Previously...
A cold chill runs down the spine of Valerie Preston as she looks out the window. Thick clouds hover above creating an eerie setting in Pac Heights this morning. She looks down at her phone once more and prays the call will come quickly. She's expecting to hear from her biggest client- the one who goes by the name of Braden
. As much as she has tried not to attach herself to the clientele, his English accent and charm has been more than enough to win her over.
"Damn it, will you just call? I hate this..." Valerie mutters under her breath.
She realized Kayla
and Rick
will be out of the house for most of the day and a tight knot begins to form in her stomach. Rick is hard at work on a new case and Kayla is out shopping for the day with Haylie. Valerie knew that being left alone in the house was going to cause this...indeed; each time that she was left by herself a new battle would present itself. These internal struggles that she had with being alone would always strike like clockwork. She has tried for many years to understand it, but alas, understanding the true natures of her struggles has seemed impossible.
Suddenly she hears a car pull into the driveway and she quickly whips around back to the window. A sigh of relief is strangely accompanied by frustration as she realizes it's her mother who has arrived without prior notice. She hasn't spoken to Victoria for nearly a month and she wonders what prompted her to stop by at this very moment. Val convinces herself it is to see Haylie, the new granddaughter that Victoria can't get enough of.
"Hello, Mother." Valerie swings open the door to a shocked Victoria.
"Well, you're alive. Who would have guessed..."
"It's great to see you as well," Valerie replies as she rolls her eyes.
"Where is Kayla's car? Did she take Haylie somewhere? I can't imagine that she would have the sense to let you baby-sit..." Victoria trails off.
"Yes she did- and thanks for the vote of confidence."
"So what's new? Why haven't your father and I heard from you in so long? I wasn't even sure you were still in Pac Heights."
"Mother, I'm nearly thirty...I don't think you and dad need to worry about me at this point."
"Well, a call would be nice."
"I understand that. I've just been through a lot lately and I needed to get away from everything- and everyone."
"Running away isn't going to solve your problems, Valerie. You've done this your whole life and it breaks my heart to see it happen again."
"I'm fine now. Really..." Valerie replies as she looks away.
"I don't believe that for some reason..." Victoria raises a brow. "You know, it's our fault. Your father and I should have done something about this years agowe should have had you seen someone for your depression. You know, it's not too late. Help is still out there if you need it."
"I don't need your help." Valerie begins to raise her voice. "I'm fine, okay?"
"Who are you trying to convince?" Victoria paces back and forth and pauses for a moment. "You can't shut everyone out like this."
"I will do as I please," Valerie says. "Will you please just leave now?"
"Excuse me? Are you really trying to kick me out? This isn't even your home"
"Well, I'm staying here now and I would like it if you would leave. Please, Mother."
"I can't believe this...I'm serious, Valerie. You switch on and off like no one's business. You really need help."
"Leave now! Please!" Valerie's tone grows harsher as she opens the door for Victoria.
"Fine, as you wish. But me leaving isn't going to help anything. You'll see that, Valerie. You'll see that"
______________________________________________________________
Scene: The Bordeaux Estate. Northern Heights District.
"I still can't believe you embarrassed me like that..." Terrence
looks to his mother
and shakes his head.
"Excuse me? You're making the biggest mistake of your life going after that woman. I'm simply trying to save you from some heartache, Terrence."
"Yet you won't tell me how you know her? I'm just not understanding the whole thing. Why can't you just tell me the truth?"
"Because what she did was truly despicable. I can't even say it aloud, darling."
"I don't buy that- not from a woman as sweet as Val. I've really gotten to know her in the last few weeks and I can't imagine her hurting a fly- let alone doing something so hurtful like you're trying to insinuate."
"You just need to trust me on this, Terrence. You need to stay as far away from her as possible. Remember, mother always knows best." Felicia smiles.
"Mother has also given the same warnings about every woman I have ever dated. Do we even have to bring up Liz Bryant? You never even gave her a chance!"
"Oh, don't even get me started on that woman. Jesus Terrence, I really don't even need to go there...look how it turned out!"
"I'm just saying that there's a definite trend going on here. Why can't you just let me live my own life?"
"Because you're making big mistakes- and I love you! I can't see you get hurt again," Felicia does her best to explain.
"But they're my mistakes to be made. If I do get hurt, which I won't, then I'll learn from those mistakes. Why can't you just trust me on this one?"
