“Feel any better?” Wes asked as Adele reappeared in her robe. The make-up she’d precariously applied was washed off, the dress gone and the expensive diamonds banished.
          “A little,” Adele sniffed as she sat on the couch next to Wes, curling her legs under her.
          Wes fought the temptation to take her in his arms again and instead motioned to the bottle of wine. “What d’ya reckon? Should we crack it open?”
          “Probably not a good idea,” Adele sighed. “I’ve not eaten since breakfast.”
          Wes rolled his eyes, “Crazy woman,” he mused pulling out his mobile phone. He flicked through a couple of numbers and then waited. “Yeah I’d like to order a pizza…”
          Adele giggled as Wes relayed his order and demanded that under no circumstances was there to be any anchovies or he would attack the delivery boy with a large trout.
          “Right, it might be 2am but that’s dinner sorted,” he enthused and looked back at Adele who despite the smile was still on the verge of breaking down again.
          “Sorry I was a bitch to you,” she announced almost falling over the words. “I should have listened.”
          “Doesn’t matter,” Wes breathed and stroked her knee. “We all do stupid things when we’re infatuated.”
          “Some stupider than others,” Adele muttered and sniffled. “Here’s me whining on and I haven’t even asked how you are.”
          “I’m super fantastic,” Wes said without much conviction and then, seeing the pitying look on Adele’s face tried to change tact. “I mean I love staying with Zeke. I’m really getting into Guild Wars and the other fruitful joys of the online gaming community.”
          Adele started to giggle and Wes smiled. “I’m embarrassed for you.”
          “So am I.”
          “Have you seen Kate?”
          Wes looked at her out of the corner of his eye and shook his head. “A mate told me she got engaged on the weekend.”
          “Jesus she didn’t take long,” Adele gasped as she watched Wes become suddenly very interested in his feet. “We’re real relationship retards aren’t we?” she added wrapping him up in a tight hug.
          “Nah it’s the people that fuck us over that are retards,” Wes mused and turned his head a little to look at Adele. “Because we’re both incredibly good looking and talented.”
          Adele felt her cheeks grow warm again and at that moment so desperately wanted to kiss him. She didn’t know why because the thought had never entered her head before. She also had the distinct impression that he was thinking much the same. There was a twinge of disappointment when the doorbell rang.
          “Pizza’s here,” Wes declared leaping off the couch and breaking the moment. He paid the pizza boy and returned to the couch. He opened the box on his lap and handed Adele a slice. “Fill your belly quick so we can crack open the booze and drink away our sorrows.”
          “Y’know getting smashed isn’t the answer to all life’s problems,” Adele mused gratefully taking the pizza.
          “Yes well binge eating didn’t work last time and I’m pretty sure its not gonna work now,” Wes countered, thrusting the pizza box onto Adele’s lap and reaching for the bottle of wine.

