Episode 49

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Episode 49

Scene 1:

The house that Cynthia chose was on the corner of Knightbridge and Quincy Avenue. It was smaller than her home in D.C., but it was just her after all. No more Derek. She had to remind herself of that daily. It didn't hurt as much as she thought it would. She certainly hadn't been in love with Derek for years now. Not since Jude came along. It did hurt some, she wouldn't deny that. But the pain was lessened greatly by the simple knowledge that she was free.

Her move to Conlan's Glen was quick and quiet. The less media, the better. She had even managed to secure a position at a law firm in Conlan's Glen. The very law firm that represented Jude's company. Business law wasn't her forte though. But she would learn. She was a quick study after all.

She was waiting to announce her move to Jude until just the right moment. So far, none had appeared to her. Until now. She was being introduced to the legal team at Mason Enterprises. What better opportunity could she have to make her presence known to Jude? After this meeting, she would simply slip out and find Jude's office. How hard could that be?

She sat through an impossibly boring meeting about property zoning lawsuits before she reached a breaking point. "Excuse me, gentlemen," she said to the all male legal team of ME. "I hope you don't mind, but I need to use the ladies room."

No one minded of course and she slipped out of the room casually strolling towards the rest room. She paused at the door and looked around for a moment. Jude's office would be near the CEO's and his one two floors up. She walked to the elevator and pressed the up button waiting patiently for the next elevator. The doors swished open and she stepped into it, making sure no one from the meeting saw her.

She pressed the button for the executive floor and waited out the short ride, her head filling with the things she wanted to say to Jude. She was still a little angry with him for leaving her in Washington the way he had, but her anger was nothing compared to the happiness she would feel when they were together again. He had mentioned another woman. Cynthia Mitchell, however, was not about to let him move on quite yet.

She stopped a young woman and asked for Jude. The woman pointed down the hallway without hesitating and went on her way. Cynthia was beginning to like Mason Enterprises, everyone was so friendly and helpful. She knocked on the door the girl had pointed to and heard Jude's familiar voice call for her to enter. He would be surprised to see her and the look on his face was one she was planning to remember for the rest of her life.

Scene 2:

The street below Phoebe's window was empty, save for one lone teenager running the length of the street. Not quite the view she had in Colorado, she thought sadly. Then again, nothing was the same as it had been in Colorado. There, she was afforded some sort of anonymity. She didn't have a lovesick playboy following her around. And she most certainly did not have a psychotic ex-husband tracking her down. Of course, she was also playing a very dangerous game with her job too. Things never stayed the same. Everything changed. Sometimes it changed too much.

Picking up her jacket and purse, Phoebe left her office, slipping past Dane's unnoticed. He was always wanting to go somewhere with her, do something with her. Well, right now, she wasn't having that. She wanted peace and quiet. She wanted a pleasant walk in the park alone. The weather was turning cooler even if it was still warm. At least it wasn't a heat wave like it had been over the summer. Walking south on Crown, she headed towards Halwood Park, only stopping at Coltrane's Deli for a quick sandwich.

She found an empty bench near the pond and settled on it, eating her sandwich. Her thoughts wandered casually to Dane. What did he see in her, she wondered, that he would go to such ridiculous lengths to be around her. Protecting her from Ryan. She shook her head, amused at the very thought. He was sweet, but honestly, if Ryan wanted her, there would be no way Dane could stop him. And as if on cue, she heard Ryan's gravelly voice. She raised her eyes and met his dark eyes, feeling her heart stop at the same moment.

"Taking a break?" He asked casually.

"Are you following me?" She choked out after a moment of stunned silence. She had always known that she would see him again. But not like this. At least they were in a public place. He couldn't do anything while people were around.

"Truthfully, yes, I followed you from The Observer." He moved to her side and sat next to her, leaning back on the bench casually. "I was hoping to catch you in your office, but I missed you by minutes."

"Can't you just leave me alone? We're divorced Ryan. Over. Quit following me!"

"You think too highly of yourself, Phoebe. What makes you think I'm following you? I happened to have a position here in Conlan's Glen and what luck, you were here too. It's actually a coincidence if you can believe it," he remarked.

"I can't," she replied, her voice flat and emotionless.

"Well, I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry for a lot of things Phoebe. I did some terrible things to you when we were married. I'm ashamed of myself. I had a lot of anger for a long time...when you left me it all came to a head. I spent a couple of years in anger management. I owe you a thank you for getting me to therapy."

"Oh give me a break, Ryan! What are you really doing here?"

"Well if you have to know," he sighed. "Jamie Mason just hired me as his lawyer. Apparently, he's got a bad situation with his son's mother."

"Jamie Mason hired you? Does he know about your history?" She snapped feeling like a caged animal.

"No, unless you feel the need to tell him. I'm not here for you Phoebe, no matter what you think. Get over yourself. I am here for me. I've got a chance at a new life...just like you. Let me live it. And have the grace to accept my apology," he sighed, getting to his feet. "It's not about you anymore, Phoebe. Everything's changed," Ryan added echoing her own thoughts of only moments before as he walked away. She sat for a moment longer, stunned by the encounter before shaking herself. Everything had changed. But why was she still nervous?

