EPISODE 39
Written by: Bre L. Drew
Last Time On Town and Country
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Daniel informed Peter that Supermarket owner Lyle Wysocki wants a meeting to discuss a potential business deal.
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Sean and Louise our divorcing after 20 years of marriage.
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In Episode 13 Elijah Barker and Jordan McKnight were introduced.
JOJO'S CAFE
It hits Lynn Lockhart that the holidays are now in the distant past when she sees that none of the decorations that were all over Main Street are now gone. She enters the café during a weekday afternoon, in which half of the customer population consists of her peers attempting to do their homework or avoiding going home, the rest are adults taking their late afternoon lunches away from the office. Also, Sabrina Carpenter's Almost Love is playing above them through the speakers.
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She marches over to the table near the counter where she playfully taps Elijah Barker who is sitting at the table writing with a marker on one of the large poster boards that sit near his feet along with his backpack.
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"Hey, Lenny" he greets her.
"I just saw your ass forty minutes ago in the halls at school Elijah." Lynn reminds him. She puts her coat on the back of the chair in front of him revealing her mustard yellow ribbed hooded pullover and black pants.
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"How did you get here? " he asks.
Knowing that since her grades hadn't risen yet meaning she can't drive the car that she shares with Tanner. He wonders how his friend gotten here from school.
Lynn tosses strands of her honey blonde hair behind her ears. "Tanner dropped me off before she headed over to Tommy to teach him how to slow down behind the wheel."
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Elijah shakes his head trying to forget the other day when Tommy got behind the wheel of the girl's Fiat as he sped around the driveway of his family's huge estate. Elijah nearly had to do number one because it scared the crap out of him. It also had he and Lynn hold onto each other because they weren't wearing their seatbelts in the backseat.
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"What is that? " Lynn asks referring to what he is working on with the poster boards.
Elijah sighs. "It's that time of the year where all of us members of the student council help organize the local canned food drive for the homeless."
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"And lemme guess, you drew the shortest straw, so, that is why you're working on this."
"Sort of"
"You gotta learn how to stand up for yourself some more man," she recommends.
"Finally someone says it." An accustomed annoyance of a voice belonging to Jordan McKnight.
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LOCKHART LAKE COTTAGE
Sorting through the stack of mail in the kitchen Sean Lockhart who is standing behind the counter is making a note of what is junk or important.
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"Water Bill, important."
"Credit Card Bill, important."
"A catalog for an online retailer I never heard of, junk pile in you go."
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He is about to keep going through the envelopes when he hears footsteps entering into the room.
"Anything interesting so far? " Louise Saunders Lockhart asks casually.
"Hey, you're home early." Sean notices
They're times when Louise tends to stay at the farm to catch up with her mother or talk to her father. Sean always knew that it was just to avoid coming home to be with him.
"Yeah, everything was pretty much wrapped up, so it wasn't much to do, so I decided to come home. got a problem with that Sean? " Louise asks vehemently.
She goes to one of the drawer's to dig through the compartment of take-out menus.
"It's no problem Louise," Sean responds.
"I don't feel like cooking, so what about we just order out," Louise says
Sean puts one hand on his hip. "Are we okay?"
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Louise looks up from a Chinese take out menu." We're okay, I guess, I'm still not used to an empty house."
"Me neither, remember when the twins were all over us, now it's more like hi, bye."
"Well, I expected that when we got them the car, we got more one year before the girls are eighteen."
Lynn and Tanner will be celebrating their seventeenth birthday at the end of the summer.
"Don't remind me," Sean says hesitantly.
The two of them stare at one another silently communicating that even though their marriage is unrepairable, but their connection as parents will outlast their marital history.
"I'm going to order dinner," Louise announces
"Don't forget."
"Extra orange sauce, yeah, yeah, yeah." Louise fills in the blank whilst stepping into the hallway to call the restaurant.
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FRANKLIN FARM
Bearing with the elements of winter in January, Peter Saunders is walking back to the house this afternoon when the sky is still deciding does it want to be cloudy because of the season or because of the time of the day. He made sure that the herd was all right in this cold weather. He then heavily groans when he notices the headlights of Daniel Covington's Bentley turning off in front of the house. He sees his business partner getting out of the driver's seat.
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"Before you ask in that gravelly voice of yours why I'm here then let me save you the trouble remember when I told you that Lyle Wysocki was interested in putting Franklin Farm dairy products in his stores."
