Heart & Soul
Episode 22
The Way The
Cookie Crumbles
By Allan Craig
John sat there, flabbergasted. He felt the colour
drain from his face, and his heart sink to his stomach; a lifetime’s work-gone
in one fell swoop.
"No
need to look so glum Uncle John, at least you’re not living on a street corner
drinking wine from a brown paper bag with the hobos," Kendall started
tapping a pen on the desk.
"I
would have expected something like this from your mother, but you…you’re not
one to take someone’s life work from them," John sighed, "You’re no
thief Kendall."
"I’m
taking what’s rightfully mine. You should have known better than to sign
everything over to her. It’s not my fault you were a total retard. You’ve gotta, like, learn to deal with the consequences of your
actions Uncle John,"
She
walked out of the room. John buried his head in his hands in disbelief. A few
seconds later, there was a gentle tap on the door. John turned to see Diane
standing in the doorway.
"So
do you care to tell me where you’ve been for the last three months?" Diane
walked into the room and sat down where
"Not
now Diane, I’m not in the mood," John went to get up and walk out of the
room.
"Do
I look like I care? You owe me some answers John Sterling," Diane got up
again and blocked John’s path, closing the door, "and I want them
now."
"Well I better be going now,"
"Seeya later," Wesley walked
The
"Didn’t think I’d be seeing you here today," Greg handed
Joseph a drink.
" I nearly missed it," Joseph fiddled with his cufflink
"but at the end of the day Jackie was my sister, no matter how much of a
bitch she could be."
"So how’s Aunt Margo, and JJ and Taylor?"
"You don’t wanna know Greg,"
Joseph took a swig of the whisky.
"Things aren't going all that good for you then?"
"I’m not with her just now. I left her, she was just too…too controlling.
Couldn’t even go for a drink with friends or anything, she got jealous when she
saw me talking to my secretary for god’s sake."
"So you’ll be staying in Oakridge for a while then?"
"We’ll see how it goes," Joseph looked around the room,
he could see everyone whispering about
Joseph got up and walked over to
"Thought you could use a break from the snake pit," Joseph joked,
sitting down on the bench, "No Leo today?"
"He didn’t want to come, like I can blame him though, I mean
it’s like you’re on show here, everyone’s expecting me to be in a puddle of
tears, bubbling away…that’s not my style Uncle Joe."
"I know sweetheart, you want a drink? I think we can make an
exception on this occasion," Joseph chuckled.
"Nah you’re okay, I think I’m just gonna
go for a bath and get an early night, I just wish everyone would leave
already," Kendall rolled her eyes, "it’s like buy your own freekin’ booze, I mean lets not kid ourselves, that’s the
only reason why they’re all here."
"A bit ironic, isn't it, champagne at a funeral?"
The
"So where have you been?" Diane asked, a serious
expression planted firmly on her perfectly made up face.
"Around.
"And no thought for me, no thought for the kids? You could
have been dead for all we knew."
"Well I'm not. And like you cared Diane. The only reason you
were worried is that you could lose all of this," John reminded his wife.
"Damn right I was worried. You’ve made me suffer John
Sterling, you have made this whole family suffer. Think, Megan comes back after
all these years and you’re not here to welcome her," Diane slammed her
hand against the desk, "What does that say to her?"
"To be honest Diane, I don’t care anymore. You used me all
these years. Not one minute longer. I want a divorce Diane, I’m starting all
over again, and I don’t want a leech like you there to drag me down. I’ll call
Wesley Abbot and get him to make all of the necessary arrangements, but by the
end of this year I want to be a single man, and you can go…well…you can go
wherever you want, just a long as it’s out of my life."
"You don’t mean that," Diane got up from her seat,
"I’ll talk to you in the morning, you’re obviously in no mood to talk
tonight."
The Abbot House:
Ashley’s Room
Ashley sat in front of the mirror, her light brown roots were
starting to grow in, she made a mental note to top up the platinum blonde when
she had the time. She noticed the red light flickering on her hair straighteners, and picked them up, brushing a small section
out and running the hot ceramic plates all the way down, ironing out the kink
from where she had tied her hair back. She proceeded to do this with all of her
hair, struggling to reach the back. Alex appeared in the doorway.
"Need a hand?" she asked, entering the room.
"That’d be great mom," Ashley smiled, handing her mother
the slim black device as well as a brush. Alex started straightening the back
of Ashley’s long blonde locks while Ashley looked at her mother through the
mirror; Alex had darker hair, a deep brown with just a hint of copper in it.
Alex’s eyes were darker than Ashley’s, too. Ashley’s sparkling blues and Alex’s
chocolate browns were totally different.
"You know how bad this is for your hair, right?" Alex
pointed out.
"Big deal mom, I’ll condition it, I do it three times a week,
just like it says on the box."
The telephone rang.
"That’ll be Nick!" Ashley reached over for the phone.
"I’ll leave you two alone," Alex put down the straighteners
and left the room.
"Hello?" Ashley lifted the phone to her mouth,
"Nick…hi!…good thanks, you?…that’s good, so you’ve made some friends
then?…more than friends?…of course, I didn’t expect for you to wait around for
me," Ashley faked a chirpy voice, "totally…it’s fine Nick, honest…and
who knows? If we’re meant to be together then we will be, someday…yeh…listen, Nick, I better go, I’ve got a whole essay to do
for tomorrow…I’ll call you sometime…bye." Ashley hung up the phone,
bursting into a fit of tears as she threw herself on top of her bed. Alex
knocked gently on the door.