Scene 3:

"Meeting the barracuda?" Jory asked with a grin as he slid into the booth across from Luke.

"I wish you wouldn't call her that," Luke returned, scowling darkly. He shoved the file he had been reading aside and turned back to Jory. "Hallie is still my fiancé."

"That means she's speaking to you again?"

"Of course she is!" Luke snapped. She was talking to him again after demanding several apologies from him, he added mentally. And she was now especially because she wanted something. "Buzz off will ya?" Luke added, irritably.

"Don't be so touchy. I just stopped by to tell you that Dad bought a whole row of seats for Piper's play. So don't buy tickets."

"Piper's play. Is that already here? Is it mandatory? No, I'm sure that it is. Tell Dad we'll be there. Now get lost," he told Jory spying Hallie coming towards them.

"Take my advice Luke, get out while you still can...Hi Hallie! I was just leaving." Hallie gave him a withering gaze before taking his place in the booth.

"What was that about?" She asked sharply.

"Piper's play," Luke replied hastily changing the subject. "So what was so important that we had to meet? Is something wrong with the wedding plans?"

"No, everything is right on schedule. Remember the house I wanted? Well, I met the owner."

"Hallie, I thought I told you not to see him until I was with you. I don't need to get screwed in this house thing."

"I am perfectly capable of handling this! You act as if I'm an idiot."

"Well, I know you're not, but what do you know about buying a house?" Hallie stared at him for a moment. He could see her brain working overtime to reply but he cut her off before the retort could emerge. "And it's supposed to be our house isn't it? I should be there, Hal. But go on. You met the owner?"

"Yes...well, anyway, he seems really nice." Luke raised an eyebrow in question. "He offered it to me at a really reasonable price too. I told him I'd have to talk to you. Luke, I want this house. Please let me do this without you."

Was it worth the hassle of arguing with her? No, he decided. Besides, it kept her mind off of other things. Like the whole secret thing. He was tiring of that and she hadn't really gotten anywhere with it. Except for finding out that Morgan and Gwen dated once upon a time. And what was that really? Not much if you asked him. Not a secret at any rate.

"Okay. But if you run into any kind of trouble you call me," he said after a moment. Hallie smiled brightly. She stood and kissed his forehead briefly.

"Don't worry about me. This is going to be the best deal I ever make," she said before leaving him alone once more. He caught Jory's eye from across the room and scowled at him as he shook his head as if to say, "See? Barracuda."

Scene 4:

"Alright, I'll will see you tomorrow at seven sharp," Frank Farley said with a dismissing wave of his hand. Piper hopped off the stage.

"Good practice, Pip, I can't wait till we practice the kissing scene," Evan, the actor who played Demetrius teased.

Piper turned a little pink, but retorted, "You wish."

"Oh, you hurt me, but it does call for a kiss," he said with a wink. He grinned and rose to his feet, "See ya tomorrow, kiddo."

Piper smiled and grabbed her bag. Chase was sitting in the back, reading some news journal. "When did you get here?" she asked.

"Eh, about ten minutes ago," he said, folding the magazine shut.

"You make me nervous, though," she protested.

"You didn't even notice I was here."

"But, I mean if I saw you..."

"So what are you going to do whenever there's a bunch of people staring at you?"

"I'll figure that one out later," Piper said with a roll of her eyes.

Chase smiled at her confidence. One thing she definitely needed, and he was noticing subtle improvements. "Do you want to go out to the coffee cafe after this?" Chase asked, tucking the blonde hair that often hung around her pretty face behind her ears.

Noah paused long enough to hear Chase's request. He was fairly certain Piper hadn't seen him enter the auditorium. She hadn't spoken to him at all since the scene in the break room at Connie's. Not that he could blame her. But he had made the right decision, he reminded himself. Getting involved with Piper, no matter how appealing the thought was, would be a disaster. For himself and most certainly for her. He found himself waiting for Piper's answer, hoping she would tell Chase no. Chase Garrett struck him as obnoxious and spoiled. Completely wrong for Piper.

Piper thought for a minute. "Alright," she said, someone catching her eye. She suppressed any
emotion. Seeing Noah running around while she rehearsed sometimes was distraction enough and with Chase here, it made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

Chase stood up, still in his work suit, but a little more ruffled. His tie was off and he had rolled up the sleeves of his shirt to reveal arms that obviously visited the gym frequently. Most girls would be falling at Chase Garrett's feet, so why was Piper so stupid? Shaking her head to clear her
thoughts she said, "Sounds good, I'm ready for some cold weather."

"Yeah, it's easier to tolerate a suit in," he said rising and getting her bag.

"Whatever, you work in doors all day," she teased. She grabbed Chase's free hand, hoping he wouldn't mind, and hoping Noah would notice.

