EPISODE 13
Written by : Bre L. Drew
Last Time On Town and Country
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Steven and Courtney decide to keep on seeing one another.
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Daniel and Esther made a deal in exchange for the shares of the farm that Esther will break up Steven and Courtney.
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Lynn and Tanner found out about their father having an affair behind their mother's back.
LOCKHART LAKE COTTAGE
Typically, around this time of the evening, Louise Saunders Lockhart would be in her sweats with a glass of wine, watching House Hunters or The Real Housewives of any city on television. Tonight, however, she was in heels that were already pinching her feet. And wearing an black Adrianna Papell High-Low Ball Gown that made her feel quite feminine. At the last minute, she was able to get an appointment at the hair salon. She heard about the Small Businessmen gala even before she received the invitation by courier. She feels quite awkward about attending the event held by her first boyfriend, with her husband.
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Louise makes her way into the living room where she finds her teenage twin daughters Lynn and Tanner Lockhart sitting on the couch binging Killing Eve.
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"How do I look?" Louise asks as she holds both hands on each side of her hips doing her best supermodel pose.
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"Not like a mom, that's for sure," Lynn replies.
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"Thanks, I guess." Louise smiles sheepishly.
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Tanner pauses the episode with the remote. "Mom, you look beautiful."
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"Thank you Tan-Tan," Louise says.
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Sean enters the room in a Black Tuxedo, the last time Louise remembered wearing anything remotely formal was the suit to their wedding. Making her realizing that their 20th wedding anniversary is fast approaching.
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"You ready to go? " Sean asks
"Yeah, let me go get my purse." Louise sprints out of the living room to retrieve it from the table underneath the mirror near the staircase.
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Sean grins widely "Betcha you ain't used to your old man all cleaned up huh?"
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The twins exchange similar glances of wanting to ignore their father at all costs. But they both know that they really couldn't if they don't he might suspect something other than teenage mood swings. It has been hard for the both of them to keep the secret that their father is sleeping with another woman behind their mother's back for weeks now.
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"No, I haven't, " Lynn replies.
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Louise steps back into the room with the purse in hand. Shortly thereafter the two of them go over the rules of them staying on their own. Louise hugs both of the girls goodbye and then she accompanies Sean out of the house. During that time the twins both go to the window seeing their father driving the Range Rover down the road.
"You sure throwing this party is a good idea?" Tanner asks with hesitation in her voice.
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For the past week now, Lynn decided to throw an unsupervised party here at the cottage. At first Tanner agreed, however, she feels quite in the wrong like she couldn't shake off like something bad might happen.
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Lynn puts both hands on her sister's arms. "Look, Tanner, we just found out that our father is having sex with some other woman. I think we're allowed to have some have fun and to forget about all of the crap we have been hiding. Plus Elijah will be here in a minute to help us set everything before everyone gets here. Come on let's go get ready." She leads her twin sister towards the staircase to get ready for tonight.
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MILLER INN : GRAND BALLROOM
As he strolls into the ballroom of the Miller Inn located in the neighboring town of Hudson Lake. Daniel Covington is more than impressed with the overall transformation of the ballroom. The lights are dim enough that guests are still able to see. Adequate space where the live band will be playing music throughout the night. Several tables accustomed for tonight's full course meal and adorned with custom-made black and gold cloth. In addition that the state flower, the goldenrod is well represented in different areas of the ballroom too. Tonight will hopefully mark the first annual Small Businessmen Gala. Not to mention that later on this evening he will be making a speech in front of the attendees and the press regarding his company's plans to finally get the town of Radcliffe into the 21st century in terms of developing the land.
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Nonetheless, he wished that all three of his children were going to be present tonight. However, his youngest son, Tommy is spending his entire summer with his best friend Carter and his family in The Hamptons.
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******
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Not too far behind the host, this evening is his two oldest children Max and Courtney Covington are also making their entrance into the ballroom.
"There goes, dad." Courtney points out to her older brother. She is wearing a Black couture gown.
Max rolls his eyes. "Ah great," Even from his movement, he is hardly interested in attending this event. He has never been the one to enjoy going to these black-tie events. He prefers taking on the slopes or catching a surf. Instead of nibbling on dry chicken and associating with snobs over causes, they don't give a damn about in the first place.
The two of them greet their father and Daniel takes the time to eye his son who is dressed in the tux he picked out for him to wear. A far cry from the usual attire he wears at home. "This event is going to be not only good for the community and the company. But it is going to help to usher our family in this town's society again."
