Episode 8
LAD world!
[Recap: Liza is 9 months pregnant. Tad gave Liza`s a surprise shower with Belinda, Jacob and Hayley`s help. Liza and Tad both pondered on their relationship with their friends. Belinda is considering asking Tad for a date. Adam hopes that Liza`s aunt Holly Colby-Thorpe will be part of his plan]
Episode 8: All in the family.
Liza`s office. Noon.
Tad is waiting for Liza, looking thru papers, taking notes. The door is wide open and Belinda enters the room.
Belinda: Hi! Tad! I`m so glad to see you.
Tad: Hey Lindy! I`m sorry, Liza isn`t around... she had to pick a fight with a producer, she should be here very soon. If you want to stick around....
B: Actually, I came to see you.
T: (surprised) Me? Did I do something legal?
B: No...
T: Illegal?
B: I was hoping for dinner, sometime.
T: Dinner? Don`t they feed you in court?
B: I mean with you, tonight: La Cucina. If you`re free.
T: (stunned) That`s sounds like a date.... I mean it`s been a while, but I vaguely recall the concept of a date: dinner, movie, adult conversation that doesn`t involved a 7 years old.
B: It`s the basic idea, so how about it?
T: Tonight?
B: Yes.
T: Ah!
B: There`s a problem?
T: No. No. It`s just.... I can`t. (long pause)
B: Oh! (suddenly understanding the meaning of that *I can`t*)
T: I mean, don`t get me wrong... I think you`re a very attractive and all but... see, I`m not....
B: Available?
T: Ready. I`m not ready for the dating game...
B: Does she know?
T: What?
B: She doesn`t know! You`re in love with her!
T: Excuse me?
B: It`s all right, Tad. It happens.
T: What the hell is this? Is there a sign in my back that says: Kick me, I`m in love with Liza Colby???
B: Actually, it`s written all over your face.
T: So I need a closer shave? (grins).....I`m sorry.
B: Don`t be. I understand, really.
T: Gosh, could you explain it to me? (smiles) I`m not used to refusing lovely offers from beautiful, intelligent women... Thank you for the offer. But I don`t think it would be fair to you if...
Liza (entering her office): Hi! Belinda? (Lindy and Tad look uncomfortable - long pause - Liza is guessing what`s going on) I`m sorry, I`m interrupting.
Belinda: No, Liza. It`s all right, I was leaving anyway. Bye Tad. And good luck.
Liza looks at Belinda leaving, puzzled. Tad looks away, trying very hard to be casual.
L (after a long pause): You said no!?!?!
T: You know about this?
L: Are you going crazy? Belinda....
T: Belinda should not get involved with the likes of me, not right now.
L: Come on, Tad....
T: No, really! It wouldn`t be fair to her.
L: Is it Gloria?
T (almost hurt at the suggestion, half hoping that she would guess his true feelings): No! God, no! It`s just... (thinking to find a good excuse) Look, ever since I came back from the dead (grins), there was always someone... like I couldn`t function without a woman in my life: Brooke, Dixie, Gloria, with no breathing room in between. No time to reflect. At the Gym, the guys call me ReBound-Boy. And as you can see, it didn`t get me anywhere. I need to cool off. All right? And please, don't play match maker!
L: All right.
T: What about you? You look like a person who`s about to give birth!
L: (exasperated) She is 3 days late!
T: I know that.
L: You don`t understand: I have a 3 day old child living in my belly!!!
T: Thinking of charging rent? (Tad smiles but Liza is *not* laughing) It`ll be over real soon, Liza. Don`t worry. And, didn`t Dr Clader tell you that by the 5th day, he`ll induce labor?
L: That`s another thing I have to worry about: by the end of the week, I will have to be a mother to an actual, real, living child!!!! I don`t know anything about kids! What am I going to do????
Tad puts his arms around Liza`s shoulders and leads her to her chair.
T: Liza! Sit! Now! I don`t want any crazy talk around here! You`re going to be a great mom. And that`s all there is to it! All right? And if you need any help, I`ll be there and so will Marian and Hayley and Lindy, OK?