"Fine Terrence, do what you need to do. Get your game on and play it how you want. If you don't want my input, I'll stop. I'm just warning you, this one is going to be more trouble than she's worth.
"Will you just stop? You're doing it again, Mother. And I need you to act more civilized around Val...hair pulling?"
"I don't plan on having any interaction with her again. Period."
"Yes you will, Mother, because I will have her over again. I need you to please lay off of her."
"That woman is not stepping a damn foot in this house again. She's already been in the house one time too many." Felicia locks eyes with her son.
"It's my house as well..." Terrence pleads.
"Well, then perhaps it's time for you to get your own place. Have you thought about that?"
"Please don't be like this, Mother."
"Like what? If you want to live under my roof, then you need to abide by my rules. I understand you are an adult, but there are things I won't have in my house."
"I'm not seventeen, Mother. I'm a full-grown adult and you are the one who always urged me to stay at home- telling me how lonely you would be if I ever left."
Felicia shakes her head and takes another sip of her wine. "I don't know what to say, Terrence..."
"Say you'll accept me dating Valerie and let me life my own life."
"I'm
sorry, son," Felicia replies as she shakes her head. "I just can't do that. If that woman steps foot in my house again, it will be your last day living under my roof. It's your decision, Terrence- not mine."
______________________________________________________________
Scene: The Summers Estate.
As her alter-ego Claudia, she
walks to the front door and quickly opens it when she spots Braden McCullough standing outside. She's getting ready for her first day at Landon Points, a marketing position she recently accepted from her father. Working closely with Braden to get the inside dirt on the company, the position was her perfect opportunity to do just that.
"Ms. Deauville, don't you look radiant today?" Braden greets her by gently pulling her hand towards his lips.
"You are too much," she replies. "Shouldn't you be at the office by now? I'm surprised you don't have Emily
in bed yet."
"Oh hush. I actually just got back from her place- she's a pretty feisty lay."
She stares at him without a single word before realizing he is joking with her.
"Don't worry, Claudia- you're the only woman for me."
"I know, don't worry. Just the thought of that old decrepit whore in bed just makes me sick. It's bad enough that she got my fa- I mean, Steve Summers in bed."
"You were about to say your father...do you have some relation to Steve?"
"No, of course not!" She looks away for a moment before continuing, "He's just been my mentor through the years...no relation though."
"I understand. So you have a thing for older men then?"
"Well, I am with you. Right?"
"Very funny...I'm only six years your senior though, not over twenty like Mr. Summers."
"Are you getting jealous? I can sense a hint of jealousy going on here."
"Not more jealous than you are of Emily Landon...although, perhaps she could teach me a thing or two."
"Oh stop! One more word about that woman and I'll vomit. Besides, you need to get to the office, mister."
"I
should be going, yes. I suppose I'll see you around later..." Braden says before giving her a tight hug good bye.
She quickly shuts the door and lets out a deep sigh
of frustration. Although she tried to catch herself before she spoke, she
realizes her ability to hide things is becoming harder each moment. She
then takes out her wallet and sees her old I.D...a smile from a woman
named Kimberly Summer- a woman who seems so distant at the moment.
It's okay, Miss Claudia...keep your cool. Don't shed a single tear for that despicable woman in your past. Kimberly Summers is dead now...and it time for you to shine. A new woman is here- one that will see ultimate success and finally experience true happiness.
______________________________________________________________
Scene: The Davison Estate.
Helen
shuts the front door firmly behind her as she lets Joe Sawyer into the house. There's a short awkward silence that cuts through the room after Helen flashes a fake smile. Old-fashioned and set in her ways, she is still upset that Joe hasn't popped the question to Ashley- especially after learning that a baby was quickly arriving.
"So, Ms. Davison, how have you been?" Joe asks with a returning smile.
"Just dandy..." Helen replies with wide-eyes as they walk into the family room.
"Ashley
is upstairs? Getting rest I hope..."
"She is, indeed. Rest is very important for her right now," Helen explains. "She doesn't need any added stress right now"
Helen looks at Joe once again and raises a brow.
"I hope you're not insinuating that I'm adding any stress in her life right now." Joe is clearly taken back by her response.
"I'm not insinuating anything.why? Do you feel guilty about something?"
"Guilty for what?" Joe laughs.
"I don't know...perhaps the stress of a woman who is about to give birth and isn't properly married yet?"
Joe shakes his head and smirks. "You don't quit, do you?"
