EPISODE 222
Written by: Bre L. Drew
February 6, 2023
Last Time on Town and Country
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While Tommy came by the rectory to talk with Thora about Jordan, he overheard Tanner telling Presley she had a great night.
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Ernest finally signed the divorce papers.
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Antoine didn't take the news of Shauna's pregnancy because he still had unresolved feelings for her.
PRESLEY MCKNIGHT RESIDENCE
Presley McKnight is near the door where Tommy Covington was about to leave after coming over to ask if his mother was home after telling him she wasn't the Covington heir. On his way out, he overheard Tanner Lockhart telling Presley she had a great night last night. Tommy had been taken aback by that declaration, knowing that it could only mean one thing: Tanner and Presley had sex for the first time yesterday evening.
"Hi, Tommy," she simply greets him. "I didn't know anyone was here beside us."
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"I think that's obvious," he says, a little snarkier than intended.
He still wishes things would've worked out differently between them. Somehow, if he had managed to win her back, he would've told the truth about him sleeping with Jordan. though he knows he can't go back to change it now.
Presley has had enough of the awkwardness in the room and attempts to diffuse it. "Like I said, my mother isn't here, but I will tell her you came by."
The reason for his visit was to speak to Thora regarding Jordan, as she has also noticed her daughter acting out of character, which he gathers is due to negligence on her psychiatrist's part. not to mention having an instinct that his father is behind this as well.
Tommy moves his gaze to the door, knowing that staying here would make him feel even more out of place. But he turns to see Tanner still on the staircase, her expression indicating she won't feel comfortable until he leaves, which he does. But not before looking over to Presley and warning him not to hurt her or he'll personally answer to him.
Back inside the house, Presley glances at his girlfriend with profound concern. "I'm so sorry about what happened."
Tanner walks down the staircase with a slight ease. "It's all right," she replies. "I can't believe I blurted out about having a great night," she says while covering her mouth in horror.
Presley takes her into his arms. "You have nothing to be ashamed of."
"Maybe you're right," she replies thoughtfully. "I've moved on, and Tommy has as well."
She was aware that Tommy was back to sleeping with Jordan, who is also Presley's sister, making everything more complicated.
"Are you ready for me to take you back to campus?"
Tanner moves her head back and forth. "Yeah, we better get back to the real world, which includes a biochemistry test I need to study for."
The two let go of one another as Presley took his keys out of his coat pocket. "All right, let's go,"
They make their way out of the door and towards his car.
JOJO'S CAFE
Oh, we could beat the stars falling from the sky
Shining how we want, brighter than the sun
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The breezy singing of Colbie Caillat's "Brighter Than The Sun" plays on the sound system this early afternoon inside the mainly empty cafe. Albeit the infrequent customers on their lunch break and the employees, which include Thora McKnight, who is standing behind the counter taking a drink of her tea.
She casually observes her soon-to-be ex-husband, Ernest McKnight, stepping inside the cafe in his black bomber jacket and dark blue jeans. When he sees her presence in an apron behind the counter, he moves towards her.
"Hi," she says, nodding.
Ernest smiles at the woman he has been married to for so long. "You're really working here?"
"You think it's silly for someone my age to be a barista," she retorts. "Well, I look at it as another step toward my independence."
For years, she was a housewife who watched her husband go to work as the Radcliffe police chief who put all of her aspirations to bed years ago. However, since their divorce, she has had to make a living for herself.
Ernest shoots up his hands innocuously. "I wasn't going to say that." he replies. "I know I didn't take our divorce well, but I'm glad to see you're trying to get back on your feet, and if you ever need anything, you can always come to me," he says meaningfully.
"Thanks," she remarks honestly.
Thora lifts her head to see someone of importance entering the cafe. "Ernest, remember what you just said about me coming to you if I needed anything?"
"Yeah," Ernest chuckles, assuming she needs money to tide her over until her first paycheck arrives.
She casually points in front of her, which makes the police chief turn around to see their daughter Jordan McKnight entering with their grandson Jeremy Covington in the modular stroller, which Ernest guesses costs more than most of his bills.
"Try to make it right with her," Thora says warningly.
"First though, I'm gonna need a cup of joe," Ernest exhales, knowing he needs something potent to get through to his daughter.
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THE WATERFALL BAR
The familiar rhythms of Teena Marie's "Square Biz" start to play on The Waterfall's sound system as a small crowd gathers inside the establishment this afternoon.
Meanwhile, behind the bar, Antoine Hall hands over the change and receipt to a male customer picking up takeout for lunch.
He couldn't stop thinking about Shauna being pregnant. A part of him always held out hope that she would come to her senses by ending her marriage to the bean pole she calls a husband and finding her way back to him so they could become the couple he knows they should be. But he knows Shauna would never leave Max now, especially with her about to start a family with him, not to mention that she is living the wealthy life she has long desired.
"Does the cat have your tongue?" Mae Jackson's voice rings out to him, breaking his train of thought. "Are you all right?" she asks concernedly.
"Yeah, sorry, Mae, I guess I was daydreamin'."
The older woman expresses her doubt by arching her eyebrow, sensing there's more to this story. "Let me guess, does it have to do with my granddaughter?" She spots a flicker of guilt on his face. "Yeah, I figured that's why you're acting half-dazed," she remarks knowingly. "Oh, Antoine, I thought by now you at least realized that Shauna is married to Max and soon will be bringing a child into this world with him."
"Trust me, Mae," Antoine tells her quickly. "I know Shauna's married; I remember being at the wedding."
Mae moves her head at his comment, hoping he will actually see sense. "You had come to the hotel room before to try to talk Shauna out of marrying Max," she recalls. "Remember, I was there too when you came to the door."
