EPISODE NINE
Written By Aaron D. Mullins
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Previously On
Autumn Lake:
SCENE ONE – THE GYPSY GRILLE – WENDY’S APARTMENT “Nicky, please stop crying,” Kenny Whittaker implored, offering the youngster a cookie. “I promise, your mommy’s going to be home very soon!” Whit had offered to watch Nicky for the afternoon so that Wendy could get some grocery shopping done, but Nicky was having one of his “days.” Usually, the boy behaved quite well when Whit babysat, but he’d been a regular nightmare today. “Just tell me what you want,” he said, picking the child up and wiping his nose with a tissue. “Come on, pal, we’re friends. You know you can tell Uncle Whit.” “Uh-oh! Someone’s in a foul mood!” Whit turned to see Wendy pushing through the apartment door, six heavy plastic bags draped over her arms. “Thank God!” he exclaimed, rushing to help her. “I don’t know what his issue is today. I guess he missed you.” “Mama!” Nicky called, clutching Wendy’s legs. She laughed, tousling his hair. “Yup, it appears that he did.” She handed the bags off to Whit and scooped the little boy into her arms. “Oh, what’s the matter? Why were you such a bad boy?” “Oh, he wasn’t so bad,” Whit recanted, putting canned goods on the counter. “It was probably just me. I must be having an off day or something.” Wendy laughed and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. “Oh, stop it. You’re an angel and I love you for it.” The kiss was unexpected and Whit unconsciously reached up and touched his cheek where her lips had caressed his face. Just as quickly he withdrew his hand, fearing she would see the gesture. He’d kept his feelings for Wendy hidden for years, there was no reason to start showing them now. Now that Wendy was home, Nicky calmed down and began to play quietly in front of the TV, giving Whit and Wendy time to talk in the kitchen. He helped her put away the groceries, enjoying the friendly banter they were sharing. “Are you still playing at that club?” she asked. “Oh… I can’t remember the name…” “Baxter’s,” he said. “Yeah, a few times a week. It’s good practice. I fill in when their regular sax player is out or on tour with his band.” “I’ll have to come down and see you one night.” “That would be… really great.” He tried not to sound too hopeful. “And how does your Dad feel about you playing in a smoky, sinful den of iniquity?” She laughed and tossed a lemon at him. “Oh, you’re assuming he knows? Come on, do you take me for a fool? The man would fall over dead if he knew.” “It’s really a shame, Whit,” she sighed. “You’re good. You’re really good on the sax. That’s an incredible talent. Why do you think your father can’t see that?” “It’s just not something he can see as a career, I guess. I mean, nothing like being a lawyer like my sister or a doctor like my brother, you know what I mean?” “That’s just crazy. You could have a great career in music.” “From your lips to God’s ears as my mother likes to say.” “Speaking of which,” Wendy said, offering him a soda, “what does Maggie think of all this?” “She’s been great. Very supportive. You know, she’s never seen eye to eye with Dad when it came to me. Now, to be fair, she’s never come to one of my shows, but that’s okay, I wouldn’t want to put her in an awkward position.” “Your mother is a rare woman, indeed.” He glanced at his watch. “A rare woman who will be very pissed with me if I don’t get to the class that she’s paying for.” He grabbed his backpack from a nearby chair and winked at Wendy. “Sorry to run out on you.” “No problem, thanks again!” He waved goodbye and opened the door, only to find a tall, handsome man standing on the other side, his arm raised in a knocking gesture. “Oh… uh, Jason!” Whit exclaimed. “Hey Whit. Is Wendy here?” Whit glanced at Wendy who had a slightly stricken look on her face. Jason Marshak. Kyle’s brother. This was the guy that Wendy had gone out with. He’d heard noise around the restaurant about it, but hadn’t asked any questions. He didn’t intend to now, either. “Great,” he said, ducking past Jason. “I’ll leave you to it, then.” Jason stood in the doorway, staring at Wendy, waiting for an invitation to enter. When none came, he laughed nervously. “Can I come in?” “Sure.” The response was flat, lacking any enthusiasm. He closed the door behind him