EPISODE 258
Written by: Bre L. Drew
October 16, 2023
Last Time on Town and Country
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In a text, Aaliyah discovered that Lorenzo had been keeping from her that he had been offered a job by Murray Hirsch, which resulted in an argument between them.
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Aaliyah was also the one behind showing the video of Sean and Louise intimately at her father's and Louise's engagement party.
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Mae found herself having to pay for her date at The Chateau when Gus admitted he forgot his wallet.
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Elijah wants to pursue a career as an attorney when he graduates from Sampson University.
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Louise was informed by Tricia that as soon as Sean returns to town, she wants a divorce.
THE CLIFFE
The crowd of patrons has populated The Cliffe this evening as the deejay plays "What It Is (Block Boy)" by Doechii, as some are dancing out on the floor.
While upstairs in the office, Will Jackson skims over some invoices behind the desk. He is soon interrupted by a tap on the door.
"Will; hey, I got that post on the club's IG." Lorenzo Vidal tells his boss.
"Thanks for handlin' that,"
"No problem,"
The club managers become aware that Lorenzo isn't his usual jovial self as he appears preoccupied with something else entirely.
As Lorenzo is about to take off, Will decides to get him to come in the room.
"You alright, you don't seem like yourself man,"
Lorenzo stands across from him with his arms folded.
"It's nothing," he fibs.
​
He grew up with this drilled into him by his parents: don't bring your personal problems into work, no matter how big they might be.
Will puts the papers on the desk, signaling for him to sit down, which he does. "Nah, somethin' up; what is it'?"
"When I was in Nashville at the music festival, I got offered a job by this guy to work for his talent agency doing the socials for his music acts, but if I decide to take it, then it means I would have to leave town, which is already causing problems between me and Aaliyah." Lorenzo notifies him.
SAMPSON UNIVERSITY: BUCKNER DORMITORY
Inside her room in the Buckner Dormitory located on the east side of the campus of Sampson University, Aaliyah Gupta is lying on her bed in a purple long-sleeve crop top and gray wide-leg trousers with her eyes concentrated in her textbook as she's studying for an upcoming test in her accounting class.
Beside her iPhone, "Begin Again" by Jessie Ware plays on her Spotify playlist, which she is singing somewhat on key along to.
Yet her mind is also on the last encounter she had with Lorenzo over her finding out he has a possible job offer that will take him out of town, not to mention he kept it from her too,
She sighs while turning the page of her book on auditing when a knock on the door gets her attention, which makes her pause the music.
Assuming it's one of her dormmates wanting to borrow something, she gets on her feet.
However, when she gets it, the person standing in the doorway isn't a student at all,
Jai Gupta stands across from her in a dark blue button-down shirt with jeans and a black leather coat.
"Aaliyah, can I come in? We need to talk," he says seriously.
"Yeah," she says curiously.
Her father enters as she closes the door behind them. She isn't used to her father popping up on campus unexpectedly, wondering what this visit could be about.
Jai looks around the room, which is in a state of untidiness with fabric scattered in various corners and
"Is Samuel, okay? Is it Mommy?" Aaliyah asks out of concern.
Jai shakes his head. "Everyone is fine. I came to talk to you because I heard about what happened."
From the tone of his voice, she knows what he is referring to.
"Samuel told you, didn't he?"
"Yeah, he did,"
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Aaliyah runs her hands through her dark brown hair. "Daddy, what happened got way out of control, and I take responsibility for my part in it."
Jai flashes a glance of bewilderment at his daughter. "What are you talking about?"
Quickly, she gathers that he isn't aware of her being the one behind showing the video of Louise and Sean making out at his and Louise's engagement party.
"I was talking about what's going on with you and Lorenzo, which your brother told me about. What is it that you're talking about?" he questions.
"I guess it's no sense in keeping the genie in the bottle," she notes while delving into the truth.
BARKER RESIDENCE
Brynn Barker makes her way down the staircase to the first floor of the home she resides with her husband and son.