Years earlier, Antoine had done that, but Shauna turned him down, slapping him across the face before bolting out of the room to tie the knot with Max in front of friends and family aboard his yacht.
"Mae, I will always love Shauna," he confesses to her. "But I know I've got to let her go, especially now with the baby coming and everything else."
Mae folds her arms across her chest. "Good," she states. "And I hope that in all the years you've lived under my roof, you've learned that there are some lines you don't cross," she warns him. "Most importantly, you're too handsome and too much of a catch not to find someone right for you." She says straightforwardly.
She then reaches out to touch the side of his face in a motherly manner before giving him an expression that displays Please think about what I said to you.
Mae soon shuffles off to serve a customer.
Antoine stands there, trying to keep his word but knowing his feelings for Shauna won't fade.
COVINGTON GROUP
On the twentieth floor of the Covington Tower in downtown Radcliffe, Shauna Covington is in her office, sitting behind her desk, gathering last-minute documents she needs before going to a meeting with one of the architects and contractors to discuss a project they're working on for the company.
An abrupt knock gets her to glance toward the door.
"Who is it?" she calls out.
"Let me in and find out," the other person answers on the other side of the door.
Knowing the individual's voice, she moves her head back and forth, giving a delightful grin. "It's open," she responds pleasantly.
Soon, the partition between them is separated as her husband enters his wife's office. He goes around to her and embraces her, which involves a passionate kiss.
"I'm not interrupting, am I?" Max Covington says.
Shauna casts a casual glance at her desk before returning her attention to him. "I was just getting my things together for this meeting I have in about fifteen minutes."
"Good," he responds. "That will give me enough time to run something by you."
"Does this have anything to do with the baby?" she wonders.
Shauna had not long ago discovered she was pregnant with their first child.
Max rubs his chin methodically. "Sort of," he replies. "I planned a last-minute getaway for us this evening to a remote cabin in the woods near Lake Hudson; it has all kinds of amenities, including a private indoor jacuzzi, and has an amazing view of the mountains."
Shauna's intrigue is piqued. "Not that I mind getting away with you anywhere," she says vehemently. "But what's the occasion?"
"Does it have to be an occasion that I want to spend some time with my wife and the mother of my future child?" he queries. "I know in the past that I haven't been the best husband, especially when I was temporarily CEO and I was neglecting you; since then, I've realized you come first," he points out. "Besides, consider this one of those babymoons.
Shauna is deeply touched by hearing what is said to her by her husband. "It'll be good to get away," she states excitedly. "You know, you are really the best thing that has happened to me," she says openly.
They cling to each other once more.
JOJO'S CAFE
The seductive crooning of Chris Isaak's "Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing" can be heard inside the cafe as Jordan sits at a table and glances down at her baby boy, who has the biggest smile on his face while holding his bottle of milk.
"You're such a good boy," she tells him. "I'm so lucky to have you as my son, and I know I don't deserve you, but I promise you that I will never leave you again."
"Mama," the baby announces.
Jordan grins cheerfully, but when she sees her father approaching with a coffee, her expression quickly changes to one of protectiveness.
"Hey, little man," he greets his grandson. Despite only seeing him a few times, the now 1-year-old still has his curly blonde hair and adorable chubby cheeks.
"How funny you look like a guy I used to know," Jordan quips.
Ernest remains standing nearby, trying to remember what he said to Thora about reaching out to his only daughter, with whom he hasn't been close in years.
"Come on, Jordan, I'm trying here," he tells her. "We can at least be civil for Jeremy's and your mother's sake."
The young woman with her coat on the back of the chair is wearing a multi-color floral button top and a pair of blue jeans. Her blonde hair is in two pigtails.
"Dad, this is the first time you've spoken to me this year, and you haven't shown any interest in getting to know your grandson, who is almost two, just in case you forgot," she responds sharply.
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"What do you think I'm trying to do?" He says this exasperatedly. He then lowers his voice, not wanting the people to overhear him. "What I did by kicking you out may not have been the best thing I could have done, but you withheld being pregnant on top of keeping Tommy as the father—what did you expect?"
Jordan quickly gets to her feet as rage rises from her. "I expected you to say something like, "It's okay, sweetheart, daddy got you, and daddy will protect and love you no matter what!" she yells emotionally. "But you didn't because you didn't want everyone in town to think the police chief's daughter was some kind of slut!"
By now, the tone of her voice had Thora approaching all of them; she gripped onto the handle of her grandson's stroller. "This isn't the time or place to get into this."
Jordan turns to her mother and then to her father. "Mom, he has treated us both like shit for far too long, and you can still put up with it, but I refuse to."
"Jordan!" Thora says with caution. "That's enough!"
"Jordan, give me credit," Ernest says apologetically. "At least meet me halfway."
Jordan puts on her coat and grabs her purse off the chair beside her. "You can take your half-assed apology and shove it!" She boldly expresses.
A few customers are now observing the commotion taking place.
She pushes the stroller out of the cafe, trying her best not to shed tears at having another failed conversation with her father.
Thora tilts her head at the argument between her ex and their daughter. "What the hell is wrong with that girl?" Ernest questions the mother of his children.
"Ernest, something is not right with our daughter," she says tiredly. "I can't put my finger on it, but I don't recognize her."
She proceeds to fill him in on the last time she had seen Jordan, during which she first noticed something was off about her, including looking fatigued and being harsh for no reason.
Thora also hopes Tommy will get in touch with her after she leaves him a message outlining her concerns about her.
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END OF EPISODE
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ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
Aaliyah's confession surprises Tanner.
Mala reacts to Jai and Louise's engagement.
Daniel gets on top of the situation.
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