and looked around the small apartment. It was cozy and just a touch outrageous; it fit her personality. He instantly felt comfortable there. “So… I noticed you haven’t been on line lately.” “Yeah.” He nodded, continuing to look around the room. Finally, his eyes fell upon Nicky who was watching TV. “Hey, it’s Nicky…” His face lit up and he raced over to the young boy, dropping down beside him. Nicky looked at him as though he had three heads, but seemed comfortable with his presence. “Whatcha watching?” “Teppietubbies.” “Teletubbies?” Jason repeated in mock excitement. “Well, that’s just about my favorite show ever!” Wendy couldn’t help but smile and felt herself relax a bit. She took a deep breath. Jason was correct in his implication that she had been avoiding him online; she knew she had to tell him they couldn’t see each other anymore. She wasn’t prepared to tell him face to face, but it looked as though he wasn’t going to give her any choice. But it couldn’t hurt to have lunch first. “Can I get you boys some lunch?” she asked. “Eanut putter, pease, mama,” Nicky said. “Make it two, pease, mama,” Jason said, giving her a wink. A half hour later, Wendy and Jason sat at the dining table and Nicky had returned to playing. She got up to begin cleaning up, but Jason gently grabbed her arm. “Wait… can we talk for a moment?” “Jason…” “Please?” She exhaled loudly and sat back down. “I’m sorry for just showing up. I know it’s probably a bit… inappropriate, but I was worried about you. Tell me the truth… were the flowers I sent too much?” “No, not at all. They were very beautiful.” “Maybe I shouldn’t have sent roses? Maybe… I don’t know, posies? Or rhododendrons?” She laughed, against her better judgment. “The roses were fine.” “Then… what is it?” “Let me ask you a question,” she began, feeling her heart beat faster. “What would your mother say if she knew you were here right now?” “My mother? What does she…” “Seriously. What would she say?” “I really don’t know. Why do you ask?” “Jason, you know that your mother and my aunt are good friends, right?” He nodded. “Yes, we talked about that the other night.” “Right. But do you know that in the whole time I’ve lived in Autumn Lake I’ve never met your mother? As close as your mother is to my aunt, and as close as I am to my aunt, I’ve never met your mother. Why do you think that is?” “I couldn’t say.” “Oh come on!” Wendy exclaimed. “Olivia Marshak is like a celebrity in this town. She doesn’t mix with the little people! She doesn’t hobnob at the Gypsy Grille!” “Hey, now who’s being classist?” He stood up and took her hands. “Wendy, I thought we worked through all this the other day. My mother is who she is, I can’t change that. I am who I am, and she can’t change that either. You’re not wrong in thinking that she’d like to, sometimes, but I’m a grown man.” “See, that’s the problem.” “What, that I’m a grown man?” “No,” she laughed. “That she wants to change you. I don’t want to create any kind of tension between the two of you and if we date, there will be tension.” “How do you know?” “Because…” “Because why?” I can’t tell you, she thought. “Listen,” he said, before she had a real chance to answer his question. “Here’s the straight up truth. My mom can be a real hardass when she wants to be. I love her, but that’s the truth, and I’m sure your aunt will tell you the same thing. She has really high expectations for me and for my brother and sister. She’s an equal-opportunity control freak.” Wendy laughed. “But trust me, I know how to handle her, and I know how to keep her out of my business. Now here’s another piece of truth. I like you. A lot. And I really, really, really want to continue to get to know you. But I will leave you alone if you want me to, but you just have to say the word. Until then, I’m gonna keep coming back, keep sending you flowers… buy Nicky toys, do whatever it takes to charm you…” Too late, she thought. “So, come on, just relax, huh? Just relax and say you’ll at least give it a try?” Wendy took a deep breath and tried to remember all those reasons she and Aunt Di had come up with why a relationship with Jason Marshak would never work. But sitting here, holding his hand, looking into his beautiful blue eyes and hearing how much he wanted to get to know her made it hard to stay focused. “All right,” she said