Episode 17 (6.2)
November 12, 2008 12:29 AM
SOUNDTRACK:
White Rabbits’ “The Plot”, Hot Chip’s “Ready for the Floor (Smoothed out Remix), and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin’s “Oregon Girl”
* * *
Levy finished labeling the food for the party and pushed it into the walk-in fridge. He emerged to find his daughter, Lynne, standing waiting for him. “Are we almost done?” She asked.
“The food is done. Charlie worked overtime this year to prepare everything, he might even be deserving a raise.” Lynne grunted in response. Levy leaned forward and touched his daughter’s shoulder, “Lynny, is something bothering you?”
Lynne turned, “No,” she stopped, “yes. Dad, I have a question and I need you to be honest with me.”
“I would never lie to you, Lynne.”
“Is there something going on with you and Tori Rickler?” Levy’s face froze.
* * *
“What can I help you with?” There was no hint of kindness in her voice. Jillian stared, steely-eyed, at the young man standing in her doorway. Tim Rickler smiled back, his lips pulled back to reveal perfectly whitened teeth.
“Ms. McCaulley, you look stunning as usual,” The compliment was met with crossed arms and a raised brow. “I was hoping that I could speak with Isabel. I was told that she left work early because she wasn’t feeling well.”
“Well, see, that’s a problem, Timothy.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I don’t think I want you anywhere near my daughter.”
* * *
Levy coughed, “Why would you have to ask that?”
Lynne shrugged, “The way mom was acting about her. The way she’s been sneaking around this place after I fired her,” She regarded him with a suspicious look, “That little incident yesterday.”
“Lynne, I told you, that was nothing. She was just looking for a paycheck. I’m sure we’ve heard the last of her. You trust me, don’t you Lynny?”
She bit her lip, but maintained her composure. “I do. I’m sorry Daddy, it’s just you and Mom have been acting so strange lately...”
“Every marriage has it’s dry spells, Lynne. Don’t you worry about your mother and I. We’ll be fine before you know it.” Lynne hugged her father tightly, seeming to be satisfied with the answer that had been given.
Levy hugged back, although his mind was elsewhere... back to that kiss he’d briefly shared with Tori only a few days before.
* * *
“So what should I know about this young man,” Carleen stepped up behind Alicia, who’d been carefully replacing regular cups with Halloween themed ones.
“Who?” Carleen pointed over to Shane, who was helping Charlie with some of the lighting. “Shane? His sister works with you.”
Carleen rose an eyebrow, “Wait, that’s Molly’s younger brother?”
“Shane’s not that popular of a name,” Alicia laughed.
“I just haven’t seen him at least a year.” Carleen judged the young man, “He’s definitely grown since then.”
“I guess, maybe physically,” Alicia smirked, “But he’s still a kid at heart.”
“But still, what is the dirt?”
Alicia put down some of the cups, “Eh, what do you think? He was dating this girl and things didn’t pan out, so he fell into a funk. As his best friend, I told him that I was not going to let him sit in his room any longer. So I dragged him to the nearest place with a lot of people.”
“Doesn’t your house qualify?” Carleen gave her a teasing smile.
Alicia rolled her eyes, “I try not to subject people to often to my family.”
“I happen to like your family very much, you know,” Carleen playfully tossed a rag at Alicia.
“We can trade if you want!” Alicia managed to dodge the rag, but it ended up hitting Lynne as she emerged from the back kitchen. She pulled it away from her shirt, shooting a look at her mother.
“Sorry dear,” Carleen bit back the laughter. Lynne tossed the rag aside, glowered a little, but then went out to help finish off the remaining preparations. “So then Shane is single right now?”
Alicia shrugged, “I guess you could label it that way. Him and Keira were together for a while though, so I’m sure he’s going to be dealing for a little bit longer. Although,” She rested against the counter and broke into a whisper, “Keira is born-again, so Shane has been in super-abstinence city. She wouldn’t even kiss him.”
Carleen took in that new information, “So he’ll be on the rebound.”
Alicia didn’t seem phased by the question, “I guess you could label it that way.” Carleen glanced over at the young man, then back at Alicia.
“Did you ever think-”
“No, ew, No. Don’t even.” Alicia mock puked, “Shane’s like my best friend since I was a kid. That would be wrong in so many ways.”
“So many?”
“*So* many.”
* * *
“I heard what you did, Timothy. You got unto a plane and left my daughter behind.” Jillian stepped unto the patio, closing the door behind her. Timothy took a step back, the smile on his face beginning to fade. “Worse, you made her drive you to the airport and waited until you got there to tell her you were leaving.” She waved her finger in his direction. “Now you come marching here and ask to speak to my daughter?”
“Well, see, about all that-”
“What, you want to apologize?”
“Well, actually, yes. That’s why I am here.” Timothy pulled out a card from his backpocket. “I even bought her this,” He held up a small hallmark card.
