Original subtitles

Boy, Lou.

Hi, Charlie.

You know, it was really cold out there on the way to work.

Well, we do have weather in Southern California, you know.

There was actually a taste of fall in here.

And it's early, too. It's only January.

Hey, listen, I heard about that judges' symposium on the radio in the car.

Radio? Is that how you keep up on the news?

Well, I don't have to stay on top of the news. I've got you to do that.

Right.

I heard it on TV last night.

Rossi and the animal are on their way.

Good, because Judge Marston is going to run for governor.

And he's supposed to give his big crime speech.

What's his position?

Anything that's popular.

Right now, it's lock him up and throw away the key.

But I sort of like the guy.

He'll be a disaster if he's elected, but he's a great guy to have drinks with.

Maybe we should elect him to the bar.

Don't look at me like that, Charlie, and then repeat it later like it was your

joke.

So I talked to all those parole officers, and next I'm going to a

to talk to some women who've served time.

That sounds depressing.

How come you're always working on stories that people don't care about?

If people don't care, I'll make them care.

You can't believe what these women are up against.

You know you're cute when you're zealous.

Why are you always going after downer subjects? You should be working on stuff

that's fun.

Such as?

Well, you could be an undercover bunny, ripped a lid off the Playboy Club.

I did all those stories when I worked for the other side, Donovan. You know,

your kind of stories. The life of a bachelor, the marina lifestyle, the

scene, looking for action every night.

I don't look for action every night.

I observe Easter.

Will you cut that out?

You can send it to your mother.

Here comes Morrison.

Judge Morrison.

Hey, hi, Pete.

Joe. Of course. What are you going to tell them in there?

Oh, same old stuff.

Can't ruffle the judicial feathers.

Of course, I'll be terrifically eloquent.

How about a little something for the record?

Something for the record.

Yeah. Let's see. Justice that succeeds begins in the home. Justice that fails

ends up in the courts.

What's that mean?

Nothing, I hope.

You may be running for office, remember?

Hi, fellas. Nice to see you.

Who did it? I don't see him. Where'd he go?

What?

No,

he didn't.

Which one showed the guy that saved Martha's life?

This one.

This one.

He has a nice back.

And cute ears.

And this one.

He's not a security man?

No.

Just a guy in the car.

What's the guy's name? He just did his hero number and split.

He just split?

Journalism won, Rossi. Who, what, when, where, why? Get the names.

Come on, Lou. I took journalism one. Matter of fact, I got an A+. He just

vanished into the crowd without a trace.

He didn't even leave a silver bullet?

Nobody knew who he was. Everyone's attention was on the man with the gun.

we looked around, the guy was gone.

Okay, Rossi.

Journalism 2.

The reporter as detective.

What's in this picture that you've missed?

Let's see.

Is there a clock with no hands? A teapot with no spout.

You'll notice that in this shot, the mystery man is not just knocking the

suspect's gun aside, but actually appears to be grabbing the gun itself.

does that mean to you?

Fingerprints. The man's fingerprints are on the barrel of the gun.

Now, the police don't know that. We know it because we have a picture of it.

I'll get on it.

You want me to go with him?

For what?

To take pictures.

Of what?

Him making a phone call from his desk?

He's just going to call the cops.

Then I'll wait here.

Now, the cops can probably run those prints through their computers and have

mystery man in a couple of hours.

See? Easy.

Hey, that's pretty good.

Journalism, too.

No good.

What do you mean, no good? Well, they already dusted the gun, but they tell me

you need a complete set of ten prints to make an identification.

You gotta be kidding.

A complete set of ten prints.

I wonder how many crooks take the time.

Now what?

Now, we use the resources of a major newspaper.

We run the story, and we run this.

Blow it up.

Ask our readers, who is this man?

You really want to sell a few extra papers, don't you? Well, we have a hero

here, and you know what sells more papers than anything else?

Heroes. Now.

Grizzly sex crimes.

But me, I'm a simple guy.

I love a hero.

I'm Billy Newman from the Trib. I called. I was going to see Mrs.

