EPISODE 37
Written by: Bre L. Drew
Last Time On Town and Country
-
As a Christmas present, Max gives Shauna a four day getaway to Sun Valley.
-
Sean signed the divorce papers.
-
Antoine is still determined to be in a committed relationship with Shauna.
-
Esther isn't keen on her son dating a Covington.
SUN VALLEY LODGE: MAX AND SHAUNA'S GUESTROOM
Bursting with excitement and chills from the ridiculously low-temperature Max Covington and Shauna Jackson enter into the spacious guestroom they have been staying in for the past few days now. Just outside of the lodge is a magnificent view of the snowcapped mountain that gives the environment even more of a scenic view.
​
"For someone claiming to be a novice, I'm surprised at how good you are, you weren't telling me that you didn't how to ski to spare my feelings?" Max asks without apprehension.
​
Since they have been here, Max has been finding himself guiding Shauna less and less on the slopes. They also have been snowboarding and going into town doing some shopping as well.
​
In the middle of taking off her navy Triclimate coat revealing her snow slope coveralls over her long sleeve shirt. She looks at Max with ease and tenderness.
​
"Well, what can I say, I have an amazing instructor."
Shauna links her arms around Max's neck he leans in to kiss her more intensely then he has prior.
​
Shauna and Max arrived into town the day after Christmas in style riding in the first class section of the airplane. Shauna has never experienced being treated so well usually she has been the one offering the hospitality. Their guestroom looks like an apartment with features that our modern yet have a rustic theme.
​
Max holds her hands playfully. "So we got a few hours before 2019 strikes so options our A. We get out of these clothes, put on something nice and go out to a four-star restaurant. Or B. I go out to brave the cold to get us some take out."
"Option B."
Max sighs dramatically. "All right, hypothermia here I come."
Max steps back out into the hallway to head to the elevator bank.
​
Shauna takes off her hat and goes over to the nightstand of the bedroom she and Max have been sleeping in the queen-size bed. She picks up the phone off the hook.
"Hello, Is this concierge? I'm staying with Maximillian Covington, Yes him, Is it possible that I will be able to charge something to the room --- Good, Can I get a bottle of Dom Perignon --- You know what I would like a few more items too."
​
​
LOCKHART LAKE COTTAGE
With misery and sentimentality, Louise Saunders Lockhart looks back on a particular New Years Eve twenty-one years ago that changed her life forever.
​
Sean and herself were at The Waterfall enjoying themselves over drinks. At that point, the two had been dating for about a year. She remembers during "Spice Up Your Life" Sean getting her attention by getting on his knee to ask her hand in her marriage.
​
Louise Rose Saunders will do you me the honor of marrying me?
You're Crazy!
Come on I might be in my twenties but this hardwood floor Horace and Mae got hurts like hell.
Yes, Sean, I will marry you.
Sean picks Louise up then twirls her around, and they kiss what seems like forever she thought that he would always sweep her off her feet. Perceiving at how she believed that she could have how she got herself consumed in anything relating to a fairytale. Since she learned from an early age that happily ever after doesn't exist.
​
She had just gotten off the phone from her mother who she promised that she would accompany her parents and Aunt Esther to the bar for Mae's annual New Year's Eve party tonight. Her mother strongly believes she shouldn't be secluded right now. Although, she isn't sure she is in the mood what with everything going on. She is alone in the house because her soon-to-be ex-husband has taken the twins to Paducah to visit their other grandparents. They would be back tomorrow afternoon.
​
Louise is about to head up to her bedroom to find something to wear until the ringing of the doorbell.
"I'm coming" she cries out.
She grips the door knob open to find Daniel Covington standing in her doorway.
"Hey," Daniel says
He is wearing a black trench coat over his shirt and tie.
"Daniel, what can I do for you today?" Louise catechizes.
"Are you going to let me in?" he cross-examines her.
Louise gestures with her hand that he can come on into her house.
​
"I won't be long, I need to catch up with some paperwork, but I wanted to check up on you to see how you were doing with everything? " he says cryptically.
She folds her arms onto her chest. "Sean took the girls, to visit his parents and by the way, I took your advice we're getting divorced."
