Takes place immediately following Diane and Denby's first meeting at CitiWide. NOTE: I came up with two separate endings and couldn’t decide which one to use. They are both here, just substitute Ending B for A.

Heels stabbing…concrete taking the brunt of her anger. Every step punching a hole into his flesh.
Lips bloodless from pressure…throat rage-constricted…heart jackhammering…arms rigid…
hands molded into fists, ready to annihilate…
A perfect storm
God!…SO STUPID!…can’t you learn! Every…damn…time!
“Someone new in your life? Who is he? I’ll kill him”, “You're a woman in your prime with strong unmet needs…”
Harry Denby…human gladfly…landing…stinging…darting…watching…
Her stabs at repelling - Pathetic.
“I can't stand you Denby”!!
That was it?! That’s all she had, a sister to kid brother reaction?!
Steps slowing….Dead stop.
People sidestepping, detouring, glaring
Little-girl-lost gaze…remembering
His shout – “I love you!” – reverberating in her brain
Her clever come back - finger stabbing sky…and then…
She…looked…back!
She had looked back!
Head shakes in disbelief. Shaking the image out. Trying. Attempting. Won't go.
Angry thrust of hands into pockets…one inside seam splits in protest
God, how she hates his guts!…
doesn’t she?

Squad room.
People…furniture…every blessed thing - invading her space.
A headache making itself at home…
Danny…Mary…Andy…everyone with problems…have enough of her own…
does she look like Dear Abby? No, wrong reaction. They don't deserve…sorry - nerves.
(Danny. Groan. Puppy-dog eyes…little boy/man crush…weekend getaway invitations. Have to stop it…soon…“let him down easy” time (Too late?))
So keyed up. Want to - need to - scream, jump, run, hit…something
Pencil morse coding against desktop. Concentrate. Work. Losing battle.
Major ET-envy – want to go – Home!

Home!
Shoes airborne, drop-kicked across room…toes and arches revel in freedom…minor skirmish with shirt-tail…Ohhh, Heaven!

No…not Heaven. Not good. No better than office.
At least she’s alone…no longer watched, analyzed by curious eyes
She can come unglued… here… without an audience
Time creeping, crawling…One hour…two.
Muscles unable (unwilling?) to relax.
Tiger pacing. Room too small…skin too tight…itch she can't scratch…Maggie the cat.
Radio…music…soothe the beast…
Oh, for the love of…(can’t she get a break?!) Chris Isaak's voice teases the hair on her nape…Wicked Games…
Muffled whimper of frustration.

Knuckles rap. The door. Knocking…
Oh, God…
Feet move, legs and body follow.
Hand grasps knob…twists…jerks door open.
"Pizza delivery, ma'am."
"It's about time!"
Hungry fingers grab fistfuls of blue jacket…tugging, pulling
Door slams.
Box drops…a mushroom, onion, pepperoni, meat sauce mosaic spread across the carpet.
Bodies mesh, arms cling, lips crush…her mouth wiping the grin off of his
Surfacing…teasing his ear…whispering…"I swear, one of these days, I'm going to kill you Harry!"

Ending B

Knuckles rap. The door. Knocking…
Oh, God…
Feet move, legs and body follow.
Hand grasps knob…twists…jerks door open.
Damn!…Danny.
Danny?…pizza? (Uh, oh.)
Welcoming smile unreturned
Puzzled…“Danny?”
Door widening…Danny stepping forward
Not stepping
…falling…landing…dead weight…pizza bleeding sauce
Blue eyes…frozen surprise
Kneeling…unbelieving…horror-filling
Hands lift head…fingers spread – red
Voice startles…behind
Denby!

Shoulder doorjamb-propped
Lips stretched sardonically
“Naughty, naughty, Diane," finger wagging…playful.
"There was someone new in your life.”
Long limbs straighten…hand emulating gun…finger-barrel pointing down…at Danny
“Told you I’d kill him.”
Wink