Okay, come in.

Thanks.

Bartlett's out.

She'll be back in a couple of minutes.

You can wait anywhere down here. Thank you.

Hey, what you doing, turkey?

You're tracking dirt all over my carpet. I just cleaned this carpet. Hey, I

wiped my feet. Yeah.

Yeah, it's so cold, you sure are bad.

Stuff a sock in it, Ellen.

Uh, Mrs. Bartlett's not back yet, huh?

No.

Everyone's in here.

Go on, take a seat.

It's clean.

You're the reporter Bartlett said was coming?

Yes. My name's Billy.

Okay, Pat, you're on.

Our job interview, Jen. We all share it.

The hardest working dress in town has gotten the girls eight jobs.

Oh, no, I don't have any stockings. Can anyone loan me a pair of stockings?

Pat, they're not going to hire you for your legs on an assembly line.

Are you sure? I just don't want to mess up this interview.

You won't.

It's running pretty good. All the gears work, except reverse.

Well, how am I going to pop?

Use the heel.

And what if I have to go in reverse?

Just keep trucking forward, baby.

Okay.

How do I look? Just fine.

Good. All right. Now, do I have everything?

My application?

My purse?

My keys?

You got your resume?

What's that?

That's a list of the jobs you had before this.

Oh.

Before this, I was a hooker.

Well, then I guess you don't need a resume.

Good luck.

Yeah.

The women are very supportive of each other, and that's very important,

because when you come out of that jail, Especially if you've been in there for a

few years. You come out with nothing.

No family, no skills, no money, no confidence.

So do the women get back into society?

Two -thirds end up back inside, unless they come here.

And then it's one -third.

Then everybody must really be behind you on this. Sure.

We were doing all right for a while when we were the in charity.

In Beverly Hills they were giving parties where we'd bring the girls over,

know, meet a real ex -hooker.

But now that crowd has moved on to whatever is fashionable, and we're

for ways to pay the rent.

That halfway house is doing such a great job.

The only trouble is they're almost broke.

City desk.

Yeah, Tim, what can I do for you?

You see, they really need money, and they need it fast. He's here now?

Well, send him up. Send him up.

The problem is that they just don't have the resources to keep going. What's

this for? I thought you said you needed money.

No. The halfway house needs $500 to pay this month's rent.

Oh, I don't think I can afford that much.

No, I'm not taking up a collection around here. I just thought if I

their financial problems in my story that people might want to help.

Fine.

Have you heard a word I've said?

Of course.

I'm a city editor. I can talk and work and listen to you at the same time.

So you think I should write this story?

What story?

Go ahead.

Maybe you'll get a response to it.

Talk about a response to stories. We must have gotten 200 phone calls on that

who is this man piece we ran.

I just got one from a woman who thought it might be her husband.

Hasn't seen him in five years.

Just ask us if it turned out to be him and we'd at least send him home.

All kinds of people out there.

Yeah, but to be the man we're looking for, he would have had to have been at

hotel at the time of the shooting.

Thanks anyway.

Rossi.

No, if you were the guy, I think you'd know it.

You know, that picture we ran is bringing all kinds of nuts out of the

Someone's on his way up. Says he has information for us.

I'll bet that's him.

I'm Lou Grant. You looking for me?

Yeah.

That guy whose picture's in the paper. Yeah.

I know him. Oh?

I know him real well.

You sure?

Of course I'm sure.

I saw him every day for three years.

When we served time together, we were cellmates.

The man that guy gave us matches the prints on the gun.

William Danvers of San Francisco. Our hero did hard time for armed robbery.

Was he jumping parole?

No, he was off parole years ago.

Then why the disappearing act?

I have a business number on him in San Francisco. I'm about to go out to a

booth, put in a long -distance call, and find out.

Something wrong with the phones we provide you? Just a little method of

don't know why, but people give you more in an interview when they know you're

calling from a pay phone.

I guess it's the sound of all that change clinking down.

You see, they're impressed that a guy would spend his own money like that just

to talk to him.

I'm impressed that you would spend your own money like that.

