When Liz's publishers suggest a book tour, she's totally against it. Her agent David believes it to be a great idea though, and with the lure of food he manages to convince her that a book tour would be a way for her to shake her post divorce blues. She agrees, not because she has post divorce blues because she totally doesn't, but because it's far easier to ignore the answer machine messages from her Mom when she's in a totally different state to her phone.
It's a 12 week tour, three months on the road, falling over the summer. A week into the tour she decides that tours are really not her thing. The only part of it she's actually enjoying is the fact that room service and pay-per-view is getting paid for by the publishers. The interrogation she receives from virtual strangers each day is really not her idea of fun. Until she arrives back in New York and realises that she'd had it pretty easier up until then. Because New Yorkers do not hold back, they don't care about invading into her life, they're blunt and ask the personal questions.
She eyes the crowd warily, noting the hungry look in their eyes. She reflects that writing an autobiography wasn't such a good idea. It sold surprisingly well, she suspects the Dealbreakers following bought it, and people who thought it would offer an insight into Tracy Jordan. Putting her personal life in the public domain, she realises, means fielding questions about it. And the New Yorkers that bought her book are totally dogged in their questioning style.
"How's life without Wesley?" A pale overweight woman asks from the front row.
"Um, well... Of course any divorce or break up it hard, it's devastating but, I'm ok thank you."
"Don't you feel guilty? He married you thinking you loved him and you pull the rug from underneath him, because you're in love with someone else?"
"Whoa. Well, I. No, I mean. I mean, yes, but, he didn't really love me either so..."
"Are you dating?" the woman asks, leaning forwards in her seat and scrutinising her.
"What the what? No!"
"So you broke Wesley's heart and you're not even with the man you claim you're in love with?"
"Um, well, ok. No. I'm not, I don't think I'm ever going to be with Jack. I just, um, anyone else have a question?"
An older woman, with grey hair, raises her arm.
"Yes?"
"What are your plans now?" she asks. She looks kindly and reminds Liz of a typical TV grandmother.
"To head home, air my apartment and order a pizza." Liz grins.
"I meant in life." The reply is filled with disdain and makes the smiles drop from Liz's face.
"Well." She coughs. "I know. I was joking. Life, well, um, I guess I plan on renovating my apartment and writing a new book. Oh, and looking into adoption."
"Why not use a sperm donor?"
"Wow, you are blunt." Liz says shaking her head slightly, "I'd rather adopt because there's so many kids out there that are just waiting for a loving family. Plus, my ex-boyfriend used to donate sperm in New York Sperm Banks and I do not want to risk getting impregnated by his sperm."
"You went out with many men you didn't love and want children with then?" the woman replies looking fairly disgusted and Liz just shrinks back into her seat.
She answers the next half hours questions with her eyes on the floor in front of her, refusing to look at the crowd. The questions get progressively worse and by the end of the session she's practically leaping from her chair to run out back to where David's waiting for her.
"That was horrific." She says, slinging on her coat and picking up her bag.
"At least it's over! Tours complete, congratulations Liz!" He smiles, wrapping his arms around her in a hug.
"Thanks, I can't say I'm upset it's over."
"You did great Liz. Don't worry. Book sales have jumped in response."
"Well that's great for synergy and... economics." She says.
David looks at her strangely and nods, "Right, well, I'll call you tomorrow, and we'll talk over a few things you've been offered.
"Yes, we will strategise tomorrow, good night David."
"Night Liz."
She hails a cab and returns to her apartment. Whilst she was married to Wesley they'd rented the apartment out, and she'd only returned to it for a month before the book tour. She opens all the windows, letting the air in since she'd been on the road 3 months.
She calls the pizza place down the street and Juan informs her that her usual will be delivered within half an hour, plus a free side of garlic bread because he'd missed her.
When she's sat in front of the TV 20 minutes later, with the pizza box open in front of her, she can't help but to think back to before she'd married Wesley when she'd spent many evenings on her own eating pizza.
She hated to think that she was back to where she started, and this time, Jack-less.