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started to protest.
    "The woman in the cafeteria!" Jessica nearly yelled, looking back at the list.
    "You mean that fat lady who's always yakking at me over the desserts?"
    "Jessica," Alexandra admonished. (Cassy was laugh ^g-) "Well, this is weird! Will? The lady at the dessert wagon? You've got my cue-card holder on here! And look--your news intern, your graphic designer, your sound man What the hell are you doing wrong over there, Alexandra, if your whole staff's obsessed with me?"
    They were laughing, all of them now.
    "Jessica, this is not a list of people I think are your stalker," Alexandra said, laughing still, trying again.
    "It's a list of people at West End I know that--well, admire you" More laughter.
    "And who I can personally vouch for," the anchorwoman finished.
    "The purpose of this list precisely is to avoid having Dirk harass them."
    "Oh, brother. Dirk the Jerk," Jessica groaned.
    "I tell you, he'll wreck your life with paranoia if you listen to him. I mean, did it ever occur to you, Cassy, that he'd never get a raise unless he periodically sounds the alarm around here?" She handed the list back to Cassy.
    "What about it, Jessica?" Cassy persisted.
    "Is there anybody here at West End we should check out?"
    After a moment, Jessica nodded.
    "Actually, there are a couple of names you should add to that--what shall we call it?--smitten-but-not-psycho list?"
    At this they all broke up again, they couldn't help it. But once they pulled themselves together and Cassy got her pen out, Jessica started to list the workers at West End she knew liked her, but who she also knew should not be harassed.
    "Jeff, Brad and Steve in the Nerd Brigade-"
    "Good," Cassy said, writing.
    "Langley," Jessica continued.
    Cassy didn't flinch. Although now--after a great deal of work--Langley and his wife, the former Belinda Darenbrook, were happily married, with twin four-year- olds, his admiration of Jessica was no secret around West End. Years ago, it had almost resulted in something. Of course, that had been back in Jessica's drinking days, too.
    "Um, not really anybody else, I don't think," Jessica said.
    "But I have to admit, I do have a couple of guys around here that maybe Dirk should check out. Discreetly."
    "Who?" Cassy said, ready to write.
    "The new guy who delivers our cleaning downstairs. He is just a friggin' creep."
    "Oh, him," Alexandra said, nodding.
    "He is kind of..."
    "Really?" Cassy asked.
    "They've always been so good about their delivery people in the past."
    "That gal got pregnant and quit. We loved her," Jessica said.
    "And then there's that strange guy who's been working outside you know, doing the cleanup in the square? He never did anything weird to me, not directly, but I sure don't like the way he watches me or those kids from the day-care center."
    "The blond guy?" Alexandra asked her.
    "With the eternal five o'clock shadow?"
    "Yeah. And his sleeves are always torn off?" Jessica said.
    "I've noticed him too," Alexandra said to Cassy.
    "I have no idea what his name is."
    Cassy nodded, writing.
    "And then there's creepy Stevie in the mail room," Jessica said.
    Cassy looked up.
    "I know, I know," Jessica said quickly, holding her hand up in defense.
    "The guy lost his arm in Vietnam and all that, but there is something very " she gestured with her hand " strange going on in his head. If Dirk's going to be keeping an eye on people, I'd keep an eye on him. He may not be my stalker, but I'll bet he's up to something down there."
    Cassy was studying her carefully.
    "What are you trying to tell me?"
    Jessica stood up.
    "Look, I'm only the hired help. You wanted to know some strange people around here, I've given you three strange people.
    So now, please," she finished, walking toward her desk, " let me get back to work. "
    Cassy looked to Alexandra, who nodded slightly, and they got up.
    Jessica patted her hair in mock provocative ness
    "Do give my regards to my fans in the news division, won't you, Alexandra?"
    The