©©
EPISODE THREE: "While You Were Away, Part 1"
It's the Monday morning following Brooke and Kyle's wedding. Scott is sitting in his office working on the computer when his phone rings. "Scott Crothers?" he answers. On the other end of the line, Valerie announces, "There is a Ms. Barnett here to see you, Scott." Scott okays Valerie to send Ashley in and seconds later the door opens. Scott looks up from his computer monitor and starts laughing out loud.
Ashley closes the door behind her and walks over to Scott's desk and responds to his laughing. "I suppose you thought the little stunt Catrina pulled on Saturday was funny? Well the bitch is lucky I didn't press charges for assault." Scott stops laughing as Ashley takes a seat in the chair across from him. "Are you up for lunch today?" she asks.
Scott smiles and lets out a final giggle. "No, I have some projects I
am working on and a meeting at one. I can probably do lunch on Friday, but
I'm sure you'll be back in New York by then since you weren't able to stop the
wedding." Ashley just throws a threatening glare at Scott.
"Actually, Scott, I am not going back to New York. I've decided to
stay in Baltimore. You know, Kyle isn't the only reason to be in this
city. I have family and friends here too."
Scott laughs again, "Yeah, like who? Me? I don't think that would go over very well with Catrina. In fact, she would kill me if she knew I'd seen you as much as I have." "I don't need this," Ashley tells Scott as she stands up and walks to the door. She puts her hand on the doorknob and turns back to Scott. "You know, all of those people who have gotten in my way are going to be sorry someday. Someday very soon. And you make sure your little Catrina knows she is the first on my list." Ashley opens the door and leaves the office, slamming the door behind her.
A few minutes later, there is a knock at his door and Valerie opens the door and peaks around the door. "Everything okay, Scott?" Scott sits back in his chair and lets out a loud sigh. "Yeah. Yeah. Everything is just fine." He pauses for a moment and Valerie starts to close they door. He calls out to her and her head appears again. "Do you wanna get something to eat? I think I need to get out of the office for a while," he asks. Valerie smiles and accepts his invitation.
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Meanwhile, at Catrina and Scott's rowhouse, Catrina is cleaning the
apartment. She heads to the closet in their bedroom and starts gathering
Scott's clothes for drycleaning. As she checks the pockets of his suit
jackets, in one of them she comes across a receipt. She looks down at the
receipt and begins to question it aloud. "Mt. Vernon Florists? To
Brooke's 
apartment? What in
the hell is this?" Catrina pushes the receipt into her jeans pocket
and continues to check the pockets of Scott's clothes. After a few minutes
of searching and finding nothing else, she throws the clothes on the floor and
heads from the bedroom, down the hallway and into Scott's home office.
As she starts paging through the papers on his desk, she sits in the chair. She opens the desk drawers on the right and thumbs throw the contents. She closes those drawers and then tries the drawers on the left, but they are locked. Catrina rests her elbows on the desk and holds her head with her hands. "Catrina, what are you doing? You know he loves you and you know you're just being unreasonable," she says to aloud to herself. She looks across the desk and sees a letter opener in the desk organizer. She looks over at the drawers again and then reaches for the letter opener. She starts prying at the desk drawer lock. "You can feel bad about it later," she says.
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Later
that afternoon, at the University of Baltimore on Mt. Vernon's northern area,
Paul and Holly are sitting in one of the study lounges in the University's main
building. Paul has his feet propped up on the table in front of them and
Holly has her head on his lap with her feet across the end of
the sofa. They are both reading from textbooks. Holly lays her book
on her stomach and looks up at Paul. "You know, I think I'm in the
mood for happy hour tonight. Are you up for it?"
"I can't, hon. I have an exam tomorrow morning at 9," he replies. "I'm sure some of the gang will be at The Brew tonight though. You should go anyway." Holly smiles at him and he leans his head down and gives her a kiss. "I think I will go," she says. "With Kyle away, Alex is probably lonely." With that, Holly picks up her book and the two begin studying again.
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In
South Baltimore, at the Harbor Medical Center, Jamie is walking out of the
emergency department entrance and toward the parking lot. She sees Ashley
walking toward the hospital's main entrance. As Ashley disappears into the
front lo
bby
doors of the hospital, Jamie jogs toward the main entrance to catch up with
her. Inside the hospital, she sees Ashley go into the elevator and quickly
runs to try to catch the doors before they close. Jamie doesn't make it
but she looks up to the wall above the elevator door to see where the elevator
stopped. Jamie quickly catches the second elevator and heads to the third
floor as well.
As Jamie gets out of the elevator on the third floor, she sees Ashley go into one of the physician's office just down the hall. Jamie walks over to the door to see whose office it is. "Dr. Berger? He's a psychiatrist?" Jamie turns away from the door and heads back to the elevator. She gets into the elevator and looks down the hall toward Dr. Berger's office as the door closes. "I guess it's time to find out a little more about Brooke and Catrina's old friend," she says to herself as the doors close.