Don't worry, I'll put in a voucher for it.

Hello, Danvers and Arno. Can I help you?

Wait a second, please. Just a minute. I haven't finished putting all these coins

in the payphone.

I'm calling from L .A.

I'd like to speak to William Danvers.

I'm sorry. Mr. Danvers is out of town.

Can I speak to Mr. Arno?

This is Joe Rossi of the Los Angeles Tribune. This is very important.

Well...

In just a moment, I'll put him on.

Hello? Mr. Arno, I'm calling about William Danvers.

Is it true he was in Los Angeles yesterday?

Yes, he was.

And was he, would you know, the man who saved Judge Marston's life?

Yes, he was the one.

You know, a lot of people are grateful to him for what he did, but he left

rather quickly.

That's the kind of guy he is.

We have also learned that William Danvers served four years at Folsom

Yes. Were you aware of that, of Danvers' record?

Of course I'm aware of it.

Look, would it be useless if I were to tell you a few things about Bill

Because I guess I know him about as well as anybody does.

No, no, that's why I'm calling.

He's the finest man I know.

Not in spite of the fact he was in jail, but maybe because he was in jail.

A guy like Bill, with no schooling, serving time, still built this business.

But by the way, it involves handling other people's money.

And he's earned the respect of his community.

Have you got that?

Every word.

What was any of that halfway house you went to?

Magnum House.

This just came in.

It's closing down.

That can't be. I was just there.

I know they're having money problems, but... Sounds like you got the lead for

your story.

This is so stupid.

This is one of the few places that's doing anything for these women. So now

write me an objective piece on the closing of a halfway house.

Yeah, it'll be objective. It'll have all the facts.

And those facts are going to break people's hearts.

I'm going to keep that place open if I have to raise the money myself.

Lily? What?

Try to take a little more interest in your work.

This is nice, Lou. The hero who saved the life of right -wing judge turns out

be an ex -con.

Isn't that terrific?

So who is this fellow, Lou? Well, he lives up in San Francisco. He has a

successful business, business management.

Handles the accounts of a lot of well -off professional people.

From convict to business manager.

From prison to handling other people's money.

I've known a lot of business managers who've done it the other way around.

Apparently, this guy got his start by investing the money of some of the other

prisoners. So his background hasn't hindered him. No, he's a big success.

You know, this would be a terrific piece to run along with Billy's story on a

halfway house closing down. You know, on the one hand, here's an ex -con who

made good and sort of rocks to riches.

Anyway... I figure it's a natural tie -in with the story of these girls who

to be in jail and are having their halfway house taken away.

Sounds good.

This does make the front page entirely local.

All local?

Darn.

Do you mind if we keep the little box for the weather?

No, that's local. Who?

I put everything I've got into this. Yeah, but is it any good?

Good night, Donovan.

It's your first time on the night desk?

Don't worry.

Eventually the excitement wears off.

Hi, Klaus. Is my car ready?

Oh, you... Kidding.

Well, you said you'd have it for me tonight.

A carburetor, too?

Oh.

Yeah.

Yeah, all right.

Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow.

You need a lift?

Would you?

Get that.

You hungry? We can stop for something on the way.

Oh, no, I feel too grubby to go into a restaurant.

Yeah, so do I.

Listen, why don't you come over, I'll fix some eggs. You probably eat out all

the time anyway.

That's right, I do. When I eat home, I usually have eggs.

Good, then you'll probably like them.

Hi, Sarah.

Buy me a drink?

No,

you got a story, huh?

When I left upstairs, she was just finishing it. It always takes her longer

it takes me.

She feels she has to suffer to make it any good.

To me, the story is just a story. I read yours.

What'd you think?

I think it'll win you a Pulitzer Prize.

Really? No.

Well, you said it's just a story.

Pretty good story.

Oh, how can you miss with irony like that?

This hard -line judge who says, once a criminal, always a criminal, show him no

mercy, and has his life saved by an ex -con.

Beautiful.

You really liked it.

It was okay.

What would have made it better than okay?

