Episode 13
LAD World
[Recap: Liza gave birth to a son, Lawrence Martin Colby, live on the Cutting Edge. Liza refused to see Adam after the birth. Adam and Holly are ready for phase 2 of their plan. Liza, Marty and Marian moved into a brand new home. Some sexual tension is hovering Tad and Liza’s relationship. Tad almost kissed Liza the night before.]
Part 13: Diapers of Our Lives
Scene 1: Liza’s bedroom. Liza is sleeping and dreaming about the night before.
<Dream Tad: I feel like a kid on his first date.
Dream Liza: You do?
Dream Tad: hmm! hmm! Like a nervous 13 years old, his mind racing, wondering should I? - shouldn’t I?
Dream Liza: Should what?
Dream Tad: This (Tad moves closer to Liza, gently caressing her cheek, staring into her eyes and finally giving her a very long and sweet kiss.>
End of dream.
Cut to Liza still asleep moves on the other side of her bed to hug someone.
Liza: (still half asleep) Tad?
No one is there. Her eyes open. Marty starts crying his head off.
Scene 2: Tad’s bathroom. Tad is staring into the mirror, shaving, talking to himself.
Tad: ``Hi....`` ``Hi!`` (pause) ``HI!!!!`` God, I can’t believe this is actually harder than when I was 13! <sighs> Ok! Ok! Let’s get serious here: ``Liza, I really enjoyed last night ....`` that’s good! That’s good! Establish a base.... (long pause - he stares in silence, trying to think of the next thing to say) than what????? <sighs> I know!: ``Liza, I`m head over heel in love with you, will you go out with me? If you don’t, I’ll die!`` That should do it!! <sighs> How am I going to do this???
Scene 3: Tad`s office. Same morning.
The phones are ringing off the hook, and Tad and Rudy are busy answering them.
Tad (on the phone): Look, let`s just say ... that you`re looking for a better deal? I can give you that deal, you know that, don’t you?
Rudy (on the other phone): Ms Colby is running a bit late.....(Rudy hangs up, exasperated) Where is she?
Tad (just hanging up): Relax, Rudy. She’ll be here.
Liza enters Tad`s office with her hands full, diaper bag on her left shoulder, babyfood bag on the other. Her hands are holding Marty in his portable crib. She looks tired and the little guy is crying his heart out. Tad sees her, their eyes lock, remembering the night before, they smile at each other.
Tad (to Liza): Hi... (his voice cracks)
Liza: (forgetting the world for a second) Hi (softly).
Liza gets back to earth the very next second, putting all her attention on Marty.
Liza: (whining, putting the crib down on the desk) Marty, please! I swear I`ll get you whatever you want if you give me just 5 minutes of quiet time.
Tad (looking at the Colby combo - finishing up another phone call): Johnny, I’ll call you back, OK? BuhBye (he hangs up, goes to the Colbys) Hey look who’s here!
Liza: Help!
Tad:(hurrying up to get the crib) Hey Marty, my man, gimme five! (he holds up his hand to the baby, Marty ignores him and continues to cry, Tad turns to Liza to kiss her on the cheek. Tad gently strokes her cheek for a split second. They gaze into each other`s eyes for a second. Rudy feels a little uncomfortable).
Liza: He`s been like this since we left home. Petra is sick today, the flu she says. Mother couldn`t stay, she`s actually selling a house today. So Marty had to come to work!
Tad: (holding up the baby) Get used to it, cow-boy, it`s a 9 to 5 world!
Liza: Rudy, could you go back to my car? I left his toy bag in the trunk. I swear this kid`s got more baggage than my mother on a trip to Saint-Justin!
Rudy: Sure (Rudy takes the keys).
Liza: Thanks!
Tad: (holding up Marty who`s quieted down) You should have call me.
Liza: (sitting down) You babysit on the side??? Is this your way to ask me for a raise?
