Previously...

Kenny informed James the lender had given him a three month extension on his loan.  Meanwhile, the mysterious woman in New York City spoke to an unseen caller and revealed that she was the backing on James's loan, and that she planned on getting Sunset Studios for herself.  Miranda fired Kelly from the hotel for sleeping with her brother.  James cut Alex's role in Angel Assassin 2 and upped Kelly's part, infuriating Alex.  Alex gave Kelly fair warning and insisted she leave Stormy alone. Heather expressed concern over Violet's mental capacity when the infant hadn't cried since the delivery. Miranda had it out with Brooke over David, insisting she wasn't affected by their breakup.  Brooke maintained that she and David were just friends.  Roz gave David a cryptic warning to leave Brooke alone.  Jordan got a myserious note that claimed he had killed Suzanne.  Later, he beat Frank Dunning up in the parking garage at Sunset Studios. Roz made another attempt at getting James to try to win Brooke back.  Renee overheard and wondered what Roz's intentions were, then revealed that she was certain she'd met Roz before.  David told Brooke that she reminded him of Babydoll, a girl that he met in Big Bear some twenty years earlier.  Roz fround photos of Brooke as a young girl taken in Big Bear with the name Babydoll scribbled on the back.

Episode 80

"Meet-Cute"

The doorbell rang as Brooke bounded down the stairs of her townhome in Glendale.  She made her way to the front door, cutting her mother off as she approached from the kitchen.

“I’ve got it,” Brooke said and pulled the door open.  Roz shrugged indifferently and returned to the kitchen where Michael was snacking on crackers and juice.

“Is Michael ready?” Ethan asked from the porch.  He dug his hands in his pockets, his eyes hidden behind dark aviator sunglasses.

“Yeah, but I wanted to talk to you fist.  Can we go outside for a minute?”

He shrugged.  “Yeah, fine.”

Brooke glanced back at her mother before leading Ethan outside and closing the door behind.  The minute she heard the latch close, Roz darted to the door and leaned against it, straining to hear the details of their conversation.

“What’s this all about?” Ethan asked.  “Is Michael okay?”

Brooke folded her arms.  “Michael is fine.  It’s us I’m worried about.”

“Us?” Ethan asked with a frown.  “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about this,” she began and motioned to the dead space between them.  “This thing that’s been going on between us lately.”

“Brooke, I don’t know what you’re talking about.  What thing?“

“You show up here every Friday, stand out here on the porch while you wait for me to get Michael ready, you barely say two words to me before you leave, and then it’s the same thing when you bring him back on Sunday.  I thought we were past all the animosity.  It’s been months since we broke up.  Why are you still angry with me?”

He chuckled to himself and looked off in the distance before removing his sunglasses and gazing disapprovingly at her.   “You want to know why I’m angry with you?” he asked.

“Yes, I do.  I think I have a right to know.  If this is about me ending things then-“

“It’s not about you ending things, Brooke.  If you don’t want to be with me then I’m fine with that.  What I’m not fine with is you lying to me about why you did it.”

“I haven’t lied about anything.”

“What about David?” Ethan asked.  “You told me that you weren’t interested in him, and that he wasn’t the reason we aren’t together, but then lo and behold, you’re showing up all over town on his arm.”

“I’m not showing up all over town with him,” she insisted.  “I went to one hotel opening with him, and it just so happened that the media was there covering it and caught us on camera together.  I told you before that I’m not interested in David Jenner.  Not romantically, anyway.”

“Then why does he pop up every time I turn around?  Why was he the one you turned to last year when James was in the hospital?  Why am I still the one who you can’t open up to?”

Sighing, Brooke ran her fingers through her tangle of blond hair and glanced uncomfortably back at the door.  “I can’t do this again,” she said, her eyes finally settling back on him.  “I can’t keep going over this same thing with you, Ethan.  Don’t you understand?  I need to be my own person.  I can’t keep running to you or James whenever something goes wrong in my life.”

“We support each other.  What’s wrong with that?”

“But every time we’re together it’s for the wrong reasons.  I’ve used you and I’ve hurt you.  I’ve got to stop doing that.  I’ve got to learn to be independent.  Please try and understand.”

Silently, he pushed back on his sunglasses and dug his hands in his pockets.  “I need to get going,” he said.  “Would you mind getting Michael ready?”