Courtney happens to catch her brother's sideways glimpse at her. "Everything really looks lovely." she looks around to notice just about every detail she helped put into since she was the one to have this gala in the first place.
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"Maximillian, you know that it is not too late for you to join the company in a working compacity," Daniel informs him.
Max shakes his head. "No Thanks, I got my own thing dad." He isn't keen on sharing what he has been working on knowing that his father will find pedestrian, to say the least.
Daniel's expression is somewhat composed as the band begins last minute rehearsing. "All I'm saying is that you need to get your priorities straight. I mean look at your sister, top of her class at Wharton Business School, and working her way as an executive."
Max chuckles with disdain "Unlike me your loser son who dropped out of NYU after a year right?" He is becoming fed up over his father once again comparing the merits of his sibling and himself.
"Dad, this is not the time nor the place to get into this," Courtney says.
She was nervous about going public with Steven. The two of them agreed that they will not let anyone keep them apart ever since they reconciled a week or so ago after they had fallen out over Courtney keeping the fact that her surname is Covington.
Daniel excuses himself as he needs to check on a few things before the gala kicks off.
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"Is there any way that I can get out of this?" Max asks already knowing the answer to the question.
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FRANKLIN FARM : MAIN HOUSE
With a few minutes to spare, Steven Sullivan walks down the stairs into the living room looking handsome in his Calvin Klein solid black suit with a charcoal necktie. Since the entire family was invited to the attend gala. It was even more important for Courtney and himself to be honest and to announce to everyone close to them that they're officially a couple.
Steven looks at his mother who is coming downstairs all made up for this evening. He admires her for rocking an off the shoulder red ball gown. She too compliments him on how good he looks and she dusts off his suit jacket that only a mother can do.
Steven clears his throat. "Mom, there is something I need to tell you tonight."
Esther Saunders puts both hands on her hips. " Okay, as long as it doesn't involve getting back together with that ex-wife of yours, then sure sweetheart." she half-jokes
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"No, it isn't that he chuckles. I'm not getting back together with Lorraine. I'm back together with Courtney." he finally responds.
Esther seems that her eyes were going to bulge right from her sockets.
"Steven Arnold Sullivan are you outta of your mind? I told you it ain't best for you to get involved with a Covington." She is not so enthused with this news also because she had made a deal with Daniel for the exchange of the shares of the farm. That Esther would have to find a way from keeping her son and she didn't want to do that hoping their relationship wouldn't survive due to Courtney withholding that she was a Covington .
Steven puts a hand up from his mother to stop rambling. "Momma, the two of us are getting to know one another we're not in any rush to walk down the aisle. Besides I hadn't even told her that I have an ex-wife who is keeping my son away from me out of spite. " He then tells her he is going to be waiting in her Jaguar since he is the designated driver tonight.
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" Damn it, " Esther curses. She does not need another complication in her way to get what she wants the most.
Peter Saunders comes out of the kitchen, he is a wearing a suit however, he has a ten-gallon hat on his head.
"What is going on out here ?" he asks as he heard some shouting in here.
Esther exhales before getting into the deal and what she just found out from her son. Knowing that her little brother was the first one to know that she had an idea in order to get those shares that rightfully belong to her and the fate of Franklin Farm.
Peter rubs his chin in an informal way. "Don't worry about it I mean have you known any relationship between a Covington and a Saunders to last the long haul?"
Esther shakes her head, usually, she would agree. However, it is something between the two of them that seems so headstrong against the rivalry thus far. She knows that she has to do something fast or she would have to put up with Patrick Covington's son having a say so in the family business in more ways than one.
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LOCKHART LAKE COTTAGE
The sounds of Drake's new album our thumping inside the cottage. Whilst half of the population of the incoming Junior and Senior classes our socializing throughout the house.
Internally, Tanner is questioning the idea of having a party with no adult supervision. She is in the corner with a red solo cup containing homemade fruit punch with lime soda. If this night wasn't already stressing her out. A certain pair of girls heading her way was about to make her even more worried.
One of the two girls is, of course, Jordan McKnight, It seemed like a lifetime ago that she and Jordan were almost as inseparable as Lynn and herself. However, in their freshman year, Jordan started pulling away from their friend group. And by that time she traded her in to be a popular girl. She is wearing a black metallic plunged cropped top, with a leather mini skirt. Her blonde hair is styled effortlessly in a ponytail.
"Hey, Tanner, did you get special permission to stay up late with the rest of us?" Jordan says in a condescending way
Tanner ignores her as she brings up the cup to her lips taking a drink. She has never been good at making comebacks. Yet, she doesn't want a confrontation with them. She hadn't noticed that her best friend Elijah Barker now standing beside her.
