"Oh, just some viewer e-mails I wanted to share with..."

Before I could finish the sentence, he was playing with his phone.

I bet he's president of NBC some day, I thought.

"Good morning, Waverly." The sound of Wendy's voice made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

I slowly looked to my right. "Hi, Wendy, how are you?" d.a.m.n it.

She nodded politely, her hair as blonde and stiff as ever. A few staff members trailed in behind her, followed by Scotty, who was carrying a big pink box and a pile of napkins.

"Are those what I think they are?" I quickly stood up.

"If you think they're granola bars, then the answer would be no." He set the box in the middle of the conference table and opened it. We all pounced and grabbed doughnuts; some people grabbed two. I snagged an old fashioned glazed, my favorite.

"So did everyone have fun at the party?" Scotty said. "Anyone still hung over?"

I looked up at him. "Still hung over? It's Wednesday."

"This is New York, Waverly. When are you going to realize that you live in New York?"

"Touche." I laughed and took a bite of my doughnut.

"Those aren't going to help your figure," Wendy said under her breath.

At least she was back to normal.

a a a Wendy didn't mention my encounter with Gary during the meeting, and she left as soon as it was over. I relaxed in my chair for a few minutes, glad it was over, at least for now. I looked at my notepad in front of me, full of new ideas for Honey on Your Mind. I had a ton, but I still hadn't come up with one for the New Year's Eve show, which I knew had to outshine the rest.

I closed my eyes for a moment and thought of everything I had on my mind: Meeting Jake's family at Christmas, Andie's visit in a couple days, my dad's wedding, Paige and Gary, Wendy and Gary, the New Year's Eve show, the growth of Waverly's Honey Shop, and everything that came with it, including a fear that it would all explode in my face.

Then, of course, toss in regular sleep deprivation and the stress of having a boyfriend who lived in another state and traveled for work even more than I did.

I took a deep breath.

Could I handle it all?

I didn't feel like I had any choice.

a a a Late that afternoon I called Jake, even though I knew the chances he'd be able to chat were slimmer than a teenage runway model. I hung up when I got his voice mail. I needed to talk to someone though, so I decided to try McKenna on the off chance she would answer her phone.

Again, no luck.

Sigh.

I really had to talk to someone.

Andie was coming to town in two days. What was I going to do? Should I tell her that her favorite cousin's sweetheart of a new boyfriend was, in fact, married to my psycho boss? I never kept secrets from Andie, and I knew she wasn't super close to Paige, but still, who was I to get involved? The same went for Scotty. Since he worked with Wendy, he was off-limits too. I had to stay professional, no matter how freaked out I was.

In a last-ditch effort to find someone to confide in, I called Kristina, whose busy schedule rivaled that of all my other friends. Surprisingly, she answered on the second ring.

"Waverly! How are you?"

"Hey, Kristina! Actually, I'm in semi-crisis mode."

"Uh-oh, that doesn't sound good."

I sighed. "I really need your level head right now. Any chance you're free to lend me an ear?"

"I'm at the hospital now but get off at eight. Would that work?"

"Yes! I'll come to you. Just tell me where."

We made plans to meet at a coffee shop called Daisy's Cafe on the Upper East Side. A couple of hours later, I was sitting at a table across from her, a huge brownie on a plate in front of me. I'd just finished telling her all about Paige and Gary, hoping she could help me figure out what to do.

"So that's the story." I picked up the brownie and lifted it to my mouth. "As you can see from the thousands of calories I'm about to inhale, it has me a little stressed out."

She laughed. "That's definitely intense."

"I know. I hate being in the middle like this. What do you think I should do? Should I tell Paige?"

"You want my honest opinion?"

"Yes! You know way more about the celebrity world than I do." It had been several years since Kristina had won her Olympic silver medal in figure skating, but she still got looks of curious recognition nearly everywhere she went. And being married to Shane Kennedy? I couldn't even imagine what it was like when they were together.

"Honestly, I think you should say nothing, do nothing," she said.

"Really?"

"Really. The thing is, you have no idea what's going on in that marriage. She may know all about his cheating and want to stay with him anyway, even if he is a total sc.u.mbag."

I nodded. "That's what Jake said. But if she does know, it just sounds so...so...seedy. Who could live like that?"

"You'd be surprised. Shane and I see it all the time. People put up with a lot to live the lifestyle of the rich and famous."

"I just feel so bad for Paige, and for Wendy too. I mean, don't get me wrong, I still sort of hate Wendy, but it must be awful to know your husband is out there cheating on you. And Paige is such a kind person. She deserves better."

"I can't imagine what that must feel like, for any of them." Kristina and Shane had met years before they became famous, which she often credited for the success of their marriage.

I broke off a chunk of brownie. "And even if Wendy doesn't know, I still feel bad, because I know."

"Maybe she's cheating too."

I shook my head. "That's what Jake said, but I doubt it. The way she talks about her huuusband is so over the top. I don't see how you could fake that."

"Maybe there's a reason it's over the top."

I raised my eyebrows. "I never thought about it that way. So you think she knows?"

"I have no idea. I've never met her. But people have their reasons, and you never know what's going on behind the scenes."

I took a sip of water. "So you think I should just keep quiet?"

"It's your call, but I would."

"And Andie?"

"I wouldn't say anything to her either because it's her cousin. Getting involved, even if you mean well, could get dicey."