​
When Louise was at a lost with her marriage, she went over to Daniel to talk like two mature friends, not those teenage sweethearts who broke up nearly thirty years ago.
"I'm so sorry Lou, but with what you told me, I think it might best," Daniel says optimistically.
Louise nods knowingly. "I thought you were over here to tell me something else you don't like about my family's farm."
Daniel chuckles at her comment. "Well I need to expect the fields before I draw any conclusions, but really I wanted to see how were you?" He then gazes back and forth of the living room. "Lovely house."
"Thank you, so what is going on with you?"
Daniel enlightens her about how the company is doing well, having all three of his children living in town now and how Courtney came to the estate for Christmas.
"That's good at least she is interested in forgiving you."
Daniel takes a seat on the sofa then he crosses his muscular legs. "I hope she is because I miss having my daughter around the house."
​
Daniel knows he was trying to protect his little girl from Steven by having his ex-wife make out with him in order to have Courtney walk in on them. He didn't bank on Lorraine growing a last-minute conscious by exposing his plan. He picks up the picture frame on the side table of Louise and Sean, taken on their wedding day from 1998. "You make a beautiful bride."
Louise finds herself cracking a half smile then taking the frame out of his hands. "Today is the anniversary of Sean proposing to me, and my mother wants me to go to the bar where he asked me to marry him for a party and -- I'm not really up for it. "
Daniel stands to his full height. "I'm going to give you a piece of advice, Go, trust me I learned the best revenge is to live your life no matter what is troubling you."
He walks to the front door where he looks at her like used to with admiration.
"See you in 2019." she wishes him well.
"You too Lou." he then steps outside.
Louise closes the door now determined to find something nice to wear for tonight's festivities.
MILLER INN: COURTNEY'S SUITE
As Rihanna's Pon de Replay gets to the chorus, Courtney Covington is working out with her kettle ball. For years Courtney has been into different workout routines. She already has felt the burn and knows she is sweating in her fitness clothes. The knock at her door makes her pause the music from her iPhone.
​
Unexpectedly she sees her boyfriend standing outside the door cheesing at her.
"Hey, what's so funny Steven?"
"Nothing it's just that I never saw you without any makeup."
"Get in here, " she tells him
​
Steven does what he is told and closes the door behind him.
"So what are you doing this evening?" Steven asks her.
"Nothing much, why?"
Steven takes off his coat putting it on a hanger to put it in the closet.
Steven delicately grabs her by the arms. "I thought we can go to the Waterfall to bring in the new year what do you say?"
Courtney quickly withdraws from him. "I don't think so."
"Why not, got better plans at the country club?"
"No it's not that, but the last time we were there together, my father found out about us."
Early in their dating history, the two were about to leave the bar after their lunch date when they ran into Louise and Daniel in which Courtney revealed that she was a Covington and that Daniel and Steven nearly came to blows for being involved with his considerably younger daughter.
Steven reaches out for her again.
"Look we cannot let anyone dictate on how we should live our lives we're two consenting adults. Besides I want you to be on my arm ringing in 2019 with bells and whistles come on Court."
​
Courtney sighs. "Is your mother going to be there? " She knows that she is Mae's best friend.
Steven bows his head up and down. "But, whatever she says to us she cannot change the way how I feel about you."
"If you don't mind I need about an hour to get out of these clothes get into a shower and get dressed."
"One hour or I am coming in after you," Steven says turning on the flat screen television to keep him company.
​
THE WATERFALL BAR
Antoine Hall slept in later than he had anticipated. He can't let go of Shauna going all the way to the west coast with Max. Yet he knows how much she wanted to travel for a long time, so he tells himself that he shouldn't be pissed off about it.
​
He wishes that she would've told that lanky white boy no.
He finds himself going down the stairs into the bar where he sees Mae behind the bar wearing a lavender jogging suit with her hair in a headscarf wiping down the counter with a cloth. As well as Martha Saunders sitting and counting out party favors for tonight's NYE party.
​
"I would say good morning but it's nearly sunset now." Mae says
"Sorry about that I forgot to set my alarm ---
Then the women begin to laugh at him like they were in on the joke.
"She is just pulling your chain," Martha informs him.