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"What's going on?" Elijah asks. He had seen from the other side of the room when Jordan and Mariana came to interrogate his best friend.
"Rude much?" Mariana Anson speaks up. Mariana is a petite girl with a large chest. Mariana and her family moved to Radcliffe from Missouri in the seventh grade.
"Oh, I didn't see you there." Elijah says sarcastically knowing full well that they have been over here for a while now.
"Hey, Y 'all." Lynn Lockhart greets everyone she too has a plastic cup,
"This party isn't bad Lockhart," Jordan says a tad more respectful than earlier.
Lynn and Jordan have remained friends, however, Lynn isn't afraid to back down from her or her insults either. Something that Jordan low key respects.
Jordan then opens her silver carryall bag pulling out two large bottles of vodka.
Mariana, and Lynn are psyched about it like it is some type of relic of the early 1990's.
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Jordan goes on about how she confiscated it from her father's liquor cabinet. Her father is none other than Police Chief Ernest McKnight.
Tanner is then surprised when Jordan pours it into Lynn's cup and her twin sister accepts it. Jordan is about to pour some for her too but she takes her cup away.
"I don't drink," Tanner says. She never had a drop of alcohol in her life and she isn't keen on drinking, especially since she knows she will have to get this house back together before her parents come home from the gala.
"You're such a loser," Jordan mumbles.
"And you're such a bitch," Elijah says mostly to Tanner which makes her chortle.
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MILLER INN : GRAND BALLROOM
The ballroom was now full of guests all dressed in formal wear. Both Sean and Louise walk into the room as the live band is playing You Make Me Feel Brand New by The Stylistics. Louise is taken back at the grandeur of the room she has been to this hotel about a half dozen times in her lifetime. She had to admit though this is the classiest event she has been invited to.
Sean observes his wife for the first time this evening, she was wearing a dress that is showing off her curves. He couldn't remember the last time she wore something that made him want to have sex with her. "Louise, you look really good."
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"Thanks," Louise is caught off guard with her husband's out of the blue comment. "And you cleaned up nicely yourself Sean." she admits to him.
Daniel comes over to them he greets Louise with no inkling of the anger he had the last time she saw him. She then forgets that neither of the men has been properly introduced to one another. So she hastily makes the introductions. Then she carefully watches as they shake hands with one another.
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Peter, Sarah Lynn, and Esther also make their entrance into the gala." It seems everyone is here tonight." Sarah Lynn Saunders comments.
"I've known most of these people all my life, we don't need no fancy shindig for us to get together, All we need is a beer at The Waterfall," he explains his sentiments about the gala tonight. "Small Businessmen my ass," he concludes.
"I think Mae had the right idea tonight to stay away." Esther interjects. Mae was invited tonight as well but she decided to oversee everything at the bar instead. Esther wishes that she could skip this night like her best friend too.
Esther can't take her eyes off Steven who came in before the rest of them. He is currently associating himself with Courtney and another young man. Perhaps if she was lucky enough maybe it was the girl's date. Although, she doubts that Courtney Covington would have her two suitors meet one another in a public event like this.
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Moments later, Steven and Courtney our dancing to a Top 40 song that the band is playing.
"Well, it seems that your brother likes me." Steven says
Courtney smiles. "He likes you too, trust me he would've told you if he didn't ."
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"I told my mother about us," he confesses to her.
Courtney braces herself. "And how did she take it?"
Steven silence speaks volumes to her. She heavily sighs which makes him even more upset.
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"You told me we shouldn't let anyone dictate our relationship. And we shouldn't Steven." Courtney says with a lot more confidence than before.
Steven smiles as the two of them kiss one another. Unbeknownst to him that both of their parents are staring at them with strong contempt.
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LOCKHART LAKE COTTAGE
It seemed within the hour or so. The number of people at the party grew in size. Tanner and Elijah were hiding certain fragile items upstairs in her bedroom to be put back when everyone leaves. The two were now coming down the landing of the staircase.
"Where is Lynn?" Elijah asks.
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Tanner shrugs as she attempts to search for her sister. The two of them follow the cheering and roaring noise from the crowd in the living room. But when they cast their eyes on the fixture of their attention they suddenly found Lynn who is standing on the coffee table. She then starts dancing on the table which most everyone else is enamored with her.
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"I think we can blame this on the alcohol." Tanner concludes as she tries to figure out how in the hell is she going to keep this from getting even more out of hand?
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END OF EPISODE
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ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
The Gala Continues.
Daniel grows more impatient with Steven and Courtney together.
Another secret is revealed .
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