Disclaimer: This is my own little NBK sequel, taking place a few years after the events in the film. HUGE thanks to my awesome friend Katie who helped me flesh out the first ideas, as well as help me a great deal with plot points and dialogue. You rock!
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"Miss Geller?"
Josie glanced up from a stack of papers. In her doorway was a tall girl with long, straight, brown hair. She wore eyeglasses, as well as a pretty flowered dress and a black sweater.
Josie smiled. "Can I help you?"
The girl bit her lip. "I'm Angela Gardiner. You wanted to see me."
"Oh yes! Come in, please, Angela." Josie stood, rounded her desk and offered her hand. "It's nice to meet you."
Angela grasped Josie's hand lightly and shook it. "Likewise." She sat in the striped chair in front of Josie's desk.
Josie returned to her chair. "So," she said, looking Angela over, "you're the Sun Times' new 'Ask Elizabeth'."
Angela nodded, keeping her head down.
"We had quite a time scrambling to fill that job."
Angela nodded again. She seemed to be very interested in the carpet.
Josie sighed. "Angela, I'm going to come right to the point. I've been following your columns."
Angela looked up and nervously tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "You're not happy with them?"
"On the contrary," Josie exclaimed. "I'm extremely impressed with your work. It's a rare advice columnist indeed that holds my attention."
"Oh." Angela picked at her sweater.
Josie neatly stacked the papers on which she had been working and set them aside on the corner of her desk. She opened her top drawer and removed a thick folder. Setting it on the desk in front of her, she opened it and removed a few of the papers inside.
"I was so impressed," Josie begun, "that I went back and looked at your resume. I got a hold of some of your other work."
Angela's head snapped up. "You did?"
Josie nodded. "You are a really great writer, Angela." Gesturing to a story, she continued, "This article about the murder cover up in Idaho was enthralling. Oh, and," she said, shuffling through the folder, "don't get me started on the stories of the miracle Christmas puppy and toxins in acetone-free nail polish..."
Josie stopped rifling through the folder. She met Angela's eyes and said, "You have the makings of an excellent reporter. We need someone like you. I need to ask; why are you wasting your time hiding behind someone else's name, doling out advice?"
Angela sighed heavily. "Miss Geller..."
"Call me, Josie, please."
Angela shook her head. "Miss Geller, I don't see that helping people in need of advice is anything to be ashamed of."
It was Josie's turn to shake her head. "I don't either. That's not what I said."
"I know what you said. I don't consider what I do 'wasting my time'. I like what I do. I enjoy helping people."
"You can help people as a reporter." Josie raised her eyebrows. "How many people do you think were helped by your report on defective airbags? Those are saved lives, Angela, not prevented broken hearts."
Angela frowned. "Miss Geller, have you ever had your heart broken?"
Josie inhaled sharply. "Um… uh…" she stuttered, uncomfortable with the personal turn this conversation had taken. She scratched the back of her neck nervously.
Angela continued levelly, "Then you know that saving someone from a broken heart, a broken home, a broken friendship, is every bit as important as saving a life." She paused. "Actually, now that I think about it, I don't think there's that much of a difference."
Josie said nothing. Angela stood.
"I truly appreciate the offer, Miss Geller, and I am very glad that you like my work, but I would prefer to stay as 'Ask Elizabeth,' thank you."
With that, Angela turned and exited Josie's office, shutting the door behind her.
Josie stared after her, then sighed. She looked through the folder of Angela's work again. As she skimmed a story about a homeless man apprehending three bank robbers, Josie thought, "I'm not wrong about this. She has tremendous talent. The Sun-Times needs a good reporter like her, and I owe it to everyone, including her, not to let her make this mistake."
Josie leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples. Something Angela had said still rung in her ears… "Miss Geller, have you ever had your heart broken?"
Josie leaned over and opened her bottom drawer. She moved aside papers and office supplies until she came to the bottom of the drawer and the picture frame that lay there. She picked up the frame and set it on her desk facing her. Tracing the tip of her index finger along the glass, over Sam's smiling face, Josie repeated Angela's question to herself, "Have you ever had your heart broken?" Josie shook her head ruefully and tossed the picture back into the drawer. Sliding it shut, she muttered, "You have no idea."
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