EPISODE 122
Written by : Bre L. Drew
March 8, 2021
Last Time On Town and Country
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Louise sought advice from Sarah Lynn regarding going out on a date with Jai.
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Antoine asked Martha to sing at The Waterfall.
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Will was still upset over not being chosen as manager of The Waterfall.
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Elijah had been overextended with school, work, and other responsibilities.
THE WATERFALL BAR
On what has become a pre-performance ritual, Martha Saunders is in the women's restroom of The Waterfall. When she hears someone walking in she looks at herself in the mirror somewhat feeling nervous before showtime.
I figured I find you in here,"
Shauna Covington crosses over to her best friend. She along with most of Martha's friends and family are in attendance to see her perform.
"How do I look?" Martha converses
Shauna gazes at her before turning to the second mirror beside Martha. "You look badass."
"Thanks, I just hope I remember the lyrics for my set."
The news of tonight's center attraction got sizable gathering. Tables and booths were filled with customers including Steven Sullivan, Courtney, and Max Covington, and Samuel Gupta were all making small talk when Antoine Hall comes over with their drink orders.
"Hey man, this place is packed which I hear is down to you for booking Martha," Steven tells his friend.
Antoine clears his throat. "I don't know about all that."
As manager of the bar, Antoine decided to persuade his friend to sing knowing last time she did a hell of a job.
"Don't be so modest Antoine, you've worked hard to get where you are now." Courtney acknowledges.
In a way, Max felt like her comment was directed at him due to him now heading the digital marketing division at Covington. For now, he doesn't call her out on it because of them being in a public venue.
Samuel grabs his bottle of beer. "I think I saw a few of my co-workers from the hospital seem liked word spread around town."
"Well if you need refills let me know," Antoine winks
He then takes off.
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ARCHDALE BATTING CAGES
Louise Saunders Lockhart first thought when she contacted Jai Gupta over the phone to tell him that she changed her mind regarding him asking her out on a date which she initially turned down. But with great advice from her mother, she decided she deserved to move on with her life in terms of pursuing a relationship with another man after her divorce from Sean. At first, the phone went silent when she asked that if the offer was still on the table referring to them still going out. She thought perhaps he didn't want to be bothered with her. However, Jai's voice returned on the line stating that he will be taking her out on an unforgettable night out.
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Though when she talked to him a few days before Friday she was taken back when he told her they were going somewhere laidback. Gone was the black dress she hadn't worn hanging in the closet still with the tag purchased eons ago. Instead, she chose to wear a dark green quarter-sleeve zip-pocket blouse with a pair of straight-leg blue jeans. Her shoulder-length blonde hair is straight as well as applying makeup onto her face enhancing her exterior beauty.
Yet all of the places she envisioned him taking her when he picked her up from the lake cottage this evening. The batting cages in Hudson Lake wouldn't crack the top ten.
She and Jai were entering the indoor cage of the athletic center. Both were carrying bats and wearing helmets.
Jai cracks a smile showing off his beautiful white teeth. "Let me guess this is your first time coming to the batting cages right?"
Louise shakes her head. "Yep, you got any tips?"
"Yes I do, do you mind if I show you?"
She nods reluctantly when his sturdy arms envelop her as he guides her bat in the correct position. Louise takes in his cologne which smells nice on him his body heat on her. Nearly dropping the bat but he keeps it in their possession. His muscles were on display in his red Chicago Bulls sweatshirt.
"Ready?" he asks in his British accent, which sounds less formal due to his summers staying with his relatives in the states when he was a child.
"Here goes nothing."
The pitching machine sent out a baseball in their direction together they hit the ball further than she had first anticipated.
He and Louise stare at one another longingly.
Jai delicately lets go of her. "Want to try the next one on your own?" he queries.
Louise grins. "Yes, I think I got it."
JOJO'S CAFE
The evening crowd inside of Jojo's Café is mostly made up of high school and collegiate students who don't have anywhere else to go this Friday evening.
Currently, Tate McRae's raspy voice is filling the atmosphere as "You Broke Me First" is on SiriusXM.
"Am I'm the only one who finds it a little weird that our parents are on a date with one another at this moment?" Aaliyah Gupta surveys.
She, Tanner, and Lynn Lockhart with Tommy Covington, and Lorenzo Vidal were sitting in the lounge space of the café.
"Not any weirder than my dad dating your mother," Tommy interjects,
"He does have a point, Li," Lorenzo chimes at his girlfriend.
Aaliyah is fully aware that her parents hadn't been together in years. And now with them not together anymore legally with the divorce she knows they're free to see other people. But she didn't expect her father to be dating her friends' mother tonight.
