Heart and Soul

Episode 80

One Moment

By Allan Craig

 

In the days since he had been released from hospital, Leo Sterling’s life had descended into a dull blur of daytime TV and mindless chatter from Lucy, who, it seemed, had devoted every minute of her time to keeping her brother company when all he wanted was to be left alone.

 

He pretended to listen to Lucy talk about what was going on in the latest episode of America’s Next Top Model when Kendall came striding down the staircase, dressed to kill.

 

“Where are you off to, dressed up like that at this time of the day?” Lucy asked.

 

“Let’s just say I’ve got to do some damage control.” Kendall couldn’t wait to get Shane as far away from Sterling Enterprises as possible, although she knew it wasn’t going to be easy.

 

“Sounds like someone’s up to something.” Leo muttered as he sipped on his coffee, the only substance he was allowed under Kendall’s regime. “Spill.”

 

“All in good time,” Kendall teased. “By the time I’m through, it will be front page news.”

 

“Obviously,” Lucy rolled her eyes. “You do own a newspaper, after all.”

 

Kendall laughed, but the situation was far from funny… she was determined to bring Shane down at any cost, even if it meant teaming up with Joseph and John to get her company back; it would be worth it, she told herself, just to get rid of Shane.

 

 

Alex placed two mugs of coffee on the dining room table as John and Joseph sat engrossed on their laptops. Deciding to leave them to it, she made her way into the living room, where Ashley sat with her face buried in a magazine.

 

“How do you fancy burning some plastic today?” Alex asked her daughter. “I haven’t been shopping in far too long.”

 

“There’s nothing I’d love to do more, but I promised Cal I’d meet him for a coffee later. Some other time, maybe?” Ashley explained.

 

“I’ll call Felicia.” Alex needed to get away from John, Joseph and their constant business talk. “So how did the big date go last night?”

 

“It went okay.” Ashley supposed, not exactly head over heels in love with Tyler. She enjoyed the fact that she wasn’t the one doing the chasing for a change, but that was about it. “I don’t know if I’ll see him again though, he wasn’t really my type.”

 

“Maybe that’s a good thing. Your ‘type’ hasn’t exactly been successful in the past, has it?”

 

“I suppose,” the constant attention Tyler was giving her wasn’t exactly a bad thing, was it? “What are they up to in there, anyway?”

 

“I don’t ask questions.” Alex told her daughter. “I don’t want to know. Just as long as they leave me out of it, things will be fine. Besides, it’s just business stuff, nothing exactly riveting. They’ve been working non stop, though, so hopefully this will all be over soon.”

 

Alex didn’t know it, but John and Joseph were hoping the exact same thing. With Kendall now on side, they were certain it would only be a matter of time until Shane was out of the picture for good.

 

 

Despite convincing Nate not to walk out on her, Carrie had become increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress in their relationship over the last few days. Literally, nothing had been discussed and nothing had been sorted out, and didn’t know how much longer she would be able to put up with it.

 

“Do you want sugar in this?” Kristen asked as she poured her sister a cup of tea.

 

“No, thanks,” Carrie placed some biscuits on a plate and carried them over to her kitchen table, followed by Kristen, who placed two mugs of hot tea down on the table as she took a seat opposite her sister.

 

“So, I take it from the look on your face that things aren’t exactly going well with Nate right now?” Kristen couldn’t help but worry about her sister, she never liked Nate and so she wasn’t exactly thrilled about her sister getting back together with him, although she knew it wasn’t going to be smooth sailing for the pair.

 

“You could say that.” Carrie explained. “I dunno, Kris, it just feels like I’m hitting my head against a brick wall. I don’t want to push him to open up to me, because he’ll just walk out again, but how am I meant to stay with him when he literally tells me nothing?”

