Written by MichaelJanuary 22, 2021January 29, 2021

Episode 1061

Previously…
– Jason and Sabrina slept together for the first time.
– Finn and Trevor stayed late at the office to help Molly after the prototypes for the spring/summer line came back all wrong.
– Tori feared that she’d be fired for the errors that resulted in the incorrect prototypes, and Zane advised her to quit first.

A sense of dread hangs over Tori Gray like a dark, heavy cloak, weighing down her limbs and sitting like an unmovable barrier between her and the rest of the world. She nearly has to drag herself through the lobby of Winston Tower to swipe her badge at the elevator bank, and she finds herself tensing as she does so, fearful that it will produce on a red light to tell her that she’s been terminated overnight. Thankfully — maybe — the light turns green, and an elevator’s doors part. She gets in and presses the button for the eighteenth floor, and just before the doors close, someone comes rushing in to catch the car before it takes off.

“Hey,” Samantha Fisher says as she sees that the other person in the elevator is her cousin. “How are you?”

Samantha’s pitying expression makes one thing clear.

“You know?” Tori asks. “Does everyone know?”

After a moment of hesitation, Samantha says, “It’ll blow over. There’s so much going on here, anyway.”

Tori lets out a groan of misery. “So everyone does know.”

“Have you talked to Aunt Molly?”

With a shake of the head, Tori says, “I know it was probably stupid to leave early yesterday, but it seemed like she didn’t even want to look at me, let alone have me help fix it, and…” She trails off as her eyes track the numbers lighting up, one by one, above the elevator’s doors. “Sam, I swear I double-checked my work. I don’t know how I could’ve made all those mistakes.”

“It was late. And it’s your first time doing something like that. It’s a high-pressure situation.”

“Still. I feel like such an idiot. And now I might’ve blown my shot at working here.”

“Don’t think like that,” Samantha says, turning toward her cousin. “Aunt Molly isn’t cruel. She’s been where you are.”

“Yeah, except her boss loved her so much that she promoted her to a designer and then left her the entire company.”

“That doesn’t mean it was smooth sailing the whole time. Go in there, apologize again, and offer to help in whatever way will be most useful.”

Tori takes a deep breath as the elevator stops at the eighteenth floor, lurching to a still position. The doors open before them.

“You can do this,” Samantha says with an encouraging smile as they step out and face the elegant lobby of Objection Designs.

With hands trembling, Tori says, “I hope so.”

In the basement studio of the KBAY radio station, Diane Bishop rounds a corner with a mug of coffee in one hand. She navigates her way to Zane Tanaka‘s cubicle and leans over the side of it.

“My computer is doing that thing again,” she announces.

It takes a few seconds for Zane to peel his eyes off his own monitor to address her. “Did you fill out a ticket online?”

“I wouldn’t have walked all the way over here if I’d filled out a ticket, Zane. I am the ticket.”

He spins his chair toward her. “Did you try restarting it?”

“Yes! I’m impatient, not an idiot. Can you guys please switch this computer out for a better one?”

“I’ll see what I can do,” he says, his gaze straying to the iPhone atop his desk. He wakes it up, only to see the screen free of notifications.

“Waiting for something?” Diane asks.

“What?” Zane responds with surprise, taking a moment to figure out what she means. “Oh. It’s Tori. I’m waiting for her to let me know how something shakes out at her work.”

Diane smirks. “You’re that excited for Objection’s spring collection?”

He sighs and lowers his voice a bit, although the employees clacking away at their computer keyboards around them don’t seem to be paying a bit of attention.

“Her aunt is blaming her for some big fuck-up,” Zane tells Diane. “She’s worried she’s going to get fired.”

“Molly’s not going to fire her own niece.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. She practically banished Tori from the office yesterday. I told Tori she should beat her to the punch and quit.”

Diane grimaces. “You think she should quit her job because she made a mistake?”

“She swears it’s a mistake she couldn’t have even made. But Molly won’t believe her. She doesn’t need to stand for that kind of disrespect.”

“Well, if she didn’t actually make the mistake, she should stick to her guns,” Diane says, “but flouncing out in a huff isn’t going to do her any good, either. Especially for a woman trying to build a career. We get judged so much more harshly than men do.”

Zane shakes his head sadly. “That’s probably why she’s being blamed in the first place. Women should support each other, don’t you agree? But Molly is happy to throw her under the bus to save her own ass.”

Diane sips her coffee as she contemplates the proper reply, but Zane beats her to the punch as he presses on:

“Honestly, I’ll be happy for her to see the light and get the hell out of there. She should be somewhere where she’s valued, not seen as a liability. You know, I bet this has something to do with Molly having such a crappy relationship with Tori’s mom. Like she’s taking things out on Tori that she wants to take out on Sarah.”

“Maybe,” Diane simply says, deciding that it’s best to bite her tongue right now. “Get me that new computer, will you? If I have to keep fighting with this one, I’m going to throw it out the window. Or I would, if I had a window down here.”