Tanner grabs her cold foam cold brew to take a drink. "Aaliyah, it isn't like my mother and your father are going to Vegas to elope. They're just probably going to dinner and a movie."
She then sees Lynn glancing at the screen of her iPhone not paying attention to the conversation at hand.
"Earth to Lynn!" Lorenzo calls out to her.
The blonde young woman immediately hears him. "Sorry,"
"Anything more interesting on that than us?" Aaliyah asks half-mockingly.
"No, I was just waiting to hear back from Elijah."
Tommy takes a sip of his coffee. "Yeah, he was supposed to be here by now for his shift."
Elijah had a meeting with the student reps at Sampson University this evening. But the meeting ended almost an hour ago giving Lynn pause for concern since he is usually on time or on the off chance that he is late, he'll shoot a text or call her way.
Aaliyah takes a few loose strands of her hair behind her ears. "Isn't he supposed to close tonight?"
Tricia Lockhart's heels click while walking over to her two stepdaughters and their friends.
"Here comes trouble," Tanner mumbles.
The café manager is in a sleeveless magenta jumpsuit, despite it being winter.
"Hey, you guys, you've seen Barker? He's late for work,"
"Yeah, we were just talking about him." Tommy interposes.
Tricia tosses a look at the boy who got her good friend pregnant and doesn't want to take responsibility for his unborn child. Tommy deciphers her look but knows she wouldn't tell anybody in such a public environment. She then turns to Lynn, who isn't keen on her stepmother especially now.
"One thing I like about Barker is his punctuality," Tricia says in a deadpan manner.
"He'll be here Tricia!" Lynn retorts coolly
"I'm gonna text him right now," Lorenzo states. He takes out his Android phone from his pants pocket.
Lynn nods as she worries about her boyfriend.
THE WATERFALL BAR
The number of patrons tonight happily impresses Mae Jackson from behind the bar. She knew when she elected Antoine to be her second in command she made the right decision, despite her guilt of not choosing her son. Tonight she tries to let her doubts go recognizing the bar is full which is something she hadn't pictured a few years ago.
Will Jackson comes behind the bar "Everything is ready to go, I can't believe Marty found a band with the quickness."
Will, had been tasked with making sure their equipment was hooked up properly.
"It was Antoine that paired the band with Martha. Who knew he remembered one of the regulars played in a band with his brothers?"
Will tries not to lose his cool of another Antoine mention. It is bad enough that the bastard is loved more by his family than he is. But of course, he is responsible for packing the place this evening.
A few more customers come with their orders in which Mae takes graciously.
He treks over to Antoine who is making sure another table is satisfied.
He isn't eager to see him at all.
"What do you want?"
An idea begins to take shape in Will's mind.
"I heard a big commotion outside in the back."
Antoine sighs exasperatedly. "Show me."
Leading him to the back door of the bar, Will then opens the barrier in which Antoine walks into the wintery night.
"Okay, I don't see nor hear anything. "What you up to?"
When he doesn't get a reply, he turns around to see Will shutting the door hard.
Antoine bangs the door hard with one of his fists "Let me in!"
Even so, the barrier remains closed which means he is out in thirty-degree weather with no way back in.
ARCHDALE BATTING CAGES
"I was terrible just go ahead and admit it," Louise says.
On her own, she attempted to hit the balls however she only managed to hit a couple before temporarily giving it up. Feeling somewhat embarrassed since Jai gave her instruction.
"So what if you struck out, you kept at it and with a tad more coaching you will be knocking them out of the park in no time," Jai says encouragingly.
The pair were now sitting across from one another at a table in the athletic center eating slices of pizza along with a pitcher of cold beer. Also "Maps" by Maroon 5 is playing over the speakers at a decent volume.
"I don't think I'm ready for the major league." she chuckles.
When he first met her at his store, he got the impression she was an uptight businesswoman without much sense of humor. So when he sees her laughing, it only makes him glad he took the chance to ask her out.
After taking a bite of the slice of her pepperoni pizza Louise puts it back on her paper plate. "To be honest with you Jai, uh, this is my first date since my divorce,"
Attempting to find any awkwardness on his face by her divulging this confession to him. Louise couldn't find any on it as he takes a sip of his beer from the mug.
"Since we're being upfront with each other this too is my first date since my divorce too,"
Jai finally signed the divorce papers which he gave to his ex-wife who was the one who filed late last year.
"Something else we have in common,"
Jai lifts his glass. "To moving on,"
Louise raises her half-full glass. "To moving on,"
They clink their glasses solidifying their journey back into the dating world together.
