EPISODE 23
Written By : Bre L. Drew
Last Time On Town and Country
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While talking with Louise, Daniel was inspired with the perfect plan to break up Courtney and Steven.
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At Home Farm, Max caught Shauna who fell off a ladder. - He then surprises her by telling her that he wants to take her out on a date one day, in which Shauna tells him she wouldn't say no.
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Lorraine let Evan stay with Steven and the Saunders at the farm so she can pick up the pieces of her career.
FRANKLIN FARM : MAIN HOUSE
To the tune of the doorbell, Steven Sullivan runs downstairs wearing a dark blue button-front shirt with black slacks and loafers on his feet. Amazed that he was able to pull this evening off at the last minute. Since he and Courtney gotten back together after the truth of him being formerly married and a father came out, he decided to plan a romantic night in just for the two of them.
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He opens the door to a guy with a hipster bun carrying a black plastic bag.
The guy from The Chateau rattles off the order from The Chateau that Steven had ordered about an hour ago. He fishes the cash out of his wallet and he verbally thanks him. Steven closes the door and jogs to the kitchen where the table is set with two candles, jazz music playing from the surface dock. He plates the meals onto the plates and tosses the take-out boxes into the trash.
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Once again the doorbell rings which Steven wipes his hands with the towel before he retreats to answer the door.
He is elated to find the guest of honor standing in the doorway with a smile upon her face.
"Damn, you look good." Steven says to her as he pulls her into the house the two begin making out intensely.
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Courtney Covington stops. " Uh, are we here by ourselves? " She didn't want anyone of his family to pop out of nowhere seeing them in such an intimate state.
"Yeah, we're alone, my mother is at the bar, Martha and Sarah Lynn took Evan to the movies, and Uncle Peter is watching football at a friend house, " he informs her.
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He stares at her again with delight. Her petite body is rightfully pulling off a red lace-trimmed floral satin slip dress, with her white leather mules and a gold Chloe shoulder bag.
"Thank you and you don't look bad yourself Doctor Sullivan. " she flirts with him.
He leads her into the kitchen in which she is awestruck at the table with the candles and food and the music too. The two take their seats at the table as
Steven pours the two of them a glass of wine.
He then toasts " To an unforgettable evening, "
Courtney receives her glass. "And to many more unforgettable evenings. "
They clink their flutes then they drink.
WEST I-64
Daniel Covington maneuvers his 2018 black Bentley luxury sedan in the fast lane of the highway. He is coming from the office where he went after working from home this morning. Also, it is where he decided to put in plan into motion from ridding Steven Sullivan away from his daughter.
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Like clockwork, the Bluetooth knocks out the hosts' sports commentary on the stereo.
"Were you able to track her down?"
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"Sure did, she is staying in a room at the Hotel Cliffe." The voice comes from the speaker of his Private Investigator.
"I'll take care of the rest, Thank you, Murph. "
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The connection has ended now the radio station is airing a car dealership commercial.
Daniel turns his signal to get into the far right lane, knowing where will be his next destination.
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THE WATERFALL BAR
Mae Jackson is quite grateful for a packed establishment tonight. The atmosphere is full of the sounds of Lalah Hathaway's version of Angel.
Esther Saunders takes a seat in front of her which Mae saved for her knowing she was on her way from the farm.
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"Martini, please Mae." Esther requests.
Mae asks her bartender Burgess to fix it for her.
"How have you been doing my friend of mine?" Mae asks a little louder since the noise is a bit over the place.
"If you would've asked me that two days ago I would say great." Esther says.
Burgess gives the older woman her drink which is on the house of course. He then takes off down the bar to serve a group of customers who've been waiting for about five minutes now for service.
Mae sighs "Lemme guess Courtney forgave Steven and they're back together. right? "
Esther drinks out of her cocktail glass. "Ding, Ding, we got a winner. "
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She knows how much how Esther does not like Courtney's family and all of the bad blood between the families. Notwithstanding that it seems Esther is upset for more than that occurring.
"Don't give me that look Mae Jackson." Esther states in her full thick southern accent.
"I 've been your friend for dang near thirty years so what did you do this time Esther Saunders? "
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THE WATERFALL BAR : JACKSON APARTMENT
Lying on the sofa in the living room in the apartment upstairs above the bar. Shauna Jackson has been staring at the same few words of an article in her latest copy of Architectural Digest. And when she does try to read ahead, she keeps mentally flashing back to her falling from the ladder in the living room at Home Farm this morning. She has always been terrified of heights, thinking she was going to fall onto the wood which would've been painful. So when she opened her eyes after feeling she landed in someone's arms. Imagining her shock when she found out that Max was the one who caught her.
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She then thinks about what they said to one another minutes later.
" I bet you think I'm some clumsy girl now don't you? " Shauna searches him, expecting him to be laughing by now.
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" Good thing I'm not a betting man because I don't think you're a klutz."
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She somewhat smiles. " That is the nicest thing you ever said to me since I met you, Max. "
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Max hadn't taken her eyes off of her. " It's also a good thing you said that because uh if one of these days If I ask you out on a date your answer would be?
