"M. Grant, would you please open the door?" Mary asked standing outside Lou Grant's door

Murray was standing behind her, "Mary, I'm sorry."

"I know you are." Mary told him

Lou opened the door and glared then turned around back to his desk

Mary followed him in and shut the door, "Mr. Grant I…"

Lou sat at his desk looking at the rundown for the show, "We need to get a camera crew out to that protest."

"Mr. Grant…" she began again

Lou looked up, "Mary, I don't want to talk about it. I still respect you as a producer and want you to continue working here. We're just not friends anymore."

Mary sat down in the chair opposite him, "Mr. Grant, you don't mean that."

"I do mean it, Mary. I also don't want to talk about it anymore," he paused, "But I could say a lot. I could say how I feel about what you did to me. But I don't want to. From now on it's strictly business. Please respect me on this. Now, can we please get back to business?"

"Well, alright if that's how you want it, Mr. Grant." Mary said suppressing the tears she felt forming in her eyes.

"That's how I want it." Lou said

Mary cried all the way home that night. She couldn't eat dinner. All she did was lie in bed thinking about what Lou had said 'we're not friends anymore'. The coldness in his eyes startled her. She had always respected him as her boss but she treasured his friendship and now that appeared to be over. Rhoda and Phyllis had both moved away and now it seemed another friend had slipped away. The only difference was that Rhoda and Phyllis were still speaking to her. She cried herself to sleep praying for a way to make things right again.

A WEEK LATER

The previous week had been one of the worst Mary could remember. Lou had kept up his only business routine and she felt sick at her stomach all the time. A place she had loved to be was now the last place she wanted to be. She knew it was all her own doing. If she hadn't told Murray about Lou and Sue Ann this wouldn't be happening. He had every right to be angry. She walked into the newsroom and hung up her coat.

"Hi Mare." Murray said

"Hi Murray." She said sitting at her desk and putting her purse in the drawer

Murray had watched what was going on the whole week and felt responsible. He didn't mean to let it slip to Lou that Mary had told him, "Mary, I feel just awful about what happened. I just can't believe Lou is acting this way."

Mary smiled slightly, "It's not your fault. I should have kept it to myself like he asked," she paused looking over at his office door, "Is he in yet?"

"No, not yet." Murray said getting up to get a cup of coffee

Just then Lou walked through the door, "Morning"

"Morning, Lou." Murray said sitting back down

"Good Morning, Mr. Grant." Mary said as casually as she could

"Mary," he said as he walked in his office and shut the door

Mary's eyes lingered again on his door then she shifted her attention to the papers on her desk and tried not to cry, "So Murray how was your weekend?"

"Mary, are you alright?" He knew she wasn't

"Murray, I'm fine. Mr. Grant made his feelings clear and I have to respect that. But I have to get his signature on these forms. I don't even want to go in there." She got up and knocked on his door.

"Come in." Lou said

"Mr. Grant, I need to get your signature on these requisition forms, please." Mary explained setting them on his desk

He took them and quickly signed them, "Here you are."

"Thank you, Mr. Grant." She said turning to leave but she looked back

"Was there something else, Mary?" Lou asked

She started to try to talk to him but knew it would be a mistake. She just smiled, "No, sir. There's nothing else." She walked out of his office closing the door behind her

A few hours later Lou came out of his office, "Hey Murray, you wanna get some lunch?"

"Uh yeah sure Lou, just let me finish typing this paragraph." Murray responded

Mary sat silent reading over some budget figures as Murray finished, "Done," he said looking over at Mary, "Mare, you wanna go with us?"

She looked over at Lou who was stoic, "No, Murray, I don't think so."

Murray was hoping to get them to talk to each other again like they used to, "You sure?"

Mary waited to see if Lou gave her any sign he wanted her to come but none was forthcoming, "Yes, I'm sure. " She said then turned back to the budget

"Okay, well let's go, Lou." Murray said

As they walked out the door she finally let the tears fall down her cheeks