Maybe if you had suffered a little.

Where'd you learn to cook like this?

I was with the AP in Paris for a while. And you got exposed to French cooking?

I got exposed to a French woman.

Her ex -husband was a chef.

She taught me what he taught her.

And then she taught me what she taught him.

How to make anything terrific by sautéing it in butter and onions.

She could make the box the eggs came in taste delicious.

So what happened?

I gained about 12 pounds.

I mean, between you and the woman.

Well,

she told me, but she forgot to tell her husband that he was ex.

So he came over and he tried to sauté me.

He was so upset he forgot the butter and onions.

Oh, thanks, Donovan.

What for?

For a minute there, I stopped thinking about the halfway house.

Oh, I'm so depressed.

Hey, come on.

Here's to the seven good years Magnum House had helping people.

How'd you know it had been there seven years?

I read your piece.

I didn't say that in my piece.

Well, you should have, but I won't squeal.

Look, I send him money every so often. It just happens to be one of the

charities I like.

I also give to a home for exiled kings.

Okay, I won't squeal.

Why are you looking at me funny?

Well, you surprise me, that's all, Donovan.

It's as if you told me you had two wives in Mexico or something.

I do have a kid in Venezuela.

It's one of those foster kids you read the ads about.

I think I got a picture of him.

Is that or is that not the face of a future urban gorilla?

Why so flip all the time, Donovan? Why is it always life is a cabaret?

What? You mean life isn't a cabaret?

You don't have to keep calling me Donovan.

Why don't we call each other Art and Newman?

Okay, Art.

I... I didn't know that was going to happen, Newman.

Neither did I.

Maybe. Later.

Yeah, well, can I see you a little later, Mrs. Pinchot? Because we're on

heavy right now.

Okay, I'll be right up.

Mr. Grant, I would like you to meet Bill Danvers. Bill Danvers?

Of course.

Now I recognize you from the picture.

It's great meeting you. I thought what you did was terrific.

Yeah.

Well, how do you feel about the fact that you wrecked my life?

Mr. Danvers, if you'll calm down, we're going to understand each other a lot

better. Well, it's a little hard to be calm.

Do you realize in my business I depend on people's trust?

But people do trust you.

Yeah, that was before you decided to inform the world that I was a crook.

But you're not a criminal. You served your time.

Would you mind telling that to my clients?

Well, they must have known about your record.

And where did you get that idea?

Your partner knew.

Yeah, but nobody else did.

Nobody.

Since you printed that story, three of my clients have taken their accounts

elsewhere and four others are having us audited.

I'm really sorry.

Yeah, well, sorry doesn't quite do it.

No, no, of course it doesn't.

But there's nothing much we can do about it. We can't print a retraction saying

we wrote the truth, but we're sorry we published it.

There's no way to undo this.

So I'm a little late, is that it?

Are you telling me that if I would have come here before, you wouldn't have

printed that story?

Oh, no, Mr.

Danvers, I'm sorry.

Had you been here before we published the story, I'm afraid it would have made

little difference.

We'd have run it regardless.

If I had known what this would do to you, and it were up to me, I wouldn't

pushed for it.

I think what you did is a terrific thing.

Yeah. Well, in prison, there's a saying.

No good deed goes unpunished.

I'm very sorry we ran it.

Yeah, and a hell of a lot of good it does me now.

Hi, Bowie.

You see the stack of mail my halfway house story brought in?

No, where is it?

Here.

The extent of the public's outcry to closing down that place.

Sometimes it happens that way, Billy.

But I really thought I'd written a good piece.

It was an excellent piece. It was very well written.

But people just don't feel the same way about women who've been in prison as

they do about orphans at Christmastime.

The situation these women are in is as bad as that.

Worse.

They're not cute.

And they've committed crimes.

So they can never pay for their mistakes?

Maybe not.

Billy, you have to realize that to the average person, a woman who has

a crime isn't very human.

It's cold in here.

Well, what did you expect?

They turned off the heat.

Can't somebody light a fire or something?

What are we going to do to get some heat in here?