finally. “All right, you got me.” *********** Whit tried not to let it bug him that Jason Marshak was dropping in on Wendy. After all, he had no prior claim on Wendy’s affections. She’d never expressed any interest in him the whole time they’d known each other… but to be fair, neither had he. Damn it, he cursed silently, slamming his car door shut and gunning the engine. Why did this all have to be so confusing? The only thing that made sense in his life, the only thing that had ever made sense was music. He reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew his cell phone. He quickly dialed a number and waited for an answer. “Hey, it’s me. What’re you up to?” He smiled as he listened to the response. “Well, I won’t keep you… You probably know why I’m calling. Yeah, I’m heading to Baxter’s tonight… you game to join me? Our secret?” SCENE TWO – THE GYPSY GRILLE – DINING ROOM “Am I to take it from the sour look on your face that you’re unhappy with my choice of lunch locations?” Payton McClaine smiled across the table at his irritable boss. Olivia Marshak sullenly folded a napkin in her lap and tried to ignore the sounds of obnoxious college students all around her. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate the… charms of the Gypsy Grille, Payton… after all, we did eat here the other night… it’s just that I had Molly make reservations for us at The Lavender Room.” “Well, it’s not that I don’t appreciate the… charms of the Lavender Room, Olivia,” he teased, “but I’m guessing you know me well enough to know there’s not much about this Texas boy that looks good in Lavender.” She smiled against her better judgment. “Fine. You win. This time.” “Good. If you’ll pardon my frankness, boss, you need to lighten up.” “I beg your pardon.” “Seriously,” he said, taking a gulp from his beer. “Let your hair down every now and then, it won’t hurt you. In fact, it might help your public image to be seen in a place like this, mixing with the little people.” Olivia raised her eyebrows. “I wasn’t aware that there was anything about my public image that needed fixing.” “See, that’s my point.” “What is?” “You’re worried about your public image instead of taking offense at the ‘little people’ comment, which, in turn, is exactly what’s wrong with your public image.” This man is infuriating, she thought. So why can’t I stop smiling? “I’ll take that into consideration, Payton.” “Oh, I’m just riling you up, as my Dad used to say,” he said. “You’re a good egg, Olivia Marshak.” “Thanks. I think.” He nodded. “It was really nice to meet your husband this morning. I hope he understood, you know, about the shoe thing.” “Oh, that…” she said, waving her hand dismissively. “It was nothing.” “Good, good.” She’s such a liar, he thought. “You must be very proud of him.” “For what?” Oh, very nice, he thought. She really can be very self-centered. “For the book.” “Oh, yes, yes, of course.” She began to absent-mindedly spin her straw in her iced tea. “Are you okay, Olivia?” he asked, leaning in close and losing the good-old-boy charm that he’d been displaying through lunch. “You seem… distracted.” “It’s nothing.” “I apologize if I’ve crossed a line or acted inappropriately…” “No, no,” she said, covering his hand with hers. “Payton, it’s not you, really. I’m just in a rotten mood today.” He glanced down at their hands, noticing that she hadn’t removed hers; was she aware? “You were fine this morning. Did you and Randy have a fight?” She fell silent. “I’m sorry,” he said. “That’s completely none of my business.” “No, no…” She finally removed her hand. “You’re very astute. In fact, my mind has been on Randy for most of the day. We’ve just been having a hard time… communicating lately.” “I’m sorry.” God this woman’s such a pushover, he thought. “Listen,” Payton said, leaning in close and lowering his voice to a whisper, “I won’t press, because I know that it’s a private matter. But I know that we’ll be working very closely over the coming weeks as we complete the merger and get things set up with the Oil division. I want you to know, you can talk to me. I want you to think of me as a friend. Please take that in the most sincere, unobtrusive way possible.” She smiled. “Thank you, Payton, I really do appreciate that.” No, Olivia, he thought, thank you for making this easier than I could ever have imagined. ********** SCENE THREE – BAXTER’S EAST SIDE “Sir? Are you sure I can’t get you anything stronger?” Randy Marshak shook