"Excuse me?" Helen replies with a harsher tone.
"Ashley and I are doing quite well, thanks. And, in all due respect, it's our business how we choose to live our lives."
I'm sorry Mr. Sawyer, but this will be my first great-grandbaby. I just want to ensure that the child grows up in a healthy environment."
"And did Ashley? She turned out just fine, right?"
"I raised Ashley from the time she was born and she grew up to be a quite wonderful woman."
"Yes, but you were a single mother- and you were raising other children as well."
"Well, well! Ashley has certainly filled you in, hasn't she?"
"Yes she has, Ms. Davison." Joe flashes a quick smile before letting himself up the stairs.
At the top of the stairs he sees Ashley waiting for him as she shakes her head and smiles.
"Well, you're fitting in real well around here," Ashley says.
"Thanks..." Joe trails off with a laugh and embraces her with a tight hug. He quickly follows her into her bedroom and they shut the door firmly behind them.
"Just give it some time," Ashley says with a smile. "You'll be Helen's favorite in no time at all."
"Now that's wishful thinking."
"Trust me, she's all bark and no bite."
"Well, she was definitely trying to bite off something down there..." Joe cracks a smile.
Ashley shoots a playful glare into his direction. "So, in other news...I asked Diane
about my father."
"Did you now?"
"Yep, and she told me a bit more than I had bargained for..."
"How so?"
"Well, it turns out that my birth father is quite a
big shot in South Beach
- in fact, his name is synonymous with wealth and power."
"Oh? Well, lucky you." Joe smiles.
"Actually, I'm not the lucky one...apparently when Diane last spoke with him, he had no yearning to meet me. In fact, he has two other children of his own."
"That he's raising now?"
"No, they're grown up. It gets better too...I think I might have gone to school with his son."
"You mean another brother of yours?"
"Yeah, I guess...God, finding out I had two siblings here was such a shock. But now this? To think that I have other siblings out there- and a father who wants nothing to do with me."
"Don't think like that, Ash. So what is your plan of action now that you know the truth?"
"There's only one thing I can do."
"Forget about it and move on? Focus on more important matters in your life?" Joe responds.
"No, Joe...I have to go there. I can't wait another moment. have to meet this man- my father."
______________________________________________________________
Scene: Chez Rendezvous. Northern Heights District.
Valerie nervously bites her lip as she walks up to the entrance of the restaurant. She hopes Terrence has already arrived and she won't have to wait by herself for long.
"Val!"
She quickly whips around and lets out a sigh of relief when she sees Terrence standing behind her. They give each other a quick hug, followed by a kiss that seems to last an eternity. Val then follows close behind as they enter the restaurant and are greeted by the maitre d'.
"So, it's good to see you again," Terrence says as he looks into her eyes. "I was starting to miss you"
Valerie looks back without a word, slowly digesting his words. While most women would appreciate a man saying such words, she begins to get a queasy feeling in her stomach. While she enjoys his company and hopes something develops over time, his obvious attachment towards her causes her some feelings of unease.
Of course, Val realizes that this is not the first time something like this has occurredit seems like such a routine for every guy she meets- at least for the ones that aren't paying her for certain acts. They instantly get attached, and while Valerie enjoys it for a certain time, she is soon forced to back away and terminate any relations she has with the man. She hopes it won't happen with Terrence, but the pit in her stomach is quite evident.
"Did you miss me?" Terrence asks.
"Of course I did" Valerie trails off and looks away.
"Is everything okay?"
"Yeah. Why do you ask?"
"You just seem a bit out of it."
"Out of it? How so?" Val inquires.
"I don't knowa little distant. I'm sorry about what my mother did again."
"Can we not talk about that?" Valerie raises her voice.
"Okay, okaycalm down."
"Please don't tell me to calm down. That experience was humiliating. I still can't believe the nerve of that woman."
"I really apologize. I'm really sorry, Val."
"Lets just drop it, okay?"
"Okay, sounds good to me. So what did you do today?"
"Not much really. It was a pretty quiet day."
"I don't buy thatyou didn't do anything fun? I can only imagine all of the things I would do if I didn't have to work."
"Excuse me?" Valerie locks eyes with him.
"Well, you know.with all your free time and all." Terrence bites his lip, hoping he's not offending her.
"It's not like I'm some trust kid who chooses not to work. I was employed up until late last year when my position was another casualty of the economy. I'll be working again as soon as I find something.Jesus, Terrence."