          The tinny sound of some tortured pop song forced Adele to wake much to her annoyance. She opened one eye long enough to see Wes’s phone scream and plummet from the coffee table onto the floor where it twitched and died. Her eyes closed again and gently she let her senses begin their day.
          There was a definite stench of pizza in the air that was less appetising and more nauseating. Her fingers could feel warm flesh that wasn’t her own and it became quickly apparent that there was another body quite close to hers. At this realisation the rest of Adele’s senses came to the party pretty quickly and after hearing gentle breathing in her ear she opened her eyes fully and realised she was curled up on the couch with Wes. She was relieved to find they were clothed and by the rather viscous pounding in her head nursing hangovers.
          Adele glanced over at the VCR and saw that it was already ten and they should have been at work hours ago. This was followed by the painful recollection of the previous evening’s events and the discovery that she couldn’t give a flying fuck if she ever went to work again.
          “Is it time for work?” Wes announced in a barely audible voice, his warm breath on her ear making her tingle.
          “It was a couple of hours ago,” she replied, her voice coming out in a rather scary, strained way.
          “Oh,” he breathed. “Should probably get up then.”
          “Yeah,” Adele agreed, but neither moved.
          “Why aren’t I getting up?” Wes asked after several minutes of nothing but subdued breathing.
          “Because you’re not sure if you can make it to the bathroom before you regurgitate last night’s pizza,” Adele replied, snuggling a little more into his shoulder.
          “Well there is that…” he agreed. “And I’m enjoying the feel off your unrestrained breasts against my side.”
          Adele’s eyes popped open and she blearily sat up enough to inspect her bosom. “When did I lose my bra?”
          “I really wish I could remember,” Wes winced and propped himself up.
          Adele watched him a moment. “Yeah, I’m up here.”
          “But they’re not!”
          “Wes!”
          “Sorry,” Wes giggled. “I’ve not been close to a woman for a while.”
          “There’s reasons for that.”
          “Burn!”
          “Idiot,” Adele mused and forced herself to climb over his unmoved body. She stumbled to her feet and tried to hide her mortification at the empty pizza box, empty bottle of wine and abandoned bra that littered her living room. Adele started to clean up as Wes collected his phone from the floor. He sniggered at the 12 missed calls and slipped the device into his pocket.
          “I better get going,” he declared as he stretched and scratched his stomach.
          “Might as well wait and I’ll give you a lift,” Adele said as she took the empty box and bottle into the kitchen.
          “You’re not seriously going into work.”
          “Well yes, why wouldn’t I?”
          “Because…Eastman…” Wes floundered a moment. “Well you and him…and he’s…”
          “If I don’t go in it means he’s won,” Adele countered with less conviction than she was hoping for. She noticed Wes’s face changed from cocky to concerned and it surprised her.
          “You absolutely sure?”
          Adele nodded, “I’ll just get dressed.”
          She hurried into her room and opened the wardrobe. Her first instinct was the grab her sensible pants and shirt and she stopped. The idea of putting on those clothes made her feel dirty and humiliated. Instead she pulled on her jeans, a green jumper and black Chucks. Her long hair was left loose and for once she looked like all the other writers that stalked the building – hungover and shabby.

          Adele felt fine until they reached the studio entrance and her stomach started to tighten and twist. Wes gave her another concerned look and she managed to suck it up, take a deep breath and walk in.
          “How you doing?” Wes said quietly.
          “Fine Wes,” Adele half smiled. “I’m not a cripple.”
          “Yes you are,” he countered. “An emotional cripple!”
          She was about to respond when a busy looking woman with a clipboard strode up to them. “Where the hell have you been?” she snapped at Wes. “Do you even realise how late you are?”
          “I’m late?” Wes gasped and looked at his watch. “SHIT!”
          Adele stifled a giggle and then woman turned on her.
          “No visitors love you’ll have to leave.”
          “What? I work here!” she gasped. “Adele Brodie.”
          The clipboard woman studied her a moment. “Oh.”
          Wes opened his mouth but was cut off by another voice, “Ahh Miss Brodie.”
          Adele felt the blood drain from her face, her hands began to shake and a lump formed in her throat. She desperately wanted to turn and run, find a dark corner and burst into tears. There was no way she wanted to turn and look at Harry Eastman.
          “Miss Brodie,” Harry reiterated and dropped a hand on her shoulder. Her body stiffened so visibly even the cleaning lady at the end of the hall could see her discomfort.
          “Don’t touch her,” Wes spat, surprising Adele, Harry and clipboard woman.
          “Ahh Miss Brodie doesn’t mind,” Harry chuckled and squeezed her shoulder.
          Wes and Adele shot each other a look and he wondered if she wasn’t about the snatch the clipboard and beat Harry to a bloody pulp.
          “We should get to work,” Harry persevered, his hand moving to the small of Adele’s back.
          “Yes,” Adele said quietly and started to be led away.
          “Wait!” Wes demanded, causing them both to turn around.
          “Yes?” Harry frowned, clearly not happy with the interruption.
          “It’s fine Wes,” Adele said, a small smile creeping onto her lips, and then quickly turned back around.
          Wes couldn’t hide his unhappiness but something in her smile convinced him that there was more going on in her mind than anyone else realised.

