EPISODE 256
Written by: Bre L. Drew
October 2, 2023
Last Time on Town and Country
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Jai and Louise haven't spoken since the video of her and Sean in a compromising position was revealed at their engagement party, causing Jai to turn to Mala.
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Samuel informed Aaliyah that her playing the video might cost her friendship with Tanner and Lenny.
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While doing some content for Martha and her band at the Nashville Music Festival, Lorenzo got offered to work for Murray Hirsch's talent agency, which he hadn't told anyone, including Aaliyah.
WHEELER BUILDING: APT #303
On the opposite sides of the bed in his bedroom, Jai and Mala Gupta are each getting into their clothes, proceeding to start the day. Mala had spent another night with her ex-husband. Even though she wasn't complaining, she couldn't help but feel silly having to schedule appointments to see him. Although they had decided to keep their rendezvous a secret until they could comprehend what they were entering into,
Mala runs her hands through her brown hair.
"Somehow, I feel like I'm a teenager again, sneaking out of a boy's bedroom before being caught by their parents," she says in her British accent.
Jai grins at her while he pulls up his pants. "You were always the wild child."
Growing up in the London region of Southall, Mala was rebellious in her youth yet managed to get her life together in her twenties.
Now dressed, he accompanies Mala into the living room.
Though the din of knocking both get their attention curious, who could it be this morning?
Jai moves to the door; however, he persuades Mala to relax with his hand while she attempts to do so as she grips the shoulder strap of her purse.
He opens the door and is surprised to see Louise Saunders Lockhart standing in the doorway. Though technically they're still engaged, it was revealed via a video played on the projector at their engagement party that she and Sean had been intimate since then, but they hadn't spoken until now.
"Louise, hey, what are you doing here?" The words slip off his tongue without thinking.
"Hi, I came by to talk about... our situation." Louise selects the right choice of words.
The farmer is in a black twist front top with blue jeans and peaks inside to see Mala standing behind him, which takes her aback.
She didn't hold back how she felt about what Louise did, as she had confronted her in the Miller Inn lobby.
Jai steps out of the way to let Louise move forward as an awkward silence passes while he closes the door to his third-floor apartment. In a way, he hopes Louise doesn't presume Mala had stayed over; even if he's decided they're over, he doesn't want any additional conflict.
"Well, I better get going," Mala suddenly replies. "And if you have any more thoughts on expanding the store, you know where to reach me."
Jai nodded understandably, knowing she didn't want anyone to know about them.
Mala departs the apartment, and though a look of lingering tension occurs between the two women since Louise now knows it was Aaliyah who had shown the video, she shuts the door behind her.
"Guess we can't avoid each other any longer now, can't we?" Jai notes.
SAMPSON UNIVERSITY
A bright, sunny sky hangs over Sampson University. It displays the end of the summer and the start of fall.
While the bell tower rings to indicate the new hour, several students make their way throughout the campus; among them is Tanner Lockhart, who is heading into the building where her nature study class is and where several others are also.
While heading towards the front door, the sight of a familiar figure causes Tanner to roll her eyes—a far cry from her usual behavior towards this person—but nonetheless, their recent actions make her reluctant to see them.
"Tanner, can we talk for a minute?" Aaliyah Gupta cordially expresses.
The college seniors, luckily, aren't being paid attention as staff and pupils go in and out of the lecture hall.
"I don't have long," Tanner retorts.
"I get that you don't want to be bothered with me after what I did, but I was hoping you could at least consider starting fresh."
Tanner shakes her head while not wanting to get into it right here. She still can't believe she not only recorded her parents but decided to show it in front of everyone at her father's and her mother's engagement party, all because she's determined to reunite her parents. And she wouldn't have found out if Lenny hadn't gotten ahold of Aaliyah's phone when Tanner was holding her purse at the music festival.
"I think not moving into the dorm room we were supposed to share might tell you the answer."
Aaliyah tucks a strand of her long brown hair behind her ears. "Come on, Tanner, it's our senior year; we shouldn't be like this."
"You're right about that," Tanner ripostes. "I know what my mother and father did behind your father's back was wrong, but it didn't help matters that you exposed it, and it wasn't from the goodness of your heart. It was selfish, and for us being friends, it's going to take a while before I can bring myself to trust you again. If it's possible."
Tanner takes off into the building, hoping she isn't late for class. While Aaliyah remains standing, slowly realizing perhaps her brother was right about how far she took it,
J&M MARKET
A small number of customers circulate J&M Market this morning while its employees work diligently, including Lorenzo Vidal, who is currently in an aisle of the store stocking cereal boxes on the shelf.
While the notable vocals of LeAnn Rimes penetrate the store as "Life Goes On" plays on the speakers.
His mind was on the offer he had received from Murray Hirsch regarding working for him. Despite it being the perfect job, he knows it will affect his relationship with Aaliyah since Murray's business is in Los Angeles. However, he knows it is a chance of a lifetime for someone who works two jobs.
