Braden McCullough stormed Landon Points and revealed that he
was part owner of the company. After it was revealed that Hal had left
Braden his
share
of the company, Emily was
left in shock and realized her control was diminishing. Desperate to stay on top,
Emily realized that she would have to use Braden anyway that she could
to render him powerless.
Scene: The Preston Residence. College Oaks District.
As the house comes into view, Rick instantly becomes aware that something is missing. The familiar white car that usually sits in the driveway is replaced by a darker and new model- the vehicle of his twin sister, Valerie. He shakes his head, becoming hesitant to even park and enter the home. After the mysterious message that was left on his machine earlier by Kayla, the lack of her presence indicated that something might be terribly wrong.
It was around three-thirty in the afternoon when he received a text message from Kayla saying that she loved him and always would. He instantly thought it was endearing, although at the same time it mystified him that Kayla would send such a message after all the fighting they had. When he tried to call her back, he was instantly redirected to her voice mail.
Now he is arriving home from work and Kayla's car is nowhere to be seen. Could she simply be out visiting family? Why was Val's car parked in the driveway? He mulls over these very questions as he steps out of his car and walks towards the front-door. He is soon met by Val who looks on with a half-hearted smile.
"Hey killer, how was your day?"
"Long as usual," Rick replies. "Where is Kayla?"
"You don't know? Well, your guess is as good as mine then. She called me over a few hours ago to watch Haylie. She said she had to take care of some urgent business. I have no idea what that's about," Valerie does her best to explain.
"Urgent business? She didn't say anything else?" Rick tries his best to probe.
"Not really….well, she said there was a note for you on your nightstand. She said to tell you to read it when you got home."
Thoughts of fear instantly flood Rick's mind. Was Kayla truly capable of leaving him? No, there was simply no way. He fights the worried thoughts with all he has- there was just no way that Kayla would leave Haylie behind.
Rick quickly paces across the room before making his way towards his bedroom. The very bedroom that Rick and Kayla slept in each would now uncover clues to Kayla's whereabouts.
He instantly spots the note on the nightstand and gently unfolds it.
Scene: San Francisco. Castro District.
Jason nervously cracks each knuckle as Ashley pulls into the parking lot. He can't believe that she convinced him to actually attend one of these support groups. He could barely admit to himself that he was positive- and now he would be forced to do so in front of a crowd of strangers? The whole concept didn't seem sane to him at all- but Ashley insisted that it was best and that it would help him find others who were going through similar situations.
"Well, I guess this is it." Ashley puts the car to a stop and turns the key.
"So have you spoken to him?" Jason does his best to avoid the subject at hand.
"Who are you referring to?" Ashley inquires.
"You know…your father- that Sam guy from South Beach. You seemed all gung-ho about meeting him last week and I haven't heard anything further."
"Yeah, well I spoke to Joe about it. I was going to catch a flight to South Beach but Joe went ballistic on me. He said flying would be bad for the baby and that I needed to wait until after I had him."
"Since when do you listen to anyone?" Jason cracks a smile.
"I know, I know…I must be losing my touch. He just cares a lot though and I suppose I do need to take it easy until the baby is born."
"Well, you don't have too much longer. You're, what? Seven months now?"
"Yeah, our little baby boy will be due in September. It couldn't happen soon enough!" Ashley sighs as she puts her right hand over her stomach.
Jason smiles back, completely hesitant to get out of the vehicle. His stomach begins to turn as he sees various people enter the building.
"Look, you need to calm down. It's going to be fine, Jason. I think this will really help you. It will really help you get various perspectives on how it is living with it. I'm sure you'll make friends easily as well."
"Okay mother," Jason replies sarcastically. "This isn't my first day of school, ya know."
Ashley returns with a smile and places her hand on top of his. "It's going to be fine, okay? I'll be back at eight-thirty. I just need to run and meet with a client real quick."
"A client at this hour? Are you hooking now, my dear sis?"
"Oh, stop! Don't ever say anything like that again. I've just needed to meet with one of my clients all week about some investments and it worked out that we could see each other this evening."