Dropping her hands to her sides, Brooke reluctantly turned back and opened the door.  As she entered the house, Roz approached with Michael and handed him over to Ethan. 

“See you Sunday,” Brooke said and kissed her son on the forehead.  She lingered for a moment, her eyes meeting with Ethan’s.  “Look, I’m sorry.  I just-“

Before she could continue, Ethan hastily snatched the overnight bag from the floor, turned, and raced back outside the house. 

Roz parted her lips to interject a comment but Brooke held up a hand in protest as she fled back up the stairs.

Miranda Blackthorne walked across the lobby of Hotel Terranova, her heels clicking on the terracotta floor as a team of banquet managers flocked about her.  She scribbled her signature on a few pieces of paper and answered a few questions with brief, concise responses, all the while keeping up her manic pace toward her office.

Glancing up, she spotted David Jenner approaching from the lounge.  The corners of her mouth curled into a smile and she quickly waived off the flock of hotel employees.  Smoothing down her skirt and primping her hair, she flashed a brilliant smile.  By the time he neared, she realized he hadn’t been walking toward her at all, but straight out the front doors without so much as a glance in her direction.

Refusing to allow herself to be hurt and disappointed again, she took a deep breath and made her way to the outdoor terrace for a breath of fresh air.  How many times did she have to get her hopes up and have them dashed again by David Jenner before she realized there was no hope?  She’d never let a man get to her this way.  Why was she letting it happen now?  There had to be something, someone that could help her get back to her old self again.

Just as the words floated through her mind, her eyes landed on her brother a hundred yards up playing a rousing game of tennis with Eddie Distefano.  Immediately all thoughts of David Jenner vanished and she instead became embroiled in the memories of her night with Eddie several weeks earlier.   She found herself staring at his lean muscular body, his shirtless torso soaked in sweat as he swung the racket back and forth on the court.

Flushed faced, she grabbed a chair to steady herself.  Of all the guys in Hollywood to lust over, why did it have to be an aimless dork like Eddie?  Sure, he had a legendary father and an adorable younger brother, but what else did he have going for him besides a descent body?  Not that that was even too rare in Los Angeles.  Eddie had been nothing but an annoying pain in her butt since they were kids.  She had to keep reminding herself of that.

Before she could turn and walk back inside, she heard him calling her name.  Although she thought better of stopping and acknowledging him, she found herself turning back just as he approached.

“Miranda, it’s good to see you,” Eddie said, a sheepish grin on his face and his hands resting on his hips.  “Care to play the winner?”

“Huh?” she asked, distracted because she was too busy pretending to be unaffected. 

“No offense to your brother, but he isn’t exactly a pro.  Maybe I could take you on.”

“No thanks,” she said with a frown.  She wasn’t quite sure if he was trying to be provocative or if he was just being his usual loser self.

“Hey,” he said, stopping her from walking away.  “What are you doing tonight?  Maybe we can catch a movie or have dinner someplace.  I think they’re playing an Indiana Jones double feature at the Galaxy.”

It was then that Miranda decided no amount of amazing sex could change the fact that Eddie was a dork, plain and simple.  Other girls might be blinded by his appealing façade, but she wasn’t.  “I think I’ll pass,” she said with as much indifference as she could muster.   With that, she turned and flitted back inside the hotel.

Just as she’d disappeared, Stormy came running up and handed Eddie a bottle of water.  “What’s up?” he asked.  “What were you and Miranda talking about?”

Eddie shook his head, convincing himself it didn’t matter.  “Nothing,” he said.  “Come on, I’ll let you try to regain your standing.  Two out of three.”

Stormy chuckled and followed him back to the court. 

Inside the crowded dining room, Renee and Sierra caught up over breakfast, although barely a second went by where the conversation stalled long enough for any eating to get done. 

“And the professors,” Sierra was saying, waving her hands and gesturing with excitement.  “They’re so talented.  Some of them have been in the business for fifty years.   And my vocal coach.  Wow, he is just amazing.  I’ve learned so much in just one semester and there’s still so much more to learn.”

Renee beamed with approval.  “I’m so happy school is going well, Sierra,” she said.  “And that you’re happy.  That means more to me than you’ll ever know.”

“I am happy,” she said.  “I really feel like I fit in in New York City.  There’s so much energy and excitement.  I mean, I’ve been to a lot of places.  Paris, Stockholm, Cambridge, L.A.  But nothing compares to New York City.”

