Eight a.m. and the newsroom was buzzing, energy rising, groups of people clustered over their morning cups of coffee. Overnight, the TV station sat quiet, brewing with possibilities. The steady stream of reporters, camera crews, assignment editors and show producers started the day percolating. For reporter Kelly Moran, the years of early morning newsroom chatter were as addicting as that first jolt of caffeine. She thrived on the creative environment, current events and her semi-celebrity status. The heady concoction yielded a strong elixir, fueling her steps each morning as she strode to her desk. Little did she know that after today, she'd never be able to sip her first cup of coffee with the same satisfaction. The daily grind of her television career would no longer taste "good 'til the last drop."

Kelly slung down her purse, picked up a few pink "While You Were Out" messages that still accumulated despite the advent of voice mail, and slid into her chair. She'd been at this television station for five years. Her passion was reporting good news - positive stories about people who were making a difference. Technically she was a feature reporter. Sure, the hard news reporters would always outweigh her but judging from the amount of fan mail Kelly received, her nightly two to three minute pieces had an impact.

She caught a few stray blond hairs, put them behind her ear and started her day by returning a call from Children Services Division. Greg Gamble, the assignment editor, picked that moment to lean his lanky frame over her desk.

"How's your morning?"

"Great, what's up?" Kelly held up a finger, trying to put Greg on pause, a lost cause if past history was any indicator.

He slung one leg casually over the side of her desk, slurped his morning coffee and handed her another "While You Were Out" slip.

"You know I love dark chocolate truffles." Greg smacked his lips together in an imagined savory taste. His thoughts, a little darker than truffles, didn't escape Kelly's keen eyes.

"I'm trying to get Children Services Division on the phone." Kelly looked away and listened to the fifth ring, remembering her last office romance in Eugene. Getting involved with a co-worker, not to mention the most brazen of the bunch, would only be fodder for the newsroom gossip mill. Greg would have to salivate somewhere else.


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