Episode 10
Scene 1:
Jamie placed the last
picture on the sideboard next to his desk and settled back into the chair.
He was sitting behind his father's desk in his father's office at ME,
feeling more out of place than he could have imagined. Since he'd arrived
fro his first full day of work, he'd gotten nothing but strange looks from
the employees. Most of the expressions were curiosity, but there were
definitely a few of contempt and quite a lot of hostility thrown his way.
He shrugged them off but it did nothing to dispel the feeling that he was
just a child pretending to be his father.
A knock on the door
shook him from his reverie and he leaned forward as the door opened. Jude
smiled and entered, dropping a paper bag in front of him as well as a
steaming paper cup.
"Good morning, Jamie. I brought you a 'welcome to your job' donut and
coffee," Jude said sitting in the chair opposite Jamie. Jamie arched an
eyebrow, grinning, and tore into the bag. He withdrew a powdered donut
filled with raspberry jam.
"My favorite," he said before pointing to the cup. "And this would be?"
"Coffee. Three sugars, one creamer, and a shot of vanilla."
"You're good. Thank you Jude."
"Not a problem. How's the first day so far?" He asked taking note of the
photo arrangement at Jamie's elbow. Jamie followed his gaze and shrugged.
"Just decorating so far. I haven't done any actual work. I figure I've got
another ten minutes before I get serious." He took a sip of coffee. "What
about you?"
"Just got here but from the looks I've been getting, it should be an
interesting day. I'm meeting with the PR team in about thirty
minutes...got a spin you want for this whole thing?"
Jamie shook his head. "No, I trust you. Just keep Dane on high ground. No
need to make him look bad unnecessarily. I understand he was quite popular
with the employees."
"So I've heard. Especially the women," Jude replied raising an eyebrow in
disapproval. Jamie chuckled and bit into the donut, letting Jude fall into
a momentary silence. He looked around the room before returning to the
pictures. Jamie's wife was foremost in the collection and he studied her
for a moment before speaking again. "Your wife is very beautiful."
"I would say thank you, but I had nothing to do with it. But yes, she is.
I miss her too. I haven't been away from her for this long since we met."
"And when is she coming?"
"As a matter of fact, I'm about to call her and find out. Now that I've
found a house here I don't see a reason for her to stay in Florida any
longer." Jude nodded in understanding.
"I can't wait to meet her. Well, duty calls. I'd better get to work. Call
me if you need anything, okay?" Jamie nodded, rising as Jude did.
"Thanks again, Jude. It's good to have a friend in the trenches with me."
Jude nodded and left the office.
Jamie's hand went to the phone and dialed the number in Hope's Cove. After
two rings, Michaela answered and his stomach jumped at her voice. "Hey
Baby, I've got good news...."
Scene 2:
Hallie looked around at her new office at The Mason Foundation. She hated
it totally and completely. The building was downtown and in an older
building, but not one that was listed with the Historical Society. She
might have tolerated it a bit more if it were actually a building of worth
but it was simply an old building that Gwen had bought and renovated in
the 80's to suit her charity needs. Hallie's office was on the first floor
in the rear of the building. The walls were simple red brick with an old
fireplace as the centerpiece of the room. She had done her best with it,
but old moldy buildings were simply not her style.
"This is the last of it," Luke said setting a box of odds and ends on the
conference table in the corner. He pulled a chair out and sat down,
patting the chair next to him. "Come on, Hal. It's not so bad from over
here."
"It's horrible," she replied stubbornly but moved to the offered seat. "I
hope Jamie's having the worst day of his life at ME."
"I doubt it," Luke returned. "Though I suppose he'll be surprised by his
reception there. I've heard a few grumblings but nothing too severe."
"He deserves to have it all fall around his ears," she pouted, folding her
arms across her chest. Luke shrugged.
"Well, it will. When we're ready for it to. But let's not talk about it
anymore. Let's talk about something different. We do have a lot to decide
about our engagement party. Let's talk about that."
Hallie smiled at the mention of the party. It had always been her dream to
be married in Four Winds and with Gwen's approval of the engagement party
there, a wedding wasn't too far off. If there was a bright side to any of
the events of the last week it was that she was closer to realizing that
dream.
"Okay, let's talk about the party," she said reaching for a notepad. "I've
had a few ideas, tell me what you think. First, I thought it would be an
interesting idea to have an Antebellum Ball. But then I remembered that
Catherine Claiborne had an Antebellum Ball for hers. So, now I'm toying
with the idea of an all day barbeque followed by a formal reception like
in Gone With the Wind. What do you think?"
"I think that's a lot of party. Are you sure everyone would want to stay
for a formal party after pigging out on spare ribs and corn on the cob all
afternoon?"
"True...maybe not an all day barbeque then. But I still like the idea.
What about a formal dinner? We could set up a pavilion behind the house
and have a dinner followed by music and mingling." Luke shrugged.
"I like that idea. I think it's extremely classy...like you," he said
standing. He moved behind her and rubbed her neck as she jotted a few
ideas down on paper.
"Now, as far as guests go. We'll have to invite everyone in both our
families no matter when the last time we spoke to them was. I guess that
means Jamie and his wife too."
"You know who else that means, don't you?" Luke said with a lazy smile.
Hallie turned a questioning gaze on him but he only raised his eyebrows
until her lips formed a small 'o'.
"You are a genius! Why it means I'll have to invite Ellen! And I bet Ellie
would come. Especially if I asked her to be maid of honor at the wedding."
"That is fiendishly clever, Hallie!"
Hallie chuckled and stood, putting her arms around his neck. "And
that is just the beginning of the torture I plan to give my dear aunt and
cousin," she replied as Luke drew her into an embrace.