Tad: Yes! I mean, no. (grins) But I do have some great contacts in the baby sitting underworld! You know: grand mothers, nieces, ready to jump into action at the chance to sit with a looker like my man Marty, here. (Marty smiles at Tad)
Liza: How did you do that? He stopped crying! Anyway, that`s nice of you to offer but I don`t mind bringing him to work. I hardly see him these days, especially with that bank harassment and the sweeps coming up.
The phone rings. Marty goes back to his crying mood. Liza sighs, looking at the phone.
Tad: It`s been like that since dawn.
Liza (picks up the phone): Liza Colby . . . Mr Rosen! Yes, hi! It`s been a while....(sarcastically) 2 whole days!
Tad: (to Marty) Mr Rosen from the bank.... (Marty cries louder) yes, that`s been your mother`s feeling too....
Tad plays around with Marty to stop him from crying. Marty stops at all that attention. Finally, Tad holds his nose closer to Marty`s diaper and winces at the foul odor. Marty gives Tad a great big smile.
Tad: So that`s what you`ve been holding out on us, little man! Time for a diaper change (Tad with Marty gets the diaper bag and goes back to his desk to change the diaper). Come here!
Liza (still on the phone, worried): I don`t understand. Why didn`t you.....(pause) Can they do that????
Tad: (noticing Liza`s tone) Now, you can make any mess you want around here! These contracts aren`t at all important. Let me get you into something more comfortable. There! (finishing the diaper change) All dried, now isn`t this nicer? (putting Marty against his shoulder, looking at Liza) And you know, the girls just love a good, dry boy! Trust me on this one. (pause - Marty drools and smiles at Tad) We’ll work on that drooling...
Liza: Who????? (Tad moves closer to Liza, trying to read her expression) Hollings? Have you heard from that corporation before? (listening) I see... well ...(Liza moves closer to Tad and Marty to touch Marty`s little back). I understand. Thank you, Henry. Good bye. (she hangs up, stunned)
Quickly, Liza moves to take Marty from Tad`s arms.
Liza: Come here, sweetheart.
Tad: Liza, what is it? What? Is it the loan?
Liza (hugging Marty): Eh..... somebody, rather some corporation acquired it.
Tad: The loan! Somebody? Acquired? What does that mean?
Liza: I don`t owe any money to the bank anymore, I owe it to this corporation.
Tad: Who? What?
Liza: Hollings Holdings.
Tad: Never heard of them.
Liza: Neither have I. (Marty just smiles away at her as she can’t help but smile back)
Tad: Can they do that?
Liza: It looks that way: Rosen told me that they bought a number of loans in PV.
Tad: What does that mean?
Liza: I ... don`t know. (to Marty) Feeling better now? Eh see, I told you Tad would have a solution for you. Oh! sweetheart... (back to Tad) It could mean a number of things....
Tad: Like a corporation, deciding to get themselves a TV station.
Liza: Something like that. We`re basically at their mercy.
Tad: But don`t you have terms, contracts, that they have to submit to?
Liza: But if they want their money back right now, they can ask for it. (getting emotional but holding back so she does not upset Marty)
Tad: Who owns Hollings?
Liza: I don`t know.
Tad: (taking the phone) I`ll get right on it.
Belinda enters the room.
Belinda: Bad news.
Tad (hanging up before dialing): You heard already???
Belinda: What?
Liza: Some faceless corporation acquired the loan for WRCW. I could be out of a station at the whims of their CEO. Hollings Holdings. Does that ring a bell?
Belinda: (shakes her head: no) When did this happen? (getting closer to Liza, saying hi to Marty)
Liza: I just got the news.
Belinda: Liza, I`m so sorry.
Tad: So what`s your bad news?
Belinda: (taking out a legal brief from her satchel) Adam is suing for sole custody of Marty. Barry Shire messangered the papers to me thirty minutes ago.
Liza: (stunned) What? (clinging to Marty)
Tad: (in disbelief) I think I know who`s behind Hollings Holdings, now.
Liza: He can`t do that? Can he?????
Belinda: I`m sorry, Liza.
Holly Colby (walking into the room): Good, you`re here. We have business to discuss.
End of part 13