Previously...
As Claudia, she
lays back on the leather sofa and takes a drag of her cigarette. Braden is in the kitchen preparing brunch in a silk blue robe. She hears Braden
humming the tune of an old 80s love song and smiles as she realizes he is just as content as she this morning. After a passionate night that of lovemaking that kept them up well past five, smiles are sure to be present throughout the day.
"What are you making?" Claudia calls out from outside the kitchen door.
"Your favorite," Braden shouts back and reveals himself in the doorway.
"My favorite? And you've known me how long?"
"Well, I remember the little things. You said your favorite was eggs benedicts at that little restaurant I took you for breakfast last week."
"I did, indeed. Points for you!" Claudia smiles back.
"So Monday, eh?"
"Monday is the day." Claudia produces a grim smile. "Take over, day one."
Braden laughs and swiftly walks over to her and gives her a peck on the cheek. "Emily and Steve won't know what hit them."
"Neither will we when we're rolling in the money."
"Right you are," Braden replies as he softly caresses her hair.
"I'm always right, haven't you learned that yet?"
"Well, you did choose to do business with me."
"So how many other women are you doing business with?"
"Excuse me?" Braden is thrown off by the question.
"You heard me."
"Just you, my dear. You don't have to worry about a thing."
"I hope so."
"Look," Braden takes her hand and holds it tightly. "You really need to trust me. I'm thinking about our future here."
"I do trust you."
"Good, Claudia. Because I would hate to see how things could spoil if you didn't."
"I won't let anything go down. Don't worry about a thing."
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Scene: Cafe Flore. The Castro District of San Francisco.
Jason
looks around the crowded caf and tries to find someone who matches the description he was given by Lucas
earlier. He is slightly nervous for a number of reasons. Primarily, he is still not completely sure that Lucas' relationship with Keith was completely plutonic. Furthermore, Lucas seems to be quite attractive by the description given- tall, dark hair, light eyes and an athletic build.
He is also unsure if Lucas will recognize him, so he is going on his instincts to approach the man. He is surprised though at how many of the guys fit the description. He suddenly feels quite nervous about the whole situation and begins to have second thoughts about meeting in such a crowded place.
"Jason?"
Jason whips around when he hears the voice from behind. "Yes."
"Oh, uh...hi there." Jason feels inadequate for not having the words to form a proper greeting.
"Nice to meet you." Lucas extends his hands out to meet Jason's.
"Yeah, you as well." Jason clears his throat and continues, "have you been here long?"
"Not too long, no. I don't mind being here though. I love the whole atmosphere."
Jason looks around and nods. "There's definitely a lot going on here."
"Yeah, I like the distractions the cafe has to offer- and the eye candy isn't bad either. I suppose it gets my mind off of other things."
"I can see that. So...should we get a table?"
"For sure. If you want coffee or something, we need to order it first though."
Lucas points over to a line that's filled with quite a diverse mix. Jason anxiously follows Lucas and then two stand before each other once again as an awkward silence looms.
"So, have you been to this area before?" Lucas inquires with a sarcastic smile, realizing that any gay man living in the bay area has stepped foot in the district.
"A few times before, yes. I don't remember the first timeI had to have been only eighteen or nineteen. I just remember that I couldn't go into any of the bars here. But the environment was enough to do it for me." Jason begins to feel more comfortable and continues, "I remember the first time I saw two guys walking down the street holding hands. It was like it was no big deal to either of them."
"Yeah, well I'm actually a native of the City, so I grew up going to schools that had equality posters plastered everywhere. It was quite a trip- and a big change from the school you probably went to."
Jason lets out a sigh and nods his head as they prepare to order. He notices that Lucas turn his attention to two men nearing them.
"Lucas, my man." One of the guys embraces Lucas with a hug.
Lucas responds with a quick hello. Jason can tell Lucas feels a bit nervous with him there. Both of the men are fairly attractive and Jason realizes they are both giving him a once-over.
"So who's your new boy?" The man asks Lucas.
Jason and Lucas stare at each other in silence. Jason has no idea how Lucas will handle the question.
______________________________________________________________
Scene:
The Davison Estate. 1562 Pacifica Boulevard.
Diane
looks at Ashley
with a sympathetic smile as she brings her bed in breakfast. She remembers when she was pregnant with Ashley herself and how scary it was to think that she would be bringing an innocent life into the world. Internally, Diane recognizes that a part of her is trying to compensate for the many years she lost with Ashley.