 

“I don’t know what you want me to say… you know how I feel about Nate, but if you love him, it’s something you’re going to have to tolerate. Now that doesn’t mean you should just put up with him telling you nothing, but you’re going to have to compromise.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean, if you and Nate have any chance of making it work, you’re going to have to just accept that he’s not the type of person who tells you every little thing. If you’re sure you can trust him, that he’s not keeping anything from you that could affect your relationship, then okay, you can make it work. But if you don’t feel like you can trust Nate, then no matter how hard you try, it’s never going to happen for you guys, not really.”

 

Carrie knew that her sister was right, it was something she didn’t want to admit to herself, but she knew she had to decide whether or not she could trust Nate. She knew she loved him, but she didn’t know what he was up to, if anything, behind her back. It was a risk she wasn’t willing to take, she wasn’t about to let him run circles around her while she sat back without a clue about what he was doing.

 

 

“Well, how did it go?” Shane Baldwin asked upon seeing Madison Chase stroll into his office.

 

“Your donation has been gratefully received.” Madison smirked as she took a seat opposite the attractive millionaire. “Now all we have to do is wait, and hopefully all of this will go away.”

 

“What do you mean, hopefully?” Shane couldn’t afford to take any risks when it came to his freedom, he wasn’t about to go to jail, that much he was sure of. “We need this to be a sure bet.”

 

“Believe me, it’s almost certain.” Madison reassured her client. “We just need to be patient, that’s all. The amount of scandal surrounding you won’t just go away overnight. Just wait it out, it will all be over before you know it.”

 

“Not if Kendall can help it.” Shane reminded her.

 

“Kendall Sterling is nothing more than a spoilt little rich girl with a chip on her shoulder. She’ll soon get bored and move onto something else.”

 

“You haven’t met her mother.” Shane had always seen something of Jackie in Kendall, and while initially he found it amusing, it was beginning to frighten him. He had no idea what Kendall was capable of, he had never seen her angry before. While he knew he had to tread carefully, Shane was sure that he had to work fast or he would be at Kendall’s mercy, and that was a risk he wasn’t willing to take.

 

 

Rex zipped up his last suitcase as Jessica entered their half empty bedroom, stripped of all of Rex’s possessions. She paused, unsure if it was really wise that she spoke to Rex considering how much she hated goodbyes. She half smiled as Rex looked up at her.

 

“What time do you leave at?” she asked, gingerly making her way into the bedroom.

 

“My train’s at six.” Rex explained, hating that he was moving across the country without Jessica. “Are you sure I cant persuade you to come? Even just for a little while, to see how things go…”

 

“Rex, you know that’s not an option.” Jessica shook her head. “I guess…well, I guess this is it…”

 

“Jess, don’t…”

 

“No, it needs to be said.” Jessica insisted, they had been skirting around the issue for so long, but they couldn’t avoid it anymore considering Rex was on a train out of town in a matter of hours. “I take it this is the end for us?”

 

“You know I don’t want that, Jessica.” Rex placed his hand tenderly on Jessica’s shoulder as he gazed into her eyes. “You know I want to be with you. Come to Philadelphia, Jess, I cant live without you.”

“You’re asking a lot of me.” Jessica couldn’t help but feel that she was being asked to sacrifice a lot for the sake of a relationship that, chances were, wasn’t going to work out anyway. “I mean I’ve got a business now, I’m about to become an aunt…I cant just give all of that up on a whim.”

 

“You don’t have to give anything up,” unable to bear another minute of the conversation, Rex pulled away from Jessica. “Look, I’m gonna go say goodbye to Tyler at the hospital before I head to the station. If you change your mind, you know where I’ll be.”

 

Before Jessica could say another word, Rex picked up his case and brushed past Jessica, leaving her alone in the bedroom. She sat down on the bed, knowing that she’d never share it with Rex again, and she wondered if she was making a big deal out of nothing when it came to Rex’s job, she couldn’t stop thinking, maybe they could make it work…

 

 

Megan walked up the steps to Marc’s office, unsure as to how he would take the latest news she had for him. Inside, Marc and Will leaned over the desk looking at some prototype brochures for the gym, but both men looked up upon seeing Megan enter.

 

“Hey, honey.” Marc walked over and gave his wife a kiss. “How did the scan go?”