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About an hour later, Bret is just arriving at the Jamie's rowhouse, where he has
been staying. He opens the front door and Jamie is on the telephone.
"Yes. Dr. Berger, I understand. Since you'll be in Boston for
the rest of the week, I will just check with one of the other staff
psychiatrists. I appreciate your time. Have a safe trip."
Jamie returns the telephone
receiver to its base. She looks over at Bret, just entering the door and
he is dressed up and has a bottle of champagne in his hand. He walks over
to her and hugs her hello.
"We're celebrating tonight, my love. I finally got a job," he tells Jamie, picking her up as they hug. Jamie smiles and responds, "That is wonderful, Bret. What are you going to be doing?" As Bret walks away from her and into the kitchen, he begins, "It's a start-up company." Bret opens the champagne and pulls two flutes from the cabinet and pours them each a glass. "They want me to do their web design and marketing." Jamie walks over to Bret and takes one of the glasses and they toast. Bret continues, "Now go get yourself ready because I am taking you out to dinner and then we are going toThe Brew to celebrate some more." Jamie and Bret both finish their glasses of champagne and Bret pours them another. As Jamie starts to drink the second glass, he rushes her. "Now go, get moving! I made reservations for seven at the Stables." Jamie quickly guzzles the champagne and heads up the stairs to get ready. Bret pours himself a third glass. "You are the man, Bret! You are the man!"
Later that evening, at The Brew, Alex is tending bar. The bar is fairly empty, but the chatter from the seven or so patrons makes it sound crowded. Alex walks over to the jukebox by the front door with a handful of change. He inserts eight quarters into the slot and begins selecting songs. After he has selected the first four songs, the door opens and he turns his attention to it. When he sees that it's Holly, he lights up and stops his selection of music. "Hey there girl! What brings you here all alone on a Monday night?"
Holly walks over to Alex and hugs him hello and brushes his cheek with a
kiss. "Not too much, buddy. Just in a really good mood and
wanted to get something to drink. She smiles--so how about it?"
Alex smiles at her, "Sure, I guess you want the usual. There are
three more selections on the jukebox. Your choice. I'll go grab you
a drink." Alex turns and walks over to the bar, looking back at Holly
and smiling as he does. Holly presses a few buttons to check out the
jukebox selections and then makes her three choices. She walks over and
sits at the end of the bar furthest from the door. Alex places a beer in
front of her on a coaster and then leans on the bar with his elbows.
"So where's the man tonight? " Alex asks. Holly takes a swig of her beer and then sets it on the coaster. "He has an exam tomorrow so he's at home studying," she replies. Alex grabs her hand and pulls it to his mouth. He kisses the back of her hand and says, "He's a fool to let such a beautiful woman come to a bar by herself--especially a bar that's so full of eligible men." The two of them look around at the few people who have gathered so far and they both laugh. Holly stands on the rung of the bar stool and reaches over and kisses Alex on the lips. "You're too sweet, Alex," she says sitting again on the stool. Alex blushes and stands up when another patron walks into the bar and sits a few seats down from Holly.
Alex walks over and takes the patron's order and then returns to his position in front of Holly, smiling again as he asks, "Now where were we?" Holly giggles and takes another drink of her beer. "Have you anything from Kyle and Brooke?" Holly asks Alex. "No, Kyle promised that he would not call while they were on their honeymoon. He promised Brooke that he would forget about work for the entire week." The two laugh. "Oh, and I'm sure he's going crazy because you know she is watching his every move to make certain he doesn't pick up the phone," Holly adds. They both laugh again.
Beyond the other end of the bar and the stairs leading to the restaurant upstairs, Valerie is staring in the window at Alex and Holly. "You little bitch," Valerie says to herself. She turns from the window and walks toward the door. As she enters The Brew, she is certain to swing the door far enough opened that it hits the wall behind it. Alex and Holly, as well as all of the other patrons in the bar turn their attention to the loud bang and Valerie standing in the doorway. "Oops. Sorry," Valerie announces to everyone. She walks over to the bar next to Holly, smiles at her, and looks at Alex. "How are you there, boyfriend," she asks him. As Valerie leans over to give him a kiss hello, he turns and walks over to the beer refrigerator. "You want a Lite, Val?" he asks her. Valerie, obviously surprised and even appalled that he denied her the greeting, nods as she makes herself comfortable on the stool next to Holly.
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A
while later, Scott parks his car in front of the house he shares with Catrina.
As he is getting out of the car, he looks over
to the house and sees Catrina standing in the front window. As soon as he
notices he, she steps back away from the window. Scott gathers his jacket,
his briefcase and a few other things from his car, locks the car door and
activates the alarm. He walks up the stoop and pushes open the door, which
isn't closed all of the way. As he walks into the foyer, he places his
briefcase on the floor next to the door and hangs his jacket on the banister of
the staircase leading to the upstairs.