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Peter recollects running into Daniel at The Waterfall days before Christmas when he told him about how the founder of MarketFresh markets was interested in getting their products on the shelves of his stores.
"Did Lyle get back in touch with you?" he asks interrogatively.
Daniel puts both of his black leather-clad gloves together. "He sure did, in fact, he wants to meet with us tomorrow afternoon."So what about we go somewhere warm to talk?"
"Sure"
Voluntarily, the elder farmer leads the younger man walking up the porch steps of the house.
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*****
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Sitting on the couch in the living room, Martha Saunders puts a few seasoned curly fries in her mouth off the Styrofoam tray. "You must have been reading my mind because I have been craving these."
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"Let's just say that I brought these over as a peace offering for being a crappy friend lately." Shauna Jackson replies purposely dramatically.
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This morning Shauna had realized that she hadn't been in touch with her best friend since she got back into town from her get away. So at the last minute, she had Burgess at the bar make his delicious seasoned curly fries at the kitchen at the Waterfall. She brought them over for them to share with her.
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Martha wipes her hands together. "Shauna, don't worry about it, between work for you and finally packing my hospital bag I think we're adulting."
Shauna cannot help but notice that her friend is nearly due to having her baby. Her stomach is beginning to drop in her mauve cowl neck maternity sweatshirt.
"Is it just me or are you about to pop? " Shauna asks casually.
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Martha dips her head at her belly then back to her friend. "How could you tell? " she says sarcastically. "Yeah, can't believe that I'm going to have a baby by the end of this month," she says introspectively.
"Your son is going to adore you and think you're the coolest Martha. "
"I hold you to that when the baby boy is a teenager. "Enough about me how was your vacay with Max? " Martha derides.
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Shauna tells Martha about everything that went down in Sun Valley including the two of them having sex together for the first time and how romantic he was whilst he was teaching her how to ski too.
Martha swallows a fry. "It seems that you got it bad for him."
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Shauna grins. "All right, I like to be in his company, he really treats me like a woman, not a little girl who doesn't know how to make up her mind you know."
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She sees that Martha is giving her some type of accusatory stare.
"What? "
"I am wondering if you still are holding out for Antoine? "
Just as Shauna is about to open her mouth, Peter and Daniel come through the door.
"Hi baby girl, Shauna how are you? " Peter greets both ladies.
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The two of them reply back to him both surprised to see the two men in the same room not hurling one allegation knowing the neither can't stand one another.
Daniel takes off his gloves. "Nice seeing you Martha, and Shauna I think you have put a smile on my son's face thank you for that it's been a long time since he had someone positive in his life. "
Shauna seems touched to hear this. "He is a good person, Mr. Covington."
Peter clears his throat. "Daniel and I got some uh business to take care of so if you ---
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Martha faces Shauna. " I think what my dad is telling us that they want us outta the way so the big boys can talk, come on Shauna. " She grabs the tray of food and wobbles to the staircase along with her friend.
JOJO'S CAFE
"That's funny Lynn, I thought I heard someone but I don't see anyone," Elijah says to no one in particular.
"Hi, Jordan," Lynn says casually to her frenemy.
Today Jordan has on her gray sweatshirt with Radcliffe High School trimmed in gold as well as Cross Country on it. She had on blue jeans, and her hair is in a bun and hardly any makeup on. She has her purse on her shoulder and a clear cup filled with iced café latte with a straw sticking out of it.
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"Hey, Lenny, " Jordan says meekly, " I heard his mother busted you for skipping, that's messed up."
Lynn acknowledges to herself that this is the most that her ex-close friend said to her since she brought those bottles of vodka to the house party she and Tanner threw in which Lynn got drunk.
Lynn crosses her legs. " Well, I am trying to deal with it."
Jordan stands there for a second like she wants to keep on talking. However, she gets the message, as she takes several steps towards the front door.
"Good riddance" Elijah clearly states.
"Do you know what today's date is Elijah? " Lynn asks concerningly.
Elijah grabs the iPhone that is sitting in front of him. He checks his calendar, and it becomes noticeable he sees the date since he exhales.
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"Damn it, I completely forgot."
Lynn nods her head. "That's why I was being nice to her. "
On this date two years ago, Jordan's oldest brother Ernest Jr. was killed in the line of duty as a rookie police officer. The McKnight family hadn't been the same since then.