JOJO'S CAFE
Unanswered texts from Lorenzo and Lynn were beginning to make more of the gang more worried.
"This isn't like him," Tanner expresses.
"I'm going to call him again," Lynn says.
Aaliyah puts both of her hands on her hips. "You did that twenty-minutes ago."
Lynn sucks her teeth. "I know I'm sorry it's just that Elijah has been trying to keep up in school, working here, being part of student government, it's taking a lot out of him."
Since Elijah received average grades during his first semester at college. His parents have been pressuring him to do better for him to get on the Dean's list. Both his mother and father are educators, so they have always challenged him to do well academically, which Lynn believes is finally getting to him.
Tanner places a caring arm around her fraternal twin sister. "He is probably on his way now. Maybe he forgot to charge his phone or something else that can be explained."
The crowd was beginning to dissipate in the café when Tommy goes to get a second cup of coffee. He is not pleased to see Tricia behind the counter.
"Have you checked in on Jordan?" Oh that's right you don't want anything to do with her or her baby," Tricia whispers loudly enough for him to hear.
"It's safe to say whose side you're on Tricia," Tommy says defensively. "I know you don't give a damn about Tanner, but she doesn't deserve this."
Tricia leans in over the counter. "Don't tell me what you think I feel because I believe you don't deserve Tanner nor Jordan."
She then nearly slams the coffee onto the surface.
"How is Jordan doing?" Tommy inquiries curiously
Tricia rolls her eyes at him then onto the other customers then back on him. "You've got to be kidding me? Call her yourself by the way you do remember she is after all having your kid."
She then gets someone to cover her while she treats her back into her office.
Tommy remains standing there giving a thought to what was said to him.
THE WATERFALL BAR
Still in the cold Antoine tries his luck to knock on the door. Yet no one can probably hear him because of the noises inside.
He groans at the fact that he was fooled by him of all people.
"That son of a bitch!" he mutters.
The table of Martha's biggest supporters was filling up as Sarah Lynn and Esther Saunders arrive.
"You're two are just in time," Steven says to his mother and aunt.
"Good, I thought she already started," Sarah Lynn said while putting her purse onto the table.
Mae steps to the table with a puzzled expression. "Hey, any of you seen Antoine? He is supposed to announce Martha."
She had been all over the bar to look for him, but he isn't anywhere in sight.
Mostly everyone shakes their heads and state they hadn't seen him.
Mae thanks all of them and is about to quickly search for him again until she runs into Will.
"You haven't seen Antoine have you, sweetheart?"
He bites his bottom lip slightly from laughing. "Momma, he'll turn up."
Mae sees the crowd of people are ready for the show. "Son, can you announce Martha?"
"I gotcha you, momma,"
He enthusiastically yet confidently gets on the mic in front of the customers.
"Oh great!" Max says from the table.
"I guess he is getting his five minutes of fame," Shauna sarcastically comments.
The two were still upset over his role in Shauna's kidnapping last year when his ex-cellmate took her hostage. Her uncle hadn't told anyone about his ex-cellmate calling him to blackmail before he got out of prison. It took a while and therapy from Samuel for her to recover.
"Ladies and gentlemen tonight one of our own is going to be bringing down the house. So please put y'all hands together for Martha Saunders."
A round of applause breaks out as Martha takes her rightful spot with the band.
"I haven't been done this for a while so please be kind to me," Martha says into the microphone.
The band begins playing a bluesy country-rock ballad with a swinging tempo.
Martha's soulful vocals begins crooning her cover of "Black Velvet" by Alannah Myles.
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Mississippi in the middle of a dry spell
Jimmy Rogers on the victrola up high
Mama's dancin' with a baby on her shoulder
The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
The boy could sing, knew how to move, everything
Always wanting more, he'd leave you longing for
Black velvet and that little boy's smile
Black velvet with that slow southern style
A new religion that'll bring ya to your knees
Black velvet if you please
LOCKHART LAKE COTTAGE
The thirty-minute ride back to Louise's house was full of conversation between her and Jai. He steers his Mazda CX-5 onto the familiar pathway to the lake cottage. Pulling in front of the lit two-story home, she once lived with her ex-husband and children. And now mainly occupied by her and Lynn since Tanner is living on campus.
Louise unbuckles her seatbelt. "Well, I had a good time tonight."
Jai grins broadly. "Glad to hear that."
He then leans in to give Louise a peck on the cheek however a look in her eyes made him realize she wanted more than that. So they begin kissing each other.
Soon Louise pulls away deciding she didn't want to mix signals when it came to her intention of this date.
