Previously…
– Dreading an encounter with Liam, Alex attended the premiere of the movie based upon his novel. He was shocked when Liam introduced him to his date: Alex’s ex, Seth.
– Tori remained uncertain about the prospect of placing her unborn child for adoption.
– Diane visited her ailing father in the hospital and was confused when, in a half-conscious state, Henry mistook her for someone named Therese.

In the darkness of the well appointed theatre in Los Angeles, with its plush seats and state-of-the-art technology, Alex Marshall is nearly able to forget about the world around him. He does his best to focus on the movie itself and not on the fact that Liam Cassel had him fired from working on it… or that Trevor wasn’t invited to join him for the premiere… or that Liam ambushed him by bringing Alex’s ex, Seth Ashby, as a date. These thoughts continue to grasp for his attention throughout the screening, but he manages to pay attention to the movie enough to ascertain that it is not, as he feared, a disaster or an affront to his novel, which served as the source material.

When the screening itself ends, a reception out in the theatre’s lobby begins. Alex gets himself a drink from the bar and is thrilled when the film’s director comes over to introduce himself. They have a very pleasant chat about the book, the movie, and the creative process, and the director introduces him to several of the other key players from the production. When they are all pulled in other directions, Alex returns to the bar for another drink. He checks the time on his phone and reasons that he might be able to slip out and return to his hotel, putting this experience solidly behind himself.

“Get this man a shot of tequila,” a voice says from beside him. “And one for me, as well.”

Alex turns to see Liam standing there, grinning in his midnight blue tux.

“I don’t need a shot,” Alex tells him.

“Please, Alex. Consider it a peace offering.”

“Peace? Really?”

The bartender places two shots down on the bar, along with lime wedges. Liam hands Alex one of the small glasses.

“To your brilliant novel,” Liam says, “and to the movie that will give it new life for a new audience.”

With a sigh, Alex takes the shot; the alcohol stings his mouth and throat, and he quickly reaches for the lime to cut the sensation.

“So, what did you make of the movie?” Liam asks as they step away from the bar.

“It turned out well,” Alex admits.

“Were you afraid it wouldn’t?”

“It crossed my mind that you might try to find ways to spite me — either by changing the story, or making my character look bad, or…”

“Alex, I believed in the novel from day one. What happened between us — that was a personal falling-out. I’d never have allowed it to have a negative impact on my work.”

“Well, thanks for making such a good movie,” Alex says. “Even if you did keep the scene in the taxi.”

“It was an excellent scene.”

“You know I always hated setting that scene in the taxi. The driver being right there made it weird.”

“No, it made it more tense. Which is a good thing, in filmmaking.”

“Well, you got your little victory there,” Alex says, “and I got to see firsthand that the movie turned out well. So I’d say it’s time for me to head out now.”

“Leaving so soon? I don’t think so.”

“There’s really nothing left for me to say or do here, Liam.”

Liam swivels his head to the left and then the right, seeing that the partygoers around them in the busy lobby are all absorbed in their own conversations.

“I don’t think that’s entirely accurate,” he tells Alex.

“What now? I think it’s best if we leave this on a high note–”

“That’s exactly what I’m suggesting.” Liam places a hand on Alex’s chest, two of his fingers wriggling under the lapel of the black suit jacket. “The studio has put me up in a very impressive suite.”

Alex feels his heart beating a little faster as Liam’s hand rests on him, with only the thin layer of his white shirt separating their skin.

“Come back with us,” Liam says in a near-whisper. “Come back to the suite with Seth and me. I can guarantee you one hell of a good time.”

—–

Tori Gray makes it nearly halfway through the movie before she can no longer ignore her bladder. With a quick whisper, she excuses herself, leaving her little brother and parents in the dark theatre. The lobby is much less busy than she expected — it must be a lull between showings — and she notices the short line at the concession stand. Suddenly the idea of chocolate is incredibly appealing. She has been experiencing more sudden, intense cravings lately, to the point of complete distraction. She already has popcorn back at her seat, but the idea of M&Ms is too tempting to ignore…

Deciding to wait until after she uses the restroom to see if the craving passes, she hurries toward the ladies’ room. Mentally she curses these annoying side effects of her pregnancy. She is nearly at the restroom when she stops in her tracks at the sight of a familiar and very unwelcome face.

“Tori!” Felicia Coleman exclaims. “Where the hell have you been?”

“Fee. Hi.” Tori groans to herself. She loathes that stupid, fake smile that Fee always slaps on her face when they encounter one another.

Behind Fee are a group of girls, some of whom Tori recognizes as her own former friends — including the other Felicia, known as Fee M. Tori folds her arms across her midsection, but she knows immediately that it will do no good.