"So how do I look?" she asks as she appears over to her husband.
Nathaniel Barker looks his wife up and down in her black chain-print belted wrap dress, straight-heeled pumps, and her straight copper red hair that has been freshly styled.
"Would you believe me if I say you look stunning?" he says charismatically.
The woman smiles at him appreciatively.
"And I must say you look rather handsome yourself."
The university professor is wearing a black blazer, slacks, and a silk tie with a white dress shirt. He smirks at his wife suggestively.
"Elijah, we are leaving," he announces.
Elijah Barker heads down the stairs, whose look is severely more casual.
"You two dressed up on a weeknight in October; this can mean only one thing: you two are chaperoning the annual homecoming dance at Radcliffe High. Mom, Dad, don't you think you can do better for a date night than drink bland punch and supervise students in the gymnasium?"
Brynn places her hand on one side of her hip while she stares at her son. "As principal, it's my duty to ensure that my students and staff act accordingly."
"And it doesn't hurt to show off my moves," Nathaniel says amusingly.
He then swirls his hips, which makes Elijah chuckle at his father attempting to dance.
"Careful, dear, we don't want to take a trip to the emergency room on our way to the dance." Brynn remarks. "What are you going to be doing this evening, Elijah?" She adds while Nathaniel grabs the coats from the rack by the door.
"Nothing much; I ordered a pizza, and Lynn is coming over," he tells them.
As his parents bid him good night, Brynn opens the door to find Lynn Lockhart standing in the doorway with her finger reaching out to ring the doorbell.
"Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Barker," the young woman addresses them, respectively.
"Hello, Lynn," Nathaniel says cordially.
"Have fun tonight, you two, but not too much fun," Brynn says warningly.
The two then head to the driveway, where Nathaniel's Mercedes sedan is parked.
Lenny enters the house as Elijah closes the door.
The two wrap their arms around each other as he incites a kiss from her.
"I ordered a pizza, and it should be here soon."
Lenny hangs up her jacket on the rack.
"You know, I'm not that hungry,"
"Well, I am," he says. "Between keeping up with my classes and applying to law schools, I'm hangry."
The political science major aspires to become an attorney when he graduates in seven months.
Lenny takes a strand of her long blonde hair behind her right ear.
"Sampson is still the top contender, right?"
Elijah tilts his head. "Yeah, it is, but my academic advisor says that between my grades and if I do well on my LSATs. I can also probably be a shoo-in for Kentucky, University of Chicago, even Stanford."
Lenny is taken aback by her boyfriend's declaration, especially the last one mentioned.
"Wait a minute, Barker, Stanford, like in California? That is 2000 miles away."
THE WATERFALL BAR
Though you'll never see me cryin'
You know inside I feel like dying
And I'd do anything for you
In spite of it all
Gloria Estefan's classic ballad, "Anything for You," is currently on The Waterfall's sound system as the din of customer conversations also fills the establishment, including that of Sarah Lynn Saunders and Louise Saunders Lockhart.
Though both women don't frequent here, they thought a change of scenery would do some good, in addition to Esther's insistence she come with them tonight.
Louise had told her mother about her stopping by Jai's apartment earlier when they officially called time on their relationship.
Louise spots the look on her mother's face, indicating she wants to say something but is at the moment suppressing it.
"Okay, Mom, let me have it. Tell me what I did was wrong, and in the process, I've hurt a man that didn't deserve it."
Louise says this while picking up her glass of red wine.
"Louise, you don't need me to tell you what you did was wrong because you know it was. But more importantly, what on earth were you thinking?"
The younger blonde couldn't help but feel like she was a kid being chastised by her again over her moment of unfaithfulness with her ex-husband.
"Sean had come over to the cottage to tell me things; he and Tricia weren't able to be repaired, and the next thing I know, we both got caught up in something that can't be explained."
Sarah Lynn nurses her glass of red wine. "Well, from what I've seen of that video, it was quite obvious what did. But hypothetically, if Sean and Tricia divorce, do you think the two of you could make another go at it again the second time around?"
