EPISODE 199
Written by: Bre L. Drew
August 29, 2022
Last Time on Town and Country
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After an argument with Tricia over Louise, Sean went to his ex-wife's house but soon left when he realized that Jai was over.
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Esther wants answers when it comes to Emma's true paternity.
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Daniel is blackmailing Jordan's psychiatrist into messing with Jordan's mental health in order for her to lose custody of Jeremy.
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Tommy still has feelings for Tanner, even though she is involved with Presley.
JOJO'S CAFE
This afternoon, "Out Of My League" by Fitz and The Tantrums plays on the sound system in the cafe. Among the patrons is Tricia Lockhart, who, despite being on maternity leave, is at the table by the large window overlooking Main Street. Courtney Covington Sullivan, her friend, and Dylan, her infant son, in a black modular stroller.
"It's been a while since I've been here or anywhere that I don't really mind," Tricia confesses.
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Courtney glances at her friend, knowing that behind her facade, something is bothering her. "I've known you long enough, so I know when you're trying to cover the hurt."
Tricia takes a sip of her iced tea. "I wasn't going to mention it because it's the one issue that keeps circling back to my relationship with Sean."
Courtney's eyes meet the baby's eyes as she reaches out to tickle his stomach in his light blue and white striped onesie with "Be Kind" stitched in the center and a matching blue and white cap on his head to cover his dark brown hair.
"You listened to me going on about my problems at Covington with my father taking back his CEO seat and me getting demoted to point woman with the ballroom renovation at the inn," Courtney tells her. "It's only fair that I hear whatever is bothering you."
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"Be thankful that Steven's ex-wife lives almost 1000 miles away because I will give anything for that to be my reality."
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Tommy Covington and Elijah Barker both enter the establishment, heading to the lounge area where they meet their other friend, Lorenzo Vidal, sitting on the sofa.
"The first week of junior year at Sampson University is finished," Elijah Barker says exhaustively while plopping in the chair across the sofa and putting his backpack beside him.
"Hallelujah," Tommy chants with relief.
"And just think, I used to be upset about not being in school anymore," Lorenzo says
The young man's family had financial difficulties, which affected him not being able to attend school with the rest of his well-off friends.
"So, how is the new job going?" Elijah queries
Lorenzo takes a drink of his orange soda. "It feels good to do something I like. Don't get me wrong. I will always appreciate Mr. Gupta for giving me a job at the store but handling the socials for the club is helping me build a platform for my content."
The young man is an aspiring director who's already building a steady reel with Martha and her band's first music video, which now has over one hundred thousand views online.
"What the hell was that the other night with you and Jordan?" Elijah asks his friend outright.
The gang decided to come together to support Lorenzo's first night at the club when Tommy walked in with the young woman with whom he shares a son; it didn't take long before Jordan and Tanner threw insults at each other.
"Nothing; Jordan was feeling down, so I invited her to tag along. How was I supposed to know what was going to happen?"
Lorenzo shakes his head, knowing there's more to the story.
"You know Tanner, and she don't get along, but I think deep down you were hoping for that because you ain't over Tanner even though she's with Jordan's brother."
The wealthy heir rolls his eyes at the mention of the reverend.
Elijah cranes his neck behind him. "Do you believe in coincidences?"
Tommy then sees what his best friend is referring to when Tanner Lockhart makes her way into the cafe wearing a yellow floral print flutter sleeve v-neck top and blue jeans with her messenger bag dangling from her shoulder.
Her glimpse meets him for a second, then she goes over to a table where her stepmother, Courtney, and her baby brother are.
THE WATERFALL BAR
The regulars begin piling into the establishment while "Respect" by the one and only Aretha Franklin plays.
In one of the booths, Esther Saunders is conversing with her son, Steven Sullivan.
"My, my, he's grown so much since I saw him last at the wedding," Esther comments while her eyes are fixed upon her son's iPhone in her hand.
The photo shows Steven's ten-year-old son Evan with his mother and her mother's boyfriend in front of the castle at the Magic Kingdom at Disney World.