“Well, well, what have we here?” Fee C. says.

“I need to get back to my movie,” Tori says.

But Fee simply points at Tori’s stomach. “Guess this is the reason you’ve been hiding away.”

“Therese… it’s really you.”

The delirious murmurs swirl in Diane Bishop’s mind even after she steps out of her father’s hospital room. She tried to ask him who Therese is, as well as let him know that it was his eldest daughter in the room, but Henry fell back asleep without ever coming to full consciousness. Diane stayed with him for several more minutes before leaving the room.

In the waiting area, she finds her mother sitting and flipping through a magazine. When Claudia spots Diane, she sets the magazine aside and stands.

“Is he awake?” she asks.

Diane shakes her head. “He seemed like he was waking up, but then he just started muttering and fell back asleep before he realized it was me.”

“I don’t understand how this could have gotten so terrible so quickly.”

“He’s been sick for months,” Diane says. “This isn’t sudden.”

Claudia purses her lips. “Yes, well…”

“And I’m sorry that he didn’t let you in on that,” Diane rushes to add before Claudia can attack her again. “But he did say something while I was in there.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t think he realized who I was,” Diane says. “He thought I was someone named Therese.”

“What?” Claudia says, her eyes flaring wide.

“I’ve never heard him mention that name before. Who is Therese?”

—–

Alex takes a step back in disbelief.

“What?” he asks.

Liam smirks at him. “Come on, Alex. I’m sure you wouldn’t mind the chance to take out some of that aggression on me, and I bet that movie stirred up some of your old feelings about Seth. We’re three good-looking guys. What’s the matter with having some fun?”

“I’m married.”

“And? No one needs to know. Besides, you didn’t have such reverence for monogamy back when Trevor and I were engaged.”

“For the last time, I didn’t even know Trevor was engaged when we slept together,” Alex says.  

“But that didn’t stop you from becoming my friend and writing partner and never telling me what had happened.”

“I’m sorry about that!” Alex glances around the busy reception, hoping not to be overheard, even if part of him wishes that everyone in the room could hear what a jerk Liam is. “You really just wanted me here so you could pick at that old wound, huh?”

“That’s not all I’d like to pick at,” Liam says as he brings his hand to Alex’s chest again.

Alex shakes away from the touch.

“I’m not doing… whatever it is you want me to do,” he says. “Our issues are in the past. You got your movie. And as for Seth, we put our own past to sleep a long time ago.”

Liam sneers silently for a long moment.

“Quite the Boy Scout,” he finally says. “Isn’t that how you Americans put it?”

“I’m not going to cheat on my husband.”

“That’s very admirable, Alex. You can go back to your hotel and imagine the fun Seth and I will be having.”

“Great. I’m out of here, Liam.”

“One last thing,” Liam says, stopping Alex before he can get very far. “Think about how Trevor would have responded to my little proposal just now.”

“Excuse me?”

“I thought Trevor and I were happy and monogamous, and look how that turned out.” Liam levels a hard stare on Alex, as if attempting to drive the words right into him. “Things might be sunny and happy now, but eventually, he’s going to get bored of playing house with you and that baby. You know it as well as I do.”

Alex rarely has violent impulses, but he feels his right hand curling up into a fist. He strains to hold it at his side.

“Go to hell, Liam,” he spits, and before he can do anything rash, he turns and leaves.

—–

Tori’s cheeks burn with embarrassment. She feels completely exposed as the other girls gawk at her visibly pregnant stomach.

“Seems like a lot has happened since the last time we saw each other,” Fee C. says.

“You mean the time you testified in court to try and make me look bad?” Tori fires back.

Fee rolls her eyes. “I didn’t have a choice. So, don’t keep us in suspense. Who’s the lucky daddy?”

Tori hesitates. Between graduating from King’s Bay University and moving back home, she hasn’t had to do much interacting with peers since her pregnancy became obvious. She was hoping to have this all figured out before she actually had to talk to anyone outside the family about it — especially Fee C.

“Someone I’ve been seeing,” she says flatly.

“I hope this one doesn’t snap like your last lover.”

“Philip and I were not–” Tori stops herself mid-statement and takes a deep breath. “I have to use the restroom. I don’t need to stand here and be interrogated.”

“What, are you gonna dump chili all over me again?”

The girls behind Fee gasp and laugh.

“You’re the one who started that fight,” Tori says. “But if I were you, I’d watch out, yeah.”

Fee holds up both of her palms. “Hey. I don’t fight pregnant women.”

“Good. And I don’t waste time explaining my life to rude bitches.”

Again Tori moves for the ladies’ room, but Fee lets out a caustic laugh that makes her pause.

