7 Days and 7 Nights by Wendy Wax Page A

thing hurts.” Olivia closed her eyes briefly, then opened them, her look momentarily far away. “Now you just have to hang tough. And if that Dawg doesn’t come through, then you’ll go out and find someone who can appreciate you enough to commit. That’s my best advice. You stay in touch. I want to know how it’s going, okay?”
    â€œOkay.”
    Olivia gathered her notes as she launched into her sign-off. “And for the rest of you out there, keep those food pledges coming. You can post them on the station website at the same time you vote for your favorite host. Or you can call the station and make your pledge. Thanks for tuning in. I’m Dr. Olivia Moore, reminding you to live your life . . .
live
.”
    Olivia removed her headphones, shoved her notes into a folder, and stood up. She knew just how JoBeth felt. It was hard to walk away from someone you loved, and even harder to walk away from someone you wanted to love you.
    Lost in thought, she stepped into the kitchen to search for something to eat and started when she felt Matt’s hand on her wrist.
    â€œAre you happy?”
    â€œI beg your pardon?”
    â€œDo you feel good about the advice you just gave that poor woman?”
    â€œI don’t know which poor woman you’re referring to, unless you mean one of the naked ones you’ve been ogling for the last forty-five minutes.”
    â€œI’m talking about JoBeth and all that bullshit about cows and free milk.”
    â€œIt may be bullshit to you, but to that woman it’s a question of self-preservation. I’m entirely comfortable with the advice I gave her. If it weren’t for irresponsible men like you and that Dawg she’s in love with, maintaining self-respect wouldn’t be so damned difficult.”
    They glared at each other, neither willing to look away first. After a long moment, Olivia drew a calming breath and pulled her wrist out of his grasp. She’d known all along that the only way to survive the week was by maintaining her distance. Turning her back on him, she retrieved her briefcase from the floor next to the console and pulled out a sheaf of papers.
    Coming to stand in front of him, she waved them in his face. “I’ve taken the liberty of drawing up some suggestions for our time together.”
    She saw him bite back a laugh and watched the insulting glint of amusement steal into his eyes.
    â€œI’ll be glad to read them to you, if necessary. They don’t have as many pictures as your usual reading material.”
    She handed the pages over one at a time, practically nailing them to his chest with her finger. “This is a bathroom schedule. I’ve blocked out the mornings for myself, since I have to be up and on the air by nine o’clock. I wasn’t sure what time of day you liked to shower, so I left your side blank.”
    When he didn’t comment, she continued. “I usually just grab a sandwich or something, but I’m willing to make extra for you and leave it in the fridge so we can eat in shifts. That way we won’t be tripping over each other in the kitchen.”
    He studied her from beneath sable lashes most women would kill for.
    â€œI figured whoever ate last could handle cleanup. Obviously, on this chart you’re ‘M’ and I’m ‘O.’ ”
    â€œObviously.”
    â€œWe should probably work out a schedule for the television, too. There are only a few programs I watch regularly.” She handed him a blank form and cleared her throat. “I’ve gone ahead and divided the living area into two sections so that we each have a place to sit and relax without intruding on the other.”
    Matt walked the three steps to the refrigerator and took out a beer. Bringing it back to the living room, he took the diagram she handed him—the one with a dotted line down the middle of the sofa—took a long sip of beer, and sat right in the