Proud of his achievement of placing all the boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios, he goes to the cart to start shelving the Wheaties when he spots Elijah Barker.
"Hey man," his best friend greets him.
Elijah is wearing a long-sleeve light blue Henley shirt and jeans.
Lorenzo grabs two cereal boxes and continues to work. "Hey to you too; I thought you would be on campus right bout now."
This year, Elijah is starting his senior year at Sampson, which a few years ago seemed like a dream since he was dealing with alcoholism. Now sober, Elijah is set to graduate next spring.
"I had some time to kill before my social politics class, so I decided to come by and see how you're doing."
The way he says it, he knows he's referring to everything coming out surrounding Aaliyah being the one to have the video of Sean and Louise at the engagement party while they were in Nashville, courtesy of Lenny finding the video on her phone.
"I'm alright; I just hope Aaliyah realizes what she did was out of pocket, but I'm not here for everyone judgin' her about it."
"I'm not here to do that, but I can see why Aaliyah did it and why Tanner and Lenny feel the way they do, too," Elijah admits.
As he continues to stock more Wheaties, Elijah senses that somehow his friend is holding something back.
"Is anything else going on between you two?" he asks him.
Lorenzo tugs on his name tag a bit before deciding to tell him everything about the job with Murray Hirsch.
"Man, that sounds like a great opportunity, but why aren't you excited about it?" Elijah queries.
"That's the thing; I haven't exactly accepted it or told Aaliyah, for that matter."
"Why not? This is something you've been wanting since I first met you."
When he met Lorenzo four years ago as his roommate in his freshman year of college, he was an aspiring filmmaker but dropped out when he couldn't afford the tuition anymore when his father lost his job.
"Because if I take the job, it means leaving Aaliyah, and what she's going through right now would make me the worst boyfriend ever."
"I get that, but Lorenzo, this type of chance might not come again, so maybe you should at least tell her about it." Elijah positively suggests.
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WHEELER BUILDING: APT #303
"I want to apologize again for the pain I've caused you. It had never been my intention to hurt you, Jai, and I know you might not accept it now or never, but I want you to know that." Louise remarks wholeheartedly
Jai exhales, trying to keep his emotions in check as so many are rising to the surface from their interaction.
"I get all that, Louise, but it doesn't stop the embarrassment of witnessing the woman you thought you were going to spend the rest of your life damn near undressed making out with her ex-husband on a large screen with your friends and family to see."
Louise raises her head, understanding how much she screwed up.
"Tricia confronted me the other day; she told me you hit Sean."
The night of the party, Jai punched Sean in the face for being partly responsible for the state of his engagement.
"I did," he answers. "Did you kiss Sean because you didn want to marry me?"
"I don't know what overcame me in that moment; I wish I did, but I never had any regrets about us being together."
Jai crosses his arms determinedly. "Think it's safe to assume Sean pleaded to you that he wanted you back, and that co-dependent that's attached to him thinks he is being open and honest with you, but the rational side of you will always question whether he is capable of doing so."
J&M MARKET
Even though she had two more classes back-to-back this morning, Aaliyah opted to ditch them, an unusual occurrence for someone who never missed school unless she was sick in her sixteen years of education. Though her heart or her mind weren't in it after getting a verbal lashing from Tanner over what she did,
So, she hopped in her SUV and ended up driving to her father's grocery store, knowing her boyfriend would be here.
After a few false attempts, she manages to find him in the cereal aisle, stocking the Apple Jacks. She immediately felt herself running to him as he opened his arms for her to go into.
After the earlier conversation with Elijah, he decides he should tell her about the job offer.
"Li, what's goin' on?" he asks her.
She buries her head into his chest. "I screwed up so bad," she reveals.
As he could feel her sobbing on him, he knew it wasn't the right moment to say anything about her future life plans until she's in a better place emotionally.
WHEELER BUILDING: APT#303
Louise takes the beautiful diamond engagement ring off her finger, which she goes over to give to her former fiancé.
"Keep it, sell it, or burn it; I don't care," he discloses.
She could see the hurt on his face, which she created. She decides not to notify him about Aaliyah or the video, figuring she has already caused him too much pain. Her telling him about his daughter exposing everything probably wouldn't be seen in any positive light anyway; the damage had already been done.
"I'm not going to do that," she says softly. "It wouldn't be right,"
He maintains a hold on the piece of jewelry.
"I'm going to leave you alone, but Jai, what I've said to you, I really do mean it," Louise says emotionally.
She saunters toward the door.
"Just look out for yourself, Louise," Jai abruptly advises.
Louise remains in place briefly before acknowledging what he is saying while leaving the apartment, with Jai closing the door behind her.
She holds onto her tears long enough until she gets in the elevator, as she knows what happened is primarily on her.
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END OF EPISODE
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ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
Things become awkward between Tanner, Presley, Tommy, and Jordan.
Aaliyah confronts Lorenzo.
Max and Shauna's rekindling passion hits a snag.
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