"Shots?" Carter pulls out the stool for me while he waits for my answer.  I'm surprised by the chivalrous gesture. "Sure. Tequila."

I open my bag, take out my phone and put it on the bar so I can keep an eye on the time. Then I hang the tote on the back of my seat, while Carter puts his bag on the bar-rail beneath my feet. He orders two double shots, plus beers. The bartender brings the drinks and Carter gives him the company card. "Keep it back there." The bartender nods knowingly.

Carter turns to me. "I've been here a few times... So what should we drink to?"

I lift my shot glass. "To a weekend stuck in the city with a stack of scripts as our only companionship."

He smirks. "To the two best readers at RAA. May our coverages carry us through to the next level."

We clink our glasses and toss them back. Normally I'm used to the cheap stuff scalding my throat on its way down. But this is expensive and smooth. Still, I put a lime in my mouth out of habit and wince at its tartness. I take a sip of my beer.

Carter smirks at me again. "You know... We don't have to be alone this weekend. We could read scripts together at my place if you wanted."

I take another drink without responding to his suggestion. Carter unbuttons his cuffs and rolls up his shirtsleeves. Obviously he's preparing to work on me right now. I snort at the thought.

"What was that noise for?" He takes a long drink.

I shake my head at him. "Give a boy a hammer and everything looks like a nail. Are you even capable of having a conversation or a drink with a woman without trying to make it sexual?"

He arches his eyebrow at me. "I'm talking about reading and writing. I said nothing about sex. That's your mind taking it there Millie."

I can't keep the sarcasm from my voice. "Okay. You're right Carter... it's me. Not the guy that's hooked up with at least five colleagues in the past two years... that I know of."

He sips his beer. "Jealous?"

I let out a hearty laugh. "Not in the least. I don't need to complicate my life right now with any distractions."

He indicates to the bartender that we want two more shots and two more beers. "So you admit I'm a distraction?"

I raise my glass to him. "What you are Carter, is persistent."

We take our next shots. He slams his glass down on the bar. "Since when is that a bad thing?"

I put my beer down with a sigh. "Look... I know for a fact that the only reason you're even interested in me is because you can't have me. You hate that I keep saying no to you. Meanwhile, once I said yes, you would be over it. After you closed the deal you would be on the hunt for the next thing, like the natural born agent you are. Just look at what happened with Miranda..."

Carter shakes his head no. "That's not a fair example Millie, because you only heard her side of the story. I thought you were smarter than that. Have you ever considered that the women I hooked up with pursued me? That maybe I was the one being used? Maybe I did... I do... want more..."

I lift my pint up again. "That's a lot of maybes Carter." I put it to my lips and look at him over the edge of the glass.

We're both leaning against the bar now and his arm is touching mine. He shrugs his shoulders and looks entirely exhausted and dejected for a moment. My guard is down from the alcohol in my empty stomach, and I'm sure that's what he wants because that was what I wanted to do to him when I agreed to this. Despite this, I think he might actually be telling me the truth.

I'm probably making a huge mistake, but I decide to be honest with him anyway. "If... and that's a huge if... but if I ever get  involved with somebody that I work with, it would have to be for something that I knew had staying power. It would need to be a blockbuster with series potential, something destined to be a classic. I'm not going to exploit myself for some B-movie lay. I'm not going to waste my time."

He nods his head slowly and doesn't smile. He takes another pull from his beer then stands up and puts his hand on the back of my stool. "So... before... when you took out your phone, I noticed your script in your bag. I could give it a read through if you want. Just not this weekend."

I sit up straighter to undo my cardigan. I watch Carter's eyes follow my fingers down the buttons of my sweater and grow wider as I slowly reveal the plunging neckline of my dress. "That depends Carter."

He smiles, eyes still focused on my breasts. "Depends on what?"

"Tell me about your phone call to Fin Covington's assistant. What exactly, were you trying to accomplish with that?"

His eyes snap up to mine. His face turns red and I know it's not from the booze. Carter chuckles nervously and tugs at his collar.

I pat his arm. "Did you think I wouldn't find out about it? I thought you were smarter than that..."

The room around us is getting louder and more crowded. Someone pushes up to the bar behind Carter and shoves him against me. He knocks over my pint in the jostle. "Shit! I'm sorry Millie."