With that, she turns and heads back toward her own office, and Zane checks his phone again, but there is still no word from Tori.

—–

After teaching on the ice for several hours this morning, Jason Fisher moves upstairs to his office on the second floor of Edge of Winter Arena. He is catching up on his e-mail when he hears footfalls on the steps just outside. A moment later, Sabrina Gage appears in the doorway, clad in the ice-blue apron that the employees of Thaw Coffee & Tea all wear.

“I thought you could use this,” she says with a smile as she holds up a to-go coffee cup.

“You did not have to do that,” Jason says as he pushes out his chair and stands. “But thank you. You’re amazing.”

Sabrina blushes as Jason comes out from behind the desk to take the coffee from her — and deliver a sweet kiss to her lips.

“Tempest isn’t here?” she asks.

“She has a project due for her business class tonight, so I told her to please take the day to work on it.”

“That was nice of you.”

“She works so hard here as it is,” Jason says. “How are you? Busy morning?”

Sabrina shrugs casually. “It’s been okay. But it’s even better now that I get to see you.”

Their lips meet again in a gentle peck.

“I didn’t realize it would be so tough to figure out times to go on dates,” the raven-haired woman says.

Jason levels his gaze right at her. “Actually,” he says, “I’ve been thinking about that, too. And there’s something I want to ask you.”

Molly Taylor‘s heels click against the tiled floor as she exits the elevator and enters the lobby of Objection Designs, where she finds Finn Campbell posted up behind the reception desk, forwarding a phone call.

“Good morning,” she tells him with a warm smile.

“Good morning,” Finn responds as he hangs up the receiver.

“Thank you so much for staying late last night to help. It made a big difference.”

“It was my pleasure. And it’s fun to do something that’s a little more hands-on with fashion.”

“I understand completely,” she says, her expression radiating kindness. “I started out as an assistant, too. The admin work isn’t glamorous, but it’s a big help to all of us, and it’s a way for you to learn the ropes.”

“Totally,” Finn says.

“I take it you’re interested in working in fashion, then?”

He nods enthusiastically. “I always have been. Even before I realized that was something I could do. I’ve wasted too much time bouncing around from one temp job to another, or taking office admin jobs wherever I could find them just to get by, so to be here… it’s a total dream.”

“That’s great, Finn. And again, I really appreciate the way you jumped in to help last night. Trevor said you were picking things up quickly, too.”

Finn beams at this praise. “Thank you, Mrs. Taylor.”

“Please, call me Molly! There could be a lot of room for you to grow here, Finn. I’m glad we got a chance to talk.”

As he nods, the desk phone chirps its shrill sound once more.

“I should get that,” he says.

Molly raises a hand in a wave. “Have a good day. I’ll see you soon.”

He responds with a smile as he picks up the phone.

“Objection Designs,” he says as he watches Molly pull open the glass door and cross onto the main office floor.

—–

Diane returns to her office and closes the door. She places her coffee down on the desk and then drops down into the mesh-backed chair. With her right hand, she uses her mouse to wake up the computer, which is once again stuck on whatever never-ending update it keeps attempting to install.

With a grunt of annoyance, she pushes the mouse away and then picks up her cell phone. She quickly goes to her recent calls list and selects a number. She can already hear the call ringing as she brings the phone to her ear.

“I’m glad I caught you,” she says when the person on the other end picks up. “We need to talk.”

Sabrina stiffens at Jason’s announcement. He notices the way she steps backward slightly, the way her shoulders and head pull away from him.

“A big part of the reason we’ve had trouble finding time to be together,” he says, “is because we both have so much going on. You have your photography class, and the photography club you joined, and–“

“I’m not giving up my photography to date you, Jason,” she says firmly.

He snickers as his eyes go wide. “No! Of course not. That’s not what I’m saying.”

“Oh.” She slumps in embarrassment. “Sorry. I just thought–“

“All I was saying is that you have something you’re pursuing, plus a job with unpredictable hours, and I have coaching and running the arena and raising a daughter. And there’s one thing in there that gives us wiggle room.”

“Okay…”

“And no,” he adds, grinning, “my solution isn’t to sell Sophie to a traveling circus, either.”

That elicits a small laugh from Sabrina.

“But I do think it would help if we could be a little more open where she’s concerned,” Jason says. “You could hang out at the house, even stay over. I could tell her I have plans with you instead of having to talk around it, you know?”

Sabrina nods, still not certain where this is going.

“So what do you say we get this out in the open?” he asks. “Come have dinner with Sophie and me. You can start to get to know her better, and she can get to know you.”

“Oh, wow. Do you think she’s ready for that?”

“Of course she is. She’ll love you. And I know you’ll love her.”

“Okay. Yeah.” A look that is equal parts excitement and nervousness spreads over her face. “That’s a great idea.”

“I’m glad you think so.” Jason steps closer and uses his free hand to take hold of one of hers. “This is a big step.”

“A really big step,” Sabrina agrees, as Jason leans in to kiss her once more.

