Disclaimer

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In the midst of chaos, Kim is calmly walking through the newsroom. She looks around and then continues to the control room. She walks through the control room and onto the studio set. She walks through the studio and to the editing room. She opens the door and sees Marcus frantically working.

Marcus pops out one tape from the editing machine, inserts a second, and holds a third in his mouth. He continues working.

Kim: Feasting on highlights, Marcus?

Marcus: Om tying to ge his dun.

Kim: You're trying to get this done?

Marcus: Uh-uh.

Kim: Time's running out. They might not be able to use it even if you get it done.

"First team to the studio. Five minutes to air."

Marcus pulls out the tape in the machine. He then takes the tape from his mouth and inserts into the machine.

Marcus: It's under control... it's under control... I'm going to make it in time.

Kim: I could get somebody to help you.

Marcus: No!

Kim: It's rare that I ever hear a man tell me 'no.' Especially when a man needs help.

Marcus: I just need to finish this little bit up... almost there... and then I'm done.

Marcus pulls out two tapes from the machine and throws his arms in the air in triumph.

Marcus: All done!

Marcus gets up and heads toward the door.

Kim: See me afterwards.

Marcus stops himself for a moment.

Marcus: About?

Kim: We'll talk about it in a minute.

Marcus: Over drinks?

Kim: Over water.

Marcus: Cool.

Kim: The water cooler is down the hall. Grab me a cup of water and meet me in the conference room.

Kim walks away, leaving Marcus mesmerized for a moment. He then shakes his head and sprints to the control room.

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Inside the control room, Dana sits in her chair and puts on her headset.

Dana: Let me hear these in the following order: New York, Los Angeles, Portland, Milwaukee, Charlotte, and Dallas.

Marcus runs in and hands Dana the tape.

Dana: (to Marcus) What am I supposed to do with this? (into headset) New York, you're good.

Natalie: I've got it, Dana. I'll check the locations.

Marcus: It's the third Jordan segment for tonight.

Dana: It was supposed to be ready for the top-half of the show.

Natalie: (into headset) L.A.- good. Portland- good.

Marcus: It is.

Dana: I needed it 30 minutes ago.

Marcus: It's ready to go, Miss Whitaker.

Dana: Miss Whitaker? What am I? A schoolteacher?

Marcus: Please?

Natalie: (into headset) Milwaukee- you're good. Charlotte? Charlotte?

Dana: Natalie? Do we have time?

Natalie: Huh?

Dana: Do we have time to insert the piece?

Natalie: (into headset) Charlotte- can you hear me? (to Dana) What piece?

Dana: Marcus' piece on Jordan.

Natalie: I doubt it. (into headset) Let me hear Dallas.

Marcus: It's only a 40-second piece.

Natalie: Sure. I'll drop it in and push everything back.

Dana: Nat-

Natalie: I'm joking. I can't use it. See if Sally can use it.

Marcus: I've been running around all day, today.

Dana: Marcus, we've all been running around. Most of us have been here since 9 o'clock this morning. I needed the piece 30 minutes ago.

Marcus: Please?

Dana: Take a step back and take a deep breath. If it was toward the bottom half of the show, I might have been able to sneak it in there. I needed your piece to follow the feature. I didn't get it in time, so we made other arrangements. End of discussion.

Natalie? What's with Charlotte?

Natalie: I don't have Charlotte and Dallas.

Marcus shakes his head and looks disgusted as he leaves the control room. Jeremy enters as Marcus is leaving, and Marcus tosses Jeremy the tape. Jeremy barely catches the tape as Marcus storms into the newsroom.

Jeremy: What was that about?

Natalie: Accountability.

Dana: Don't worry about it, Jeremy.

Jeremy takes a seat and sets the tape in front of him.

-----

Dan and Tina Lake are seated at the anchor desk and getting ready for the show.

Dan: You look nice tonight.

Tina Lake: Thank you.