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" I don't know if it is because I'm single or because I thought I was going to die today but I wouldn't hate if you asked me out one of these days," she replies candidly
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Her thoughts our disputed when the sounds of the door to the apartment open. She sees Antoine Hall walking in carrying his gym bag, he has on a gray tank and black basketball shorts.
"Sorry if I interrupted you, I know how you get into that magazine every month. " Antoine calls out, he then throws the bag in the chair near her.
Since she was 16, Shauna has been getting the monthly subscription of Architectural Digest. It is her favorite thing to do is to go through glossy pages and imagine the day when she will be able to assemble and decorate for her high-profile clients.
Shauna sighs. " No you're good, I wasn't getting much reading done anyway."
" Yeah I heard about your fall from Mae, that must have been scary as hell. "
" Luckily, Max caught me or I would've been on crutches. " Shauna estimates.
Antoine laughs,
"What's so funny? " Shauna says partly curious and partly pissed off.
Antoine remains standing in the back of the chair. " It's just that from what you told me about that rich white boy, he can't stand your ass, so it's just weird all of a sudden he develops an S on his chest to rescue you. "
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"If you only knew."
Antoine lifts his head from his phone. "Whatcha talkin about? "
"That rich white boy asked me out on a date. "
Antoine shakes his head at that statement.
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Shauna had to admit that it felt good to tell Antoine what led up to Max asking her out. In addition to him catching her as she was falling underneath him. In spite of their friendship, and occasional screwing sessions. Antoine feels as if he is the only man in her life that she will always go back to when she ever enters a real relationship with another man.
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Antoine wipes the sweat off his forehead.
"What ?" she asks. She takes in his quietness.
Antoine removes his tank revealing his muscular chest that is glistening with sweat. Shauna licks her lips ever so lightly at the sight in front of her.
"Just seeing how you get when I do that makes me wonder why you and me ain't in that bedroom right now. " he points out
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She heavily sighs. "Cause eventually you'll get with some other desperate girl who doesn't know you sleep with your best friend on the regular. "
" If you don't want to be with me then you shouldn't worry who I spend my time with. " Antoine says with a little more grit in his voice.
"And if we're just friends then you shouldn't be jealous that Max is planning to ask me out." She then gets off the couch to head into her bedroom with her magazine.
"Hey,"
Shauna hastily turns around. "What now?"
"Maxie better treat you good or else," he says
Shauna grins then she goes into her bedroom shutting the door behind her.
"That ain't gonna last." he confidently tells himself as he goes into the kitchen to get a bottle of Gatorade. Thinking that Shauna will get bored with the white bread soon enough.
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FRANKLIN FARM : MAIN HOUSE
Steven cuts into his salmon. "Wow! Puerto Rico sounds like an amazing opportunity. "
Courtney had just filled him in on her father offering her to go on a trip for Covington business.
"It's going to be so much fun, although I'll be wishing you would be there with me ." she stares at him.
"Well, I'll be there in spirit. "
"And you have your son here you must be over the moon, Steven. " Courtney says meaningfully.
He smiles. " That kid has grown so much since the last time I saw him besides Lorraine needed a break. "
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Courtney chews on her garden salad thinking of a not so nice thing about his ex-wife.
"Did she say when she is leaving town?" Courtney asks. Hoping her approach on this question isn't borderline taken the wrong way.
Steven takes a drink of his wine. "Not sure since she was let go from the dance company she hadn't been in a rush getting back to Lexington, I mean the longer she's here my son will be too. "
Courtney places her hand on one of his arms. " Enough talking about everyone else." She then kisses him again.
"You want to go upstairs? " Steven whispers.
"Yes, I would like that very much. " Courtney replies.
The two of them go up the stairs. They basically are inseparable when they enter into Steven's bedroom.
Both Steven and Courtney remove their shoes, then he goes into the bathroom to brush his teeth and gargle with mouthwash.
When he returns into the room, Courtney is lying in bed looking so sexy wearing her black bra and panties. Her dress is sitting on the chair near the closet.
Steven whistles at her impressively.
She laughs at him then stops when she watches him unbuttoning his shirt revealing his great physique. He goes onto the bed and they make out potently.
He gently unhooks her bra as he begins kissing on her neck which makes her giggle. She then slides off her panties which land on the floor.
Steven thrusts into her which makes her moan with a sensation of excitement then she gives all in.
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******
Courtney lies her head on Steven's shoulder in the bed post-coital.
"Everything all right ? " he asks
"Mm-hmm," she nods
"Good because you weren't saying nothing and I thought that you didn't like it, " Steven explains
Courtney removes her self off of her boyfriend. "Tonight has been the best night of my life. And don't worry about your performance because I wouldn't have been doing all of that moaning if it wasn't memorable."
Steven kisses the top of her shoulder. "If I tell you that I am hungry again would you be mad?"
Courtney chortles "No, think we worked up an appetite."
Steven kisses his girlfriend on the forehead. Then he slides out of bed.
Courtney remains there watching him walk out with a huge grin on her face.