—–

When Tori gets to her desk, she is relieved to see that Molly’s first assistant, Ashley, is not yet at her own post. Tori places her purse beside her desk and hangs her coat, and then, instead of going through her usual routine of going to the kitchen for a coffee and chatting with a few other lower-level staffers along the route, simply plants herself in her chair and begins working. She goes through the handful of messages in their voice mailbox, making a record of the two that require follow-up, and then tackles her e-mail inbox. She is in the midst of that when she senses Molly arriving, and she looks up apprehensively as her aunt crosses the threshold of the anteroom.

A painful sting of silence vibrates between them.

“Good morning,” Tori finally says, her words catching slightly in her throat.

“Good morning. Why don’t you come into my office?” There is nothing cruel or ominous about Molly’s tone — actually, it is rather gentle — but it nevertheless causes Tori’s already rapid heartbeat to pick up speed and intensity. She pushes out her chair and follows Molly into the office.

The decisive click of the door as Molly closes it behind them fills Tori with dread.

“Have a seat wherever you’d like,” Molly tells her as she removes her own coat and hangs it in the narrow closet. Not wanting to appear too comfortable or presumptuous, Tori opts for one of the slipper chairs positioned at Molly’s desk.

Molly moves to seat herself in the executive desk chair across from Tori and says, “Well, let’s start by acknowledging that yesterday was not good.”

Tori nods, almost too eagerly. “No. It really wasn’t. And I want to say I’m sorry.”

“What for?” Molly asks, cocking her head to one side.

Her mouth suddenly dry, Tori stammers, “For, I mean, things going wrong, and leaving early, and– I just thought–“

Molly holds up a hand to stop her. “I should apologize, too. I shouldn’t have snapped and told you to get out of here. I was frustrated and upset, and I needed some space to process what was going on. But casting you out wasn’t supposed to be a punishment.”

“Okay.”

“Leaving early was probably not the most professional choice you could’ve made,” Molly says, “but I can understand how you felt like you had to hide from me, and you were embarrassed, and you did get coverage for the desk.”

“I did feel sick, too. Really,” Tori says. “Like I was going to throw up.”

“That’s understandable. A tip for the future, though: showing that you have the strength to tough it out through something difficult — especially something that you seem to be responsible for — will make people respect you.”

Tori folds her hands in her lap. “Okay. I get that.”

“Good. And Tori, I understand that accidents happen. Mistakes happen. They will continue to happen to all of us. But it’s the way this one happened that concerns me.”

“What do you mean?”

“You were distracted last night,” Molly tells her. “From the minute Zane showed up here, your focus was gone. And that’s unacceptable.”

Now Molly’s voice takes that turn that Tori has feared was coming, into something harder, something less forgiving. Just when she was starting to think this was going okay, all things considered…

“And I can’t have that happening anymore. I’m running a company here. Thousands of people’s jobs and livelihood depends on us doing the best job that we can.”

Suddenly Tori’s lungs feel devoid of air and incapable of taking any more in. Zane’s words echo in her mind…

“I think you shouldn’t sit around and be your aunt’s punching bag.”

And she knows what she has to do. Her mouth flaps open and closed, trying to recover the ability to speak, as much as she hates that it has come to this.

“I think I should–“

But Molly speaks right over her. “He can’t come here anymore, Tori. Not if you’re going to keep working here. And I hope that you will.”

Stunned, Tori stares over the desk at her. “Really?”

“Yes. This was unfortunate, but it could be a great learning experience for you. And your work until now has been really, really strong. I love having you here.”

“You’re not firing me,” Tori says, the words rushing out like an exhale.

“No. I’m not. You’re my niece, and I love you, and aside from that, you’ve been a terrific assistant so far. Like I said, mistakes happen. I can’t have Zane popping up and distracting you. I won’t make any declarations about your relationship — I’m your boss, not your mom, and you’re a grown woman, anyway — but something about your demeanor and focus changed when Zane walked in here, and I can’t have that happening again.”

“Okay. Okay.” Tori bobs her head in agreement. “Yeah.”

“So go back out to your desk, get your e-mail in order, and I’ll call you in once I have a handle on what we need to tackle,” Molly says. “By the way, we got the database updated, and I have a call in to the manufacturer to try and talk them into turning around new prototypes faster than they normally would.”

“Do you think they can do that?”

“We have to try. And I hope you’re ready to pull a few more late nights with us as we get this collection on its feet.”

“Of course. I’ll be here.” Tori stands. “Thanks, Aunt Molly.”

Now Molly offers her a more familiar expression, a soft, loving one. It almost gets Tori’s heart to slow its pounding a bit. Tori stumbles over another awkward, gushing thank-you as she leaves the office, but as much as she hates to admit it, her mind is elsewhere: she has no idea how she can tell Zane that he can’t come here anymore — or how he will react when she does manage to tell him.

END OF EPISODE 1061

Will Zane continue to be an obstacle for Tori’s career?
Who was Diane calling after her talk with Zane?
How will Sabrina and Sophie do together?
Talk about all this and more in the comments below!

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