 

“Well, that all depends on how you look at it.” Megan touched her pregnant stomach.

 

Marc’s face dropped. “What is it, is the baby okay?”

 

“Totally fine, perfectly healthy,” Megan insisted. “Both of them.”

 

“What do you mean?” Marc wasn’t sure if his wife meant what he thought she did.

 

“We’re having twins.” Megan grinned, and in an instance her uncertainty about how Marc would take the news was silenced as an overjoyed smile appeared on his face.

 

“I can’t believe it.” Marc beamed, wrapping his arms around his wife. “That’s great news… we’re having twins. Did you hear her, Will? We’re going to have twins.”

 

“That’s amazing, congratulations guys.” Will smiled, although he couldn’t help but feel insanely jealous; Marc and Megan were ecstatic, starting out what he was sure would be an amazing journey for them both, and then there he was, still single… he wanted what they had, and the fact he didn’t have it was beginning to eat him up inside.

 

 

Ashley entered The Recovery Room, a coffee shop near the hospital that was popular with staff and patient of Oakridge General alike. She spotted Cal sitting alone at a table and walked over to him, tapping her cousin on the shoulder before taking a seat opposite him.

 

“There you are.” Cal looked up from his coffee. “I was beginning to think you’d had a better offer.”

 

“Like I’d miss out on the chance to spend some quality time with my favourite cousin.” Ashley insisted, a deadpan expression on her face. “Besides, it’s not like my social life is exactly full right now.”

 

“You’ve been back in Oakridge for a while now, Ash, maybe it’s time that you, you know, put yourself out there, got in touch with some old friends.” Cal couldn’t help but feel that Ashley was still letting her father’s death keep her from getting on with her life.

 

“Well when all of your friends are spread all over the country at college, it’s kind of hard to get your social life back on the go.” Ashley hated the fact that so much had changed upon her return to Oakridge, the last thing she needed was Cal reminding her of it.

 

“Well then, how about you and me hit Theatre tonight?” Cal offered.

 

“Cant, sorry, I’m seeing Tyler again.”

 

Cal didn’t know what was worse, the fact that Ashley was seeing Tyler ‘again’ or the fact she was seeing him at all. “I thought I told you to keep away from that guy. He’s no good, Ash, you don’t want to get mixed up with him.”

 

“Oh please, Tyler Davis is a pussycat, you leave him to me.” Ashley took a sip of the coffee Cal had ordered for him. “My god, this coffee sucks.”

 

“Well then the only alternative is the stuff out of the machines in the hospital, you learn to love it.” Cal joked. “But seriously, Ashley, I don’t think you should be seeing Tyler. I know it’s not really my place to say or anything, but you could do a whole lot better than Tyler Davis. Seriously.”

 

“I’m a big girl, Cal, I can take care of myself. God, what is it with people thinking I’m still a little girl who doesn’t have a clue about anything?” Ashley moaned, lifting the cup of coffee to her mouth before deciding against taking another sip. “Give me some credit.”

 

“I know, I know…” Cal relented. “Just…just watch yourself around Tyler, okay?”

 

Cal knew he couldn’t force Ashley to stay away from Tyler, it would only result in her wanting to be with him even more. No, he knew the best thing to do would leave them to it, Tyler would do a good job of screwing it all up himself.

 

 

Holding a cardboard cup of coffee in his hand, Rex took a seat as he waited to get on board his train. He could have gotten on the train fifteen minutes ago, but he wanted to wait, hoping that somehow Jessica would suddenly appear and they would ride off into the sunset together.

 

He glanced at his watch, noting that it was only fifteen minutes until departure, and he realized that time was running out… his chances of a happy ending  with Jessica were getting slimmer by the minute.

 

 

Kendall sat down at the table with John and Joseph, not quite believing that she was in the same room as Joseph after he had tried to steal the company from her, and now she was doing the same, trying to steal it from Shane.

 

“So what have you got?” Kendall asked her uncles.

