Chapter One

Beaming at the wildly applauding studio audience, Meg bounced onto the set followed by a suave and smiling Mel. Meg had to act as if she hadn't seen the ratings and didn't know their number-one rank was in danger.

Nobody seemed to know why, either.

But rumors flew, including the one implying that the chemistry wasn't right between her and Mel. If a studio exec believed that for a minute, Meg would be the one to go. Mel had established the show eight years ago and nobody would be looking to replace silver-haired Mel Harrison.

She would not lose this job.

At a tender age, sitting spellbound by Captain Kangaroo and Mr. Rogers, she'd announced that someday she'd have her own television show. Her parents had laughed.

When she'd insisted on turning their Brooklyn living room into a studio and interviewing the neighbors in front of whatever audience she could drag in, her family had thought it was cute. But they'd never taken her seriously.

As she'd persisted in her goal through high school and even college, their indulgence had turned to alarm. Nobody they knew had ever succeeded in the entertainment field. They predicted she'd fail and suggested nursing, teaching, banking, anything but her crazy notion. Even her best friends had advised her to try something less ambitious. At their warnings, she'd become even more determined.

Then she'd landed a gofer job on what was then Marnie and Mel in the Morning. Working tirelessly, she'd eventually made it to the tech crew, but she considered it only a step on her