          “You look different today,” Harry announced as he turned to look at Adele who perched herself on a stool in his dressing room.
          “In what way?” she asked, running her eyes over his ample stomach and feeling the bile rise in her throat.
          Harry studied her a moment. “Have you done something to your hair?”
          “Yes,” Adele said blankly. “I didn’t brush it.”
          “Oh,” Harry frowned. “Let me tell you about the wonderful night I had last night…”
          “I’d rather just get on with the work.”
          Harry looked taken aback. “Are you angry with me for something?”
          It took all Adele’s facial muscles not to fall into an angry scowl. That bastard didn’t even remember he was supposed to be whisking her off for a romantic evening. Harry Eastman, it was becoming quite clear, cared nothing for anybody but himself.
          “Miss Brodie,” Harry smiled and squeezed her shoulder. “Are you angry with me?”
          “Of course not,” Adele smiled sweetly. “But I’m already late and we should get to work.”
          “Yes, quite right I suppose,” Harry sighed, his free hand sliding onto her thigh. “Shall I call for some coffee and cake to start the day?”
          “No thankyou,” Adele replied, crossing her legs and settling her notepad and pen carefully on her lap. “I’d really rather just work.”
          Harry looking confused, gave another defeated sigh and sat himself despondently in a padded chair. “So, who am I interviewing tonight…”
          “Hmm…” Adele looked at copy of the guest list in her lap. “Talon Robinson, y’know the Hollywood big shot who has a new movie out. He plays the President who is trying to avoid being assassinated by one of his own aides.”
          “Original plot then?”
          Adele nodded as she briefly read over Talon’s biography. “I’ll just draft you a few questions. The usual bland, “do you like Australia?” and “tell us that funny story about your pants”, kinda thing.”
          “Ahh you’re too good to me Miss Brodie,” Harry sighed beaming.
          “Yes I probably am,” Adele smiled as she got to her feet and headed out into the corridor. “Not for much longer though you sleazy fuck,” she muttered as she closed the door.

          It was very late in the afternoon when Adele handed her questions to Ron who was in charge of the autocue.
          “We’ve been waiting for these,” Ron mused. “He’s gonna have to do them cold though since he pissed off for dinner hours ago.”
          “Oh well,” Adele shrugged. “If anyone can pull it off our Harry can.”
          “You’ve got that right,” Ron winked as Adele turned and strolled out of the studio and straight into Wes.
          “How are things? Are you ok?”
          “I’m great,” Adele smiled and Wes narrowed his eyes.
          “What have you done you crafty minx?”
          “What makes you think I’ve done anything?”
          “He’s fucked you over,” Wes declared. “Chicks just aren’t great when they’ve been fucked over.”
          “Well I’m not any chick,” Adele mused and patted Wes’s cheek.
          “No, you’re certainly not,” Wes smiled. “So you staying for the show or what?”
          “Or what actually,” Adele sighed. “I think I’ve had enough for today and will just go home and watch it on the box.”
          Wes raised an eyebrow and couldn’t hold back a beaming smile. “What have you done? Tell me!”
          “Think I’ll have a nice bath actually,” Adele perked as she headed for the door. “Spend some quality time with Frankie.”
          “I’ll find out you know,” Wes called after her.
          “Oh, I’ve no doubt you will,” Adele giggled to herself as she all but skipped out into the parking lot.

          Adele did as she’d promised and took a long soak in the bath while giving Frank Skywalker a groveling apology for her horrendous state of neglect recently. He in turn wrapped himself up in her fluffy pink towel and mewed.
          Feeling cleansed, Adele sporting her pyjamas and clutching a steaming mug of hot chocolate got herself comfortable on the couch and flicked on the television as the newsbreak before Every Night with Eastman was under way.

          “Two minutes guys,” announced one of the assistants as she burst into the green room waving a clipboard.
          Wes gulped down a mouthful of water and looked edgily around the room. Usually he wouldn’t get pent up with nerves before any kind of gig but he could feel a sense of anticipation in the air. He knew Adele had done something, something that was going to embarrass Harry Eastman in the manner in which he deserved. He didn’t know what it was, when it was going to happen, but when it did the shit was going to hit the fan and he was glad he’d get a front row seat.