I pressed my palm against my forehead. "Andie can always tell when I'm hiding something. She's superhuman that way. And you know my tendency to blurt things out of my big fat mouth."

Kristina smiled. "Well, you're going to have to try to keep it shut, aren't you?"

I nodded. "Apparently so."

On Friday, I rose as usual at the crack of dawn, this time to interview a married couple in their nineties who had lived in the same Upper West Side apartment for more than seventy years. My body was slowly getting used to the early mornings, although I still hated starting my day when it was dark outside. This morning, though, I had a spring in my step because Andie would be in town soon! She was coming straight to my apartment from the airport early that evening, and after a brief tour of my neighborhood, I planned to take her to the trendy Meatpacking District for dinner. With Paige off in Vermont, I had a rare weekend respite from my Honey line, and unless Scotty called with a last-minute a.s.signment, I was also free from Honey on Your Mind. I couldn't remember the last time I hadn't worked for at least a few hours on either Sat.u.r.day or Sunday-or both.

The buzzer in my apartment rang a few minutes after seven. I jumped up from the couch and practically sprinted to the intercom.

"Hola?"

"We're here!"

I paused for a moment.

"Did you say we?"

"Yes, we! Now buzz us in, it's freezing out here."

Huh?

"OK, I'm on the fourth floor." I pressed the b.u.t.ton and cracked open my front door, then walked back to the living room and sat on the couch. Huh? Had Andie brought her boyfriend with her? I loved Nick, but I'd been so excited for a girls' weekend. How could we talk about boys over drinks if one of the boys we'd be talking about was drinking right there with us?"

A couple of minutes later, I heard the elevator door open, then footsteps, followed by the sound of Andie's voice. "Hey, TV star, I brought you a present," she yelled from down the hall.

I stood up and ran to the front door. I was expecting to greet Nick, but I jumped up and down in excitement when I saw the tall blonde standing next to Andie.

"Mackie! Oh my G.o.d!" I wrapped my arms around her.

"h.e.l.lo? Am I invisible?" Andie put her hands on her hips.

I laughed and hugged her too, then looked back at McKenna. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm visiting my famous friend in New York. What does it look like I'm doing?"

"I can't believe you're really here! How did you get away?" I took her suitcase and wheeled it into my apartment.

"My parents flew down from Oregon to help Hunter. I pumped enough breast milk to feed a small village, and then jumped on a plane with Andie. And here we are."

I looked at Andie. "I can't believe you didn't tell me about this."

She lightly pounded her chest with her tiny fist. "Hey now, you know I'm a champion at keeping secrets."

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, I thought of Paige. I hope I can be a champion at keeping secrets too.

a a a Three hours later, we were contemplating dessert at Spice Market, a trendy Asian fusion place in the Meatpacking District. For the latter part of dinner, McKenna had been sharing stories of how much her life had changed in the six months since Elizabeth was born. Diapers, breastfeeding, crying, more diapers, more breastfeeding, more crying, very little sleep. She'd gone from a high-paying banking job to an endless cycle of caring for a helpless blob whose only form of compensation was a heart-melting smile. Despite it all, she was obviously head over heels in love.

"Thanks for the birth control, I mean the updates," Andie said, signaling to the waiter to bring us another bottle of wine. "Sounds just like the life I've always dreamed of...if by *dreams' you mean *nightmares.'"

McKenna laughed. "I do love it, and I do love her, but good G.o.d, it's a lot of work, and the amount of work is inversely related to the amount of sleep I get. I'm spending a small fortune on concealer to hide the bags under my eyes."

"Put Benadryl in her bottle," Andie said. "That would knock the little crier out."

"Andie!" I covered my mouth, trying not to laugh.

She put her hands up. "Hey now, I'm just trying to help."

"I think I might end up in jail if I did that, but thanks for the suggestion," McKenna said, also trying not to laugh.

Andie shrugged as the waiter opened a new bottle for us. "It's only illegal if they catch you, you know."

McKenna put a hand on Andie's shoulder and squeezed. "I'm going to have to start writing your little sayings down." Then she looked at me. "So let's talk about you, Wave. Are you loving your new job?"

I nodded. "Yes, I really am. When I first started, I had literally no idea what I was doing. I mean no idea. But it gets easier every day."

"Do you like seeing yourself on TV?" Andie asked. "I don't think I'd like that. High-definition is not a friend of the thirty-something complexion."

I put a hand on my cheek. "Tell me about it. Thank G.o.d for the makeup artists. They're like Photoshop for real life."

She sipped her wine. "Are you getting more comfortable in front of the camera?"

"I don't know if I'll ever be entirely comfortable, but I'm getting used to it. Sort of like how I feel about wearing a thong."

"What about the unpredictable schedule?" McKenna said. "I know how much you hate getting up early."

"I still do. I'm getting used to the erratic hours, but I'll never get used to rising before the sun does."

"Are you getting any exercise?" McKenna asked.

I slouched in my seat. "Not really. I went to a yoga studio down the street once, but the teacher was a total yoga n.a.z.i, so I never went back."

"A yoga n.a.z.i?" McKenna said. "How so?"

I played with my earring. "It was advertised as just a regular vinyasa cla.s.s, but it was super hot in there, and I was dying. I mean dying. At one point I literally thought I might sweat to death."

"Gross," Andie said. "Sweat is yet one more reason not to exercise."

"So I asked the teacher to open a window. That's a reasonable request, right?" They both nodded.