| Actions |
-----
The 10 o'clock run down meeting is going on, and seated inside the conference room are: Dana, Natalie, Dan, Casey, Kim, Elliott, Dave, Chris, Will, and Isaac. Jeremy is absent and late for the meeting.
Dana: Okay. We're going to swap the Giants and the Cardinals.
People starts scribbling notes down.
Kim: New York and St. Louis.
Elliott: I thought it was San Francisco and St. Louis.
Dana: Guys-
Will: No, that's the Niners and Rams.
Chris: Are you sure? Because I have it down to be San Francisco and Arizona.
Will: Yes, I'm sure.
Chris: Because the Cardinals are now in Arizona. They've been for over ten years. The Rams are now in St. Louis, not the Cardinals.
Dave: The football Cardinals.
Kim: The baseball Cardinals have been there forever.
Dana: Guys-
Elliott: One-hundred and eight years.
Dave: That long?
Will: Who?
Natalie: The baseball Cardinals.
Will: Really?
Elliott: Yup.
Natalie: Yeah.
Dana: Louisville.
Everyone stops, looks at Dana, and gives a collective, "Huh?"
Dana: The Louisville Cardinals and the New York Football Giants. Pay attention people.
Everyone starts erasing or scratching out things on their notes, and they start writing more information down.
Natalie: We've got too many stories on Cardinals.
Chris: And Giants.
Elliott: These are about football? Right, Dana?
Dana: Actually, college basketball and pro football.
Once again, everyone starts erasing or scratching out things on their notes. They finally write the correct information down.
Dan: Okay, that means I'll have the Eagles, Redskins, and the New York Football (nods to Dana) Giants. Then Casey will take the Vikings, Buccaneers, Lions, and Rams.
Dana: Right.
Casey: No.
Dana: What then?
Casey: I thought Dan was taking the Eagles, Redskins, and Giants; I was taking the Vikings, Buccaneers, Lions, and Rams.
Dan: That's what I said.
Dana: That's what he said, Casey.
Casey: He did?
Dan: I did.
Dana: He did.
Casey scratches something out and writes down the information. Casey looks at his paper.
Casey: Wait. I already had that.
Casey once again scratches something out and writes down the correct information. Everyone, except Dana seems amused by Casey's blunder.
Jeremy walks into the conference room, and he immediately takes his seat.
Dana: Jeremy. Glad you could make it at some point tonight. Everybody, if you are Jeremy's Secret Santa, be sure to get him a watch.
Jeremy: I apologize profusely to everyone. It is very unlike me to be late for a meeting.
Dan: What happened?
Jeremy: I was educated and enlightened.
Dana: Good to know you have a valid excuse.
Isaac: You were presumed dead.
Jeremy: I would have believed that myself.
Isaac: We can still make that happen.
Dana: Jeremy, see me after the meeting. We'll discuss this later.
Jeremy: Okay. Natalie, may I speak with you before I speak with Dana?
Dana: This isn't the time to be setting up a date!
Jeremy: I just wish to have a few minutes with Natalie before I speak with you Dana.
Natalie: Why?
Jeremy: I want to tell you first.
Dan: And yet, the alien looked so much like a carbon-copy of Jeremy Goodwin.
Dana lets out a frustrated breath, the sign that this subject has taken entirely too much time.
Dana: Moving on people...
-----
Casey walks into his office, followed by Dan.
Dan: Casey-
Dana storms into their office.
Dana: Dan, could you excuse us, please? I need to talk to Casey privately.
Dan: This is my office, too.
Casey: Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of Dan. And shouldn't you be speaking with Jeremy, first?
Dana: Jeremy can wait.
Dan: If you want to talk to Casey privately, why don't you take him to your own office?
Dana: (sharp tone) Daniel, please?
Dan takes Dana's tone as a cue to leave, for she meant business.
Dan: Okay, okay.
Dan holds both hands up in the air as an act of surrender. He then leaves the room.
Once Dan leaves, Dana closes the door to the office and focuses her anger toward Casey.
Dana: I know that you are having some personal problems right now. And I'm willing to cut you some slack for that. But, when your personal problems start screwing up my show, then they become my problems. And, quite frankly, Casey, I don't need any additional problems with your name attached to them right now!
Dana sighs heavily as Casey shows no reaction.
Dana: You're blowing your lines. For some reason, you can't seem to follow the Teleprompter. Your hesitations and lack of concentration is running us over and costing us time. Do you have anything you want to say in your own defense?
Casey: I'll try and do better...
Dana: No, you won't 'try' and do better, you will do better! We're on in less than a half an hour. Get your act together! Or you're going to buy yourself a one-way ticket out of here. Do you get my drift?
Casey: Yes, ma'am.
Dana finally calms down and it shows in her concerned tone.
Dana: Why won't you talk to me, Casey? Why won't you tell me what's going on with you?
Casey: I didn't know you were interested.
Dana: That's not fair. And you know it. I always care. How do I know if I can help, if you won't tell me what the problem is?
Casey: You can't help.
Dana: How do you know?
Casey: Because, I know.
Dana: You're really not going to tell me anything, are you?
Casey: No. It's not your problem.
Dana: Then, stop making it my problem, all right? Get your act together and get it together fast!
Dana turns sharply on her heel and storms out of the office.
-----
Jeremy opens up the door to the editing room and discovers it to be unoccupied.
Jeremy: Come on.
