Travelling Companions

July 2004 ACN Studios, New York

Will pokes his head into Charlie's office.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yeah. Come on in for a second, will you?" he beckons Will into the room. "You're driving yourself up to Boston?"

"Yeah… I was going to leave after my segment…Is there a problem?"

"No. No. Not a problem. Listen… I want you to take someone with you."

"It's okay Charlie, I like driving alone."

"No. I want you to take someone with you. A new producer we scooped from ABC Washington. MacKenzie McHale."

"Ah Charlie," Will whines, "I want to use the time to be alone."

Charlie shrugs. "So you'll be alone with Mac. I don't see the problem."

"I don't want to spend three and a half hours making nice to the new guy."

"Well first of all I've never known you to make nice, and second of all Mac isn't….oh never mind… take Mac with you. Consider it an order, or do it to please me…I don't really give a damn Will, but Mac's producing for you this whole convention so you may as well pony up."

"What the hell? What happened to Richard?"

"Richard's not going."

"Yeah, I'm getting that. Why the hell not?"

"Cause we're sending MacKenzie."

"That's not an answer!"

Charlie sighs. "We're looking at Mac for dayside….probably News at Noon…or maybe even for late night ten o'clock."

"You're looking at me for ten o'clock!"

Charlie nods. "Yes, we possibly are, so give Mac a ride to Boston, Will. Do the week together. We'll see how it shapes."

"Jeezus, Charlie. What was wrong with Richard?"

"I don't know. You tell me." There's a silence while Charlie glares and Will tries to look guileless. "Mac will be waiting for you in the lobby after your segment. I poached Mac from ABC with promises of an EP position. Mac's good. Very good. On the road to excellent. So don't fuck this up, Will"

Will shrugs, "Whatever."

"Mac's bright, articulate, and passionate about the news. I think you're going to get along like a house on fire."

"We'll get along like something's on fire."

"Oh good God, Will. Spend a few hours together, will ya?"

"You know I'm still going to want Richard," he shakes his head and disappears down the hall toward hair and makeup.

"You already burned that bridge," Charlie calls after him.

When Will makes it down to the lobby later that evening there's no one there but a young woman leaning against the wall, wearing an ACN ball cap and a worn brown leather jacket. She pushes off the wall as he exits the elevator, holding out her hand. "Hi. You're Will McAvoy," she says

"I am," he says reaching inside his jacket for a pen, "did you…"

She looks down at the pen and smiles. "I'm MacKenzie McHale," she says.

"Ah. Right. Of course you are." He stands for a minute, then shakes her hand briefly, "Good to meet you."

She cocks her head to one side, lifts her chin and pins him with a dark chocolate stare. "What? Too young, or too female?"

He sighs and reaches down to pick up her Ralph Lauren duffle bag, "Fuck Charlie Skinner sideways," he mutters.

"No. I don't believe I will," she says, deftly taking the bag out of his hands and shouldering the strap. "Where are you parked?"