“It’s an amazing place,” Renee agreed.  “Your grandfather would take me along when he went there on business trips.  Summer in Central Park and Christmas on Madison Avenue were some of my favorite memories growing up.”

“I’ve met so many wonderful people,” Sierra went on without missing a beat.  “The girls in my dorm are so edgy.  They’re nothing like the refined snobs I went to school with in Europe.   I think I could really learn a lot from them.”

“You mean you could learn to be edgy?” Renee asked with a sly grin.  The prospect made her smile from ear to ear.  She reached her hand across the table and touched it gently to Sierra’s.  “Oh baby, I’ve missed you so much.  I’m thrilled that you are enjoying your life but I’m so glad to have you back for the summer.”

Sierra grew quiet, glancing around awkwardly before resting her eyes back on her mother.  “Well, the thing is I’m not exactly planning on staying for the whole summer,” she said.

“What do you mean?” Renee asked with a start.  “This is your home, Darling.  I know it doesn’t feel like it, but-“

“It’s not that, mom.  I mean, I love being able to see you.  But I think I’d like to go back to New York for a while and spend some time there this summer.  I’ll still come back and visit before school starts again.”

“What will you do in New York?” Renee asked, unable to hide her disappointment in her daughter’s decision.  “No one will be on campus until fall.  Where will you live?”

“In an apartment,” Sierra explained.  “I found one in the West Village.  It’s a sublet.  It’s so adorable.  I can live there until school starts again and then move back into the dorms.”

Renee was speechless.  So many questions that a mother instinctively would ask ran through her mind but she knew she had to tread carefully.  Sierra had been on her own much of her life and was not accustomed to having someone treat her like a child.  It took every ounce of her will power to refrain.

“What is it?” Sierra asked.  “You don’t approve?”

“It’s not that I don’t approve. I mean, I want you to have experiences, to live life to the fullest.  I just-“  A pause while she rearranged her thoughts.  “New York is such a big place.  I’m afraid you’ll wind up lonely and lost.”

“I won’t,” Sierra said with a knowing smile.

Renee regarded her carefully.  She knew the look on her face all to well.   “It sounds like there may be someone else in the picture.”

Sierra couldn’t help but smile.  “Well, sort of,” she began.  “There’s this guy I met.  His name is Malcolm.  He’s a record producer.  Up and coming.  We’ve been laying down some tracks and he thinks I have a real solid sound.  We’re going to work on some music this summer and see what happens.  Don’t worry, I’m not getting my hopes up,” she was quick to add.  “I still want to finish school and be trained formally.  I just want to try this.  Can you understand?”

Renee sighed heavily.  The truth was she could understand perfectly.  She saw so much of herself in her daughter.  “So this Malcolm.  Tell me about him.”

“He’s so amazing and talented.  He comes from a very respectable family.  His father is some big name in the business.  We’re really in synch, you know.  And he doesn’t care who my family is.  He sees potential in me.”

“Is Malcolm a friend, or more than that?”

Sierra shrugged awkwardly.  “He’s a…friend,” she said, then broke into a smile.

Renee sipped her coffee.  “Well, I wouldn’t be a good mother if I didn’t at least caution you to be careful.  I once had a relationship with a man in the music industry.”

“You never told me that,” Sierra said in amazement.  “When?"

“In my twenties,” Renee said.  “Before I married Kenny and before I had you.  He was something special.  Or so I thought.  Wealthy, debonaire, incredibly handsome with wavy black hair and tons of charisma.  We had a very brief romance but I really thought I was in love.  My father, on the other hand, couldn't stand him.”

“What happened?”

Renee grew into a thoughtful daze before continuing.  “His work was very demanding on his time.  Anyway, I found myself alone much of the time and eventually we just realized it wasn’t going anywhere so we called it off.”

“Mom, I appreciate your concern, but I’m not going to fall head over heels with Malcolm.  We like hanging out and that’s enough for now.  I promise I won’t go jumping into anything.”

Renee smiled and grabbed hold of her hand again.  “How did you get so smart?” she asked with a laugh and stood up from the table.  “Come on.  If I only have a few days with you then I want to spend as much time together as we can.”

Sierra stood up and hugged her warmly before they continued through the dining room to the elevators. 

“I swear to God I will sue.”

