Continued...
______________________________________________________________
Scene: The Summers Estate.
Kimberly creeps down the stairway and begins to think of what she will say when she comes face-to-face with Steve. She knows she has to play it cool; she can't give off any suspicious vibes. While she would just love to ignore his presence altogether, Steve might become perplexed when he realizes she is ignoring him.
"Hey Dad!" Kimberly flashes a smile and puts on her best show as she opens the door.
"Hi Kim, how's it going?" Steve greets her and embraces her with a hug.
"I'm well, just having one of those days where the sheets engulf me all day. I've been catching up on some sleep," Kimberly responds, ignoring the fact that she hates being called 'Kim.' Her father has always been the only one who could get away with it.
"Well, you certainly deserve it. You've done a great job on the house. Everything looks wonderful. I mean, no one could guess how much damage was done by the quake."
"Thanks, Dad. I really appreciate it."
"So, do you have a few minutes where we can sit and talk?"
Kimberly instantly feels apprehension as her hands begin to shake with nervousness. "Sure."
"Good. Let's go into the living room and sit."
"Okay"
Stay calm, Miss Kimberly.he's not here to hurt you. Everything's going to be just fine. You're above this. You must stay in control.
"I've really been following your growth in the last year- not only in your maturity, but also in your work performance," Steve says. "Not only have you excelled in the marketing industry, but you've truly taken ownership of this house and you've shown me that you can really persevere through anything."
"Wow, I really appreciate your complimentary words."
"I'm only expressing what I see, Kim. At any rate, I would like to offer you a position with my company. It would be in the marketing division and you would work closely with Emily Landon and me. You don't have to accept now- think it over a bit. I'm pretty sure there would be a substantial pay raise for you and it would give you some great experience if you really want to move up in the industry."
"I don't know what to sayI'm so flattered. I mean, wow" Kimberly trails off with excitement as she does her best to digest her father's offer. A chance to get on the inside of a company that she's plotting to takeover is simply a dream come true.
"Well, you know where to reach me. I think this would be a great opportunity for you. I do want you to think about it though. It's a much larger role to tackle than you've previously held at other companies."
"I understand. Thank you again."
"Alright then, well I'm going to head off. I have some other errands to run this afternoon. It was good seeing you, hon."
"Likewise, Dad. The pleasure was all mine"
______________________________________________________________
Scene: The Davison Estate.
"Jason." Diane calls out from the other end of the room in complete shock.
"Mom. It's good to see you" Jason musters up the courage to respond. After the lashing he gave her the last time they met, he is unaware of how to greet her. While he is apologetic for his words, he isn't sure if he should bring it up or simply leave it in the past.
Diane rushes over to him and gives him a tight hug. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you."
"You too, Mom."
"Can you stay long? How is everything? Will you be able to join us for Easter dinner?" Diane bombards him with questions.
"Yeah, yeahI'm fine. I should be able to stay- a good meal is just what I need. Sorry I didn't drop by soonerI have a lot going on with this new teaching position and everything." Jason tries his best to conceal the real concern at hand and prays that his mother didn't hear the conversation between him and Ashley.
"I understand, hon. You don't have to explain anything." Diane is so overjoyed to have Jason in her home and realizes there is no room for prying or chastising him for his actions.
"I appreciate that."
"Yeah, Diane's been cooking all day. We're having some real goodies for dinner." Ashley chimes in.
"Yes we do! Ashley, do you mind giving Jason and I a few minutes?"
"Sure" Ashley locks eyes with Jason. "No problem."
Ashley slowly exits and closes the door behind her. Diane and Jason stare at each other for a moment as they both try searching for the right words.
"I just want you to know that I don't have any hard feelings about last time." Diane begins to start, but is quickly interrupted by Jason.
"I'm sorry, Mom. I really am. I had no right to yell at you like that. I was going through a lot with Keith's death."
"No, you did. I'm the one who should be sorry. It was an invasion of your privacy and I feel terrible about going into your apartment like that. I was just so worried."
"It's okay. Really" Jason trails off.
"SO what all is new with you?" Diane inquires.
"Not much. Just busy with teaching. This is my first year student teaching, and it's a lot more than I bargained for."
"You're teaching at the high school level, correct?"
"I am, yeahGod, you couldn't pay me enough to go back to high school." Jason jokes.
Diane is thrilled to get a smile out of him. "You're telling me. I got pregnant my senior year- finding a prom dress was hell."
"Well, thank God I didn't have the same problem." Jason laughs.
For a moment, Jason forgets about his past and present battles. He is once again simply a boy laughing with his mother- and this, he realizes, is what life is all about.
-- Next
--
Scenes 1-2 | Scenes 3-4 | Scenes 5-6 | Scenes 7-8
|