"I call you later," Jai informs her.
"All right," she replies. Knowing full well that later usually means the next day remembering when she and Sean were first dating that's what men usually mean by that phrase.
Louise steps out of the car she gives a half-wave to him which he does himself. She carries on walking in the windy winter evening holding onto her purse and keys. Jai waits for her to get in the house before leaving the premises.
Although unaware of the other's delighted facial expressions contributed to their night with one another.
JOJO'S CAFE
Elijah Barker walks into the café seeing his friends first before they see him. It is Lorenzo who sees him then he taps Lynn on her shoulder who is beside her at the lounge area. She runs up to her boyfriend putting both arms around him relieved he is here.
"Thank God! Where in the hell were you Elijah?" Lynn worryingly queries.
By now the rest of the gang circles around the two of them.
Elijah embarrassingly put his hand behind his neck. "I went back to the room only to crash for about fifteen minutes and by the time I opened my eyes I had gone to sleep for about an hour. I saw all of the unmissed texts and calls on my phone and I drove like a bat out of hell."
Tricia arrives at him now wearing her coat and carrying her purse. "You know Barker they have invented this thing called an alarm on your phone you set and it wakes you up to the tune of anything you like."
Tanner, Tommy, and Aaliyah simultaneously give each other looks to express their disdain for her sarcasm.
"I apologize, Tricia, I promise this won't happen again,"
"Before you close this place make sure everything is clean." Tricia gives a lasting scowl before walking out of the café on her way home.
Elijah faces his friends and girlfriend. "Sorry I made you all worry."
"Don't worry about it E, it could've happened to anybody," Tommy replies amicably.
"And we'll keep you company until you close," Lynn remarks.
Elijah feels better from that nap he took though he knows he is once again busy tomorrow with papers that needed to be written, a midterm exam in French and he works a few hours tomorrow here too. Not knowing how he is going to cope through all of this.
THE WATERFALL BAR
Before she knew it, Martha had finished her last song for the night. The crowd gives her another round of cheering. She verbalizes her gratitude to the band as she heads toward her friends and family.
She receives hugs, kisses, and praise from the people she loves the most.
"You did a great job baby girl. Your daddy would've been so proud of you." Esther declares proudly.
The singer is touched to hear those words since he was still alive when she first performed here.
"Who knew you can make country music something I want to listen to," Samuel says.
Martha folds her arms onto her chest. "Well, you're in the south now you better get used to it."
Antoine's fingers were so numb that he couldn't feel his hands. But he tried one more time to tap on the door hard to see if anyone could let him in.
Mae, who was getting back to the bar after congratulating Martha on how well she did singing was about to go back to the bar when she heard a din of noise in the back of the bar. She hears the sound of someone yelling to let them in. She retrieves the handle to the back door that leads into the alley. And is surprised to see Antoine in the cold with no coat on who looked upset. He immediately goes back into the bar as she closes it.
"I was looking all over for you, how long were you out there?" she asks worriedly,
"Too damn long," he mumbles
Antoine then heads back into the bar with only one goal in mind. When he sees, he swings his arm directly at him punching him making him stumble back.
The crowd gasps with shock and horror.
Mae hurriedly goes to Will to see blood trickling down his face.
"You son of a bitch! You locked me out there on purpose!" Antoine exclaims loudly.
"What are you talking about?" Mae inquiries
"Ask him!"
He knows everyone single person in the bar is looking at them but he didn't care because they were finally going to see that Will Jackson hadn't changed.
Mae received an icepack from Burgess the bar's longtime cook who she gives to her son to put on his face.
"Please tell me you didn't do that Will," Sarah Lynn remarks.
The two had formed an unlikely friendship since he came to work at the farm part-time.
He cast his eyes away from Sarah Lynn. "Yeah, I locked your smug ass outside." Will discloses publicly.
"Only reason why my momma gives a damn about you is that yours went crazy and didn't want you no more that's why my momma and daddy took you in," he adds cruelly.
Shauna and Martha exchange glances knowing how sensitive the subject is when it comes to Antoine's mother Debra.
Antoine charges at him as Will is prepared to get violent with him this round. However, Steven and Samuel hold him back while Mae does the same with her son.
"You messin with the wrong one," Antoine yells as the two doctors hold him back.
They stare each other down with so many emotions brewing underneath.
The hurt in Mae's eyes can be seen by everyone in the bar not to mention the mortification she is experiencing herself at this moment.
END OF EPISODE
ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
Mae takes a drastic measure.
Max and Courtney hash it out.
Tommy informs someone about his situation.
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