“You will not,” James replied with irritation.  “Stop being so dramatic, Alex.”

“I am not being dramatic!” she insisted, puffing away at a cigarette as she stormed around James’s office at Sunset Studios.  “I signed on for a starring role in Angel Assassin 2 and you’ve diminished my part to a pathetic supporting character who dies a third of a way through the film and then appears in flashbacks and as an apparition filmed on a closed set in front of a green screen!  This was supposed to be my big return to the business!”

“Alex, calm down for a minute,” Jordan said from his perch by the window. “I already told you that I will mortgage my house to pay the rest of the fines to the government.  You don’t have to put up with this at all. Just walk off the set and leave James twisting in the wind.  That should teach him to renege on a contract.”

“What are you even doing here, Jordan?” James asked with irritation.  “As a direct competitor, and considering the fact that my new film is being shot just a few hundred yards away, I could easily have you escorted off the property and banned from being allowed back.”

Jordan shot him a who gives a crap look and turned back to the window.

“The money isn’t even the issue,” Alex insisted, stopping inches from James and pointing a threatening finger in his face.  “You tossed me aside – the mother of your children – and brought that tramp on as my cheap knockoff replacement.  How could you do that to me, James?  I thought we were close.  I thought we’d moved past all the animosity.”

“This has nothing to do with our relationship,” he explained for the hundredth time.  “Kelly can work for a fraction of the salary you were making.  Considering the fact that we’re so far behind schedule and over budget, I’d do it all again if I had to.  I’m sorry if that’s not what you want to hear but it’s a mathematical fact.”

“Great.  So what am I supposed to do?” Alex asked.

“You’ll get other offers,” James insisted.  "Now start acting like a professional.  This is the nature of the business.”

“A professional?” Alex asked in awe.  “You want me to act like a professional?”

James rolled his eyes and followed as she huffed out of the office and down the hall to the exit.  She raced out to the set where the cast and crew had gathered.  Kelly was standing on the sidelines getting a touchup on her hair and makeup when Alex approached and glared angrily at her.

“It looks like you got exactly what you wanted, didn’t you?” she demanded.

“I beg your pardon?” Kelly asked, feigning ignorance.

“You wormed your way into my family, my son’s bed, and now you’ve stolen my part in this film.”

“Miss Reynolds, I’m so sorry. I had no idea-“

“Don’t even bother,” Alex cut her off just as James and Jordan approached from behind.  “I’ve known too many women like you and you’re all the same.  Well let me tell you one thing, honey, you’re going to find out very soon that this business can be more cruel than you’d ever imagined.  This town will eat you alive.  And when it spits you out, don’t expect anyone to come to your rescue.”

With that, she turned and stormed through the crowd toward her car.

After the volatile confrontation, Kelly ran off to her trailer and slammed the door behind.  Stormy arrived just at that moment and looked around, unsure of what had transpired but certain it was his mother doing the instigating.

“Are you okay?” he asked once inside the trailer.  “What happened?”

“Stormy, I don’t think I can do this,” Kelly replied, bursting into tears and throwing her arms around him.  “Your mother hates me.  She’s convinced I’m out to steal the limelight from her.  I never even asked for any of this.  All I wanted was one small walk-on role.  Now she hates me and she’ll never approve of us together.”

“It’s not your fault,” he said, smoothing his hand down the back of her head in an effort to calm her.  He knew his mother was capable of being hateful, but the fact that she brought the woman he loved to tears was going too far.  Movie or no movie, he was not going to let her get away with it. 

“Am I that horrible of a person?” she asked, secretly smiling at the prospect of pushing the queen off her throne.  There was a certain satisfaction in the ease with which it had been done.  She was convinced that it was only a matter of time before she was the biggest name in Hollywood.

“No, of course not,” Stormy said.  “You’ve stepped in and done me and my father a favor.  Without you this movie would have tanked, and the studio would have gone under.   Don’t worry.  I’ll handle my mother.”

At the marina, Heather opened the door of her and Brett’s condo and smiled as Miranda entered, a giant Chanel purse pulled tightly over her shoulder.

“Where is she?” Miranda asked with a smile as she made a B-line to the bassinette positioned across the room.

“I’ve been trying to get her to take a nap but she’s been kind of fussy,” Heather said, the strain of caring for a newborn evident on her weary face.  Her hair was tied back in a ponytail and she wore a comfortable sweatsuit stained with formula.

