“I’ve been watching your work since I was a little kid,” Ryan said with his most Endearing Eyes. “I just have so much respect for you and women of your generation. All the struggles you’ve been through.”

My generation, Natalie thought. She was only six years older than him.

At the table, an African American woman with dangling turquoise earrings began to choke, her earrings swaying mightily.

Ryan shifted expressions from Endearing to Perky to say, “I know I’m going to learn a lot from you. Can’t wait to steal all your tricks!” He winked and circled around the table to take the empty seat next to Bibb, leaving Natalie to ponder the cruelty of a world in which conference rooms were not built with escape hatches in the floor.

The earrings woman, with short cropped hair and eyes that seemed locked in a look of permanent skepticism, held out her hand toward Natalie and said, “Nice to meet you. Andrea Johnson.” As Natalie shook it she realized this was the producer who had been working with Ryan.

“I heard about your dad,” Natalie told Andrea quietly. “I’m really sorry.”

Andrea’s eyes got wide and filled with tears. She turned away abruptly for a moment. Then, regaining her composure, she gave Natalie a watery smile and gestured toward the empty place next to hers. “Here, have a seat.”

The day before, Natalie hadn’t realized that Ryan’s Andrea was Andrea Johnson. She was something of a legend in the business. Spoken of by some people at ATN in the same awed tones as war correspondents who’d been kidnapped on assignment and Sunday show regulars who traveled with Clooney in Africa and knew the Dalai Lama personally. Natalie had heard other correspondents say that Andrea was one of the reasons the ATN DC bureau still functioned. She managed to get news out despite ownership changes, management shuffles, and an office culture that produced so many experts at passing the blame it could have replaced curling as an Olympic sport.

“You’re the Natalie Savage that handled the obese airlift, aren’t you?” Andrea said.

“Yes,” Natalie said, her voice sounding less confident than she would have liked. That had been a challenging assignment and Natalie was unnerved to think what intel Andrea might have gathered about it.

“Heard you wrangled the best spot for a live shot and stayed up on air for forty-eight hours through the whole deal.”

Natalie nodded.

“And missed a friend’s wedding without complaining,” Andrea added.

That was true, too. But it had happened two years earlier. “How did you hear about that?” Natalie asked.

“Producers talk. A friend in New York told me to look out for you. Said you’ve got talent, brains, and tenacity—her words—and that DC is lucky to have you. It’d be good to make sure we keep you.”