It's burning the place down.

Hey, Cory, any of your turn to do the fireplace this week?

I don't feel like doing nothing.

I'll start a fire.

I'll help you.

At least we won't have no more work assignments.

Anybody here from Pat?

She said she was working late.

She gets here when she gets here, and if, uh...

If she doesn't get here, she misses the party.

So Pat got the job?

Yeah, in a food processing plant.

I guess she'd rather have a drink after work than come back to the morgue.

What we're supposed to be doing here this evening is having a wake, not just

funeral. I'm awake.

Oh, come on.

I just want to thank Billy for bringing over a couple of extra bottles.

Yeah, yeah.

I'd like to thank her for bringing him.

You're welcome to the wine.

Hey, you can't blame her. He sure is clean, hey?

Like your threads.

Thank you.

He dresses like Hobie. No, he doesn't. Who's Hobie? He's got this corner on

Crenshaw. Hobie's got style.

He's got style.

It's not the same.

Sure it is.

No, it isn't.

I'll prove it.

Hey.

You got a purple suit.

No.

All right.

Now that's what I call a fire.

All right.

That's great.

A last night here in the damn fireplace finally works.

Give me something else to miss.

Of course. On the other hand, I miss everything.

I even missed prison when I first got out.

Listen, I think that every once in a while we should get together and have a

reunion. Yeah, let's just not do it on street corners. We can get in trouble

that way.

Yeah, I'd like to join you, but I just don't have time. See, I've just come to

get some of my bags.

Peggy, you can't run out and party. Just leave me alone, huh?

Okay.

Just don't forget the two bucks you owe on your room rent.

No, that doesn't matter now. Oh, no.

Uh -uh.

No.

Let's, uh, get it straight, huh?

Hey, where'd you get all that bread?

They paid you in cash?

Yeah. Oh, honey, that food's bad. You just wasn't my kind of child.

You quit?

Yeah.

After it came out where I had been, they all started coming down on me.

Who? Oh, all of them.

I'm some kind of freak, you know?

They started handing me, how long you served and what's he in for?

Why didn't you just say nuts to you?

That's what I said, baby.

Nuts to them?

Next to everyone.

You really showed them, didn't you?

You taught them a lesson by going out and hooking. Well, at least I'm doing

something I'm good at. Oh, Pat.

Whatever happened at work, I know it hurt you very badly.

But you always have friends here.

Yeah.

Until they close the place down.

Just yesterday, I was thinking how I had this great story about a hero ex -con.

I was, I don't know, I was ruining the guy's life.

Why are you putting it all on yourself, Lou?

We all thought it was a good story.

Yeah, but I was the one who pushed it.

Only I laid off a little. I admit so eager.

Stop beating yourself, Lou. It's not your fault.

It's like Billy.

She's blaming herself that that halfway house closed down.

She feels that her story wasn't good enough, and it was. It was a wonderful

story.

I can't think of anybody who could have written it any better.

You didn't notice what a wonderful writer she's turned into?

Yes, I have.

Donovan?

Yeah, Lou?

Are you seeing Billy?

Yeah.

You don't have to answer that.

I already did.

Then you don't mind me answering you.

No, go ahead.

Are you crazy?

An office romance right in the newsroom?

Why not?

Look, Billy is special.

I agree.

I couldn't agree more.

She's wonderful.

Boo, she's what I've been looking for, and she's been right here all the time.

I didn't know you were looking.

Neither did I.

until I met someone who is so straightforward and real and bright and

fun. Well, there she is.

It's so great the way she's always so together.

So sort of neat, but soft.

Do you know what I mean?

Well, yeah.

The way she does things.

She's a fine reporter.

I mean the little things.

The way she comes into work in the morning, sits down at her desk all fresh

alert. The way she throws her purse over her shoulder when she's going out.

The way she crunches her cereal.

Don't tell me about cereal.

Lou, I'm 37 years old.

I have a bald spot on my head.

It's endearing, but it's still a bald spot.

I'm lucky I found Billy when I did.

How long has this been going on between you and Donovan?

