Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! I appreciate it. I'm actually getting into the story in this one.

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Chapter 2: Shut Down

"I don't wanna wear that," Caroline shook her head. "I don't like the sweater, it's itchy."

"But if you want to play at the park today," Julie looked at her, "You have to dress warm. It's almost winter." Caroline pouted. "Caroline Elizabeth Vanderbilt!" She said in her sternest Mommy tone. "Fine, we won't go. But then you won't get your surprise." Caroline perked up.

"What kind of surprise?" The little girl said. Julie shrugged. "Mommy!"

"I don't know," Julie said, "We have to go to the park and see Connie and Baby Jack first."

"Mommy, Jack's not a baby, he's two and a half and he talks and everything," Caroline looked at her. Julie smiled. Caroline extended her hands over her head and Julie pulled the thick pink sweater over her head.

"Cara," Julie said, "How would you feel about moving?"

"Away!" Caroline said, her little voice squeaking in panic.

"Oh no honey," Julie said, and stroked her hair, "We'd still be right here, in Minneapolis, but we'd be in a house, with a yard, maybe we could even get you a puppy like you want." She hugged her. "Would you like that?"

"I guess so," Caroline said, "Would I still have my room?"

"Not this room," Julie explained, "But all of your stuff would still be there. And it would still be me you and Daddy."

"Are we moving?" Caroline asked, "Is that my surprise?"

"No, honey," Julie laughed, "It isn't, come on, I told Connie we were leaving five minutes ago."

"OK," Caroline jumped off her bed.

"Hey," Rick Riley stepped into Scooter's office as he moved his stuff. Scooter smiled at him. After the fallout with his family, and the subsequent firing from his father's company Rick had pulled for him and gotten him an entry level job here. "You look good in here man."

"Don't be a dick," Scooter warned him, "At least I earned it."

"True," Rick nodded, "How'd Julie take the news?"

"I'm surprised she didn't call the realtor while we were in bed," Scooter shook his head.

"Can you blame her?" Rick sat down, "You used the words, 'in bed,' does that mean that you actually had sex with your own wife?"

"If you're going to be a dick, get out of my office," Scooter pointed, "I like saying that." He laughed.

"Sorry," Rick laughed, "Anyway, can you blame her for wanting to buy a house. Jesus, I spent eight years in a confined space with you and I was surprised that you made it out. And I didn't even have to have sex with you, so,"

"Yeah, I know," Scooter sighed, "But she's talking about a house, and another kid, and I just shut down."

"Yeah, because no one wants to procreate with someone like Julie, and having more space would only hurt your marriage." Rick nodded, "Last time I watched Caroline she told me she wanted a little brother." Scooter laughed, "If you had a boy, could be good."

"It's not that I don't want to have another kid or move out of the apartment," Scooter sighed, "I want that, I do, but that just makes it so real."

"Which would make the past four years pretend?" Rick said, "I'm lost."

"You know it wasn't supposed to turn out this way," Scooter shrugged, "Julie was supposed to be that sweet early relationship I looked back on fondly. And I'm not saying I don't love her, it's not like that. I just wonder sometimes."

"What would have happened if you hadn't forgotten the condom?" Rick raised his eyebrows.

"One more and you're out of here," Scooter said, "I'm serious."

"I have to go anyway," Rick stood up, "We have that lunch meeting today, don't forget."

"Yeah," Scooter nodded, "I got it." As Rick walked out he went into a box and pulled out a framed photo of Julie and Caroline, with the exception of her brown eyes, which came from him, she was purely Julie's kid. From her cute button nose and soft blonde hair to the way she pressed her lips together when she was angry, it was clear that she was her mother's daughter. He loved her, both of them, he loved both of them.

"So he got it," Connie said, as she and Julie watched Caroline and her two and a half year old son Jack played in the sandbox, "Julie, that's great."

"Yeah," Julie nodded.

"Did you start house hunting yet?" Connie asked. Julie shook her head. "Honey, why not? You need to get out of that apartment!"

"I mentioned it and he sort of shut down," She sighed, "Probably shouldn't have coupled it with I want to have another baby."

"Yeah," Connie nodded, "Probably not the best plan. Men need time to make life changes Julie."

"This is stuff we've been talking about since I got pregnant Connie," Julie said, "There's been time."

"Yes, you've been talking," Connie nodded, "But none of it was possible until now," Connie glanced over, "No, no, Jack!" She sighed and ran and picked him up, "We don't eat that, it's icky, spit it out!" Jack had placed a handful of sand in his mouth.

"Cara told to," Jack pointed. And Julie tried to stifle a laugh.

"Caroline," Julie looked at her, "That's very bad, don't tell Jack to eat things that aren't food. Say you're sorry."

"I'm sorry Jack," Caroline muttered unconvincingly. "Mommy, I'm bored, can we go home now?"

"Sure sweetie," Julie sighed, "I'll call you Cons."

"Let me know how everything works out," Connie nodded and hugged her, "And when you decide to take that weekend, you know we'd be happy to have her." Julie nodded.

"Cara, what do we say?" Julie looked at her.

"Thank you for the picnic Aunt Connie," Caroline smiled sweetly.

"You are welcome," Connie leaned down and kissed her. "See you soon baby girl."

Scooter walked into the restaurant and the over to the table where Rick was sitting with their lunch meeting. Who as it turned out was an extremely attractive brunette woman about their age.

"Scott," Rick smiled, "This is Chloe St. Clair." Scooter nodded. He'd read up on her, she ran an up and coming woman's magazine, that was restructuring its marketing. Why they were taking this meeting he wasn't sure. "Chloe, this is Scott Vanderbilt."

"Sorry I'm late," He said, "I got stuck."

"That's all right," She smiled at him. He knew that look. It was dangerous in his current frame of mind. "Why don't we get right to it? What can you two do for me?"

"You're looking to redo everything," Rick said, "And that's a good point. St. Clair has the potential to be a lot more than it is."

"I know that," She said smugly. "That's why I'm here."

"You need to rethink your approach to your core demographic," Scooter explained, he'd been thinking about this, "For example, I know my wife,"

"You're married?" She asked, he nodded, "Mm, too bad," She took a sip of her drink, and he laughed uncomfortably. "Continue, please."

"I um, lost my train of thought," Scooter said.

"Julie," Rick said, Scooter looked at him.

"Right," He nodded, "Anyway, she always talks about how she hates being pandered to. Being put in a box, like most media, even female run media tends to do."

"What does she do?" Chloe asked. "Your wife?"

"She stays home," Scooter said, "With our daughter, anyway, so that got me to thinking, you have to appeal to more than just one side of a woman's personality." Rick smiled. He'd asked for Scooter to be put on this for this exact reason.

"No offense," Chloe said, "But we're really not after the Mommy demo, strollers and mini vans aren't really our thing."

"That's exactly what I'm talking about," He explained, "These women, there's more to them than that, and if someone were to appeal to more than that, they would spend in droves." Chloe nodded, she was impressed and not just by the logic of what he was saying, but by him. He on the other hand couldn't stop looking at her, anytime he was around a woman like this he found himself comparing her to Julie. Chloe was put together and calculated, probably cold and unforgiving. From her sharp stilettos to her perfectly tailored designer suit, she was everything she was supposed to be. He knew he would be going home to Julie, in all her warmth and beauty, probably would be wearing a pair of old jeans and an older sweatshirt with her blonde hair in a messy pony tail. Julie had never been glamorous. Sweet, beautiful, sexy, always, but never glamorous. And sometimes he craved the kind of beauty he was raised to appreciate, and that was the kind of beauty Chloe had.

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