“Barely out of college, pregnant, and not married,” Fee says. “Looks like things are really going well for you, Tori.”

“Shut up, Fee.”

“I will, but only ‘cause I’m done with you and have a movie to see. Good luck with your baby, loser.”

Tori grits her teeth. She briefly considers charging at Fee and tackling her, but she knows that won’t do any good — at least not right now. Instead she quickly walks the remaining distance to the restroom and pushes the door open with her shoulder.

Still fuming, she stops and looks in the mirror.

Loser.

At least those girls don’t know everything that happened with Zane. But if they did… well, it would only give them more ammunition.

Loser.

She stares at her reflection and cannot see anything but what Fee and the other girls just saw: a single, pregnant young woman with no plan, who wound up this way because she was stupid enough to fall for a guy who was using her.

Loser.

Suddenly she can no longer stand the sight of her own image in the mirror. She hurries into a stall, desperate to forget the entire encounter.

—–

“Leaving already?” Seth Ashby calls out as Alex blows past him.

Alex stops and turns on his heels. The reception continues to buzz all around them.

“I came to see the movie, and I saw it,” Alex says. “It’s time for me to go.”

Seth studies him with concern. “Did something happen?”

“Nothing that I shouldn’t have seen coming. Just–” He cuts himself off, desperately trying to gather his thoughts. “Keep your guard up with Liam, okay?”

“What? Why?”

“He’s using you. He just tried to lure me into going back to his suite with you guys.”

“He what?” Genuine surprise registers on Seth’s face. “I didn’t know…”

“I didn’t think you did. But he’s playing games, Seth. Same as he’s been doing ever since he found out Trevor and I slept together while they were engaged.”

“I’m sorry,” Seth says. “I really didn’t know. We’d been talking, and he invited me out here, and…”

“It’s really none of my business what goes on between the two of you,” Alex tells him. He looks across the lobby, where Liam is now happily chatting with the director.

Seth sighs. “I really am happy for you and Trevor. I’d never want to mess that up.”

“Thanks.” Alex tries to push down his anger at Liam. “How are you? What’d you think of the movie?”

“Honestly? It’s great. But so was your book. Made me kind of nostalgic, you know?”

Alex nods. “Totally. It’s crazy to think about all of that now. It’s like it was another lifetime.”

“Agreed. But yeah, I’m good.”

“Good. I assume you aren’t with anyone, if you accepted Liam’s invitation…”

“Not right now, no.” Seth looks down into his cocktail for a moment. “I was with someone — this guy named Kevin — for close to three years. But it wasn’t the right fit.”

“You’ll find someone if you want to,” Alex says. “Just keep your guard up where Liam is concerned, okay?”

“Noted.”

“I’m going to go. I told Lauren and Josh that I’d try and go by their place to see the kids. And it’s probably best that I get out of here before I do something I’ll regret.”

“I get it. Let’s catch up sometime, okay?”

“I’d like that.” Alex leans in and gives Seth a quick hug. “It’s good to see you, Seth.”

“You, too.” Seth takes a sip of his drink. “And I guess I’ll figure out how to handle Liam.”

“My advice would be to run,” Alex says. “Take care of yourself, Seth.”

“You, too.”

With a final, lingering look at his past, Alex slips out of the theatre to call a car.

—–

For the briefest of moments, Diane thinks that her mother’s eyes are actually going to bulge out of her head.

“Therese?” Claudia says, working the word over in her mouth like a tentative first taste of some new food she has already decided she will not like.

“He said it twice,” Diane tells her.

She notices Claudia gulp hard.

“I don’t have any idea who that is,” the older woman says hurriedly.

“You’ve never heard that name before?”

“No. He’s talking nonsense, you do realize.”

“Maybe.”

Diane observes her mother carefully, noting how she looks like a cat cornered by a vicious dog.

“Anyway, that’s all he said to me,” Diane says in a tone meant to lay the topic to rest. “Is Natalie here yet?”

“She and Bree should be here soon,” Claudia says. “I’m going to go in and see your father now.”

She grabs her purse and bustles out of the waiting area.

Diane watches her go. She had briefly feared that she might be inflicting a fresh wound upon her already-upset mother — that Therese might be a woman in Henry’s life about whom Claudia had no idea. But the way Claudia reacted to the name makes Diane certain that she has heard it before — and that she didn’t want Diane to know that.

“Therese,” Diane mutters to herself. If her father was able to keep his terminal illness hidden for so long, what other secrets might he be harboring?

END OF EPISODE 961

Should Diane try to learn more about “Therese”?
Did Alex handle the situation with Liam correctly?
Have Fee C’s words gotten under Tori’s skin?
Discuss it all in the comments below!

 

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