Not a bit.

And this has been going on for a few weeks.

Pretty heavy, huh?

No, we're just dating.

I thought it was more than that.

Neither one of us did it more than that.

Well, this is it.

Get lots of pictures of empty rooms and things packed. The place nearly

deserted.

Really bleak.

You don't give up, do you?

Charlie, when's the last time you did a story and couldn't sleep after you

printed it?

Well, I lose sleep over every story we print.

Remember before I became a managing editor? I used to be robust.

I'm not talking about taking an extra hour to fall asleep.

I'm talking about night sweats.

About changing the sheets at four in the morning. How long's it been since you

did that?

That's been a while.

It's the Danvers thing, huh? Yeah.

Look, I want to do a follow -up on that story.

Lou. No.

I think we owe it to the guy.

I want people to know how this act of heroism almost wrecked his life.

Lou, I see a very real danger of damaging this young man's life even

Plus the possibility that he'd be moved to bring an invasion of privacy lawsuit

that would make me want to be his lawyer.

Now, what are your reasons for wanting to pursue it?

I'm not sleeping, Charlie.

Put Rossi on it.

I was just going up to see you.

Why don't you just get lost, Mr. Rossi? Listen, my editor wants me to do a

follow -up. You're really unbelievable.

He just thought maybe we could do something positive. At least correct the

we made. Don't do me any favors, all right? But it's important, you know,

happened to you since the story first appeared. Look, I'll tell you what's

happened. You see that woman over there I was talking to?

Yeah? Yeah. Well, she was my fiancé.

She just broke off her engagement because of you and your stories.

How's that for a follow -up, Mr. Rossi?

Yeah, I'm in charge of ascending reporters.

Oh.

Harrison is kind of a hard word.

Denver's girlfriend.

Me?

Yeah, I guess we could meet.

I know Lafayette Park.

How will I know you?

Uh -huh.

Uh -huh.

Me, uh, I'm about 5 '9", and, uh...

Slightly balding and weight is in the range of chunky.

Yeah, I'll be wearing a brown suit.

Yeah.

Okay.

That was girlfriend.

Fiance. Didn't Rossi say she broke up with him?

Yeah, that's the one.

I detect a twinge of guilt.

Twinge?

Yeah, I guess you could say that.

Twinge.

Are you Mr.

Grant?

Yes. Leslie Williams.

You said you'd be wearing a brown suit.

I didn't say I'd be holding a brown bag with a bottle of muscatel in it.

It's cold. Do you mind walking?

Oh, fine.

I want to tell you, your reporter, Ross, what's his name? Ross.

Yes.

He's already done enough damage.

really sorry for what happened.

Oh, you're sorry?

I was going to be married next month.

I was going to marry this terrific guy, this kind, warm, and bright man

I thought I knew.

And then a story comes out in your newspaper and it's all gone?

Everything has changed.

But it doesn't have to be.

Do you want someone to talk you out of breaking up with Bill?

Because I can say some good things about him.

He's got guts and intelligence and integrity.

Look, that's all easy for you to say.

I was in love with him, but I knew him a year and he didn't tell me about his

background.

Not a clue.

Maybe because he was afraid you'd be doing exactly what you're doing.

It's not his record that bothers me.

Or maybe it does.

But what really hurts, what really makes me think he's not the man for me is

that he didn't trust me enough to tell me.

Okay.

You've got all this to get off your chest and you're starting to get it off.

Now, I've got to go back to the office.

So why don't you tell the rest of this to that swell guy?

who'd love nothing better than to hear from you right about now.

This is not a spat.

We've really broken up.

I realize it would be nice for you right now if I'd go running back to Bill, but

I don't feel like living my life to salve your conscience.

Even this once?

You got a minute?

Sure.

Kind of a nice thing happened. You've heard of the Arnold Frueling Foundation?

Sure.

They've come through with a grant for Magnum House. Really?

Yeah. So you see, someone does read articles like the one you wrote.

Sometimes. Arnold Frueling?

No, Mrs. Pinchot.

No, I wouldn't say that I, uh...