"Wow. Pregnant and still making house calls. I'm thoroughly impressed."
"I do what I can. Now get out!" Ashley laughs as she reaches over and unlocks his door.
Jason throws one last glance towards his sister before exiting the car. His legs feel numb as he does his best to walk towards the building. He realizes he is trembling and his heart soon begins to race. Does he really have the courage to attend one of these support groups? Will it do him any good to hear depressing stories from others?
Jason contemplates these very questions before his train of thought is interrupted by an attractive blonde who stands in front him. With a crooked smile, the man winks at Jason before he realizes who it is- It's the same man he met at the café those weeks ago. It was the same man that he learned was also HIV Positive last week- it was Shane Crawford.
"Jason? What in the hell are you doing here?"
Scene: Joe Sawyer's Condo. Pac Towers.
Joe is intently reviewing case details when he hears a loud knock on the door. He can't imagine who would be coming to his pad at this hour- he just got off the phone with Ashley and she was on her way to The City to meet a client. A look of suspicion covers his face as he slowly rises and walks towards the door. He can only imagine the person to be his mother, and usually a conversation with his mother ended with them both frustrated at each other. After all, it was quite evident that Callie Sawyer didn't approve of his current situation with Ashley.
A look of surprised replaces suspicion as he sees his sister once he opens the door. It's been nearly two years since he's had contact with his sister who moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. While he would never say such a thing to her face, he knew she was in a complete dreamland to think that she would actually make it big.
"Hey little bro!" Stacey greets him with a big hug. She always had a way to put him down- whether it was calling him little, younger, or nerdy. While she always thought it was playful, Joe never seemed to be on the same page with her.
"What are you doing in town? You never said anything about coming back?!"
"Jesus, I'm happy to see you too." Stacey rolls her eyes.
"What happened in L.A.?"
"I don't want to even talk about it…it was such a mess." Stacey replies as she helps herself into the kitchen and opens the fridge. "I am starving."
"Well, I'm sorry, but I don't have much here. Usually I eat out."
"Ah, the life of a bachelor. Actually….wait. I think Mom told me you were seeing someone? How is that going?"
"I'm sure Mom had nothing but great things to say," Joe smirks. "Yeah, her name is Ashley and we're actually expecting a child soon."
"And you haven't gotten married, right? Oh shit, I bet mom and dad flipped a lid."
"I could honestly care less about what mom and dad have to say. This is my life." Joe does his best to convince even himself.
"Whatever you say…"
"So how long are you in town for?"
"I can't say, but quite awhile. I start a new job tomorrow morning here."
"An acting job?" Joe inquires.
"No, silly….I'm so over the acting. It gets you nowhere to pursue that bullshit. It's actually a high-profile Assistant position to a C.E.O."
"You're kidding me. How did you land that one?"
"Jesus, Joe…have a little faith in me, will you?"
"Okay, okay…so what's the company?"
"Landon Points Publishing. It's one of the biggest publishing corporations in Northern California. Aren't ya proud of me?"
"I am impressed, yes. It's a quite reputable company."
"I've heard the same. So you have a guest bedroom, right?"
"Yes…why?"
"Because I'll be needing a place to stay before I get back on my feet."
"Stacey…"
"What? This is what family is for, right?"
"Yes, but that family needs to call and ask first…not just show up on my front door. Why don't you just stay with mom and dad? God knows they have enough empty rooms in that house."
Stacey shoots a glare back at Joe. "Are you kidding me? I'd rather kill myself. Look, this will be fun. I'll go grocery shopping tomorrow after work and we'll clean the place up."
"Excuse me? I think my place is quite clean." Joe looks around and nods his head.
"Whatever you say, little bro…. Well, I should get my things. The cab driver's been waiting for awhile downstairs. Oh, and by the way, do you think you can help me out with the cab fair? I'm a little short on money until I see the rents this week."
"Sure…" Joe shakes his head and pulls out his wallet. "Here we go….another crazy adventure is upon us…"
Scene: Chez Rendezvous.
