Jenny?”

Ash grins. “Trust me on this, Sean. It’s my first decision as EP. You’re up for it, aren’t you?”

Jenny gulps, and her chest visibly starts to rise and fall deeply.

“Sure,” she says slowly. “Everything else is going crazy today, so why not?”

“Ok.” Sean nods grimly. “Trial by fire, then. Let’s get you to hair and makeup.”

Jenny lets out an excited little squeal and throws her arms around Ash before they both run out the door, leaving me to follow behind them with an amused smile on my face. Guess today’s gonna turn out alright after all.