Elijah puts down one of the markers "I read enough psychology books to know that no one exactly stops grieving, but my problem is that no one ever calls her out for acting like the Wicked Witch of Radcliffe High, Lynn. "
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She knows that he is right that Jordan's whole bitch routine is a lot. Although, she remembers how she broke down in sadness when she found out he didn't survive.
Lynn sees the subpar artwork that he is doing with the poster. "Let me help you out."
He attempts the drawing of a crooked can when she touches his hand. Usually, a graze between them makes no kind of impact. This moment seems different for the two of them. Lynn obtains the marker and moves the poster board to her direction. She cannot shake the sudden feeling of the sense of nervousness in the pit of her stomach.
FRANKLIN FARM: MAIN HOUSE
The television in Martha's bedroom is playing the most recent episode of The Real Housewives Of New Jersey in a low volume which isn't working since the ladies are once again confronting each other. Martha is lying down in her bed. Whilst, Shauna is sitting on the floor paying attention to the screen.
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"Read my lips I am not holding out for Antoine. " She then takes a bite of a fry.
Martha rolls her eyes knowing her best friend all too well that somehow in her voice that she is unsure of her answer.
"I'm serious Martha ok, I do not want to enter into any relationship with Antoine, besides he is "dating" Nichelle," she says unexceptionably.
Martha tries her best to her legs together despite her temporary girth. "Go with me here for a second, so what if you and Antoine weren't with other people would you at least be interested in getting together with him yes or no? "
"That's simple, NO, look I love Antoine and I know we might've gotten to a place where we care for one another, but --- I just have this fear that we get together and at first everything is fine, then ---
"Then what? "
Shauna tugs on one of her curls. "He would feel trapped being in a monogamous relationship I mean it wouldn't be the first dang time he decided to see one girl and hook up with one another girl the next night because he gets bored, you know this, so I don't know why I'm telling you all of this. "
Martha's facial expression consists of her knowing all of this from her years of seeing this for herself. Though, she couldn't shake this vague belief that Shauna would be happy with Antoine if given the chance.
"I know you want off this subject, but it seems to me that you have feelings for two guys Shaunie. "
Shauna tosses an exasperated look at Martha. "You're right, I want off this merry-go-round. "
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Martha puts her hands in the air to declare she surrenders. "Let's get back to the housewives."
The two of them remained in silence as they continue to watch the madness of these ladies on screen.
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"Where is the loudmouth sister of yours?" Daniel seated on the green couch in the living room of the house.
"She's out," Peter answers flatly. He is sitting in his favorite chair.
"Very well then, Lyle is a tough businessman who tends to make his decisions that will make his markets profitable and him even more richer." So we'll talk about the progress of the products sold in the local stores. "
Peter chuckles lightly.
"What are you laughing about? " Daniel asks with a hint of irritability.
"Nothing it's just that you think I don't know jack about the man." Peter retorts.
Daniel shakes his head. "Since you think you're some expert on Lyle Wysocki then inform me on how we should approach this meeting.
Peter stands up from the chair to stand behind it. "Lyle Wysocki is a family man, he has been married to his wife forever, the guy has five children, zillion grandchildren."
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From years of watching and reading that Lyle is a conservative southern tycoon who always manages to spread the word that his kin keeps him grounded as he manages to build a fortune in the process.
"So?" Daniel asks missing the point that his business partner is trying to make.
"So, Danny Boy, we'll appeal to his homespun mantra of everyone is one big family."
"I can't believe that I am saying this, but you might have a point. "Daniel acknowledges.
Peter then sits down in the chair with both of his hands on the armrests. "Man, are we actually agreeing on something? " Peter says in an apprehensive manner.
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"Don't let it go to your head, Peter," Daniel says
The two of them start to discuss what they will talk about which they will later tell Esther before they all meet with one another tomorrow at The Chateau.
LOCKHART LAKE COTTAGE
Louise walks back into the kitchen where Sean is still in.
"Okay, food is ordered and is on the way. I got all of our favorites."
She glares at her husband who has a look of disturbance on his face not saying one word. "Sean, what's up?"
"According to the Commonwealth of Kentucky, we're no longer man and wife." Sean scoffs.
He holds up a piece paper which is obviously his copy of the divorce decree that came in the mail.
Louise starts to feel a multitude of emotions as she realizes that now they're no longer legally obligated to be together anymore.
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END OF EPISODE
ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
Sean and Louise inform the girls of their divorce.
The meeting commends between Peter, Daniel, and Esther with Lyle Wysocki.
An arrival makes their debut in Radcliffe.
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