Braden studies her facial expressions as she goes on about how the company is doing so well this quarter. Always on a mission to sell herself, Emily breaks down why the quarter earnings are so high- and, of course, it's in large part due to herself.
"I must say I love a confident woman."
Emily bites her lip and takes a sip of her wine before replying. "Well, you must be head over heals in love then."
"How did you know?" Braden continues flirting.
"I can see it in your eyes." Emily smiles back and does her best to formulate a new plan to exact her revenge on Diane. She has Braden right where she wants him- he's like a lost puppy that will do anything for his new owner.
"I need you to do me a favor."
"Yes?" Braden raises a brow.
"You said you loved this company with all your heart, right?"
"Right."
"Then you would stop anyone dead in their tracks if they tried to bring us down?"
"Of course," Braden says.
"Then I need you to help me do just that. Do you know Diane Davison?"
"No, not personally. I've heard of her. That's Steve's ex-wife, right?"
"Right. She also used to work for the company until I let her go a few years back."
"Oh really?"
"Yes. She hated me. Detested me. I don't know if those words even do it justice. At any rate, the woman has been on a mission to bring the company- including myself, down to a crumbling mess."
"Well, we just can't let that happen. Can we?" Braden locks eyes with her.
"No, we can't. I'm glad we're on the same page."
"So what do you need from me?"
"I need you to distract her, my love. I need you to sweep her off her feet and then we can attack back when she least expects it." Emily explains.
"You mean you want me to seduce her?"
"Not just seduce her, Braden. I want you to sweep her off her feet. I know how charming you can be…"
"Well, you said it."
"I'll give you all the information you need to track her down. Then I'll leave the rest up to you."
"Sounds like a plan. I'm always up for a fun game." Braden cracks a smile.
"Oh, this is no game…" Emily takes another sip of wine before replying. "This is war."
Scene: The Preston Residence. College Oaks District.
With hands that are trembling with force, Rick sets the letter down and looks around the room. His mind floods with the horror that he could actually be responsible for raising his little girl all by himself. While Valerie and the rest of the family would surely step in, there would be a great absence that only a mother could fill. Right now there was no need to be selfish and to think of this ultimate burden; he could only feel for that precious little girl that was sleeping in the next room.
He fumbles around his pocket for a moment until he finally reaches for his cell phone. He quickly flips it open and dials Kayla's number. Perhaps she had thought things over and changed her mind….perhaps she was already a million miles away.
Rick curses and stomps his feet when he sent to her voicemail. There is just no way that Kayla could be capable of something so….so horrible. There was no way that Kayla would abandon her own daughter. It just didn't make sense at all to him.
He soon scrolls down until he stops at Liz Bryant's number and quickly presses the call button. If anyone could offer sound advice it was Liz.
"Liz, thank God you answered!"
"Rick, are you okay? What's wrong?" Her mind fills with worry at the sound of Rick's tone.
"It's Kayla….she's gone…" Rick forces himself to mutter.
"What do you mean she's gone? Where is Haylie?" Liz rises from her seat in her penthouse.
"Haylie is sleeping in her room. Val is here- apparently Kayla called Val over to watch Haylie and told her to give me a note that was sitting on my nightstand. I just read it and I am speechless….she's really gone, Liz."
"Just hold on right there. Kayla may be a lot of things, but she's not one to leave her daughter behind and abandon her family. She's a strong woman, as much as I may have to admit it, and she'd fight for her family. She wouldn't do anything to break it apart."
"I know, Liz! I know…that's why this has me so worried."
"I'm sure you just need to relax and give it a few days. I'm sure she's staying with Emily and her mother and she just needed a breather. You know how that woman gets worked up," Liz explains. "She can act irrational at times and say things she might later regret."
"I hope you're right, Liz. If not, I don't know what I'm going to do…" Rick fights the tears that are beginning to appear.
"It's all going to be okay, Rick. I'm here for you. Just get off the phone with me and call Emily or Vanessa. I'm sure they'll know exactly what's going on."
"Alright, Liz…I appreciate you being there."
"I'm always here for you, Rick. You know that. You can call me day or night…I'll always be here."