L: OK! Thanks!
Knock at the door.
L: Come in.
A fortysomething woman with auburn hair, wearing a powersuit, very little makeup and a sad and slightly sarcastic smile enters the office. Tad backs off of Liza a little.
Liza: Holly!?!?
Holly: Mind if I come in, dear?
L: No! My God! How are you? It`s been so long! (Liza tries to get up)
H: Please, don`t get up. I heard big things were happening.
L: Oh... Tad, this is Holly Colby, my father`s sister. Holly, this is my very best friend, Tad Martin.
T (moving away from Liza`s desk to shake Holly`s hand): Have we met before?
H: (shamelessly flirting with Tad) I don`t think so, I would have remembered.
L: (annoyed) Holly left PV to go to college when I was four and never really came back. (hoping that Tad noticed the age difference)
H: (her eyes undress Tad) Well, except for small visits. But I haven`t been in town for close to ten years now. But I see the scenery is getting better all the time.
T: (feeling uncomfortable) Well... I`ll leave you two to your family reunion! Nice to meet you, Ms Colby.
H: Holly, please. And likewise.
T: (to Liza) I`ll see you later...
Tad takes one last look at Liza, unable to read her distress signs, he finally walks out of the office. Holly watches him go with a smile, making sure that she gets a good view from behind. Liza rolls her eyes.
H: Nice office. (still glaring at Tad`s behind)
L: Thank you, take a seat, please.
H: (walks around the office, looking at pictures on the wall) Look at you! TV station owner before the age of 35. I`m very impressed. (Holly finally sits down)
L: I`ve had a lot of help and luck.
H: We make our own luck, dear.
L: So... what are you doing here?
H: I came to visit my niece and grand-niece. But I see I`m a early.
L: (feeling the baby move a little, the baby is making her more uncomfortable then usual) Actually, she`s late.
H: Is he the father?
L: Excuse me?
H: Young Martin? (pause) Wait a minute! ....(with some joy in her voice) Wasn`t he the one Marian...?
L: (interrupting) So Holly! How`s Blake?
H: (annoyed at the mention of her daughter`s name,) She`s fine (coldly). She says hello.
L: (seeing that she`s scoring points) Still working for Roger?
H: (just a hint malicious) Still daddy`s little girl. What can I say, she`s a Colby! But you`ll find out all about that soon enough.
L: Not if I can help it.
H: You can`t. It`s in the Colby genes. As I remember, you and Larry were inseparable. I was the same with my father. Blake is the same with Roger, and this little girl will.... (ironic smile - pause) Well, it`s something to look forward to.
Liza realizes the accuracy of Holly`s analysis and her mothering anxieties ressurface. Thankfully, Rudy gets his head thru the doorway.
Rudy: Liza, there`s a Mr Flanders on the phone, he says it`s about today`s show.
H: (gets up) I`ll leave you to your business. I took a room at the Valley Inn. There`s more to talk about, don`t you think? Good bye Liza.
Holly gets up and leaves. Liza is left with her thought on Holly`s visit. She takes her phone and feel a small twinge in the lower part of her belly. She stops a moment to take a breather and gets back to business.
Liza: Ned, Hi!.....
Cut to later at the Valley Inn bar, Holly enters and takes a seat at the bar.
Holly: Margarita, please. Lime. And don`t be shy on the salt.
Adam enters the bar, right behind her and spots her right away, he sits right beside her.
Adam: (to the bartender) Vodka on the rocks, please. (pause - playing with the bar nuts, looking over at Holly) I`ve done some research on the Pine Valley Colbys. I hear Blake Colby was a great man. (Holly perks up at the mention of her father`s name. She recognizes Adam) A good businessman, a real leader, he was even the mayor of this little town. Unfortunately, he died before his time.
H: Adam Chandler, I presume. You know, you look much older in those tabloid pictures. Plastic surgery, maybe? I guess marrying a woman half your age can do that to a man.
A: (amused) Ha! I can see where Liza gets her sardonic sense of humor.
H: (unamused) What do you want?
A: How would you like to own a television station?