himself out of the daze he’d been in for the last fifteen minutes and
smiled warmly at the petite blonde waitress. “No, really, the water’s
fine for now.” “No problem, thanks.” As she left him alone, he began nervously tearing apart cocktail napkins, breathing in the deep, musky smells of Baxter’s. It had been his favorite hiding spot in his drinking days. Dark, moody, off the beaten path. The perfect place for him to disappear for a few hours when things got to be “a bit much” for him at home. It had been months since his last drink; he’d promised Olivia he’d take it easy for a while. It was a bitter memory now. Just another example of how controlling she had become since going to work at Drummond. Damn that company. There was a time, Randy remembered, when he had been the man of the family. The money issue was a problem at first; he’d hated it that her father insisted that Olivia continue to receive an allowance, but they’d dealt with it. But beyond that, Randy was the one who had the career, the name, the identity. Olivia had her social functions and her things with the kids. She’d always said she loved those things. But as soon as J.D. got sick, it was a different story. Suddenly, she wanted to be a part of the company. Jeff wasn’t 'right', she’d said, he would destroy the family’s legacy. The kids were all grown, she’d said, she wanted to do this for her father. From then on, it was a battle between Olivia and her brother for the future of Drummond Enterprises and Randy became a footnote in his wife’s daily life. When the matter was resolved and Olivia was named as CEO and Jeff left the country, he’d hoped things would change. But they hadn’t. It wasn’t until today that he’d realized just how far apart they’d grown. There was a time when Olivia had been his biggest supporter. She loved his work and couldn’t wait to read his newest books. But she’d barely blinked an eye when he told her he had finished his newest novel. The whole situation had been awkward; the thing with her shoe and that Payton McClaine guy… “Sir?” came the voice of the waitress. “I’m sorry. We’re going to need the table now.” “Oh, right, right.” Randy grabbed his coat and began to head for the exit. As he did, he heard the sound of laughter coming from the bar. There were three or four patrons sitting there, sharing a joke with the bartender. Randy smiled, remembering the fun he’d once shared with complete strangers at that same bar. “What the hell,” he thought, pulling up a chair. “How’s it going?” the bartender asked, sliding a napkin in front of him. “What can I get you?” Randy smiled and rapped his knuckles on the bar. “Let’s see… how about a Rum and Coke?” “You got it.” “Yeah,” Randy said to himself, turning around and checking out the crowd. “I deserve to have a good time tonight. Even if it’s by myself.” ********** “Hey, kid, I was wondering if you were gonna show up.” Whit Whittaker shook hands with Travis Nichols, the rhythm guitarist for Baxters’ house band. “Sorry, man, class ran late. What’s the house like tonight?” “Lame, as always.” “Don’t tell me that! How am I ever gonna get a big head if you keep telling me no one’s out there?” Travis laughed and began tuning his guitar. “Hey, there was some chick back here a little while ago looking for you. Cute little thing, too.” Whit smiled. “Hey, easy now. Where’d she go?” “I don’t know. She was hanging out by the front row for a while, but maybe she got tired of waiting for your lazy ass and went home.” “Shut up…” Whit playfully punched Travis on the arm as he grabbed his sax case and headed out to the main floor. He gazed around the room, but before he could find the woman Travis was speaking about, he was pulled quickly into a shadowy corner. “Shh!” came a small voice. “Where have you been?” “Class!” he whispered. “Late!” “I tried to call you on your cell!” “Why?” She pushed aside a velvet curtain and pointed toward the bar. Whit noticed a familiar face seated there, gazing out over the small crowd. “Randy Marshak? What’s he doing here?” “Exactly!” “Great. Follow me.” He led the young woman along the back wall, keeping to the shadows until they entered the secluded musician’s room. “Hey…” Travis