"Tell me about it," Steven says agreeably. "I hope the next time I see him; I hope he recognizes me."
Esther gives the device back to her son. "Why on earth would you say something like that?" she replies. "You two might not see each other every day, but that child knows you love him."
Steven takes a quick sip from his beer bottle. "I know it just feels like I'm missing so much already with him, but I know this is best for him."
Esther nods empathically. "Divorce with a child is a no-win situation; trust me, I should know that better than anyone."
"Being apart from your child is wrong on all fronts."
Esther then lifts one of her eyebrows at the statement Steven just made. "Since we're on that subject, have you thought any more about what we talked about?"
Instantly knowing what his mother is referring to, he shakes his head at the idea.
Ever since Esther found out that she and Emma shared the same blood type and the affair Deirdre and her father had over thirty years ago, she wanted to find out if Emma's was her half-sister.
"I'm not going to my wife's family house to steal a DNA sample from her aunt; it's insane and probably illegal and immoral."
"What other choice do we have, Steven?" Esther exasperatedly says. "And when have the Covington's ever been concerned with immorality?"
HOME FARM
In his office upstairs in the mansion on the Home Farm Estate, Daniel Covington is at his desk skimming over some paperwork. Then his landline phone rings on his desk, which he retrieves.
"Hello," he greets the person on the other side of the phone.
"It's me," the voice of Dr. Pierre Toussaint echoes.
"You do remember me after all?" He responds sarcastically.
"Please tell me you're committing to the task of making Jordan incapable of mothering a goat, let alone my grandson."
He is blackmailing Toussaint about the fact that he carried on a romantic relationship with a patient who eventually took her own life. His performance, as well as his position, will be in question if the hospital board finds out.
The psychiatrist clears his throat. "I gave her something that will ensure that."
Daniel can hear the reluctance in his voice. "But?"
"She hasn't filled it yet," he informs him.
Daniel exhales deeply at hearing that his plan isn't going as smoothly as he envisioned.
He then hangs up the phone when he lifts his head to see Gabriella, the longtime housekeeper, standing in the doorway.
"Please come in, Gabriella,"
The middle-aged Hispanic housekeeper shuffles inside the office, expecting to hear another request for dinner or to get a room ready for an unexpected guest.
"If I asked you to do me a huge favor, would you do it?"
"I'll do just about anything for you, Mr. Covington," she says in her thick New York accent.
Daniel smiles charismatically. "Good, now be honest with me. Do you care for Jordan?"
The housekeeper frowns somewhat, thinking of the young woman who once asked her to get her bags out of her car when she first moved in or the only one to request, she get the door, as she is a stereotypical maid.
"She's not one of my favorite people here," she answers reservedly.
"I'm working on getting her out of all our lives for good, and I need your help."
"I'll do it," Gabriella replies respectfully.
"That is what I wanted to hear, and I promise you your pay will generously reflect your corporation."
He might've put some trust in the psychiatrist, but he knows if he wants Jordan out of here without Jeremy, he has to do it on his terms. Like he had previously, Jordan thought she had lost her keys, but he was the one who had them misplaced, desiring it would jumpstart the process.
FRANKLIN FARM
Despite having two more weeks on his paternity leave, Sean Lockhart drove out to the farm to clear his head due to the heated encounter with Tricia last night over him not being upfront with her about running into Louise in the lobby of his apartment building. Even though he wasn't truthful, he also believed his wife was blowing things out of proportion. After that, he checks in on his farmhands, who are cleaning the cow barn. He travels by foot on land on this bright summer afternoon.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" Louise Saunders Lockhart calls out.
The farmer walks toward him wearing a long-sleeved red plaid shirt, blue jeans, and her long blonde hair in a ponytail.
"You know, I can't get enough of this place," he responds humorously. "I'm sorry I interrupted your plans last night."
Last night, Sean drove out to the lake cottage to talk to Louise but found her lover Jai there, which made him leave more quickly than he anticipated.
"You didn't, but something tells me you didn't just come out here for nothing, so what's going on now?"
JOJO'S CAFE
The chorus of "Where Have All The Cowboys Gone" by Paula Cole currently plays in the cafe as Tanner holds Dylan in her arms.
