Julian's secretary retires, and he has to say he's not unhappy. She was a mean old woman and he's glad to see her go. The new one is named Jody and she's happy to have escaped the secretarial pool. On her first day, Julian is astonished to find her at her desk before he arrives. Then again, he'd lost a little time blowing Emmett in the shower.

"Mr. Lodge," she says, standing and holding out her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Julian says, shaking her hand and feeling his shoulders stiffen the way they always did around the old secretary.

Jody looks him up and down, then settles back into her chair. "Anything I need to know? Coffee preference? Calls to screen, calls to let through?"

Julian thinks about it. "On the off chance my sister calls, screen her. Let Miguel Mora, Ellie Mora or Jerry Klein through if I'm not busy, and always put Dr. Emmett Thompson through no matter what."

"Doctor?" she says, her eyebrows coming together in a worried little frown. "Are you okay?

Julian laughs. "Not that kind of doctor." He looks at her closely again. "Look," he says. "Emmett is my partner. Do you have a problem with that?"

She grins widely at him. "I don't know," she says. "Let me call my girlfriend and find out."

He returns the smile. "Call me Julian."