cheered as they entered. “I see you found her.” “Travis Nichols, Emily Bowman,” Whit said, introducing his friends. “Emily’s a good friend of mine. I convinced her to come out and sing with the band tonight, but…” “Those plans just got nixed,” she finished for him. “Oh no!” Travis said. “What happened?” “It’s a long story,” Whit said. “I’ll explain it all later.” “Gotcha.” Travis winked at Emily. “Nice meeting you, Emily. I hope we get a chance to play for you another night. I’ll leave you guys alone to talk.” “Thanks, Travis.” Whit turned and smiled apologetically at Emily. “Of all the seedy bars in all the seedy towns…” “My boyfriend’s father has to turn up in this one…” she laughed. “I’m sorry, Em.” “It’s okay. It was a bad idea anyway.” “What are you talking about? It was a great idea. You have an amazing voice. You sounded great when you sang on open mic night.” “If you say so,” she said sheepishly. “Come on…” “Thank you, I appreciate that.” She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. “I have to admit, I am a bit disappointed. I mean, I know that I let you talk me into this and convinced you not to tell anyone I was gonna do it, but… now that I know I can’t because Mr. Marshak’s out there… I’m really kind of bummed.” “Me too.” “Wait a minute,” she said, suddenly standing upright. “Something just occurred to me.” “What?” She rushed over to the door, peering out toward the bar. “Damn it, I can’t see him.” “What is it?” “Something’s not right. With Mr. Marshak, that is. He doesn’t drink. At least, not anymore. He hasn’t for a while, Kyle told me. He used to drink a lot, but he gave it up. I wonder if anyone knows he’s here or if something’s wrong.” “You mean you think he’s fallen off the wagon or something?” “Well, I don’t know, I never got the impression it was all that serious. You know, like, alcoholics-anonymous serious. I mean, I guess it could have been. Maybe Kyle just never told me.” Whit scratched his head. “You know, I think I remember my Mom saying something along the same lines. Em, why don’t you stay back here and let me check on him. Kyle’s a good friend of mine, too, and if there’s something wrong with his dad, I really think we should let him know.” “Agreed.” ********** “So when does this band of theirs get started, do you think?” Randy turned to the young woman to his right and smiled. “I know, I was beginning to wonder the same thing. They asked me to move from my table because the band was going to start. Here it is almost an hour later and I’m still waiting.” She nodded and crossed her legs. The gold anklet she wore gleamed against the club’s spotlights, which drew attention to her shapely legs. Randy tried not to stare. “Do you like jazz?” “Jazz?” he repeated. “A little, I suppose. I’m more of a rock guy myself. And a little country.” “Nice. Variety’s good. I’m from Texas, myself, so I’m more than familiar with both.” He nodded. Was she flirting? “Texas, huh? I don’t detect much of an accent.” “I’ve pretty much forced it out,” she laughed. “I’ve found it’s helped me be taken more seriously in my career without it.” “I see. And what career is that?” Was he flirting? “Well, let’s see…” she brushed back a lock of flaming red hair. “Over the years I’ve been an administrative assistant, a librarian, a research analyst, a personal shopper, a counselor…” “Wow,” Randy laughed. “A real jack of all trades!” “Exactly!” “And what are you now?” “A combination of all of those things,” she replied mysteriously. Randy was about to question her further when he noticed a familiar face approaching him. He hadn’t seen the young man in a few months, but the face was unmistakable. It was Maggie’s youngest child, Kenny Whittaker. “Mr. Marshak,” he said, approaching him. “Nice to see you, sir.” “Well, if it isn’t Kenny Whittaker,” Randy said, shaking the young man’s hand. “What brings you here, kiddo?” He pointed toward the stage. “I play sax with the band sometimes.” “Good for you, kiddo, good for you.” “Hello there,” the young woman smiled, extending her hand. “Uh… hi.” “Oh, I’m sorry,” Randy said, awkwardly. “Kenny, this is…” “Shelby. Shelby Dunne.” She crossed and uncrossed her legs again. “Okay,” Whit said, clearly embarrassed. “Mr. Marshak, I’m a little surprised to see you here. Is everything okay?” “Sure, sure, everything’s just fine, Kenny.” “Is