"Are you okay?" Alex slipped into the room.
"He dumped me," Ashley sat up, wiping her tears.
"Oh honey, I’m so sorry," Alex rushed over, hugging her
daughter, "The guy doesn’t know what he’s missing."
"No mom, it’s cool, honest," Ashley sniffed, wiping the
last of her tears away, "You’re right, he doesn’t know what he’s missing,
and when I’m through, it’ll be Nick who?"
"Do you wanna talk it over?"
"I’ll be fine, I think I just need some time alone."
Alex nodded, getting up and exiting the room, closing the door
behind her.
Britney Spears – Lonely
starts to play
"I’m not gonna let Nick Fitch turn
me into a mess, no way!" Ashley thought to herself, walking over to her
wardrobe and pulling out clothes after clothes.
She held out things in front of her, throwing most of the items on
the floor.
#I think of all the time
that I wasted, I think of all the times that I took you back, ain’t no way I’ll be lonely, I ain’t
gonna let you back in. #
Music Stops
The Next Day:
Jazz & Co
"So the Old Malt Warehouse on Waterside Road, it’s all set
up; just plant this baby in Matt’s jacket and voila, he gets five years,
minimum," Madison opened her sleek Italian leather purse and pulled out a
crumpled brown paper bag, which she handed to Wesley, "leaving you time to
make your move on Alex."
"You’re a god send
"Because, one good turn deserves another, and you’ll owe me
one,"
"Maybe," Wesley took a sip of his wine, but nearly
choked when he saw Alex walk in holding Matt’s hand. Alex and Wesley’s eyes
met, and for a brief moment it was as if they were the only ones in the bar.
She smiled, awkwardly, and Wesley raised his eyebrows, a shy smile appearing on
his face. Alex and Matt walked over and sat down at the table.
"Wesley," Matt nodded his head.
"Matt," Wesley responded, "How rude of me, Madison
Chase meet Alexandra Abbot and Matt Newman. Alex is my wife, soon to be ex wife
although the split was totally amicable, Matt is her partner.
"Good to meet you," Alex put forward a hand and
"Well look at the time,"
The
Carrie sat in the mirror, looking at the woman staring back at
her. Just when she had gotten rid of Diane, just when it was okay to get on
with her life, start a family with Greg, but no, Diane just couldn’t keep away.
If she didn’t know any better, she’d have thought Diane killed Jackie…no, Diane
was in
The Bungalow
The restaurant was buzzing with the countless conversations of
diners in the intimate restaurant. The tinkling of piano music mixed with the
occasional outburst of kitchen noise as a waiter brought out somebody’s food.
Josh, Jessica and Patrick sat around a table looking over their menus.
"I don’t have a clue what I want," Patrick said, his
eyes going up and down the list of dishes.
"I do," Josh smiled, running his hand up Jessica’s
thigh. Jessica coughed. Patrick looked at Josh, waiting for the end of his
sentence, "oh…the chicken
"Might give that a try myself," Patrick looked at
Jessica, trying hard but failing to keep the smile off of her face, "What
about you honey?"
"I think I want the oysters," Jessica rested her hand on
Josh’s groin.
Pamela walked over to the table and greeted her regulars.
"Josh, Jessica, good to see you. Tell me, how are things at
the Sterlings?" Pamela glanced at the
under-table activity Josh and Jessica were participating in and looked away
quickly, laughing inside.
"I think they’re taking it pretty well to be honest,"
Jessica tossed her hair back, "Daddy, you remember Pamela Lockwood don’t
you?"
"I don’t think so, but then again this place wasn’t here when
your mother and I left town," Patrick looked up, "Patrick Monroe,
good to meet you."
"The pleasure’s all mine," Pamela smiled.
The
John sat reading the obituaries in the Oakridge Observer.
"Jacqueline Charlotte Sterling…rest in fucking peace!"
he slammed the paper down on the table.
"Oh you you’re up then?" Diane appeared in the doorway,
"Am I getting an answer to where you’ve been?"
John rolled his eyes, "I’m not a five year old Diane, I don’t
need to explain myself to you."
"I have been worried sick about you John!"
"Don’t take me for a fool Diane, I know you better than
anyone else. How did you get in here anyway? You don’t live here anymore,
remember?"
"I’m here to visit Greg, but not before we sort this out.
You’re my husband, John. I love you," Diane rested her hand on John’s
shoulder.
"You love my money, which by the way I have none of since
Jackie conned it out of me."
"Ouch. Don’t you just hate it when someone takes everything
away from you?"
"Quit it Di. I left you for a reason and if you
think there’s a chance in hell we can get back together then you’ve got another
thing coming," John got up from his seat and walked over to the window,
staring out on the yard that stretched before him. It was his once, and he was determined
it would be again.
"Look John, I want to help you. We’ve given a huge chunk of
our lives to each other, and I want to help you get all of this back. You’re
entitled to it! And even if you don’t want to be with me, it’s fine. Just don’t
shut me out, John."
"What’s in it for you?"
"Knowing that my grandchild will have a stable future when it
comes into the world, or did Carrie being pregnant escape you?"
"And what exactly do you have in mind?" John raised an
eyebrow, unsure of his wife’s motives, but knowing that he needed any form of
help he could get.
"Trick
"
"Well it was only an idea. Look I’m going to visit Greg. If
you think of anything, let me know," Diane walked out of the conservatory
and across the path towards the guesthouse, a smirk appearing on her face.
"Gotcha!"
TO BE CONTINUED…