Scene 3:
Dinah found an empty seat at the counter and dropped her book bag at her
feet. She'd missed Piper in school that day, mostly due to the hectic
schedule to catch up in her classes after a missed day. Of course, her
parents had been none too pleased when she walked into the house after
skipping. Galen had come and gone, she learned, as she was treated to
lectures on safety and responsibility and the importance of school. She'd
heard them all before and they bored her.
She waved at Piper who was waiting on Mr. and Mrs. Hughes with a
frustrated expression on her face. She caught Dinah's wave and nodded with
a relieved grin. Holding up a finger to her, Piper went back to the
Hughes. Dinah, in the meantime, busied herself with her History book and
homework.
"Okay, so tell me, how'd it go after I left you?" She jumped at Noah's
voice, but grinned as he slid into a seat next to her to balance his
money.
"Oh you know, stay in school, don't do drugs, that sort of thing," she
replied laying her pencil down.
"Think any of it sunk in this time?" He asked laying his money on the
counter. Dinah shrugged and watched him count, his lips forming the
numbers as he went.
"Maybe. I've heard it before and I don't do drugs and I have no intention
of dropping out or skipping college. As for the rest of it, I apologized
to Mia. She cried her eyes out when she saw me and I felt terrible."
"29...good. You should feel terrible. Kids trust the people they care
about and you shouldn't let her down."
"Aren't you the wise one," Dinah teased. He was right though and she knew
it. "Listen, I wanted to say thank you."
"34...for what?"
"For stopping us from doing something stupid, for making us confess, for
giving me a ride home, for talking to me...."
"42....first of all, you don't have to thank me for talking to you. I
enjoy talking to you. And second, I didn't make you confess. I only
suggested it. And third, for all the other things, you're welcome and
don't do anything like that again." He piled his money neatly and stood
up, folding the cash into his pocket. "Not bad for one shift. Well, I have
to go study before the next one. Maura asked me to close tonight and if I
didn't need the money, I'd say no. But what can I say? I'm her slave and
she knows it. See you later." Dinah watched him go, oblivious to Piper who
had taken his spot next to her.
"What did Noah say to you?" Piper asked trying to catch her attention.
Dinah shook her head and smiled.
"Nothing," she replied. "How are you? I haven't seen you since I got
incarcerated. How did you fare? Maura want to turn you over to the Truant
Officer?"
"Actually, she didn't say one word about it," Piper told her with a shrug.
"Now, Dad, he was mad. That's why I'm here. I guess he thought working
every day for the next month was a good punishment. What did your parents
do?"
"Well, Galen doesn't have to pay me to baby-sit anymore for starters. And
then there's the very original, I'm grounded for a month routine. And are
you ready for this one?" Piper gave her a wary expression but nodded
anyway. "I can't go the Prom. That's right. I'm banned from enjoying one
of the only things I looked forward to in our Senior Year. I'm real happy
about it."
"Oh, Dinah, I'm so sorry!" Piper exclaimed.
"Not half as sorry as Cameron Phelps is," Dinah replied with a sigh. "But
what can I do? Anyway, I can't stay. I promised Galen I would watch Mia
for an hour while he works out. I just wanted to tell you I was alive."
"I have to go back to work anyway. Call me later," she said walking away.
Dinah grabbed her bag and left Connie's. She would do more than call.
She'd come back to Connie's after her hour was up. To see Piper, of
course, she reminded herself.
Scene 4:
Maura stood in the department store, hating herself and everyone in it.
She hated shopping more than anything else in the world but she was not
about to show up to dinner with Rick looking like a slob. Looking the way
she normally did, she added mentally. This was her third store and nothing
had suited her at all. She felt old and frumpy as she browsed the racks of
clothing. She stopped at a rack filled with turquoise beaded dresses.
Wonderful color, she thought taking a dress off the rack.
"Excuse me?" She turned her head to a tall woman with lovely auburn hair.
"Yes?" Maura said, surprised. The woman smiled and pointed to the dress.
"I don't mean to interrupt your shopping. But that color is totally wrong
for you."
Maura blinked, surprised by the woman's announcement. She looked down at
the dress, realizing that she was right, of course. Turquoise was much too
bright for her. She hung the dress back on the rack and turned back to the
woman.
"Thank you," she told her gratefully. "I might have made a horrendous
mistake if you hadn't stopped me."
"Trust me, I've made those mistakes and I wouldn't wish them on anyone."
The woman smiled and offered her hand. "My name is Phoebe, by the way."
"Maura," she replied shaking Phoebe's hand. "And I hate shopping."
"Me too!" Phoebe laughed. "Want to hate it together?" Maura nodded and
moved on to another rack. "What are you looking for by the way?"
"I want a dress that will knock the socks off of a man," Maura replied
picking up a royal blue dress. Phoebe shook her head at it.
"New man or old man?"
"Old...ex boyfriend actually. He won't leave me alone, so I thought I'd
show him I don't need him..."
"By being gorgeous? Sounds like a good plan," Phoebe interrupted. "Here
try this one." She handed Maura a strapless red dress with matching scarf.
"If you help me find the right dress," Maura said taking the dress Phoebe
offered. "I will buy you dinner."
"You're on," Phoebe replied enthusiastically.
"Good! I want Rick Upton to know I don't need him anymore!" Phoebe turned
sharply and stared at her.
"Did you say Rick Upton?"
"Yes, why?" Maura stared back at the woman wondering what she had to do
with Rick.
"He's my boss, for one. I had no idea he knew anyone in town. But you know
what? I'm still going to help you because Rick needs to be told no by
someone in his life!" Maura grinned at her feeling a bond form with
Phoebe.
"This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship," she said with a
wink.
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