Page 100 of 7 Days and 7 Nights

Dawg Rollins had stormed a ladies’ room to propose. Okay, so it wasn’t a scenario Olivia envied greatly. Still, he’d proposed; Matt Ransom had a recurring role onThe Dating Game.

“Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks. If it weren’t for you and Matt, this never would have happened.”

Olivia couldn’t bring herself to ask whether it was because of them or in spite of them. “Congratulations, JoBeth. Really. It’s great that things worked out.”

She was just trying to imagine Matt Ransom on his knees anywhere, let alone in a ladies’ lounge, when she heard a strange noise in the control room. Olivia squinted up through the glass, but Diane had turned her back. There was some sort of altercation going on, but when no security guard appeared, Olivia shifted her attention back to her caller.

“Is Matt going to be back soon?” JoBeth asked. “Dawg’s on a run out of state today, but he asked me to be sure to thank him, too.”

Olivia heard raised voices on the other side of the plate glass. Craning her neck, she tried to see around Diane, but equipment blocked her view. “You know, I’m not really sure when he’ll be back. In fact…”

Her producer turned around, and a moment later, Matt Ransom’s head poked up above Diane’s. While Olivia watched, he put his hands on Diane’s shoulders and moved her firmly out of the way. The next voice she heard in her headphones was Matt’s.

“Actually, JoBeth,” he said, as if he hadn’t just arm-wrestled Diane for his spot in front of the control-room microphone, “I am back, and I’m glad to hear things worked out so well for you and Dawg.”

Diane popped her head out from behind Matt’s shoulder and mouthed a silent apology, but Olivia was still trying to grasp what was going on.

“Oh, and JoBeth?” he said.

“Umm-hmm?”

“You were right to be pissed off at me the last time we spoke. I had no business giving Dawg advice when I was screwing up my own life so badly.”

There was a stunned silence as Olivia, JoBeth, and, Olivia was certain, every one of her listeners, shook their heads trying to unclog their ears.

“Wow, Matt,” JoBeth observed. “You sure don’t sound like your usual self.”

“No, I don’t, do I?” Matt replied. “I think we know who we can blame for that.” He looked directly at Olivia, but it was impossible to read his thoughts through the glass.

Olivia imagined the whole station straining toward the nearest set of speakers. Somewhere in the bowels of the building Charles Crankower was undoubtedly jumping for joy. She didn’t know why she was so surprised that Matt had shown up unannounced. Matt Ransom had always conducted his life by the seat of his pants. Too bad he filled them out so nicely.

“So, what brings you back to Atlanta?” She kept both her expression and her voice neutral, while she combated the glimmer of hope that stirred with a mental listing of Matt’s many transgressions, including, but not limited to, compelling her to turn down her shot at national syndication.

“Well, I considered pretending I just happened to be passing by, but I came directly from Chicago, so that’s a bit of a stretch.”

Silent, she waited.

“And then I considered pretending I was a volunteer member of the relaxation police sent to evaluate your progress," he said.

Olivia braced for the expected punch line, but he surprised her. “But I’m getting real tired of pretending.”

He sounded so unhappy about his admission that Olivia decided to test him with one of her own.

“I made the mistake of falling in love with you twice, Matt,” she said. “And then I felt the need to admit it to the world." She paused. “Only you didn’t want to hear it.”

“No, I didn’t,” he said. “I’ve been trying hard not to listen to a lot of things.”

Once again, Matt sounded less than happy about the revelation, but nonetheless, he’d made it. Three weeks ago this conversation would have sent him running for the emotional hills.

Olivia peered through the glass trying to see through it and inside of him. Please, God, she thought.Please don’t let him wimp out now.

Matt stepped away from the plate glass. Olivia and her audience waited, collective breath held, while he left the control room and let himself into the studio. There he pushed her microphone up on its boom arm and leaned against the table where she sat, facing her.

Olivia looked up into Matt’s eyes. There was something in them that hadn’t been there before—a squeaky new grown-up thing that looked like it felt about as comfortable as a brand-new pair of high heels. But there was humor in them, too, and a willingness, she thought, to see this through. Her hope grew and began to multiply.

“Look, there’s no way I’m getting down on one knee or anything, but I do have feelings for you. Real... feelings. With... depth behind them.”

“Wow, Dr. O,” chirped JoBeth. “He’s starting to sound like a real live grown-up. Are you sure that’s Matt Ransom in there?”

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