EPISODE 22
Written by : Bre L. Drew
Last Time On Town and Country
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Louise disagreed with Sean regarding telling their daughters the truth about her knowing his affair. - It was also brought up that the day was their twentieth wedding anniversary and the name of Sean's mistress, Tricia was first mentioned .
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Both Tanner and Lynn had a hard time dealing with their father being unfaithful.
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Max opened up to Shauna about pursuing photography as a profession, which Shauna encourages him to do.
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Daniel vows to himself that he will break up Courtney and Steven at all costs.
LOCKHART LAKE COTTAGE
When Louise Saunders Lockhart strolls into the kitchen, she tries her best not to let Sean see her grimacing at the sight of him. She then moves over to the counter where the Keurig is sitting she prepares it to brew the coffee.
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The silence becomes deafening for Sean.
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"So are you going to keep ignoring me?" Sean asks while he flips the nearly done pancakes in the pan on the stove.
Louise reaches for her mug in the cabinet and shoots him an glance Of Course .
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"You can't keep freezing me out, Lou. "
Louise places strands of her blonde hair behind her ear, she then goes over to the machine in which she is satisfied that the coffee is ready for her consumption.
"Louise," Sean uses the full baritone of his voice.
"Keep your voice down, " Louise tells him.
Sean uses the spatula to transfer the pancakes out of the skillet.
"I'm sorry for not remembering our anniversary. I guess with everything going on with everything I just forgot. "
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Louise stares at him like he simply lost his mind. For the last nineteen years, he hadn't forgotten their anniversary in spite of him being involved sexually and emotionally with another woman.
" You know what Sean, how about we drop it just for today, Let's give our twins a tension-free morning before they head off for school. "We only got one more year before they go off to college. " Louise says with sadness in her voice.
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The two have hosted a pancake breakfast for the twins and Elijah on the first day of school since they were in sixth grade.
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Sean wanted to express that is exactly why they should tell the girls about their arrangement of her knowing about his involvement with Tricia for about two years now. But he knows that it not the right moment to bring that subject.
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Lynn and Tanner Lockhart walk into the kitchen wearing very different outfits. Lynn with a black faux leather moto jacket with a white tank top and black pants, whilst Tanner has on a burgundy stripe lace-up crop taper jumpsuit with sandals on her feet.
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Behind them is Elijah Barker, who only moments ago arrived at the house wearing a button-down shirt with slacks on.
Both of the Lockhart parents greet their daughters best friend who in a way is like a son to them too due to the years they have known him.
" I've been looking forward to your pancakes for weeks Mr. Lockhart. " Elijah says
"Well, they're ready. " Sean replies
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Lynn rolls her eyes. " Elijah they're just pancakes." She looks at her father with hurt in her face which she quickly wipes off.
"That is because you're used to eating something, good , my mother has been on a health craze, the only thing my dad and I have eaten at home is goat cheese and spinach." Elijah says
Louise groans at the thought of eating that constantly.
Tanner takes out of her iPhone. "Come on you two it's tradition."
Both Lynn and Elijah gather round for the three of them to take a selfie before they eat.
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HOME FARM
Stepping into the front door of the mansion, Shauna Jackson couldn't hold her calmness anymore. She has been waiting on the line with a salesman from an exclusive furniture store in Manhattan. She placed an order for the set to go in the living room a few weeks ago and was told that it would've been delivered here to the estate by now. However, the living room is still bare as a few members of the crew were already working their end.
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"Sir, According to your app everything was supposed to be delivered here one week ago, --- It is a problem because I have an empty living room."
The annoying salesman goes on about some technical snafu with the estimated delivery date. Unbeknownst to her, Max Covington comes into the room taking in Shauna on the phone.
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"So what is the estimated date now? --- Three weeks? --- No, no when I ordered everything it was in stock, now it's out of stock." she sighs, this purchase is for Daniel Covington. Yes that Daniel Covington, oh, you do have in stock after all and it will be delivered here within a few days --- Thank you. " she ends the call in frustration.
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"Rough morning? " Max asks sarcastically.
Usually, Shauna would be shocked that he popped out of nowhere but as she has gotten to know him the less his hinderance has bothered her.
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"You can say that," she replies
He gets closer to her. " I'm taking your advice."
Shauna snickers. " Retiring your so-called one-man show?"
Max shakes his head. "No, I am going to become a photographer."
Shauna remembers when told him to take his talents seriously when he showed her all of the photos he had taken whilst he was traveling around the world on the cruise ship he was working on.
"Congratulations,"
Max and Shauna neither could find the words to say to one another. For some time now the two have been getting becoming more friendly towards one another , in spite of them not wanting to admit out loud.
"Miss, could you give me a hand, calls out a pudgy man with a ballcap and overalls on who is standing on one of the ladders, he is loosely holding the oil painting of Central Park on the wall.
Shauna walks away silently as Max gazes at the direction of his mother's portrait.
******
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Outside sitting in the warm weekday on the terrace at the table, Daniel Covington is getting work done away from the office this morning. In addition, he couldn't take the constant noise of the renovations taken place inside of his house.
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He can hear footsteps which he discovers belong to his longtime maid Gabriella and a person entirely he hadn't thought he would see today.
"Excuse me, Mr. Covington, Mrs. Saunders - Lockhart is here to see you."
Daniel says thank you to Gabriella before she dips back into the house.
"Am I interrupting ?" Louise asks respectively she sees he a stack of paperwork in front of him.