Dan: I've been here since 8:30 this morning.

Tina: Really?

Dan: Yeah.

Tina doesn't respond.

Dan: I'm tired.

Tina looks at Dan.

Tina: Would you like me to nudge you if you fall asleep?

Dan: I think I have enough stamina to make it through the broadcast.

Tina: Thanks for being a real trooper.

Tina looks over her hard copy.

Dan: Do I flirt with the camera?

Tina: Excuse me?

Dan: When the camera is on me, there are times when I'll flirt with the camera.

Tina: You do?

Dan: Yeah. Haven't you ever noticed?

Tina: No, Dan.

Dan: Okay.

Tina: Why did you ask me that?

Dan: I thought you would have noticed.

Tina: No. You asked me if you flirted with the camera. I said 'no,' you said you did. If you knew the answer, why did you ask me if you flirt with the camera?

Dan: I was wondering if you noticed.

Tina: I didn't.

Dan: Okay.

Dan takes a drink from his mug.

Tina: I've noticed there are times when you have a look of desperation gazing toward the camera.

Dan begins to choke.

Dan: (gasping) I... do not.

Dan coughs a few more times.

Tina: That's what I notice, if you were wondering.

Dana: (over intercom) Everything alright, Danny?

Dan waves off the question.

Dan: I'm fine.

Dana: (over intercom) Okay.

Dan: I could have drowned, Dana.

Dan focuses back to Tina.

Dan: I don't give a look of desperation. I'm dating somebody. There's no need for me to be desperate.

Tina: And I guess there's also no need to be flirting with somebody else.

Dan: Flirting is harmless. In fact, studies say it is healthy when developing interpersonal skills.

Tina: Sure, to you it may be harmless. To other people, it may just be annoying.

Dave: (over intercom) Sixty seconds live.

Dan sits back in his chair and then leans toward Tina.

Dan: Am I annoying you?

Tina: Very much so.

Dan smiles, but Tina keeps a serious look. Dan then loses the smile and straightens up in his chair.

Dan: We'll have a good, crisp show. No flirting of any kind, tonight.

Tina: I'm missing page 12.

Tina and Dan each flip through their hard copies.

Dan: I've got mine. It has you focusing on the NHL.

Tina: Dana? I don't have page 12.

Elliott walks by.

Elliott: Are there any more pages missing?

Tina: Just that one.

Elliott: I'll print you out a copy.

Tina: Thank you.

Dan: Good job, Elliott.

Elliott looks at Dan.

Elliott: I'm not interested, Dan.

Dan: What?

Elliott: You have that look again. The look of desperation.

Dan: I wasn't even flirting with you.

Elliott: Good because it is really unbecoming.

Elliott walks to a computer to print out a copy for Tina. Dan stands up at the anchor desk.

Dan: May I have everyone's attention?!

People slow up their work.

Dan: Take a good look at me. This is how I look. I am not flirting with you. I do not have the look of a desperate man. This is my normal, everyday, "Danny's in the zone" showtime look. Everybody understand?

Dana: (over intercom) Danny? This is my "sit down and shut the hell up" voice. It is not to be confused with being cute, playful, or flirtatious. It means business.

Dave: (over intercom) Ten seconds live.

Dan sits back down.

Dana: (over intercom) Thank you. Good show, everybody.

Elliott walks over to the anchor desk and hands Tina her missing sheet. He rushes off the set before the red light goes on over camera two.

Dan: (on-air) Good evening. From New York City, I'm Dan Rydell and my partner tonight is Case... Tina Lake.

Inside the control room, Dan's introduction can be heard in the background.

Jeremy: Did Dan just call Tina a casadia?

Dana: Maybe. It's okay. It's just a little slip.

Natalie: I still don't have Charlotte.

Dana: Okay. Let's not lose the show. Let's not lose hope.

Dana watches carefully as she begins to chew on the end of a pen.