"I know I left you here working on Christmas, so you're entitled to sleep in like you did Antoine." she hugs then kisses him on the cheek.
"What are you doing here Marty? " Antoine asks knowing that Martha is on her maternity leave.
​
"I figured since Shauna is out of town I decided to borrow momma's car to come down and help out," Martha explains herself.
"Antoine baby, if you don't mind could you please change these barrels and Martha if you can carry on what you're doing it would be appreciated thanks, baby."
The ringing of her phone interrupts Mae from continuing her responsibilities before tonight. She leaves behind the bar over to the dining area.
"Hello," she says cheerily.
She hears a feminine automated message.
You have a call coming from the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
Mae braces herself before being connected to the other person on the line.
SUN VALLEY LODGE: MAX AND SHAUNA'S GUESTROOM
Max comes into the room wondering why did he suggest Sun Valley since he had ventured into freezing temperature to get them some food to bring back for him and his girlfriend.
"Hey Shauna, where are you I'm starving," Max calls out.
​
Putting the takeout bag on the table as well as his hotel key. Max sees that the door to the bathroom is open, but what he sees in there is making him second guess his vision.
Inside of the significantly large bathroom lies a bottle of champagne sitting in a clear ice bucket on the ground with two glasses. Candles are lit around the room.
Nevertheless, Shauna is naked in the bathtub filled with bubbles and red rose petals in the water.
"Like what you see?"
​
For the first time, he is at a lost of words still not taking his sight off her.
"Max please tell me that this was not a bad idea?"
Max licks his lips lightly then he goes over to her and the next thing he knows that she is helping him take off his clothes to where he is naked too. Shauna is impressed that his torso is more sculpted then she had anticipated. Their lips meet as well as their limbs intertwine in the water as this is their first time having sex together as a couple.
​
THE WATERFALL BAR
Uptown Funk is definitely getting the crowd going as the annual New Year's Eve party is underway. At a reserved booth is where Peter, Sarah Lynn, Louise, and Esther are all sitting talking and having drinks.
"I got to give it to Mae she knows how to throw one heck of a party." Sarah Lynn declares.
"She sure does." Esther agrees with her sister-in-law.
Martha waddles over to the table wearing an olive green maternity dress.
"I think you should get off your feet baby girl," Peter says dotingly.
Martha takes a seat beside her aunt and Louise. " You don't have to make a big fuss over me daddy."
"Oh that's bull Martha, you're carrying my grandson it's my job to do exactly that."
​
It's knowledgeable that Peter did not take the news that his daughter gotten pregnant out of wedlock well, especially, since Martha decided to have the baby and raise it on her own. It had taken time and seeing what his youngest daughter has accomplished since she became pregnant that has gotten him to be one of her biggest defenders now.
​
"Lord have mercy!" Esther remarks
​
​
She views her son with Courtney Covington on his arm in a black high neck sleeveless dress with designer pumps on her feet.
"Esther, take it easy." Sarah Lynn reassures her.
The couple of the minute head towards the table where they know they're the focal point of their eyes narrowing in on the pair of them.
"Hey everyone, " Steven greets his family.
"Hi cus," Martha says in an attempt to break the tension between them.
Hi, Ms. Saunders," Courtney says
Esther takes a sip of her martini before moving her mouth.
"Hello Courtney," she says tightly.
"I hope we don't have a problem because we're not going to stop seeing one another." Steven defends his girlfriend.
"By all means watch your back because Daniel Covington is only going to welcome you with open arms if only strings our attached son," Esther says
"With all due respect Ms. Saunders, I know you don't care for my family, but I won't have you say anything negative about them in my presence, I'm going to get a drink," Courtney tells her.
She then makes her way to the bar needing a drink to take the edge off.
​
​
Mae arrives on the scene dressed in a cardinal red pants suit with a floral top, and her hair is hanging straight giving her a professional casual look for the evening. She grants hugs to everyone at the table and accepts the compliments of the party thus far.
"What just happened?" she asks.
She observed from afar the scene between Steven, Courtney, and Esther.
"You don't want to know." Louse mentions
Mae requires Esther to come with her for a few minutes in which she gladly obliges. The two of them head into the corridor where the staircase to leads to the apartment upstairs.