Daniel shakes his head. " No I can use some company right now. " he then smiles as she takes a seat on the side of him at the table.
"I don't know why I am here? But I guess I needed someone to talk who does not know anything about my marriage. " Louise starts
Daniel is quite stunned that his ex-girlfriend has come to him of all people to talk about her current marital status. " What's wrong?"
"Just about everything, " she responds
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RADCLIFFE HIGH SCHOOL
Receiving a flurry of hugs and greetings of Welcome Back from her friends and teachers. Lynn can't stop thinking of all the stuff she had been through this summer regarding her parents' marriage. The more she stays here the less she can concentrate throughout the day.
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In the hallway on the second floor, among the thinning crowd of students heading into their designated classrooms as the five-minute bell rings, she sees her twin sister and Elijah at his locker talking and laughing about something.
"Ready for World History?" Elijah asks casually with his books under his arms.
"I gotta get outta here." Lynn says
"Are you all right?" Tanner asks in the way that she knows something isn't.
Lynn lowers her voice. " I'm not in the mood for school, you two coming?"
Tanner straightens the strap of her messenger bag " I'm not going to get in trouble for skipping the first day of school, besides I got Trig and I hear Mr. Atkins calls your parents if you aren't in class, sorry Lenny. "
" I would if I could, but I just got ungrounded and my mom is still on my ass she probably knows when I'm in the restroom let alone skipping. "A few weeks ago the girls threw a unsupervised party that his mother found out he went to and grounded him for going with out her or his father permission. His mother is no other than Brynn Barker the principal of Radcliffe High School.
"See ya," Lynn takes off down the hallway.
"What is really going on? first you, now her ? and please tell me that there isn't because I know you two too well. "
"Trust me, you don't want to know Elijah." Tanner warns her best friend.
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HOME FARM
Daniel listens vehemently as his teenage love vents about her troubled marriage. Yet she hadn't been forthcoming as to the particular factor of why her marriage in her words is " Falling Apart "
Daniel takes a sip of his coffee. " I got one question for you, Louise. Forgive me if it might sound intrusive. "
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"Go ahead, "
He shifts himself in his seat uncomfortably. " Have you thought about ending your marriage?"
The idea has crossed her mind often as the years go by. The drawback would always be that ending their marriage means that she has failed in maintaining her union for the sake of her twin daughters. Once Sean and she talked about divorcing when the girls graduated from high school. Nevertheless, the topic had not been brought up since then. She can't help but feel that is wrong of her to confide in someone, especially to Daniel Covington whom she disagrees with how he has approached the business of her family's farm. However, she does not have many close female friends to talk to that won't be objective since they're under the impression that Sean is the ideal husband.
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" If you're having problems in your marriage then frankly why are you still putting yourself through all of this hell, you're still an attractive woman in her prime who shouldn't feel obligated to stay."
Daniel knows he doesn't exactly know why her marriage is at a bust? However, he strongly believes that she is wasting time still married to Sean Lockhart. Even though he passingly met him at the gala a few months ago, no one has to sacrifice their own happiness for anyone.
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" Truthfully, all of this is so tiring I'm tired of playing the third wheel," that's all I'm saying. " Louise stands up. " I need to get over to the farm. " She pats his back to thank him then she puts her sunglasses on her face before she goes back into the house
Daniel hopes that she can find some peace whether she decides to leave or god forbid stay.
I'm tired of playing the third wheel
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Suddenly he is hit with inspiration knowing he must put his daughter's happiness above anything else, in order to spare her the pain that his once girlfriend is now dealing with.
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******
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For the past few minutes or so. Shauna has put up with the pudgy guy's demands on how centered the painting should be on the wall. She is about to protest when the man finally decides he got it. Then he calls down from the ladder to a fellow crewman whom he wants him to help mark the spot with a marker as to where it will go.
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Shauna climbs down the ladder, she is about several feet off the ground, her foot misses the landing of one of the steps. An electrician begins to scramble at the sight of the interior decorator falling backwards. Shauna says a silent prayer thinking she is going to hit the ground hard. She has her eyes closed since she is afraid of heights. Then at the last moment, she opens them and is surprised that she is in someone's arms.
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Gaining backbone out of curiosity, she decides to open her eyes which makes her able to see the person who caught her before she fell hard on the wood.
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"I got you," Max says to her while he has her in his arms.
Shauna blinks to make sure it was him. "Thanks,"
The two seen to be thinking the same thing about the way they feel about one another, a type of unspoken attraction. Soon as the work crew coming back in with Daniel. Max then lets her go out of his arms and is now back on solid ground again.
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"Oh my god, Shauna are you all right? " Daniel asks with concern.
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Shauna nods." I'm a bit shaken up, but I will be fine Mr. Covington." She is about to sit down on the sofa then it dawns on her there is no damn furniture in this room.
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Max returns with a bottle of water he then gives it to her. " How are you holding up? "
"Okay," she admits
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The pudgy guy apologizes for what happened. Even though she felt like his co-worker should've been on that ladder instead of her she accepts it..
Daniel goes over to the work crew to tell them that they can take a break. He then goes back out onto the terrace to finish his paperwork.
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"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?" he awaits her response whether it will be sensible or it will consist of her punching him in his throat for even suggesting this.
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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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END OF EPISODE
ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
Steven and Courtney have a romantic evening.
Daniel puts his plan in motion.
Shauna resists temptation.
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