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THE WATERFALL BAR
Esther ducks her head " If I tell you what it is, you can tell nobody you hear me. "
"All right,"
Mae mulls over what Esther just told her about bringing her former daughter-in-law and grandson to town in order to break up her son and Courtney apart, so she can get her hands on some stock so she and her brother can get control of their farm's business again.
"If I were a man what I did would be called a power play, " Esther says
" I don't know if it is such a good idea, I mean you told me that Steven is planning dinner for the girl. Lorraine is still in town who can say she'll go back and tell him that you threatened her about custody for Evan. And if I heard you correctly, Daniel Covington seems like the type of man who gets what he wants. "
"And I'm going to get what I want, making sure my family's farm is 100 % Covington free. "
"Speaking of the Covington's; Shauna fell off a ladder today. "
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"Oh, my lord? is she okay? "
"Yeah, she is, Max Covington got to her in time before she could've been injured. "
"From what Peter told me, he is down to earth unlike that father or grandfather of his, thank the lord." Esther tells her then she grabs her glass to drink out of it.
HOTEL CLIFFE : ROOM 202
Lorraine Sullivan is in bed in her hotel room alone watching the latest episode of 9-1-1 in her sweats. Although, she misses her little boy to no end. It has been great for her to be on her own and just not be responsible for no one else but herself.
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Just as a scene with Angela Bassett and Peter Krause comes onto the screen. Someone knocks on her door, she gets out of bed thinking that it is just the bellman at the wrong room. Lorraine opens the door she finds a somewhat looking familiar man in his mid-forties with brown hair and a bouquet of flowers.
"Uh sir, either your lost or sweet but you got the wrong room, " she says to him.
"You're Lorraine Sullivan?" the guy in the suit asks
"Yes, and you are? "
"Daniel Covington, we were at the farm the other night at dinner at Franklin Farm where my daughter's boyfriend lives. "
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The recognition of him becomes clearer than ever. She lets him in thankful the housekeeper came by to clean a few hours ago.
Daniel walks in as he passes the flowers to Lorraine.
"How did you know where I'm staying Mr. Covington?" Lorraine asks with some alertness in her voice. She then places the large vase on top of the counter of the kitchenette.
" Let's just say I know someone who is very resourceful, Look can we talk? "
Lorraine nods. " Sure, "
"As a parent, you know that our children welfare comes first no matter how old they get. " It's the reason why I'm here actually, I hope you know that Esther only brought you to town so she can get her grubby little hands on the farm's stock that I inherited from my late father. "
Lorraine's facial expression is now puzzled. "I don't understand."
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" You see your former pint-size mother-in-law neglected to inform you that she was using you and your son to drive a wedge between my daughter Courtney and Steven. "You see the two of us made a pact and well I am highly confident you can put two and two together."
Lorraine folds her arms onto her chest. "So they will break up and she'll get control of the farm. "
Daniel smiles. " I knew you were a smart woman."
Lorraine believes that Esther would do just about anything to get what she wants even using her own grandson.
"Then why are you here Daniel? Make sure I stay out of the way of your little girl's happiness? "Because I'm over my ex-husband. "
Daniel moves his head as he doesn't exactly believe her last statement to be truthful. " In fact the opposite, I want you to make a move on him."
Lorraine laughs then realizes her visitor isn't, "Oh you're serious?"
" Unfortunately, I am, I agree with Esther that these two are very much wrong for one another. "
"And what do I have to do with this? "
"It's pretty obvious that you still have feelings for him, I mean you put your dance career on hold to give your son a chance to spend time with his dad. Don't tell me when you first saw him your heart didn't skip a beat." Daniel says knowingly
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Despite the ending of their marriage, Lorraine still had residual feelings for him. Yet she knows the two of them were truly going to be happy if they weren't together anymore.
Lorraine changes the subject. "For your information, I decided to leave the dance company. "
Daniel was informed by Murph that she was let go from a recent dance production which made her decide to quit. He decides to tuck that bit of fact to himself for now.
"It's rather simple, Courtney will be out of town for work giving you some time to be around Steven, on the third day it's when you make your move. "
"What move?" Lorraine demands
"I want Courtney to catch you making out with Steven."
Lorraine doesn't try to hide her confusion. "What in the hell are you talking about? "
Daniel sighs to the point of near frustration not expecting to be here this long. " You know what if -- you do this for me then I will get into contact with the American Ballet Theatre to get you a chance to audition."
"The American Ballet Theatre?" Lorraine asks
The American Ballet Theatre is one of the most prestigious dance companies in the world. Only a few get to dance for that company and she would be honored to be at least be in the running.
" I know a few people on the board, but only if you do this for me. " Daniel wagers.
He then walks towards the door and then stops. " Well, I will allow you to make up your mind and if you decide yes then be at JoJo's Café around noon, or I will consider this conversation void. "
Daniel then takes off into the hallway.
Lorraine heads back to the bed not before weighing her options. And even that seems so heavy.
END OF EPISODE
Martha makes one step forward towards her future.
Lorraine makes her decision.
Max pays a visit to someone.
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