Mac shifted her weight as she waited for the elevator to reach the 25th floor. She was exhausted from two flights in one day and overwhelmed by what they had learned from General Stomtonovich but as much as she wanted to huddle in Charlie's office and continue their debate on the merits and ethics of broadcasting Genoa she still had a job to do.
She had kept in touch with Jim through the morning as he had taken care of most of the pressing issues and responsibilities. In all likelihood she could take the rest of the day off as Jim could do a fine job running the broadcast but 8 to 9 was her favorite time of the day and over her dead body would she allow anyone else run their show if she was present and able.
However, on the return flight she had decided there was one last task she needed to do before checking in with Jim.
Between her frustration Monday night and then Genoa distracting her yesterday and being gone this morning she and Will had been distant since he got back and she didn't like it.
A big part of Mackenzie had come to terms with the fact that Will was never going to let her back into his life the way they had before but she still loved him and would take what she could get. That meant teasing and debating and talking in the office and about the show. They hadn't done that the past two days and she missed him.
She knew what she had told Sloan before was true; Will was a grown man who could do whatever he wanted. Mac had no say in the matter and she needed to find away to accept his personal life and not allow it to interfere with this strange and wonderful work dynamic that they had so cautiously built.
So she decided her first task was to check in and mend any fences.
She didn't knock, just walked in to his office making sure to plaster a smile on her face.
"We're back."
He looked up, an honest smile on his face, happy to see her not avoiding him, "I can see that."
Mackenzie rolled her eyes in amusement while Will leaned back in his chair, propping his feet up on the desk. He laced his hands behind his head, "Where'd you two crazy kids go?"
She leaned against the chair in front of her, "Charlie told you, Silver Springs in Maryland."
He gave a single, slow nod, "Riiiight. And why was that?"
She sighed and shot him an exasperated look, "To meet someone involved in the story you know I can't tell you about yet."
He nodded seriously, "Right, of course, how could that have slipped my mind?...What story was that again?"
Mackenzie gave him a glare and crossed her arms over her chest. "Shut up. I'm not falling for it."
He smirked broadly,"You did once before." Reminding her of a time shortly after they met when he had tricked her into telling him about a story that was embargoed.
She shook her head "That was a long time ago. Back when I was young and innocent and naive. Before I was corrupted by a mean old man." She glared at him pointedly.
Will snorted "I can only assume by mean old man you're referring to Charlie and not anyone in this room."
"Yes," She drawled sarcastically, "Charlie is the one who corrupted my innocence." She narrowed her eyes, "You sure you don't want to rethink that?"
Will coughed uncomfortably, "Yeah, definitely. Never mind on that one but thanks for that mental image."
Mackenzie shook her head, a victorious smirk on her face, "It's your own fault." She leaned forward again, spotting a familiar logo on the document on the desk, "What is that you were looking at?"
"Nothing." He quickly dropped his feet from the desk and shut the folder in front of him but not before her suspicion was confirmed.
Her shoulders slumped in disappointment and frustration, "Seriously!? You really had a focus group done?"
He stuck out his chin defensively, "So what if I did? You said you didn't care."
She shook her head sadly, "How many times are we going to have this conversation Billy? I don't know why you get so wound up in these things."
Without thinking he defended himself, "Nina thought it was a good idea."
Mackenzie arched her eyebrows, fighting to ignore how much it hurt that he was discussing their show with her, "Did she now? I guess that's not a surprise."
He crossed his arms, "What's that supposed to mean?"
Mackenzie shook her head and looked away, "Nothing. I'm just not sure what your print media, gossip columnist, girlfriend thinks she knows about what's good for a cable news program."
Will pierced her with an unrelenting stare, "I thought you liked Nina."
Mackenzie braced her hands on his desk, leaning forward, "What I have said was I didn't think she was a bad person. However, when she starts pushing you to make decisions that are bad for you and the show that we are trying to put together then you can't expect me to just sit here and let you go back down this path of delusional devotion to ratings and dial numbers."
He sat forward, matching Mackenzie's increasingly tense posture, "She's not pushing me toward anything. However she is supportive and understanding that we aren't doing a social studies project here!" He stood up, leaning over the desk, "Sales and audience retention are a real thing so I'm sorry if you're haughty sense of broadcast journalism forbids me from caring but maybe you should remember that your face and name aren't the brand "we" so casually risk on a nightly basis!"
Hurt, she bit her lip and stood back, arms again crossing over her chest, "So now what? You have these numbers. What are you going to do with them?"
Still angry and defensive Will couldn't help himself as he twisted the verbal knife, "Nina and I are planning on going over them and tonight's broadcast together at home this evening."
Mac's face blanked and her eyes went cold, "Are you really?" She spoke quietly but with an edge that Will had rarely heard.
He straightened and crossed his arms over his chest, "Yes, really."
She nodded, averting her eyes, and speaking so quietly she may have been speaking to herself, "Okay then." She looked up into Will's eyes and let out a short breath, "Well I hope you have a wonderful evening then. Please do give me a heads up whenever you decide you want her in the control room with a headset. I'd like to update my resume before she takes over the show."
She spun on her heel and strode out of the room.
Will regretted the conversation the moment she turned to leave, "Mac!...It's not like that...I'm sorry... You know what I..." but she was already gone.
He dropped in to his chair, and glared accusingly at the folder on his desk. With disgust he picked it up and tossed it angrily across the room.