somebody meeting up with you? Jason? Kyle? Mrs. Marshak?” Whit shot a pointed glance at Shelby with the last statement. Randy laughed boisterously. “Come on, now, Kenny, you know Olivia well enough to know she wouldn’t be caught dead in a place like this.” “I see.” Randy noticed Whit eyeing the glass on the bar. “Can I buy you a drink, Kenny? Hey, you are old enough to drink now, aren’t you?” “Yes, sir,” he said. “And I’m just fine. Performing tonight, remember?” “Right, right.” “Mr. Marshak, if you need anything tonight… you know, like a ride home or anything like that, you make sure you come find me, okay?” Randy nodded and clapped Whit on the shoulder. “You’re a good kid, Kenny. Your mom would be proud of you.” “Thanks,” he said, walking away. “Nice kid,” Shelby observed. “Real protective.” “Yeah, he comes from good stock. Now, where were we?” ********** “So… how was he?” Emily pulled Whit into the musician’s room. “I can’t talk about it too much right now, because we’re about to go on,” he said. “But it’s bad… he’s been drinking, like we thought.” “Oh no…” “Yeah… and on top of that, he’s got this… thing attached to him like a barnacle.” “What?” “Some red-headed chick that has ‘gold-digger’ tattooed across her forehead.” “Nice.” “Yeah. Listen, can you hang out for a while until after our first set? I just kind of want to keep an eye on him, and I might need you to run interference.” “Sure, no problem.” “Thanks, Em.” He kissed her on the forehead. “And, hey… you’re only off the hook with the singing thing until next week. You’re too good a talent to keep hidden.” She smiled. “Thank you, Whit, that’s very sweet.” “You got it.” ********** “The kid’s not too bad,” Shelby observed, pointing toward the stage. Whit and the band were halfway through the first set. “Better than I expected them to be, anyway.” Randy, however, had his back to the stage, and his mood had grown significantly less gleeful. “Yeah,” he mumbled. “Really nice.” “Hey, partner,” Shelby, said, jabbing him slightly. “What’s the matter?” “Nothing. Just getting tired.” “Oh, should I be offended?” “No,” he said. “Just thinking.” “Well, honey, where I come from, thinking and drinking are a dangerous combination.” He laughed. “That reminds me of something my wife says to me.” “Oh really?” she said, suddenly alert. “What does she say?” “She doesn’t like it when I drink,” he explained. “Bad things happen when you drink, Randy, she says…” He began to laugh, but slowly his laughter faded, and his eyes grew dark. “Bad things happen when you drink…” “Sounds like a nag if you ask me,” Shelby said. “Bad things happen… when you drink…” he stammered. “Yeah, kiddo, I heard you the first time.” “No,” he whispered. “No… it wasn’t her.” Shelby leaned in toward him. “What did you say, honey?” “It wasn’t her… wasn’t Olivia who said that.” “Oh. Okay.” “Bad things happen… when you drink…” he repeated. “Olivia wasn’t the one who said that to me. No, it was someone… someone else. Who was it?” He closed his eyes and concentrated and suddenly, the words came through in this mind, clear as if she were standing right next to him. It was a sad voice, choked with tears. “You see? You see what happens when you drink? Bad things happen when you drink, Daddy! Bad things!” “It was Katie,” he whispered. “My Katie said that to me.” Shelby’s eyes grew wide with curiosity. “Oh.” SCENE FOUR – GYPSY GRILLE – WENDY’S APARTMENT “This is nice,” Wendy said, leaning back against Jason’s broad chest. “I think I’ve changed my mind. I’m not mad at you anymore for just dropping in this afternoon.” He chuckled. “I figured if I hung around long enough, I’d bring you around to my way of thinking.” “Well, don’t get used to it, I can be very stubborn when I want to be.” She sighed, enjoying the closeness between them. They’d spent the better part of the day just talking, getting to know one another better. She had just put Nicky down for the night and realized that it was getting to be late. It was time to ask him to leave, but she didn’t want him to go just yet. As if reading her thoughts, he checked his watch. “I hate to do this, but I’ve got to run. There’s a few business things I need to discuss with my mother before I turn in for the night and this is usually the only time of day I can expect to find her at home.” “I understand.” Wendy sat up, nervously