Firefly Lane (Firefly Lane 1)

But at what cost?

Tully finished off her contract, had an emotional, celebrity-studded last broadcast, and said goodbye to New York. She found a new penthouse in the Emerald City and spent the next month in closed-door meetings, coming up with the plans for her new show, which she was calling The Girlfriend Hour with Tully Hart in honor of the Mularkeys holiday tradition. She and Johnny had spent long hours working together like the old days, hiring staff and designing the set and devising show concepts.

By August of 2003, much of the advance work was done and she realized that yet again shed been so busy with work that shed forgotten to have a life. Even with Kate just across the bay, Tully had hardly seen her. So she picked up the phone and invited her best friend and goddaughter to spend the day with her.

"Sorry," Kate said. "I cant come into the city. "

"Come on," Tully pleaded. "I know I havent called enough this summer, but Johnny and I have been working twelve-hour days. "

"Tell me something I dont know. You see him more than we do. "

"Ive missed you. "

There was a pause, then: "Ive missed you, too, but today is no good for me. The boys have some friends coming over. "

"How about if I take Marah off your hands? Yeah," Tully said, warming to the idea. "I could take her to Gene Juarez for a manicure and a makeup lesson. Maybe a facial. Itd be great. A girls day out. "

"She is too young for a spa, Tully. " Kate laughed, but it sounded a little strained. "And you can forget the makeover. She is not allowed to wear makeup until ninth grade. "

"No one is too young for a spa, Kate, and youre crazy to forbid makeup. Remember when your mom tried that? We just put it on at the bus stop. Dont you want her to learn the right way to apply it?"

"Not yet. "

"Come on," Tully cajoled. "Put her on the eleven-fifteen boat. Ill meet her at McDonalds. You said you two are always fighting anyway. "

"Well . . . I guess that would be okay. But no R-rated movies, no matter how much she begs. "

"Okay. "

"Maybe thatll put her in a good mood. Tomorrow were going school shopping, which is only slightly less painful than a root canal without anesthesia. "

"Maybe Ill take her to Nordstrom, get her something special. "

"Forty dollars. "

"What?"

"Thats how much you can spend. Not one dollar more, and Tully, if you buy her anything that shows off her belly—"

"I know. I know. Britney Spears is the Antichrist. Got it. "

"Good. Ill go tell Marah. "

Exactly one hour and twelve minutes later, Tully directed her driver to pull up beside the McDonalds on Alaskan Way. She could tell by the honking that it was an illegal place to park, but what did she care?

She rolled down the window and saw Marah running toward her. "Over here," she called, getting out of the car.

Marah hugged her tightly. "Thank you so much for getting me out of the house. Moms been ragging on me all day. What are we going to do?"

"How about makeovers at Gene Juarez?"

"Awesome. "

"And after that, we can do whatever you want. "

"Youre so totally awesome," Marah said, gazing at Tully with the purest expression of adoration shed ever seen.

Tully laughed. "We both are. Thats why were a perfect team. "