"So, have you done more thinking about the name? I mean, you know it's a boy and all!"
"Joe
and I are still battling between two names...it will be interesting to see who comes out on top."
"What are the two names?" Diane inquires.
"Bryson Shea, which is my choice...and Joseph Reagan Sawyer, the third, which is Joe's"
"Gulp."
"Tripple gulp," Ashley laughs.
"You better win on this one. He'll be in middle school before he can print his whole name."
"Oh, I plan on it. Don't you worry."
"So you're starting Lamaze today...are you excited?" Diane asks.
"I
am a bit nervous too. Joe should be here in a bit to take me...so, who took you to Lamaze class?"
Diane looks away and cowers in the corner. Ashley has yet to inquire about her Father and Diane isn't sure exactly how to approach the situation.
"You did realize I would be curious about him at some point, right?" Ashley slightly raises her voice to gain Diane's attention.
"Diane nods and locks eyes with Ashley. "Yes, I knew you would at some point."
"So?"
"So,
the last time I heard from him, he was still living back in Florida. He has a family of his own now and honestly, as much as this hurts to say, I don't know if he is interested at this point."
"Where in Florida?" Ashley's voice grows shaky.
"In South Beach."
"I was living in Miami for all those years...and you mean to tell me that I could've easily bumped into him?"
"Well, yes...I mean, it's conceivable."
"That's just great" Ashley trails off, shaking her head in disbelief.
"It's been years since the last time I spoke with him. I mean, who honestly knows what his position could be now. Maybe he would love to meet you."
"So he does know about me? I just couldn't deal with the rejection though"
"No one says you have to deal with anything...just let things be- and yes, he does know about you."
"Because
I can't let it just be. I've tried so hard to define myself in the last few years, but how can I truly seek an identity when I don't know a thing about my father?"
"Well, it's worth a shot if you're interested in finding him. I'm sure he's in the same place."
"Does he have other children?"
"Yes," Diane responds with apprehension. She hates to even picture the man she once loved. "He actually had two other children when we last spoke."
"So I have two siblings out there I have never met?"
"Yes, Ash. His name is Sam Crawford, if you were wondering." Diane finally reveals.
"Crawford? Oh Jesus" Ashley mutters. Unbeknownst to Diane, she had certainly heard the name before.
______________________________________________________________
Scene: Kayla's Car, Pacifica Boulevard.
Kayla
drives down Pacifica Boulevard and slowly passes her husband's
office. Suddenly her heart comes to an abrupt stop when she spots the new black BMW in the parking lot. Her mind instantly begins to travel to horrific depths as she realizes it's the vehicle of Liz Bryant .
She is soon startled when a horn is heard from behind her car. Kayla realizes she has seriously decreased her speed and decides to pull over altogether. She is now roughly a block north of Rick's office. Kayla' mind continued to wander as she is plagued with images of Rick and Liz together- kissing, and certainly engaging in other acts.
"Damn it, Rickwhy the hell is she here?" Kayla mutters under her breath as she turns her vehicle off.
Kayla bites her lip as she brainstorms a way to deal with the situation. She just knows something is going on and if she can prove it, Rick and Liz will both have hell to pay.
She walks out of her car and tries to remember how Rick's office is set up. She tries to think if there is any possible way she can stand outside the door, or even a window, without being caught. If so, she won't think twice about spying.
Kayla suddenly remembers that Rick usually leaves his office window open, and if he quietly can get to that window, she could actually listen in on what they are saying. Rick' office is perfectly located on the side of the building, so Kayla could easily just go down the alley and try her best to listen.
She quickly sets her plan into motion and walks down the crowded boulevard to the front of Rick's office. She realizes she must walk in front of the office to get to the side and suddenly worries that the receptionist will spot her through the window. She notices her hands begin to shake, but she does her best to pull herself together. Kayla takes a deep breath and turns her head towards the street as she makes her way across the front of the building.
Kayla creeps down the alleyway and stops at Rick's window. She can hear his voice from outside the window; he seems to be doing most of the talking. She finally makes out a woman's voice and instantly recognizes it as Liz's.
Moments later Kayla begins to cringe and shake her head in disbelief at what Liz is saying.
______________________________________________________________
Scene: Cafe Flore. The Castro District of San Francisco.
