Rupert Holmes, Howard Meltzer, and AMC own the rights to Remember WENN...I just like to play.
"Excited?" Gertie asked as she handed Betty a message.
"I'm just moving...It isn't like I'm getting married or anything." Gertie just smiled knowingly. "And yes. Maple has been great, but I bet she wants her place back to herself." She looked at the umbrella she was still holding. "I do wish it wasn't raining."
"It could still snow."
"Not this early in November. I hope," Betty said quickly. She read the note. "The sponsor wants to discuss changes in Bedside Manor? Did he say anything else?"
"Just that Jeff with a G must go."
"Good, I was telling Jeff that last..." Hilary stopped speaking and smiled. "Cousin Singer has overstayed his welcome." The actress hung her wet coat on the rack. "My fans are demanding his demise be dreadful and done directly."
"All one fan?" Jeff asked as the door closed behind him.
"Just the important ones. Directors, producers, John..." She took three steps and turned slightly. "Barrymore that is."
Jeff didn't watch her walk down the hall--instead he struggled with his coat. "I think it might snow before the day is out."
"Oh, don't say that," Betty moaned.
"I'm sorry, Betty," Jeff said. "You're moving today."
"In six hours and seventeen minutes. If it doesn't snow."
"Snow," Scott said as he entered the station. "It adds such a lovely dimension to Pittsburgh. Hides the dirt. Good morning Gertie." He smiled at Betty, who blushed slightly. Gertie grinned as she turned away. She was enjoying the budding romances. And just who did Hilary and Jeff think they were fooling anyway.
#
#
"Four inches in the last two hours," Betty said five hours later to Scott as she tossed her hat on her typewriter. "And just what was that sandwich they claimed was pastrami on rye?"
"I know, I'm tired of the sandwiches at the Buttery too." He grinned at her.
She laughed. "Next time order the stew."
"Not on your life. Maybe it will stop..."
She shook her head. "I should contact city services for an update. At this rate the city will come to a standstill soon."
"Timing is important," His grin belied his serious tone. "Right after Broome Brothers Department Store agreed to sponsor Valiant Journey. Snow, Betty. Very exciting."
"Scott..." She smiled slightly. "After we stranded Daphne on a melting iceberg off the northeastern coast of Greenland."
"The Broome Brothers are very excited about this. And with today's snowstorm." He slipped into his sales voice, "Are you prepared for winter? Do you need a new winter coat. Visit Broome Brothers Department Store. Winter coats on..." He laughed.
Betty grinned as she handed him a stack of scripts. "Today's scripts." She pointed toward the door. "Valiant Journey is on in five minutes, and no iceberg is sailing anywhere without them."
"You have such a way with words."
"Don't I now. Now if it would only stop snowing."
#
#
Maple stared at the door and grimaced when Mr. Eldridge entered and shook his head. "I went outside and checked. It's still snowing." He took his snow-covered hat off and shook it.
"Does it look like it will stop soon?"
"It looks gray...Does that mean it will stop?" Mr. Eldridge hung his coat on the rack.
"No, it means Pittsburgh is dirty." Maple glanced at Gertie and shook her head. "I don't think we'll be leaving anytime soon."
Gertie closed her eyes. "Not again." She tried the phone board again. She moved the plug several times before giving up. "And the phones are down."
"I hope Mackie and Jeff were successful getting food." Maple glanced at the clock.
"The Buttery said they had plenty. Business was slow today." Gertie leaned back in her chair. It looked like it was going to be a long evening.
"The Buttery. Think we'll be able to identify it."
"Identify what?" Mr. Eldridge asked.
"The food." Both Gertie and Maple said together.
"Oh. I find it is better not to know what I'm eating." He walked down the hall.
Maple shrugged. "As long as it doesn't become a full scale blizzard."
Gertie rolled her eyes, *that* was a dreadful thought. "We can think of a way to share the couch."
Maple smiled, a wicked gleam in her eye. "That could be very interesting." Gertie laughed appreciatively.
#
#
Betty knelt by the opened box and pulled out the quilt her grandmother had given her when she'd gone to college. She also had a couple of other blankets packed away. She hadn't needed them at Maple's. They would be very useful if the snow didn't stop...
"Betty, we have a problem," Maple said. "Great, blankets. We may need them."
Betty glanced over her shoulder. "I know. What's the problem?"
"Jeff and Mackie still haven't returned, and Hilary says she is taking a break until after she has dinner."
"She can't."
"She has." Maple stepped closer and whispered. "I think it's more she doesn't want to do the scene with Scott."
"Oh no. You read the part." Betty stood slowly.
"No way. I'm not going to jump from playing the best friend to the romantic lead...Not this episode." She smiled slightly.
"Well okay. I'll read the friend."
Maple shook her head and placed her hand on her hips. She spoke with a thicker Brooklyn accent than normal. "No way, sister. The role is mine."
Betty took a deep breath. Danbury Bridges was WENN's newest soap opera. About the life and loves of one Brenda Easton. And tonight's episode was...was on in three minutes. She'd curse Hilary later, she decided as she stood.