Scene: The Castro District of San Francisco.
"Sh….Shane. Hi again…" Jason stammers.
"Hi again. Are you here for the meeting?" Shane asks as he looks back at the entrance of the building.
"Uhm, yeah…I suppose so."
"Do you know someone that's positive?" Shane inquires.
"Yeah, I do…he's pretty damn close to me." Jason slowly gets out.
"Oh nice, well I actually have been coming here for years. It's a great group- for those who are positive and friends and lovers of those that are as well."
"Thanks. I'm glad to hear that."
Jason can't stop from looking towards the ground. As if some gravitational pull was forcing him to peer at the ground, there was just no way that he could look into Shane's crystal blue eyes. There was no way that he could tell Shane what he had- even though he knew that Shane was positive as well.
"Look, Jason, you can tell me…"
"Tell you?"
"Someone really close to you?" Shane raises a brow, as if he knew instantaneously that Jason was lying.
"Okay….I'm positive. I came here because one of my sisters really wanted me to meet some other people who were positive as well. In fact, she and one other person are the only ones that know at this point. I've been bottling it up inside for months and I just feel like I'm going to explode…"
"Hey, hey….it's okay," Shane embraces Jason with a hug. "I was in the same boat for quite some time. Then I found this place and I was able to come to terms with what I had- and I met some amazing friends that are positive as well."
"Really?" Jason sighs, completely relieved that he was able to divulge his fears to such a stranger.
"Trust me, we can talk all about it. Why don't we have coffee after the meeting? You really look like you could use a friend right now."
"That I could."
"Lets go in then. It's not going to be as scary as you think." Shane does his best to relieve Jason of his fears.
"Okay."
As Jason slowly follows Shane into the building, he is instantly mesmerized by the number of people in attendance. There had to be nearly thirty people in the room. Some were grabbing coffee and chatting, others were intently sitting in their seats waiting for the meeting to start. He did notice that quite a few were giving him the eye- probably as they did mostly to new members who they were unsure of. For some reason, Jason was able to let out a deep sigh of relief as he and Shane took their seats. He was now surrounded by people who cared; he was surrounded by people who understood.
Scene: The Summers Estate.
Candles are lit across the room as soothing arrays of melodies are played over the radio. As Claudia, she neatly tucks her hair behind her ears and awaits the return of her new lover- the very man that has seemed to charm nearly every woman in Pac Heights. Suddenly she feels sick to her stomach though and she quickly lowers herself to the sofa and takes a moment to relax.
She knows deep within that it's too much for her to go on as she is….she realizes how draining it is to go on as two completely different people. There was Kimberly, who she inwardly detested and thought was weak and disgusting. And then there was Claudia, the new identity that helped her start completely over. It was a new life for her to some people- one where she could erase all the wrong acts she had committed as Kimberly.
"Damn it….how much longer can I do this?" she mutters under her breath. She understands all too well the strength that is required to hold the many secrets she has. If Braden ever found out some of these very secrets she knew it would be over in a heartbeat.
Suddenly the door opens and Braden enters with his usual charming smile.
"Hello my dear," He greets her with his sexy accent and embraces her with a hug after she stands up.
"Hi love," she replies. "I've been waiting for you to get home. How was your dinner with Emily?"
"It went well, although she seems to be testing my allegiance to her and the company."
"How so?"
"By sending me on one of her own personal missions to destroy someone's life."
""Who's life is that?" She cracks a smile, always loving to hear such dramatic affairs.
"Some woman named Diane Davison. Apparently she used to work for the company."
She instantly feels her knees go weak as Braden catches her before she falls.
"Are you alright?"
"No, Braden…I'm not."
"What's wrong? Do you know her?"
"Very well," she replies as she looks around the room in fear. She begins to feel her hands sweat and her heart is racing quickly. "I can't let you do this any longer...Not to the people I love…"
A mystified Braden looks at her as his mind begins to wander. "I think there's something you need to tell me."
"There is…" She sits down on the couch with him and looks into his eyes. "I'm not who you think I am…"
To be
Continued...