Murray's Interview

1/1

PG

~WJM News Room~

Murray Slaughter made his way into the television station where he once worked. He couldn't help but recall some of the best years of his life. His news room colleagues were more like family to him than friends. Over the past ten years though everyone lost touch. He and Marie had moved to Boston with their children and now that they were all grown they decided it was time to move back. The station was under new management yet again and he didn't think it would hurt to answer the classified ad for news writer in the local paper.

Things were different. He had known they would be. The decor had changed, the pace had changed, and the people had changed. And even though it felt like coming home he knew that it wasn't quite true. It was the people that made his job what it was, not the place. But yet he needed a job and this was as good as place as any to start looking.

He was shuffled around from person to person until they finally told him that the executive producer would see him. He was briefly filled in and told to see Mary on the seventh floor. He smiled when he heard the name as he remembered his friend. He wondered what she was up to. Perhaps he should look her up now that he was back. Maybe they could have dinner.

Murray tried to push the old memories out of his head as he made his way into the newsroom. There was a young man sitting at one of the desks. "Excuse me." he said. "I'm looking for Mary."

The young man pointed to the office in the far corner of the room. "Right over there, sir."

"Thank you." he made his way over to the open office door and lightly tapped his knuckles on the brown door. "Excuse me, miss, I have an appointment at ten o'clock for an interview."

"Yes sir." the woman replied. "Why don't you have a seat and I'll tell Mary that you're here."

Murray was a bit caught off guard. For a moment he thought that the news room was being run by kids straight out of college. He took a seat in the black leather chair. Within a few moments time he heard the door shut. He rose to his feet.

"Murray!" Mary smiled. "I can't believe this!"

He immediately got to his feet and pulled her into a hug. "How are you?"

She hugged him tightly. "I'm fantastic." she said, pulling back to look at him. "How are you?"

"Great." he smiled. "Marie and I have just moved back from Boston and I need a job."

"Good." she said. "Because I need a writer." she told him, taking a seat behind her desk. "A real writer with experience, not these college graduates they keep sending me."

Murray resumed his earlier seat across from her. "I have excellent references."

"You don't need references." she smiled. "You don't even need an interview. The job is yours."

"Thank you." he said. "Ted doesn't still work here, does he?"

"Yes." she replied. "Although I've found that Ted is better reporting from the field."

"At least he has some use."

Mary laughed. "So tell me about everyone."

"Well I have a grandson, Jake, who's 3. My oldest two daughters are married and my youngest two kids are in college."

"What made you decide to move back here?"

"I just really missed Minneapolis." he said. "Marie and I decided that we'd like to settle back here where we started out. We bought a house in a nice neighborhood and we're looking forward to relaxing. What about you, Mare, what have you been up to?"

There was an intrusive knock at her office door. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry to bother you." Alex said as he stuck his head inside the office. "Your husband is on line two."

"Thank you, Alex." she replied, picking up the phone. "Hello?" she answered. "No of course not, I'll send someone from the office. We'll have a late dinner when you get home." she listened for a few moments. "You'll never guess who I have sitting in my office. Murray Slaughter. Of course I'm serious. Yes. I'll try my best. Goodbye."

Mary hung up the phone and turned her attention toward her dear friend. "Once you and Marie get settled we would love to have you over for dinner."

"You and your husband?"

"Yes." she replied. "We have so much to catch up on and I would love to see Marie. And I know Lou would love to see the both of you as well."

"Lou?" he questioned. "As in Lou Grant?"

"Yes."

"You're calling him Lou now?"

"Well, Mur, our dynamic as kind of changed."

"So you've remained close since we were all fired?"

"You could say that." Mary replied.

The office door opened once again. "I'm sorry to interrupt again." Alex said. "Do you still want me to go through the stock footage?"

"That would be great." she told him. "Thank you."

"I won't bother you again, Mrs. Grant." Alex said, ducking out and shutting the door.

Murray looked at his dear friend. "Mrs. Grant?" he questioned, arching an eyebrow. "As in Mrs. Lou Grant?"

"Yes."

"Well I guess that answers my earlier question." Murray laughed. "How long have the two of you been married?"

"Almost six years." Mary replied, turning a picture on her desk around to show Murray. "Our anniversary is next month."

"Wow." he breathed out. "Who would have thought?" he said. "I mean the two of you tried to date before and it didn't work out. What changed?"

"Well once we weren't working together things changed." she told him. "Only seeing each other in a social setting made us see each other in a different light."

"Marie's not going to believe this." he said. "Of all the things that I expected when I walked back into WJM today this most definitely wasn't one of them."

"Life is full of surprises."

"You can say that again." he smiled. "I never thought that I would be working here again and here I am."

"When can you start?"

"Tomorrow?"

"I can't tell you how thrilled I am, Mur." Mary smiled. "Let's have a celebratory lunch."

"Just like old times."

"Better than old times."

The End

Just a bit of fluff that has been going through my head for a few days. For some odd reason I keep dreaming about Mary and Lou so I thought I would sort of try it out.