Jillian fought back her desire to unleash on the young man. “You brought a card to apologize for breaking her heart?”
“Well, the card was the warmup-”
“Do you have any idea what you did? The gravity of your actions? How pathetically selfish you are?” She was seething inside, yet she fought to retain control of her emotions.
“Ms. McCaulley,” Timothy began, but Jillian broke in.
“Don’t try to sugarcoat this! Your actions hurt my daughter, sweet words are not going to change my feelings towards you.”
“I made a mistake, a terrible mistake, Ms. McCaulley. I want nothing more than to rectify it with Isabel. That’s why I’ve returned from California.” He seemed to be ernest and sincere in his delivery. However, the fact that someone had hurt her daughter blinded Jillian to any emotion save anger.
“So, you’re back for good then?” She asked slowly.
Timothy paused and rubbed the back of his neck, “Well, no, I’m home on a business trip.”
“So what was your intention. Apologize and then leave again?” Her voice was rising.
“Actually, I was hopi-” Timothy bit his lip, “I was hoping she would come to California with me.”
* * *
Misha felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She stepped off the sales floor of Stella’s and ducked into the back office. She pulled out her phone and answered it; “Hello?”
Abigail’s voice filtered through, “Misha?”
“Speaking.” She replied, sing-songingly.
“I am going to ask up front, are you joking?”
Misha began looking at herself in the mirror as she talked, “Joking? About what dear?”
“This competition. Are you seriously thinking that you could enter yourself in it?”
Misha pouted her lips, “I’m not entering myself. I am participating on behalf of a company.”
There was a pause on the other end of the phone; Abigail was digesting this new information. Then, quietly, “Why me?”
“Because I know that you would like the world. It would definitely bring some business in when we win. And I honestly don’t want a stranger playing with my face.”
“When we win?” There was a hint of doubt.
“Misha Bower does not get second, “Misha curtly responded.
Another pause, then, “Ok, I’ll do it. But I want to meet this Sponsor of yours.”
“Deal,” Misha flipped off the phone, not bothering with the uselessness of a goodbye. She gave herself a kiss in the mirror, then turned to return to her job.
* * *
“I was hoping that she would agree to come back with me.”
“You want my Isabel to move to California?” Jillian stared at him, slightly shocked.
“Well, yes. I realized that we belong together.” Timothy explained.
“After you left her at the airport.”
“I needed something drastic to make everything clear for me,” He said, waving his hands before him in a “clearing” motion.
“Actually, that’s funny, Timothy.” Jillian had turned and made a step towards the doorway. “See, Isabel also used your actions to reevaluate what she wanted in her life.” She opened the door and glanced back. “She’s met someone, an attractive, thoughtful young man. She’s moved on with her life, Timothy. You helped her do that. Now please, get off my front porch.” Jillian walked into the house and shut the door, leaving Tim alone outside.
* * *
* * *
“So, Lee Hathway, what should I know about you?” Regina dipped her spoon into a bowl of ice cream as she talked.
“Well, I have a mother and a father. They own a little coffee shop and dinette downtown named Levon Bean. My older sister, Lynne, runs the business for them. Our apartment is upstairs, so I grew up with the smell of coffee. You could say that my entire family is addicted to the stuff.” He shrugged, “Went to the local high school, graduated, decided to come here, took on Computer Science as my major and Tucker became my roommate. One practical joke later and you entered.” He smiled, “I guess my life isn’t all that exciting.”
“Exciting is overrated sometime,” Regina licked the spoon of any remaining ice cream.
“How about you? What’s your story?”
“Me?” Lee nodded. “My father runs a model agency. I’ve grown up around models and photographers, so I guess that’s why I took to a camera. My mom, she,” Regina looked up, fighting back a tear, “She was one of my dad’s models. She was beautiful, like really beautiful. I’m not just saying that cause she’s my mom,” Regina laughed. “I wish I had gotten my looks from her, but I have the Saul in me.”
Lee scoffed, “You’re not ugly at all, you know.”
Regina laughed, “That’s cause I’m not standing next to my mom. You would totally be ignoring me if she was here.”
“I doubt I’d ever be able to ignore you.” Regina paused and Lee became preoccupied with his hands.
“That was really sweet, Lee.”
“Uh, thanks?” He glanced up at her. Regina smiled and then leaned forward, kissing Lee gently on the lips. Lee sat back, surprise on his face, “Wow.”
* * *
Tim was marching back towards his car when a jeep pulled in behind him. Allan got out from behind the driver’s seat, raising an eyebrow at their guest. Jason was coming out of the passenger seat, a grocery bag in his hand. “Well, great, the whole family’s here,” Tim muttered to himself.
“Tim?” Jason was shocked to see him standing there.
Allan appeared a little more angry. “Dude, you probably shouldn’t be here right now.” Tim defiantly crossed his arms and waited to see what the two brothers did next.
Posted at 11/12/2008 by beck | Comments? (0)