 

“Not much, Kendall, but you’ve not exactly given us much to work with here.” John explained as he glanced up from the screen of his laptop. “You’ve signed half of the contract over to Shane, its pretty iron clad, we can’t get it back from him unless he’s willing to sell.”

 

“Surely there’s some way we can do it, I mean, think how close Joseph was to stealing the company from me…” Kendall reminded them, glancing at Joseph with a hint of disgust; she didn’t have time to hold grudges with anyone else, she just wanted Shane gone.

 

“Shane’s not going to fall for something as simple as that,” Joseph’s insult-laced comment caused Kendall to purse her lips, a fight was the last thing they needed right now. “No, we’re going to have to make Shane want to sell.”

Kendall rolled her eyes. “Haven’t you tried that already?”

 

“Well yes, but he’s hardly going to want to part with a thriving company, is he?” Joseph explained. “However…”

 

“You’re not suggesting what I think you’re suggesting, are you?” John asked.

 

“We have to make Sterling Enterprises so worthless that Shane will be begging us to take it off of his hands.” Joseph continued, although he knew instantly that his plan didn’t sit well with Kendall or John.

 

“I don’t like the sound of this, surely there’s another option?” Kendall wasn’t about to let her company go down the tubes because of Shane Baldwin. “Couldn’t we try and get Leo to agree to a merger of Sterling Enterprises and JCo, that way Shane would only have a twenty five per cent share, then he wouldn’t have any power at all.”

”Baldwin would have to agree to that, and I don’t see that happening, do you?” Joseph continued. “No, if we want to get rid of Baldwin, we’re going to have to play him at his own game; it’s not going to be a smooth ride and it sure as hell isn’t going to be pretty, but if we want to get that company back from Shane, we’re going to have to fight dirty.”

 

 

Strolling into Theatre with Tyler by her side, Ashley glanced around the bustling nightclub. She took Tyler’s hand and led him through the crowd to the bar, motioning for the Chad Michael Murray look alike barman to serve her.

 

“Two Absolut Peach vodkas and lemonade, tall glasses.” Ashley ordered before turning to Tyler. “And what are you having?”

 

“Two drinks?” Tyler laughed. “Someone’s looking to get wasted.”

 

“Unlike you, I can hold my drink.” Ashley teased.

 

“Is that a challenge?” Tyler smiled as the barman poured Ashley’s drinks.

”It’s only really a challenge when you’ve got a worthy competitor.” Ashley downed her first drink while the barman poured her the second one. She raised the empty glass to Tyler. “Let the games begin.”

 

 

After abandoning all hope of a romantic reunion with Jessica, Rex walked towards the platform where his train was set to depart from. He turned around and looked back at the crowded train station, his hopes rising when he spotted a girl who looked just like Jessica. He focused harder, only to realise it was Jessica making her way towards him, carrying a holdall buy her side.

 

He ran over to her and wrapped his arms around her. “I knew you’d come.”

 

“Promise me one thing,” Jessica insisted as she returned Rex’s warm embrace with a tender kiss. “If I go with you, you wont let what happened this past year happen again; you need to put me before your job; at least some of the time.”

 

“I promise.” Rex kissed Jessica on the forehead. “This time it will be different.”

 

“And you’re not going to let this promotion take over your life?”

 

“Not at all.” Rex promised; they would cross that bridge if they ever came to it, but right now he was focused on getting Jessica to come with him.

 

“I cant believe I’m doing this,” while she had always been impulsive, Jessica had never thought about packing her life up at the last minute for a man. “I hope this all works out.”

 

“Trust me.” Rex insisted. “This is the best decision you ever made, Jess. I really do love you, you know.”

 

“I know.” Jessica smiled, still not quite believing that she and Rex were about to start a brand new life miles away from all of the problems she had in Oakridge.

 

 

Filling two glasses with red wine, Diane watched as Joseph removed his coat and draped it over the back of the leather armchair.

 

“It appears I was right about you needing a drink.” Diane joked as she handed Joseph a glass. “How are things going? I take it a plan is forming?”