#
#
Betty pulled a mike to the far wall; a nervous anticipation building in her. Today's episode had been written specifically with Hilary and Jeff in mind. "Good morning Linda," she said with a slight British accent. She tried to ignore Scott, but everytime she looked his direction--he was watching her.
"Good morning, Brenda. A lovely morning it is to," Maple said with only a slight Brooklyn accent. "David is waiting to see you."
"He can wait. After what he did last night, I don't want to see him again." She waited while Mr. Foley rustled a newspaper, then poured a glass of water. "I am going to sit here and finish my breakfast, then go for a ride in the hills."
"What should I tell him?" Maple said with the beginnings of a smile. She looked at Mr. Foley and nodded.
"To go away. He is not going to spoil my day," Betty said. She cringed slightly as she turned the page to the script.
#
#
Jeff stared at Hilary, who was calming drinking coffee and listening to the greenroom radio. "Aren't you suppose to be on?"
"Aren't you suppose to be on, too?" She threw him a wicked smile. "Betty's reading my part..."
Jeff smiled. "And Scott is reading mine? This could be interesting. But why are we listening..."
She stood quickly. "I was just thinking that the control room would provide much better viewing."
Jeff bowed, "After you..."
"As it should be." She swept out the room. Jeff shook his head and followed her out.
Lester acknowledged their entrance with a slight grunt never moving his attention from the dials and knobs in front of him. Hilary pulled up the extra chair and sat down. She smirked slightly at Jeff before smiling. He stood behind her, his hands resting on her shoulders.
"They have one page to go," Jeff said quietly. "Look at them..."
Hilary giggled slightly. "And to think, this was Betty's way of bringing us back together."
"Once Pavla was deported back to England and then arrested by English authorities--I couldn't keep you off me..."
"Shh, cupcake. Lester..." She nodded toward the engineer. "And if I remember correctly..."
"He won't say anything...Will you?" There was no response.
Hilary placed her hand over Jeff's. "If she moves further away, she'll be in the greenroom."
"Is this a good idea?"
"Revenge is always a good idea..." Her smile grew as the dialogue between the two characters in the studio continued.
#
"Brenda," Scott as David said, "This is ridiculous." He left his microphone and walked to stand behind Betty. She stood still for several seconds before she remembered to read her script.
"Yes, ridiculous," she finally stammered out. It was, she'd written this for Jeff and Hilary--figuring maybe they would agree. She'd never planned...She closed her eyes, knowing exactly what would be happening next.
She felt Scott's hands on her shoulders as he whispered the words she'd written for this scene...With way more reality than he really needed to. "Sc...Um..." She opened her eyes. Mr. Foley was sitting in his chair, ignoring the fact that there was supposed to be a sound effect. Maple was sitting by Eugenia, both women were smiling. She closed her eyes again. She took a deep breath. All for the good of the show, she tried to convince herself, as she turned slightly.
He placed his hand over the microphone, "It seems we have no choice..."
"It is more realistic." She smiled as she remembered Jeff's demonstration with Celia.
#
Jeff smiled as they watched the two kiss. "Nicely done, Hilary, darling."
"Jeffrey, dear."
"Uh...Hilary," Jeff said several seconds later. "Shouldn't they be continuing with the script?"
"They seem to be doing just fine without it. Scripts can be such a nuisance." Hilary watched with a sense of satisfaction.
Lester glanced at his watch, then at the kissing couple in the studio then at his watch...He opened his mouth...
A loud gasp, brought their attention back to the studio. Betty had run out of the room.
"Well, that wasn't in the script." Hilary said with a triumphant smile. "At least not as originally intended." She stood-up elegantly and carefully smoothed her dress. "Come Jeff, I do believe we have a show to save..." She exited through the door to the studio.
#
#
"I'm sorry, Betty," Scott said through the closed door. When she didn't answer he knocked again. "Let me in?"
"Not by the hair of my chimy chim chin." He frowned when he heard her laugh. "Come in."
He carefully opened the door, wondering what surprises she had in store for him. A pitcher of water in his face?
"Betty?"
She peeked around the corner of her desk. "Here. And I've already figured out how I'm going to get back at Hilary."
"Hilary?"
"Oh sure...She and Jeff were watching us..."
"Kiss."
"Yea...Watching us from the control room. Lester told me. It seems the much flaunted Hilary and Jeff war is a sham. I have this idea for Bedside Manor."
"Betty...about the kiss."
She blushed. "Don't tell me you were carried away by the words. They weren't that good."
"They were fine. I just never meant...well."
"To be so public?" She was smiling.
"In front of the city of Pittsburgh is pretty public."
"Uh huh. But here isn't." She held out her hand and let him pull her to her feet and into his arms.
"Hey!" Maple's voice from the hall echoed slightly. "It stopped snowing, everybody. We can go home. Oh, I'm sorry." Maple grinned to cover her surprise at catching Scott and Betty in an embrace. "I'll leave you two to...to carry on." She disappeared quickly.
"Where were we?" Scott whispered into her ear a second later.
"It stopped snowing, I should..."
Whatever she'd planned on saying was cut-off by his lips on hers. She moaned softly, then wrapped her arms around his neck.