"About the pint or the phone call?"

He's mopping up the beer with some cocktail napkins. "Both. I'll get you another drink and explain."

I pick up my phone before it gets ruined. "Don't bother. I have to get going."

Carter frantically flags down the bartender so he can pay for the drinks and retrieve the card. As I slide off the stool, my body presses up against him more. He grips the back of the barstool tighter to contain me while he signs the bill.

"Get out of my way Carter."

But he doesn't move his arm. "Let me at least walk you to the subway Millie." He lifts my tote bag off the back of the barstool.

"I assure you that's not necessary Carter."

He hands me my bag and bends down to get his. "I know, but I want to... to explain..."

His nose ends up way too close to my cleavage for comfort. I start to push my way through the crowd and Carter is on my heels. The door of the bar is stiff and my first push doesn't budge it. Carter reaches over my shoulder, leaning against me as he puts his weight on the door too. The feel of his body against mine makes my arms go weak. I'm shocked that the sensation is better than I would ever admit. The moment is over in a second though as the door gives way.

I nearly stumble down the step and Carter reaches for my arm.  "Are you okay?"

I wave him off. "I'm fine."

A deep breath of the evening air does little to clear my fuzzy head though. I'm more buzzed than I originally thought I was. The subway ride before the show will do me good. Three long city blocks to the station will help too. It's time to start walking this off. Carter easily keeps pace beside me.

After a while I look over at him. "If you're walking, you're talking. Use that silver tongue of yours. You wanted to explain. So explain."

He starts his pitch. "You know, it is part of this job to find things out."

I nod. "And you wanted to find out if Covington gave me his personal number."

"Well... um... yeah..." He blushes at his stammering.

"Why? Are you that threatened by a commercial department assistant? Are my coverages that good? Did you think you would get me fired?" There's venom in my tone.

He softens his voice. "Yes and no."

"I asked four questions." I'm practically spitting the words at him.

Carter halts and grabs my hand. "Can we stop this for a minute Millie? Give me a break..."

I try to keep walking toward the subway stairs that are a few feet ahead of me, but he doesn't let go. "Give you a break?! Ha! That's laughable Carter. The way I see it, you've had nothing but breaks. I've had to work hard for everything I have! Mommy and Daddy didn't pay my way through college.  I commute from Staten Island because it's the only place I can afford to live. Do you know how I got into the mailroom? My uncle is a chauffeur who asked for a letter of recommendation from the elderly producer he drives. That was my one and only break Carter."

My chest is heaving. It's disconcerting how exposed I feel right now. I wrench my hand from his and wrap my cardigan around myself. Carter's green eyes are glowing. I've never paid attention to his eyes before tonight. They're the color of money. I snort at my observation.

This makes Carter step closer to me. "Damn it Millie! If you really want to know... I am threatened by you, because your coverages are that good. But I didn't try to find out about Covington's number to get you fired. The truth is that I do like you Millie. I'm genuinely interested in you! I was jealous when the receptionists told me that Fin flirted with you. I wanted to find out if he gave you his number, because I knew if he did, I would never have a chance with you."

His words rattle me and I feel too close to him right now so I take a step back. "How do I know you're telling the truth Carter? How do I know you're not just trying to save your ass? You could be saying all of this so I won't tell Eric you were the one to call London..."

Carter takes a bigger step toward me this time and puts his hands on my arms."You don't know. And I'm facing the fact that my ass is yours if you want it. But I'm guessing you won't tell Eric because he can't go to Abe or HR with it if you took Fin's personal number."

If Carter is half as good at actual fucking as he is at mind fucking me, maybe I should climb into bed with him. I could go to his apartment tomorrow and screw him on top of a heap of our scripts. I bite my bottom lip while I imagine it.

Carter sees my hesitation and leans toward me with a whisper. "You know sometimes you need to go with the riskier back-end deal for the bigger payoff."

I put my hand against his chest to stop him from getting any closer. The electronic beeping coming from the subway station below us lets me know the next train is about to arrive.

"I need to catch that. If I miss it I won't make the curtain in time."

He lets go of me and doesn't say another word. I run down the stairs, swipe my Metrocard, and race down the next set of steps. The conductor sees me and holds the doors open so I can get on. Does that count as another break?