"What's going on Mae darling? "
She sees her best friend struggling with something by the look on her face.
"Today I got a call from --- Hudson Correctional Facility." Mae begins to inform her.
​
"Oh my god, Will? " Esther says in a lower voice.
Mae nods her head to confirm she is correct.
Will is the youngest child of Horace and Mae, he was sent to prison two years ago not long after Horace's funeral for committing fraud by using his father's credit card and forging his signature on checks in order to save his failing clothing business. He was sent behind bars two hours away, however, due to reasons out of her control they hadn't been in contact in about seven months now.
"He told me that his lawyer told him that there is a chance he can be up for parole. "
"Really?" Esther says shockingly.
"The way you said that is the way I feel right now."
"It's going to be okay."
​
"You know what, we have the new year to bring in." Mae walks herself gaining the persona of an energetic bar landlady instead of a concerned mother like she is on the inside right now.
​
​
At the bar where Antoine is doing his best to keep up with the crowd, he brings Courtney a glass of red wine.
Just as she is about to dig in her purse to get out her black Amex Antoine raises his hand.
​
"On the house."
"Thank you,"
Courtney says her name over the deafening sound of the party-goers.
"I know who you are. yeah, my best friend Shauna is dating your brother. "
Courtney's face somewhat lights up with recognition of at least hearing second-hand about him.
"You're Antonio, right? "
"Antoine" he corrects her informally.
"Sorry, it's been one of those nights." she apologizes.
"Don't sweat it, I see that Ms. Esther ain't a big fan of you."
Courtney takes a strong sip from her glass. "I can't win with that woman." She puts the glass on the surface. "I guess I can't let her get in the way of what I potentially can build with Steven. Though must confess that all of the naysayers who are against me being with Steven only makes me want to be with him even more."
​
Courtney waves before she goes to the table where she sits with her man. Antoine scowls at the thought of the possibility of Shauna doing that with Max.
SUN VALLEY LODGE: MAX AND SHAUNA'S GUESTROOM
She often dreamed when she was younger than her first time would be like this with candles and a great ambiance. Instead, she lost her virginity with Antoine in his bedroom in the cramped apartment he lived in with his mother at fifteen years old.
​
After countless time making love with her boyfriend, Shauna finds her head resting on his chest as both of them are still in the tub where they're both drinking their flutes with expensive champagne.
"That was, " Max says attempting to find a word that fits.
​
"Good?" Shauna replies
"Fantastic" Max says. He then delicately turns her head kissing her passionately.
Shauna finds herself blushing about the pair of them.
​
The crackling sounds in the dark sky get both of their attention.
"You want to go out and see the fireworks?" Max asks courteously.
"No, I like the view better in here. "
The two of them clink their glasses together.
"I know, it's not New Year's here yet, but it is back home, so I am going to wish you Happy New Year's, Shauna ."
"Well, in that case, Happy New Year to you too Max."
They take a small drink then the two starts making out again which leads to another round of sex.
THE WATERFALL BAR
Behind the bar, Mae finds herself tugging the rope of the brass bell that is usually rung for last orders before the bar closes.
"Everybody it's almost Twenty-nineteen, so please grab a beverage and countdown with us."
​
"10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1"
​
"Happy New Year!"
Horns and cheering of elation our brought in the room as the sound system kicks out Auld Lang Syne.
​
Louise brings a wine glass to her lips remembering that this time twenty-one years ago she was bringing in the new year with a marriage on the horizon. Now she is facing a dissolution of that same union.
​
​
Peter and Sarah Lynn smooch one another in celebration.
Antoine swigs from his beer bottle realizing that he has gotta play it cool if he wants to be here with Shauna this time next year.
Martha is lying down asleep in the empty section of the booth which both her parents silently check in on her.
At the bar, Steven and Courtney are laughing at a joke that he just told her.
Esther is given another martini by Mae, the two women stand at the other end of the bar wondering, what the new year has in store for them.
​
​
END OF EPISODE
ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
Sarah Lynn gives some motherly advice to Martha.
Max and Shauna return from Sun Valley.
Tommy's first driving lesson.
​
Leave your thoughts here, on the T&C forum
​
​
​