Louise takes another sip of wine before replying.
"I haven't even thought that far, and anyway, Mom, Sean, and Tricia are still married, so there's no future for us anytime soon."
Esther Saunders is sipping her martini at the bar while conversing with her best friend, Mae Jackson, standing behind the counter.
"I don't know, Esther; maybe it was a mistake to rejoin the dating game after all these years," Mae remarks uncertainly.
The women were discussing Mae's foray back into the dating scene since becoming a widow, which had turned out to be what she had anticipated as she had to end up paying for dinner due to her suitor Gus forgetting his wallet. She hadn't heard back from him since that night.
"Look, I'm hardly an expert on courting in the modern age, but darling, maybe, just maybe, the man did forget his wallet, Mae."
Mae shifts her body to convey uncertainty, then goes to service another customer on the other end of the bar.
Esther notices a black man around her age approaching the vicinity wearing a blue bomber jacket, slacks, and a flat cap on his head carrying a bouquet of orchids.
"Hey, how you doin'?" the guy says to Esther.
"Not as happy as the person who will be receiving those beautiful flowers."
The gentleman genuinely chuckles. "From your lips,"
Mae returns to speak to her friend when she detects the person she has been interacting with.
"Bet you didn't think you expected to see me again," Gus Hewitt voices.
Esther doesn't hide her interest in what he's talking about regarding her friend.
"Esther, this is Gus Hewitt; Gus, this is my best girlfriend, Esther Saunders." Mae introduces them.
The two then shook hands politely.
"You know what? I'm going to catch up with my sister-in-law and niece right over there." She motions her head to them both. "I'll see you a little later. Nice meeting you, Gus."
"Nice meeting you too, Esther," the man states.
With her drink in her hand, the petite, ample, bosomed woman saunters away, giving them some privacy to talk.
​
"Gus, I've been meaning to get in touch with you, but things have been hectic," Mae lies.
"C'mon, Mae, you ain't gotta tell no tales to me; you weren't going to talk to me anymore, and I can't blame you, but I, honest to god, forgot my wallet. I had just come from work and rushed to get ready, but I ended up leaving it on the table.
And at first, I was going to let it go, but then I realized life is too damn short for all of that. I hope you at least consider giving me another chance."
Mae nods to what he's saying, not finding fault in it.
"Gus, you're a great guy, and I enjoyed our time together. And maybe I thought you forgetting your wallet was some sorta sign that I wasn't meant to move on with my life." Mae says it wholeheartedly.
"Look, I get it, Mae, but we aren't getting any younger, and it'll be a shame for these flowers not to go to a woman who is as beautiful."
An expressive grin appears on the bar owner's face while she accepts his token.
"Here's to starting anew, "she replies. "How about for our next date? You come up to my place for a home-cooked meal. How does that sound?"
"Sounds good to me," Gus answers sincerely.
BARKER RESIDENCE
Just as Elijah was about to tell his girlfriend about his higher education, the delivery man came with the pizza.
The couple is now at the table in the kitchen eating; however, Lenny is mostly picking over her slice while Elijah takes a drink of his Coca-Cola.
"Stanford Law is a consideration. Nothing is guaranteed; besides, with their acceptance rate, I would probably have more chances of getting into Yale or Harvard." Elijah informs her.
Lenny pops a piece of pepperoni into her mouth, chews it, and swallows before responding.
"Everything is happening so fast with you all graduating, Tanner going to vet school, and you going to law school. I guess I'm not ready to lose my sister and boyfriend just yet."
Elijah goes to Lenny, placing a comforting arm around her. "Whatever happens, you will never lose me; we've been in each other's lives for too many years. And anyway, I was going to tell you, especially since Lorenzo and Aaliyah are going through the same thing right now.
The farmhand puts her hand up in protest.
"Please don't mention that bitch's name to me after what she did."
Elijah knows she is still upset at Aaliyah for her role in having the video of their parents in passion played at Aaliyah's father's and the twins' engagement parties, which Lenny discovered when they were in Nashville. Although he can understand the anger, he isn't necessarily choosing sides since he still considers Aaliyah a friend as well.
