"That's it?" Nick stares at the tour schedule she's handed back to him, a few dates circled in red. So very few.
"I know, hon, but I've gotta work," she replies sympathetically.
"What about these weekends?" he protests, jabbing his finger at a few spots. "They don't *plan* to call you in on weekends."
"Sci-fi conventions," she explains. "I'm doing a reading, or a Q&A or whatever at a couple."
"What for?"
"Why do you tour?" she counters. "To promote the book."
"That's different..." He knows it's not, but he has to have *something* to argue about. It's a three month tour, she's visiting for a total of nine days. "Can't you take time off work?"
"I am!" she points to one Wednesday night circled by itself, plus another Thursday later on - they have a day off that Thursday and she's coming for that weekend. "I don't have that many days left - and I used three for the conventions."
"*Three*? So your career is more important than I am?" A huge mistake, a major mistake. Nick has been on the receiving end of that accusation a couple of times and it has always been a signpost pointing to the end. He sees it in her eyes as they go empty. "I didn't mean that."
"Nickolas, until those three for the conventions, all my days off this year have been for you. You *know* that. Do you really grudge me a little time off?"
"Time off? Well thanks. I'm so glad you feel that being with me is work!"
"Know something, Carter? Being Nick Carter's girlfriend is work and I'm sick of it. At those conventions I won't be Nick Carter's girlfriend, I'll be Tricia Weathers, author. Sure, it's another persona, but it's *mine*. *I* built it, and I will not let my public appearances with you undermine it."
"God forbid!"
"I see," she quiets again, dangerously - the eye of the storm. "Is that why the Cleveland show got conveniently moved to the day of the book launch?"
"Honey, no." He's back to protesting again. "It was the only day we could do it. I can't get out of it. I thought you understood."
"So your work is more important than mine? I should take days off to see you, I should step out of a busy week to fly to you for our anniversary," That Wednesday. Why hadn't he clued in to that Wednesday? "But you can't fake laryngitis or something for one show?"
"The press would see me at the launch. They'd know..."
"I'm sure I care. I gotta go. Here sweetheart - a momento."
The book hits the floor a second before the door slams.