Pittsburgh TV Station Building, backstage at Studio Four.
The dressing room door was ajar.
Karen stood in front of Leo, her hands adjusting the knot of his tie.
"Listen, Leo," Karen said quickly. "The first round of questions is usually about the economy. If he attacks your budget deficit, don't get bogged down in the details. Pivot directly to the employment rate. Remember the numbers you memorized yesterday—the 7.2 percent unemployment rate. That's his Achilles' heel."
She took a step back to inspect the lapel of Leo's suit and spotted a few nearly invisible specks of dust.
She immediately reached out and flicked them away with her fingernail.
Ethan sat on the makeup counter nearby, clutching a stack of dog-eared index cards.