"This is just a friend...his name is Jason." Lucas reveals, putting a death to the awkward silence.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Shane." The more attractive of the two friends introduces himself.
"Pleasure." Jason locks eyes with him as hormones fly.
Lucas apprehensively introduces Jason to his other friend as well. He just knows he's going to be bombarded with all sorts of questions later.
"So, what are you guys up to today?" Shane asks.
"Jut getting acquainted over some coffee. Jason's actually never been here, so I thought it would be nice to introduce him to the place."
"Right on," Shane responds, quickly getting the hint. "Well, we're off then. You guys have a good oneand Jason, it was nice meeting you."
"Likewise," Jason replies.
"Shall we sit?" Lucas cuts in with ease.
"Sure."
"About Keith...I still can't believe what happened..."
"You're telling me. I was a complete mess when I found out. I don't know how I got through it, but it gets a little easier as each new day passes."
"Well, I don't think you'll ever get over it. I mean, I still think about him a lot." Lucas reveals.
"You do?"
"Well yeah...I mean, I've never had a close friend like that pass away. It was really hard on me too, Jason."
"Close friend...how close?"
"Look," Lucas shakes his head and smiles. "I hope you're not trying to insinuate anything again. We were really just friends. I really hope you do believe me."
"I do. It just puzzles me how Keith had such a close friend when I was dating him, yet I never met you"
"Some people are just really privateKeith was one of those. I can see where you're coming from though, Jason."
"Are you sure?"
Lucas is put off by Jason's attitude today. While he did expect Jason to have questions, he hoped that their last conversation has put some of them to rest. He realized that obviously this was not the case.
"I'm sorry, I really am. You're not the one to blame." Jason speaks out, perceiving that Lucas is getting frustrated with him.
"I appreciate that."
"So, those guys seemed pretty nice. How long have you been friends with them?" Jason inquires.
"Awhilethe one you had googly eyes all over was my ex, Shane. We actually dated for over a year."
"That's a record in the Castro, right?" Jason laughs. "And googly eyes? Someone wasn't getting jealous, right?"
"Absolutely not. I could care less if you guys do hit it off. It would at least get Shane off my back. He still pries so much- I know I'm going to get a million questions about you later."
"And why is that?"
"Because you're really att...attractive." Lucas reveals after pausing mid-sentence. "I mean, come on."
Jason smiles and nods his head. "Well thanks. I appreciate the compliment. You're pretty att...attractive too."
Jason pauses mid-sentence as well to make fun of Lucas as they both seem to blush.
"So, yeahabout those Giants."
"They are the best." Lucas smiles.
Lucas and Jason both sit at the table for a few moments simply smiling back at each other. Their obvious attraction for each other is no longer hidden.
______________________________________________________________
Scene: The Law office of Rick Preston.
"I can't believe she actually went there in the session," Liz speaks out. "I mean, she made herself look like a fool."
"I don't know, Liz...I think she made her decision in that room. I mean, if she wants to fight like this, then I can't continue on with this marriage. If there's no trust, how can there truly be any foundation to our marriage?"
"Very true, Rick. I think you know what you have to do."
Meanwhile, Kayla looks on in absolute disgust through the window. She is quite careful not to make a sound, breathing lightly and only reacting inwardly at what is being said. The problem, of course, was that everything was now boiling so deep inside her that she wanted to explode.
"I really appreciate you being there for me, Liz. You've really proven to be an amazing friend."
"Thank you, Rick. It just breaks my heart to see you going through this. I know how hard it is with everyone involved- you have a beautiful daughter to think about."
"Of course I doand you know what's sad? Haylie is going to be the one that gets hurt the most if Kay and I get a divorce."
"And Kayla will go on with her selfish way..." Liz rolls her eyes.
Kayla shakes her head as her anger rises to a dangerous level. She want so badly to storm into the office and throw Liz off her chair. Then, and only then, would she do and say all the hurtful things to Liz that she had dreamed about for awhile. She can't remember a time that she was so disgusted with a single person. While Rick was perhaps part to blame for conversing with her about such private matters, all her anger seemed directed at Liz this very moment.
"So you're going to finally ask for a divorce?" Liz asks.
"I think I'm going to have to...Kayla made this decision. I just don't think it's truly worth saving anymore."
Tears begin to form in Kayla' eyes as she mutters under her breath, "not worth saving anymore, eh? Well, we'll see who really ends this- and it's not going to be me that gets hurt in the end"
To be Continued...