Jeremy motions toward the room. He steps inside, and is followed by Natalie. Jeremy closes the door behind her.
Natalie: Jeremy, what's up?
Jeremy thinks his words carefully.
Jeremy: Natalie... I've been an ass.
Natalie is shocked at his opening statement. She is left momentarily speechless.
Jeremy: I was wrong to accuse you the way I did. I was wrong and I am ashamed. You deserve the trust and full support of someone... someone who is a better man than me-
Natalie: Jeremy-
Jeremy: Please, Natalie. I am wrong and I am at fault. We haven't been communicating and spending time together like we should. We need to discuss our likes and dislikes, share our opinions, express our feelings- not just anger and petty jealousy-
Natalie: It's all right.
Jeremy: No, it's not all right, Natalie. I betrayed you by having these unfounded jealousies, and I completely understand if you want to break up-
Natalie: Do you want to break up?
Jeremy ponders it for a moment. He then shakes his head.
Jeremy: No.
Natalie: I don't want to break up with you.
Jeremy: You don't?
Natalie: No.
Natalie walks up and wraps her arms around Jeremy's waist.
Natalie: It was kinda' cute seeing you jealous of another man.
Jeremy: It was?
Natalie: Not really. Don't let it ever happen again.
Jeremy: Okay. I'll try.
The two kiss.
Natalie: Maintenance closet in five minutes.
Jeremy: Natalie?
Natalie: Jeremy. Time's ticking away.
Natalie leaves the editing room.
-----
Dan walks back into his office and goes up to Casey.
Dan: What's going on?
Casey: Nothing.
Dan: What did Dana want?
Casey: What do you think Dana wanted?
Dan: I imagine she told you to shape up or ship out.
Casey looks up at Dan, and Dan shrugs his shoulders.
Casey: I figured that was coming.
Casey walks over and flops himself on the couch.
Dan: What's going on, Case? Talk to me.
Dan sits on the opposite end of the couch.
Casey: We're fighting.
Dan: You and Dana?
Casey: Me and Lisa.
Dan thinks about it for a second.
Casey: I know what you are thinking.
Dan: No, you don't.
Casey: You're thinking I should break up with her.
Dan: I'm thinking 'do what's best for Casey.'
Casey nods his head.
Dan: You're not doing Charlie any favors by staying together and being unhappy.
Casey: It's the holidays.
Dan: Would you rather have a miserable holiday season?
-----
Dana is sitting at her desk, when Isaac walks in.
Dana: This is a surprise.
Isaac: I can visit you if I like.
Dana: No, I mean, I thought you would have called me to your office to see how it went.
Isaac: Well, I'm here now. So, how did it go?
Dana: I don't know.
Isaac: He needs to get his act together.
Dana: I know.
Isaac: He's having problems again with Lisa.
Dana gives Isaac a puzzled look.
Dana: How do you know?
Isaac: He's having problems with the show, blaming other people or things, and taking everything out on everybody.
Dana: Should I say something?
Isaac: He needs to do it himself. If he doesn't stand up for himself, I'm going to stand up against his performance.
Dana: Would you fire him?
Isaac: This is a business, not a mental hospital.
-----
Back to Dan and Casey in their office.
Casey: They want you to do what?
Dan: They asked me if I was interested in doing baseball and college basketball coverage.
Casey: So, this is what's causing the problems?
Dan: That's how I know about Marcus. And why he's out for my job.
Casey sits in shock.
Casey: Too much is going on right now.
Dan: I have a meeting with them tomorrow.
Casey: I haven't spoken with them about you and me negotiating as a team.
Dan: Well, with your latest performances, it may not be such a good idea.
Casey: What did you tell them?
Dan: When?
Casey: When they asked you to be a commentator.
Dan: I told them 'no.'
Casey: Good.
Dan: I said that it wasn't because I cannot be a good commentator. It's just I'm a better anchor.
Casey: I agree. And what did they say?
Dan: They told me to think about it.
Casey: And then you went on vacation.
Dan: And Marcus swooped down.
Casey: We need to work together.
Dan: Right.
Casey: No. We need to work together, right now. We need a plan.
-----
Back to Dana in her office. She is looking through a catalog.
Natalie walks in.
Natalie: Hey.
Dana: Hey, what's up?
Natalie: Kim and Elliott each donated twenty bucks.
Natalie hands over some cash to Dana. Dana puts the cash into her pocket.
Dana: Great. We're up to six-hundred thirty dollars.
Natalie: Is that enough?
Dana: I hope so.
Natalie: I'll continue to work everybody else.
Dana: Good.
Dana flips a page in the catalog.
Natalie: What are you looking at?
Dana: Potential Christmas gifts.
Natalie: For whom?
Dana: Me.
Natalie: Anything you like?
Dana: Absolutely.
Dana flip the catalog back to a page. She points out a particular product to Natalie.
Dana: See that?
Natalie: It's beautiful.
Dana: A blown glass butterfly from the Czech Republic. The colors just jump out at you, don't they?
Natalie: Yes. Does Kevin know?
Dana: I've given him some hints.
Natalie: Like 'I want that'?
Dana: I'm not that brazen, Natalie.
Natalie: Well, I would.
Kim can be heard over the intercom.
Kim: (over intercom) Ten minutes. First team to the studio.
Dana closes the catalog.
Dana: We've got a show to do.
Natalie: Let's go.
Dana and Natalie leave the office.