"All I'm saying is that I would talk to you about it before I made any life-changing decisions like uprooting myself thousands of miles away," he says gently.
Lenny's face forms more of a look of contentment at hearing those words.
"You should at least apply for it; it's your life, but keep in mind that if you stay local, I will be here," she says good-naturedly.
"Point taken,"
THE CLIFFE
By now, the office door was closed as the two men talked between themselves.
"The guy who talked to you about the job, is he legit?" Will questions his employee.
"Yeah, I looked him up, and he is," he answers. "But Aaliyah found out, and now she's blaming me for keeping it from her even though I hadn't taken the job yet."
Will clears his throat.
"Do you want it?"
"Yeah, I want it; I do, he says openly. "But I don't know if Aaliyah and I can survive a long-distance relationship."
"But can you survive not being able to go for what you want? You're young; you're supposed to be livin' your dreams. And if Aaliyah means that much to you, I think she would see that in the long run, whether y'all stay together or not." Will advises.
"I guess you're right," Lorenzo declares.
"Of course, I am," Will says jokingly. "But for real, we're going to miss you around here, but opportunities like that don't come around like that for us. You know what I'm sayin'."
"I do," he says convincingly.
SAMPSON UNIVERSITY: BUCKNER DORMITORY
Aaliyah managed to inform her father, who remains standing in her dorm, all about her being the one to not only record his ex-fiancée and her ex-husband's intimate moment but also play it for everyone to see, which ultimately ended the engagement.
"I don't know what to say," Jai admits in a blindsided manner. "But I guess I shouldn't be surprised; you had made your feelings abundantly clear from the start about Louise and me."
She sits on the edge of her desk while maintaining some eye contact, although she perceives that he's more furious than he sounds.
"Daddy, I know I could've handled it much better, but hurting you was never what I wanted. I had gone over to the cottage to try and make some peace with Louise, but when I got there, I happened to look up at her bedroom window with the view of her half-naked, and the next thing I had recorded on my phone."
"You should've come straight to me about it, but instead, you felt it was necessary to do what you did, which is not only humiliating Louise but me too in front of all of our friends and family."
"I did come to the store to tell you, but you had gone out, and then Lorenzo convinced me not to get involved, which I was going to, but seeing you two happy at the engagement party, knowing she and Sean were together only days ago, stirred something up in me, and next thing I knew, I uploaded the video on the projector. But you can't tell me you aren't pissed at what Louise did too."
Jai sticks his hands in his pants pockets. "That's a totally separate issue, but just so you know, Louise gave me back the ring; the engagement is officially off."
"Is possibly getting back together with Mommy another separate issue too?"
"Aaliyah, you are going over the line now," he says firmly.
In reality, he and his former wife are secretly seeing each other. They both agreed not to go public until they decided to take that next step.
"I bet you wish you never came by, didn't you?" Aaliyah says it suggestively.
"It's not that," he says exasperatedly. "I just wish you would've used judgment. Because usually, when you don't, it costs you more than what you bargained for."
"Tell me about it," Aaliyah responds while thinking of her fractured friendships with Tanner and Lenny, who blame her for what occurred.
Jai moves towards the door.
"I better get going, but Aaliyah doesn't think because what I said to you doesn't mean I don't love you because nothing will ever change that, you hear me."
"Yes, I do."
"Okay," he replies straightforwardly. "I'll see you later,"
On his way out of the room, he embraces her with warmth, like he often did when she was a little kid, needing a hug after having a nightmare.
"Bye," she tells him while letting go as he exits the dorm.
Aaliyah is now alone again, as she has mostly been this time; however, it seems a weight has been lifted off her chest with her father knowing about what she did, wondering whether she can continue to survive more of the fallout.
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END OF EPISODE
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ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
Emma warns Jacques.
Jordan and Tricia catch up.
Daniel's words become heated toward Courtney.
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