“Oh, well she was probably waiting for her aunt Miranda to come over and see her first,” Miranda said with a smile, picking Violet up into her arms and holding her close against her bosom.   “She’s so quiet.  How can you tell she’s fussy?”

Heather shrugged and watched eagerly.  “She just won’t close her eyes.  She stares at her mobile for hours and doesn’t even move.”

Miranda knew what Heather was thinking and she tried her best to assure her otherwise.  “Babies tend to get fixated on objects,” she said.  “And she’ll sleep when she needs to.  I wouldn’t worry.”

“How do you know so much about babies?” Heather asked and sat down with exhaustion on the sofa, tucking her legs up beneath her. 

“Before I miscarried with Biff I did a lot of reading,” she replied, bouncing the baby gently in her arms as she turned to face Heather.  Her eyes grazed over the coffee table where a stack of books two feet high rested.   “But obviously not as much as you.”  She used her free hand to pick one of them up and read the title aloud.  “Helping Him Learn: A Handbook for Parents of Mentally Retarded Babies”.  She offered a look of concern.  “What’s all this about?”

“Just trying to learn as much as I can,” Heather replied. 

Miranda looked into Violet’s brilliant green eyes before setting her back down in the bassinette.  “Heather, no amount of reading is going to get you the answers you want any faster.  All you’re going to do is drive yourself crazy.”

“You sound like Brett,” she replied, getting up and walking to the baby.

“Well for once maybe he’s right,” Miranda exclaimed.  “The doctors said it might take weeks before they’re able to see any signs of mental retardation in Violet.   She’s too young to tell.  Give it time and enjoy this part of her life.  I don’t want you to look back and regret anything.  This is too important, Heather.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” she asked, taking her hair out of the ponytail, pulling it tight again and then retying it.  “But isn’t it better than I know what I might be facing?  It’s not easy raising a mentally challenged child, Miranda.”

“You know what?” Miranda  began.  “There’s no reason to be worried.  Violet could grow up to be a normal, happy, healthy little girl.  She’s got two parents who love her and would do anything in the world for her.  That’s what’s important right now.  Let all those other concerns stay buried for now.  Don’t focus on the bad.”

Heather rubbed her tired eyes and began pacing the room.  “God, I can’t help it,” she said.  “All I do hour after hour, day after day is analyze every tiny detail, every sound or move she makes, or even every sound or move that she doesn’t make.”  She paused and turned back to her step-sister.  “I know that the doctors are going to take one look at her and tell me that there’s something wrong with her.  And I just don’t want to be taken by surprise and not know how to deal with it.”

Miranda’s heart went out to her.  She stepped forward and pulled her into an embrace.  “Heather, you’ve got to stop doing this,” she said.  “You’re going to drive yourself crazy.”

In an attempt at lightening the mood, Heather replied, ”you make crazier than I already am?” she asked with a laugh. 

“Seriously though, have you talked about any of this to Dr. Anderson?”

Heather shook her head.  “I haven’t seen him since before the delivery.”

“You might want to,” Miranda suggested.  “He could help you deal with all of this.”

“I know.  I’ve actually called his office a few times to make an appointment but he’s never there and he doesn’t have a service.  I just keep hoping he’ll get my messages and return my call.”

“Well, in the meantime you can call me anytime you need someone to talk to,” Miranda said and walked back to the bassinette where she gazed down at Violet.  “Or if you and Brett need to get out for an evening, call me and I’ll be happy to babysit.  It isn’t as if I have anything else going on in my life.”

The notion brought to her attention the fact that she had an ulterior motive for coming over for a visit.  Not only did she want to see Violet, but she had wanted to talk to Heather – her only real female friend – about the strange feelings she’d been having about Eddie and their awkward one night stand.  But after seeing how distracted she was, she realized it wasn’t the time.  Heather needed her now.  Her own problems paled in comparison to hers.

It was later that night when Roz received a phone call from a family physician in Phoenix.  The news came fast and without warning.  She stood in the kitchen, the receiver still clutched in her white-knuckled hand.  The dial tone sounded through the earpiece, ominously signifying the end of the phone call.   When Brooke came down the stairs she immediately sensed that something wasn’t right. 

“Mother?” she asked, walking slowly toward her.  “What’s wrong?  Who was on the phone?”