"I'm really sorry, Val. I didn't mean to insinuate anything."
"You seem to do that a lot"
Terrence nods and simply begins to peruse the menu that lies before him. He realizes that his best defense at the moment is going to be silence.
"Cat's got your tongue?" Val asks after a few moments.
"Look, I don't want to fight"
"I'm not fighting. I just think what you said was insensitive."
"I think I'm a pretty sensitive guy- from what I've been told."
"From what you've been told? So you play the game well then?"
"Play the game well? Ouch?" Terrence is taken back by her statement.
"Look, I think we should just do lunch another time. I suddenly feel sick to my stomach." Valerie replies as she rises to her feet.
"Val, don't do this. Just sit down, please."
"I didn't do a damn thing. Goodbye Terrence." Val responds before departing.
______________________________________________________________
Scene: Landon Points Publishing.
Emily Landon taps her nails in a monotonous manner and takes another look at the clock. Braden was supposed to meet with her nearly twenty minutes ago- and if there is one thing that Emily can't stand, it's waiting for a man. She is, after all, the center of her universe and should never be left waiting for another person.
She still can't believe everything that's transpired in the last monthwho would have thought that Hal would have a long-lost relative claim stake in her company? She can't stop kicking herself from signing over a portion of the shares to her ex-husband. She worries if she'll now pay the ultimate price- part of her power may be taken away.
Suddenly the door swings open causing her to jump. She glares at the man standing before her- the man who made her wait nearly a half an hour.
"My biggest apologies for making you wait," Braden says as he walks towards her desk.
"And for not knocking? This is a civilized society and I expect the decency of a single knock before you barge in here."
"Of course, my dear. I appreciate your time and I once again apologize for making you wait. There was terrible traffic- it seems there was an accident on Pacifica Boulevard.
"Well, I could honestly care less about an accident...it's not my problem. And secondly, I'm not anyone's 'dear'."
"I apologize again, Ms. Landon."
"You are full of apologies, aren't you?" Emily looks him over, trying not to admire how gorgeous the man is.
"I'm full of a lot of thingsyou have no idea!"
"Full of shit, it seems"
"Well, I see you are as charming as I!" Braden cracks a smile and locks eyes with her.
"You mean manipulative? Trust me, I can read you like an open book. I know your game- I've seen it all before. I just want to know what it is that you're after. I mean, you suddenly pop up nearly two years after Hal's death? Why didn't you make your presence known sooner?"
"Well, as you know, timing must be perfect. I suppose I was waiting for the right time to"
"Time to attack?" Emily quickly interrupts.
"I mean no harm. You must believe that. I'm here to help you."
"Help me? Please. I don't believe a word out of your mouth," Emily replies. You have to earn your trust with me."
"That's a very good mantra to have."
"Emily shoots him a glare and tells him to have a seat.
"So how much stake are you wanting in my company?"
"Just what is rightfully mine- everything that my uncle left me."
"And how much control do you think that is?"
"We both know the answer to that, Ms. Landon. I technically own half of the company. We are equals."
"We are certainly not equals." Emily smirks.
Braden looks into her eyes and gently puts his hand onto hers. He can sense that she is attracted to him and realizes that he holds power in the present situation.
"Get your hands off mine- immediately!" Emily flinches and rises to her feet.
"I'm sorry, Emily. I didn't mean to startle you."
"The only thing you've startled here is that thing in your pants- and it needs to settle the hell down."
"How can I help it if I'm attracted to you? You are a beautiful woman, Emily."
"It's Ms. Landon to you, thanks. I think we should reschedule this meeting for another time- a time that you can behave and be on time."
"Very well, but I hope you know that you'll be seeing a lot of me in the future."
"I wouldn't be so sure of yourself," Emily replies. "And don't think that that accent and your supposed charm is going to win me overit's only going to make me sick to my stomach."
"As you say, Ms. Landon. I will see you soon, then."
Braden slowly rises to his feet and embraces her by putting his hand on her neck and slowly caressing her blonde hair that is neatly tucked behind her ears.
"Enough..." Emily can see her defenses weakening as he touches her once again.
"Shhh..." Braden puts a finger to his lips and gently begins to kiss her neck. The following moments are pure ecstasy for Emily Landon- a shiver runs down her spine and feelings emerge as she embraces him back with a kiss.
To be Continued...