straightening out her sleeves. “Jason, I just want you to know… the things I said earlier… about your mother…” “It’s okay,” he interrupted. “I understand where you’re coming from, but I promise you, my mother… heck, no one in my family is going to get involved in whatever happens between you and me, okay?” She considered this for a moment, then nodded. He had a way of making it all sound so simple. Was she a fool for thinking it might be? “Good.” He slid into his coat. “Well, then, Ms. Harris, may I say that it’s been an absolutely enchanting day?” “Oh yeah,” she scoffed. “Sitting on my dusty old couch eating nachos and talking about old reruns and American Idol.” He pulled her into an embrace and kissed her gently on the forehead. “Man, you never give yourself a break, do you?” “I’m sorry,” she said. “Old habits. I had a great time, too.” “I’m glad.” He lifted her chin so that her eyes met his. She felt his breath against her cheek and he gently whispered, “I’d really like to kiss you… if that’s okay?” “It’s okay,” Wendy said, feeling his lips gently caress hers. It was a wonderful sensation; one she hadn’t felt in some time. The kiss lasted just a few moments, but it filled Wendy with an energy and satisfaction that she suddenly realized had long been missing from her life. “Wow,” she whispered as they parted. “Yeah… wow.” He smiled at her, resting his head against hers. “Listen, I have to go, but I’ll call you soon, okay?” “Okay.” “And thank you. For everything. And say good night for me to Nicky.” “I will.” “Okay.” They stood in the exact same position for a few more moments, neither wanting to pull away. Finally, they chuckled, and she let go first, not wanting to keep him from his work. “I’ll call you,” he said, as she held the door for him. “Soon. Tomorrow. Or is that too soon?” “No. Call tomorrow.” “Okay then. Tomorrow.” “Right.” He smiled. “Right. Good night.” “Good night.” She closed the door, leaning against it, sighing like a schoolgirl. Aunt Di would so not approve, but she’d worry about that tomorrow. ********** Jason actually found himself humming a little tune as he made his way down the back stairs and into the Gypsy Grille. The post-dinner crowd had filled the restaurant and, no doubt, Wendy would be down in a few moments to help manage the mob. He was tempted to stay and flirt shamelessly with her, but he didn’t want to overstep his bounds and, besides, he really did need to get back to the house and talk to Olivia and Kyle about work stuff. “Jason?” He turned at the sound of the voice and felt his blood run cold. Standing by the front door was the very object of his thoughts. “Mother!” he exclaimed. “What are you doing… here of all places?” “I could ask you the same,” Olivia said, approaching her eldest son. “I’m glad to see you out and about, darling, but greasy burger joints aren’t exactly the place for the future president of Drummond Enterprises.” He felt his face grow red with anger. “Mother…” No, he wasn’t going to let her goad him into another confrontation about the Presidency. Not here, at least. “As a matter of fact, I’m here on work business,” he lied. “I needed some catering done for a Foundation function and I’ve heard good things about this place.” She gave him “the face”. The one that said “I don’t believe you for a moment, but I’m not in a position to call you a liar.” He’d learned to pick his battles where Olivia Marshak was concerned. “And what’s your excuse? Why is the CEO of Drummond Enterprises being seen in a 'greasy burger joint?'” “Well, as it happens, my good friend Diana Harris used to own this place, so it’s not your common bistro. And besides… Payton insisted we come here for lunch and I left my scarf here, so I had Roberto bring the car back to see if…” “Wait a minute,” he interrupted her. “You were here this afternoon? With Payton McClaine?” “That’s right.” “That’s twice in one week, Mother.” “Well, he seems to have developed a taste for ribs.” “That’s not what I meant.” She clucked her tongue, looking around for the collegiate she had sent looking for her scarf. “Well, what did you mean, darling?” “What I meant was… what in the hell is going on between you and Payton McClaine?” Don't miss an episode! Join our episode notification list by clicking below...
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