Heart & Soul
Episode 1.09

By Allan Craig

 

Jazz & Co
“Carrie, you don’t seriously think Diane would kill you, do you?” asked Jessica.

“What do you think? She’d do anything to keep her precious son within a 20 mile radius” Carrie replied

“Yeah but Greg loves you, Diane would never do anything to hurt Greg”

“If it came to me ‘taking Greg away from her’ she would. Diane’ll do anything to keep her perfect little family” Carrie was scared.

“Even kill?”

“Even kill. I better go, I told Greg I’d cook tonight”

“Everything’ll be fine” said a hopeful Jessica, reassuring her friend when she wasn’t so sure herself.

“I hope so, I really do” Carrie walked out of the bar.

Ben’s Apartment
Gina woke up in Ben’s bed. The morning sunlight streamed in through the blinds.

“Sleep well?” Ben kissed Gina on the cheek.

“No chance, not when I’m in the same bed as you” Gina made reference to Ben’s nocturnal behaviour jokingly.

“Fancy some breakfast?”

“What time is it?” asked Gina.

“8:30”

“You're kidding?” she jumped out of the bed.

“Nope”

“I’m due at the restaurant at 9, can I use your shower?”

“Sure” Ben agreed.

Gina grabbed a towel, covering herself. She walked over to his bathroom and turned on the shower.
Ben lay in the bed by himself. He heard the water from the shower and got out of bed, naked. He tiptoed across his bedroom and into the bathroom.

“Mind if I join you?” asked Ben, pulling the shower curtain open.

Gina pulled Ben in and kissed him.

Jazz & Co.
Josh walked into the bar and sat on a stool. Down the bar from him sat Jessica. She shot him a smile. Josh got up from his stool and sat next to Jessica.

“Can I get you a drink?” asked Josh.

“Why Mr. Denman, are you trying to get me drunk?” Jessica giggled alluringly.

“What’s your poison?”

“I’ll have a Cosmopolitan”

“Hey barman, a beer and a Cosmopolitan” Josh clicked his fingers, hoping to get the barman’s attention. It worked.

 

The Abbot House
Wes had gone home to get some sleep after visiting Ashley at the hospital. He sat on the couch drinking a cup of coffee. The doorbell rang.
He got up and walked over to answer it. When the door opened, he saw a young girl standing in front of him.

“Mr. Abbot?” asked the girl.

“Yes” Wes replied.

“I’m Lisa Smith, from the pageant. I heard about Ashley and I just thought I better come over and tell you something. It’s important”

“You better come in then” Wes stepped aside, motioning for her to enter.

Ben’s Apartment
Gina hung up the phone.

“I’m all yours, Ben. I just swapped shifts with Carla so we have the whole day together. What do you fancy doing?” she asked, running her fingers over his bare chest.

“We could go out for the day. But first I better get dressed”

“I don’t know, I like you in your underwear”

“And I like you in your underwear too, so if I’m staying in mine, you better take off your clothes and show me yours” Ben wrapped his arms around Gina.

“Done”

Gina took off her dress and they both fell into the bed again.

The Sterling Mansion
Pamela walked onto the front porch and rang the doorbell. Soon after it was opened by Diane.

“Pamela, what can I do for you?” asked Diane.

“It’s more of what I can do for you” Pamela replied.

“You’d best come in then”

Jazz & Co
Josh and Jessica sat at one of the tables in the bar.

“So, do you fancy coming back to my place?” asked Jessica.

“Sounds tempting” Josh replied.

“Is that a yes?”

“It’s a maybe. It all depends” he spoke softly.

“Depends on what?” she ran her tongue over her teeth.

“On whether you’ll take me up on the offer of letting me pay for the cab”

“Let’s go then”

Jessica picked up her handbag.

 

The Abbot House
“I think I might know something about why Ashley’s in hospital” Lisa clutched her hands nervously.

“Please, tell me” Wes replied.

“Well, the thing is, the night that it happened Ashley had invited me over to help me with my makeup”

“And how is this helping me?”

“I was walking to your house, here, and I saw someone throw a brick through the window and then climb in the window and back out again. I saw who it was”

“Who? Please tell me” Wes pleaded, hoping for a lead.

“I don’t know if I can. If they found out that I told, I’d be in serious danger”

“Please, if you tell me I can guarantee that no harm will come to you” he lied, hoping it would work.

“It’s not as simple as that” Lisa fumbled with a ring she had removed from her finger.

“Look Lisa, if you tell me who did this to my daughter I’ll get the police and they can be guarding you 24/7 if that’s what it takes”

“I wish I could tell you, I really do. I was ready to, that’s why I came over here. But just thinking about what they might do to me if I tell, it’d be worse than what happened to Ashley. See what happened to her jeep, that’d happen to me, if I’m lucky” Lisa explained.

The Sterling Mansion: Lounge
Diane and Pamela sat down on Diane’s sofa.

“So Pamela, what is it that you have that will ‘help’ me?” asked Diane, eager to know what Pamela had to offer, but at the same time hoping to mock it.

“A great business opportunity” Pamela replied.

“Another one? You just bought me out of the last one”

“This is better, it’s not mine, it’s a friend of mine who lives in Atlanta. All she needs is a bit of financial input to start up her bar”

“I don’t know, Pamela. I’m not an ATM machine” Diane could see her reflection in the glass top of the coffee table. She took great pride in her home, even though she didn’t clean it herself.

“It’s a great opportunity. The bar is in a great site and investing in it would be worth your while”

“If it’s such a good opportunity then why doesn’t this friend of yours have investors banging down the door?”

“She does, but she wants you to have first refusal” Pamela went on, hoping Diane would see things her way.

“I’ll think about it, Pamela. I cant guarantee anything” Diane lied.

“You'd me missing out if you didn’t take it while you can. Think of it as your back up fund, in case anything would ever happen to John or his money”

The thought suddenly became very appealing to Diane.

Ben’s Apartment
Ben and Gina lay in bed.

“I’m so happy I’ve got the day off to spend with you” Ben wrapped his strong arms around Gina.

“Me too, but you know something Ben, I sure could use another shower” she responded with a kiss.

“Funny, I was just thinking the exact same thing”

They both jumped out of the bed and headed for the bathroom.

TO BE CONTINUED…