Twisted his arm, exactly.

Oh, he might say that I did.

But how did you do it?

Why, Ms. Newman, one of the things you learn as head of a big newspaper is how

to delegate guilt.

The Fooling Foundation came through with enough cash flow to keep your halfway

house going for about six months.

Oh. Well, that should give them some breathing space, at least.

I was quite moved by your article.

I had never really considered the plight of women who'd been in prison.

It's terrible. It's so hard for them.

You know, we should hire some of these women here, on the paper.

Well, I don't think there's anything in our hiring policy to prevent that, is

there, Mr. Hume?

No, absolutely not.

But have we ever hired an ex -convict?

Oh, frankly, I don't know.

I know.

I checked.

How ungracious of you.

Why haven't we, Mr. Hume?

I don't know.

I guess because we just haven't done it.

You realize this young woman has us up against the wall.

And in the future, if we find any qualified ex -convicts, I think we

them. Find them?

I'll send you all you want.

Thank you.

I should get up and make dinner.

I can get up and make dinner.

On the other hand, I could just open another bottle of champagne.

The people at the halfway house were so ecstatic when I called.

They had only three days left on their rent.

The first fueling check should come in before then.

You brought Magnum House back from the dead.

No, I didn't. Mrs. Pinchot did.

Boy, am I crazy about that woman. She is so special.

Yes, she is.

This is nice.

Yes, it is.

I really enjoyed our seeing each other.

So, uh...

Let's make it permanent.

Art, are you kidding?

Because you kid a lot, and sometimes it's hard to tell, and right now I need

know if you're kidding.

I'm not kidding.

What do you think?

I wish you were kidding.

I'm serious, Billy.

Oh, I'm so sorry. You had to spoil this moment.

Now it's a better moment.

No, no, it's not.

Why not, Billy?

I just... I just don't see permanent relationships for me.

Never? Well, not now.

Not for a long time.

Well, maybe not ever.

I thought you felt the same way.

I guess I did.

But you can't do the single thing forever.

Why not?

Because there comes a point when it's time to settle down.

And I came along at that point.

That isn't what I meant.

But it's true, isn't it?

Oh, look, Art, I think I know you.

I think you've decided you want something right now, and I fit the bill.

Not perfectly.

All right, not perfectly.

But sometimes people make me feel bad about being single.

There's all this social pressure to get married, to settle down.

Everyone knows the pressure's there for women, but I guess it's there for men,

too.

Maybe that's what you're feeling right now.

You know, you don't have to get married.

I don't.

No.

I never thought of that.

But you always assumed you did, didn't you? Deep down, all these years.

If you're like me, you did.

I guess you're right.

You know, I've always enjoyed my life.

My work.

I've always felt a little guilty about that.

I wonder if I'll enjoy it as much if I don't feel guilty.

It'd be tough.

You know, it's dangerous to reject your assistant city editor.

I do edit all your copy.

Whoops. All right, all right.

All right.

I guess I was just panicking.

I could have saddled myself with the wrong woman.

You want to have dinner Friday night?

All right.

They said I might find you here.

Sit down.

Have a drink.

And please don't tell me any more about your life.

Scott Rock.

I just talked to Leslie.

You did?

Yeah.

She wants you to stay away from her.

She wants Rossi to stay away from her. And she wants me to stay away from her.

How are we going to break this to Rossi?

Well, I'm afraid that's going to be your problem.

Listen, I got some good news for you.

Yeah? Those follow -up articles you wrote about me made me such a great big

that a lot of people have been calling the firm.

You got us a lot of new clients.

You're not just saying this.

No, a lot of the old clients have decided to stick.

Hey, that's great. That's wonderful.

See, that's the best news.

So, in a way, maybe we really did do you a favor.

I wouldn't go that far.

Well, maybe you did.

Listen, if you're ever in San Francisco, give me a call.

We'll have dinner. I know some good spots.

Thanks. Hey, Bill.

We're in L .A.

Why don't we have dinner here?

I know a good place.

Good.

Where?

Right over there.