"He's gotten so big since I last saw him."
Tricia purses her lips, resolving not to take the frustration she has with her father out on her.
"He definitely isn't fussy when it comes to his feedings."
"Tanner, how have you been?" Courtney asks her brother's ex-girlfriend, noticing that he is not far away and casually glancing at her.
The young woman forms an uneasy countenance on her face.
"I'm doing all right," she answers while placing the baby back into the stroller.
She sees her stepmother's tense gaze upon her.
"I've got to go back to campus," she tells him. "Bye, Dylan," she remarks more jovially.
"See you later, Tanner." Courtney says
Tanner takes off towards the line at the counter.
I'm glad she's gone because I found myself biting my tongue because I didn't want to sound pissed at her. It isn't her fault that her father can't get enough of that precious mother of hers. " Tricia discloses
Courtney takes a hearty sip of her green tea smoothie. She had heard from her friend about her recent marital problems involving Louise, who also happens to be her husband's cousin.
"You know I care about you, but I have to admit you are blowing this way out of proportion."
"Thanks for the support," Tricia says mockingly.
"Look, Sean should've told you about talking to Louise, but you have to ask yourself, is it worth putting your marriage at risk?" Courtney says vehemently
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***
Tanner moves up in line when she feels an unwanted presence beside her.
"Tanner, I need to talk to you," Tommy tells her.
"Don't you think Jordan would mind?"
Tommy cracks a crooked smile at her comment. "Wait, you think because I came with her to the club that I'm with her, which isn't true, by the way."
"Good for you,"
"Tanner, I've made my feelings clear. I still want you back, and I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that."
A somewhat more companionable stare lands on her face.
"Unlike you, I'm seriously involved with someone."
Tommy sticks his hands into his pants pockets. "I have a feeling, things between you and the good reverend aren't going to last," Tommy says arrogantly.
"Bye, Tommy,"
"No, seriously, meet me tomorrow at our place, if I ever mean anything to you."
Tanner hated being put in this position, especially since she has been adamant about not being caught up in Tommy's charismatic ways.
"I will text you the time, and I will have a limo pick you up from your dorm."
With that, the Covington heir strolls back to Elijah and Lorenzo, leaving Tanner verklempt while she is head of the line at the counter.
FRANKLIN FARM
The former spouses walk side by side on the eight-hundred-acre dairy farm.
"Who knew when we divorced, I found myself still in the center of you two?" Louise verbally expresses tiredness.
"I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't come to you with my marriage issues, but I didn't know who else to turn to, "
By now, he had filled her in on what occurred.
"It's not my place, Sean,"
Sean wipes beads of sweat from his forehead. "I get it. It's just that I'm tired of all this shit going back and forth between Tricia and me. I just want us to be a family with our son."
Louise looks at her ex-husband with meaningful regard.
"Keep assuring her that you still love her and want to be a family; that's all you can do," she replies straightforwardly. "But I can't get involved in your marital crisis. It's not fair to either one of you, and it's not really any of my business. "
He nods somewhat appreciatively at the advice given to him, even though he knows that on some level he doesn't deserve it.
THE WATERFALL BAR
"If, and that's not definite, if I go to Home Farm, it will look suspicious. I mean, I'm not one of Daniel's favorite people." He speaks of his father-in-law.
Esther moves her head, conveying that he did make a point. "I get that it sounds crazy, but I can't let it go."
"What if the DNA test is a match and Emma's your sister?" He asks, "What do you then? And what if the outcome is the opposite; will it all be for naught, mom?"
Esther sighs unsurely. "As my momma and daddy used to say, we'll cross that bridge when we cross it."
Somehow, the conviction in her voice gets to him.
"All right... I can do it, but we can't go in there half-cocked; we need a plan." Steven succumbs to his mother.
"Leave that up to me," Esther says, determinedly.
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END OF EPISODE
ON THE 200th EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
Steven uncovers Emma's DNA.
Tommy tries to convince Tanner to start over.
Sean assures Tricia that Louise doesn't pose any threat to their marriage.
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