Noah narrowed his eyes at the show of affection between Piper and Chase. He leaned the broom he was using to sweep the auditorium against the wall and made his way down to them.

"Hey, Piper. Maura called a few minutes ago while you were rehearsing. She needs you to work at Connie's tonight," he lied.

Chase looked upon Noah with disdain. He was very sure this was the Noah dude.

"But, she never asks me to work on rehearsal nights no matter what," Piper said, frowning at Noah. "Can't someone else come in? What about Dinah?" There was an obvious edge in her voice, she had used Dinah's name on purpose.

"Dinah has an evening class now," Noah lied. He knew Piper would have no idea what Dinah's schedule was like. But if the lie worked to get rid of Chase, he would gladly go with it. "I'm going there myself in a few minutes. I'll give you a ride."

Piper let out an exasperated sigh. "Okay," she said, not delighted in having to share a car ride with Noah.

"I can drop you off," Chase interjected, not appreciating this guy, Noah's attitude at all.

"No, it's out of your way," Piper said, though she really wanted him to instead of Noah, but she didn't want to be an inconvenience..

"No, it's okay," Chase said, really not liking the idea of her being so close to Noah. She shot him an exasperated look so he decided to give it up. "Alright, I'll pick you up from rehearsal tomorrow," he said, handing her bag over to her. He gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek, mainly to piss off the
other guy and hurried off. Piper slung her bag over her shoulder and refused to speak to Noah. She
merely walked ahead of him.

He waited until they were in his car before telling her the truth. "Maura doesn't need you at Connie's," he said quickly. "I lied. But I did it for your own good. That guy Chase is totally wrong for you."

"Oh my gosh, Noah," Piper cried. "I can't believe you. Like you of all people know. It's none of your business anyway." She looked outside, but there were no signs of Chase's BMW. She didn't have to listen to this, she realized. She didn't need to care what Noah thought anymore either. Piper flung open the door, feeling the anger she always kept inside coming out. "I'll catch a cab home, geez."

"Piper, get back in the car," he called after her. When she ignored him, he climbed out, following her down the street. "You used to listen to me. What's so different now?"

"Oh, don't be so dense, Noah," Piper said, "and I don't need you playing big brother for me. My relationship with Chase is none of your business." She was so mad. Mad at Noah. Mad at herself. Mad at the world basically.

"So this is how you want it? You want to lose our friendship because you're mad at Dinah? I'm not as dumb as you think I am, Piper," he snapped, getting irritable suddenly. "She didn't do anything wrong. It just happened. It isn't as if we planned it!"

Guys didn't have the sort of unmentioned rules girls had. You don't date the guy your best friend is madly in love with, was rule number one on the girlfriends for life list. Piper could grab the next cab and easily avoid this situation or she could face it. Well, for once she was going to face it. She whirled around, dropped her bag on the ground, placed her hands on her hips, and very calmly asked, "So why do you think I'm mad at her, Noah? Why do you really think I'm mad at her?"

Noah stared at her blankly. He had assumed it was because she hadn't told Piper. Obviously there was more to it than just that. Dusty had said something once about Piper's crush...was it possible that it was him? "I thought maybe it was because she didn't tell you. But I guess
that's not quite true is it?"

"I think you know, Noah, c'mon you just said you aren't as dumb as I think you are, prove it to me," Piper said, in that same calm way, but it was through clenched teeth.

Did he really want to say what he had really known all along? Hadn't he always known that Piper felt the same way about him that he did about her? He shook his head. If he did say it, wouldn't that change everything even more than it already had? "I don't have to say it do I?" He asked, his voice dropping to a barely audible whisper.

Piper rolled her eyes, "I guess you don't," she said. The anger she had previously felt was replaced by sadness. She picked her bag back up. She wanted to say...needed to say bye, but she couldn't. It took a lot for her to not cry, but she wasn't going to.

"Come on Piper, don't hate me because I didn't have the guts to do something about it," he said reaching for her arm. "I don't want to lose my friend. Please?"

"Do something about it?" she echoed, stepping back away from Noah's outreach.

His arm fell to his side. "I...well, I couldn't have. You know it would have changed everything between us...and I..." He trailed off looking for words. He didn't really have any. He knew as well as she did that he could have done what he wanted and they would be happy.

"Right, Noah, you humor yourself, okay?" she said, "Just don't break Dinah's heart."

"I would never hurt Dinah," Noah said jerking his head up.

Piper arched a skeptical eyebrow and held back a cry of jealousy. Dinah was beautiful, charming, a dare devil, yeah, what did Piper hold to her.

"Whatever," she said. Wasn't the face-off supposed to make you feel better in the end? So why did she feel so worthless and so horrible? "Goodbye, Noah," Piper said, before turning and walking towards home. She needed to walk in the cool the night air.

"Hey Piper!" He called after her. But she didn't turn. He was ruining his friendships slowly but surely. Before too long, all he would have was Dusty and even that didn't seem too great.