Will holds her elbow as Nina shimmies into the restaurant booth and makes herself comfortable. She smiles up at him. "Thank you so much Will" she purrs warmly. He really does have lovely manners.

"You're most welcome Nina, hope this is…..y'know…worth the wait!" Nina had asked to come to Valentino's and he had been putting her off for weeks. "Sorry it has to be a booth but they are private and I am trying to keep a low profile with the tabloids!" he grins

"Trying not to hurt Mac, Will?"

"N…not just her, the whole show suffers when my ratings tank…you know. We have certain standards…..from Charlie." He covers smoothly….he thinks

"The Sea Bass is especially recommended tonight, Mr McAvoy" says their server Dominic as he presents their menus.

"We'll need a minute I think…. start with the wine list and I'll have a Jameson's. Nina?" Will says gruffly.

He recognises Dominic from years ago.

This was Mackenzie's favourite dinner venue when they were together. They'd had some pretty memorable meals here. And of course Mac had been such a hit with the staff. She could get them to make anything…like the time she got one of the Cordon Blue chefs to produce "beans on toast" Wellington . Will's mouth curved upwards at the memory.

"Will?" Nina says and her hand crossing the table to touch his. "Will…penny for your thoughts."

"Sorry Nina…..sorry just thinking about my….uh!.. question to the British ambassador tonight. A bit harsh d'you think?"

"Well now you mention it, Will, I think you could tone down quite a few of your interrogations and ask some questions of a personal nature. I could prep you if you like. I often know a few things about guests on News Night" she says with gathering enthusiasm. "You'd double your audience if you mixed things up a bit"

"I…I don't know Nina, my EP has pretty tight rules for the show you know and….."

Just at that moment, the waiter interrupts them for their order.

And as Will raises his eyes he feels his heart squeeze. Mac is there, now, weaving between the tables in the centre of the restaurant. She is being escorted by a slim, tallish man in a strikingly well-cut suit and she's carrying a miniature bouquet and a small gift box. Her figure-hugging emerald green dress, complimented by matching 4 inch Louboutins makes a striking vision.

From his secluded vantage point, Will can see heads turn appreciatively as Mac crosses the room. Her escort helps with her seat at a table on the far side of the room and leans down to say something into her ear that makes her smile. He squeezes her shoulder in a fond gesture before he moves to his own seat, his back partly towards Will.

"I think the Sea Bass sounds excellent thank you", Nina tells their waiter "and I'd like the duck to start but put the dressing on the side… and I want the duck shredded with no skin at all….is that clear…Will?"

Will gives his order without thinking. He can hardly breathe. He can't take his eyes off Mac and her escort. The guy's hand is covering Mac's as she sits beside him, talking animatedly, leaning in closely towards each other, an easy intimacy between them.

"Shit"

"Mac's dating" his inner voice screams at him

"she's got the right"

"She's moving on and leaving me behind" his breath hitches

"Duck's a good choice, Nina ….a speciality here" Will puts his anchor face on and turns back towards Nina to charm his date. "And maybe….we can…. talk about your idea… for improving my ratings….much, much later" He looks deeply into Nina's eyes suggestively.

He'd show Mac.

How could she!

Hours later, Will lies in his bed staring at the darkened ceiling, Nina's head on his chest. He can hear her steady breaths and feel the weight of her head below his jaw. He goes over their talk about increasing his popularity in the cab on the way to his place. He considers Nina's suggestions.

Restless, Will edges out from under her and creeps away to his balcony and softly plays his guitar. Mac's favourites are strung out for a sad goodbye. His jaw is clamped rigidly as he considers the loss of Mackenzie's devotion. He hadn't realised the idea of it would feel so painful. He is determined to be prepared for tomorrow, when he will have to work with her over the minutiae of their show while thoughts of someone else fill her head.

"SHIT"

"Will?" he hears Nina calling

He pauses for a second; he can't drag Nina into this. She's been a good girlfriend, loyal and loving, kind and supportive. He is somehow able to forget that she continues to write her take down pieces-'a girl's gotta live'- and Gary has mentioned that there is still an active branch of the 'fill Nina Howard's coffers society' with stories submerged when enough money changes hands. Will had been scandalised when he'd been reminded about that last week. He'd been prepared to call Nina on it…..but not now….the time is not right, now.

Now, he needs to defend his heart against another Mackenzie onslaught. And Will has learned to attack when he is hurt or threatened so, at 5.00am he picks up the phone and dials The Morning Show producer and offers a chatty interview to start off his new policy—which is essentially to do the opposite of whatever Mackenzie wants him to do. Not that he'd call it that - more being the managing editor and making his own decisions.

He goes on air at 7.20 am

It doesn't end well!