 

“If only.” Joseph sighed as he flopped down on the couch; a plan would be a miracle right now, considering that John and Kendall were dead against the only logical option, in Joseph’s eyes. “I swear to god, Di, it’s hopeless.”

 

“Well you’ll just have to do something about that, wont you?” Diane urged her fiancé. “I mean, surely there must be some way you can succeed.”

 

“I suppose stranger things have happened.” Joseph remarked as he took a swig of red wine, he needed it after the day he had, and he had a feeling that he had many more days like this to look forward to if he wanted to get Shane out of Sterling Enterprises.

 

 

Sitting on the train as they waited for it to depart, Jessica fidgeted nervously with her ticket as Rex put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her on the cheek.

 

“I still cant believe you’re coming to Philadelphia with me.” Rex grinned from ear to ear, elated that he wouldn’t be starting this new chapter in his life alone.

 

“Me neither.” Jessica smiled nervously, the reality of her situation suddenly beginning to dawn on her. She was packing up her life and moving across the country, to a town where she knew nobody, with a guy who was more devoted to his job than he was to her?

 

“I cant do this.” Jessica snapped, “I need to move on with my life, Rex, and I need to start over, but not with you.”

 

“You’ve lost me.”

 

“My point exactly.” Jessica smiled, not at all sad by the breakdown of her relationship with Rex. “You never really got me, did you? I was just a fun distraction for you. If you’re totally honest, you know that you were never as committed to me as you were to your job.”

 

“That’s not true.” Rex insisted. “I thought we had sorted this out, Jess, don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet now?”

 

“Honestly? I think we both know this isn’t going to work out, Rex.” Jessica continued. “I mean, you can make all the promises in the world, and I can try to believe them as much as I want, but no, Rex, this was never going to work, was it?”

 

“Jessica, I’ve told you it will be different this time, why cant you understand that?”

 

“I understand it perfectly, Rex, and it’s a nice thought… but it’s not the truth,” for the first time in weeks, things were finally starting to make sense for Jessica. “I love you, Rex, but that’s not enough. I need someone who I know is going to put me first, and that’s just not you.”

 

Rex watched as Jessica stood up. “Where are you going?”

 

“I have no idea.” Jessica smiled, embracing a new start for herself. “But I cant wait to find out.”

 

Jessica planted a soft kiss on Rex’s lips before picking up her bag and walking away from Rex, leaving him alone on the train as it pulled out of the station. Walking along the platform, Jessica grinned from ear to ear as she walked over to the tickets kiosk, handing them over her credit card as her finger browsed the list of possible destinations for her to start a new life, away from Rex, away from Shane, and away from all of her problems.

 

 

As the sun set on Oakridge that night, Shane and Kristen made love in his bed, the electric connection between them causing them to feel sparks whenever they touched. Across town, Marc and Megan sat in front of a roaring fire, both of them placing their hands on her pregnant stomach as they embraced the blessing they were about to receive. Kimberley and Taylor clinked their cocktail glasses together as they looked forward to another wild night on the town together, while Will sat alone in his apartment, a cold beer his only company.

 

Ashley and Tyler downed tequila shots as they partied the night away in Theatre, while Kendall and Lucy tucked into pizza as they watched a Sex and the City marathon with an unimpressed Leo, who couldn’t help but long for his old life back.

 

Jessica Monroe sat alone on a train as she looked forward to a new beginning, relishing the prospect of leaving any trace of a troubled relationship behind her as she bid farewell to a traumatic few months, while Carrie watched as Nate returned home from another night that she wasn’t allowed to ask him about.

 

She greeted him silently, managing a smile as he placed an emotionless kiss on her cheek before making his way up the stairs.

 

Outside, she watched as an upstairs light went on in Nate and Carrie’s house and Nate drew the curtains closed. She watched his silhouette as he undressed, and she watched as Carrie entered the room and rested her head on Nate’s chest as he wrapped his arms around her. She watched as the light went out, before getting back into her car and driving off into the night.

 

TO BE CONTINUED…