He walks to the left and into the living room and sees Catrina standing in the corner between the window and the fireplace. "Cat, what's wrong?" he asks, turning on the light. He looks over at Catrina and he has mascara and eyeliner staining her cheeks. He could tell that she had been crying. He starts to walk toward her, "Cat, oh my God. What's happened?"
Catrina shouts out to him. "Don't you even come near me!" Scott stops in his tracks and just looks at Catrina. "You pig! You sick pig!" Catrina continues to shout. "I should have known it. I should have known it was you all along." The tears begin to pour from her eyes again. "But of all of the people, why my best friend? Why Brooke?" Catrina screams at him.
Scott starts to walk toward Catrina again and she picks up a picture frame from the mantel and throws it at him. Scott ducks and then backs up after the frame misses his head by an inch or so. "Cat, what are you talking about? What about Brooke?" Scott pleads for an answers.
"You're her secret admirer, Scott. You're the one who has been sending her flowers at work and at home and you are the one who has been leaving notes on her car," Catrina yells at him. Scott puts his head down. Catrina walks out of the corner and over to Scott. "I found all of the receipts in your desk drawer today. I found EVERYONE of them, dammit!" Sobbing she asks, "Why Scott? Why Brooke? It could have been anyone else in the world, but no--you had to make it even harder by picking Brooke. Why did you do this Scott?" She screams again and starts punching him in the chest, "WHY?"
Scott grabs Catrina's arms and pulls her away from him, holding her tightly. "Because I'm in love with her, Cat. Because I've always been in love with her." He shakes Catrina a bit and then lets her go. He stares at her as she sobs even harder and falls to the floor. "I have been in love with Brooke since the day I met her--long before she ever met Kyle and before I ever met you. And just like everything else in my life, Kyle Fletcher ruined it for me. He ruined everything for me, Cat." Scott starts crying.
Catrina, still sitting on the floor and looking up at Scott, she screams at him through her sobs, "Get out you bastard! Get out of here! I don't ever want to see you again!" Scott reaches down to her and she kicks at him with her feet. "I SAID GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE!!!" Scott wipes his eyes and heads for the door, grabbing his briefcase and jacket on his way out. Before he closes the door, he turns and looks at Catrina and says, "It never meant that I didn't love you. I do love you, Cat--whether you want to believe it or not." Scott turns and walks out, closing the door behind him.
Catrina curls into a fetal position on the floor in her living room and just cries as she hears Scott start his car and drive away. She covers her hands with her face and curls up even tighter, sobbing even harder.
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That
same night, at about midnight, Holly, Jamie, Bret, and Valerie are at The Brew
with Alex, celebrating Bret's new job. Holly,
obviously completely intoxicated, falls off of the bar stool when she tries to
get up to go to the restroom. Bret grabs her arm and helps her to her feet
as they all laugh. Holly reaches into her back pocket and places a credit
card on the bar in front of Alex. "I think I better close out my tab
now, Al," she slurs. Valerie watches her closely as Alex takes the
card, runs it through the credit card machine, and watches for an approval
number. Alex tries to process the card again.
Alex walks over to the bar and tells Holly, "Sorry darling, the card isn't working. It's declining." Holly stares in amazement. "That's impossible. It's my daddy's card. And my daddy is loaded," she slurs and finishes up the last drink of her beer. Alex snickers at her for being drunk, "Why don't we call tonight on me, then? Hell, we were all celebrating with Bret and Kyle isn't around to say 'no'." Holly leans over to Alex and kisses him on the cheek again, "You're a dear." She pulls away from him and almost falls over backward. She catches her balances, grabs her credit card, and then blurts out, "I have to pee!"
The four watch as Holly stumbles toward the bathroom, which are one half level above the main bar room. Valerie stands up, "I think she's going to need some help. I've got it." Valerie walks over to Holly, locks arms with her, and the two head to the bathroom.
Jamie sits down on the bar stool in front of Alex and looks at him. "So why are you with Miss Personality anyway?" she asks. Alex just shakes his head and laughs and then walks to the other end of the bar to serve another customer. Jamie looks at Bret. "Doesn't Valerie seem just a tad psychotic to you, honey," she asks as she rest her head in Bret's chest. Bret puts his arms around Jamie and laughs, "No, I think she's just the only sober one here." Jamie smiles.
Meanwhile, in the ladies rest room at The Brew, Valerie is standing by the sink waiting for Holly, who is in the stall. The toilet flushes and Holly stumbles out of the stall and over to the sink. Valerie just watches her and she wobbles on her feet and washes her hands. Once she is finished and turns the water off, Holly walks over to the paper towel dispenser where Valerie is now standing. "Escuuse me," Holly slurs.
Valerie looks at Holly and then reaches up and grabs her face with one hand. "I'm gonna say this once and only once, Holly, so you listen good. I don't know what you want with Alex but he's mine. So you just better back off and stay clear before you get yourself hurt. Do you understand?" Valerie threatens. Holly just looks at her without a word. Valerie, still holding Holly's face, forces her to shake her head to motion 'yes.' Valerie continues, "Now that I've made myself clear, help yourself back to the bar."
As Valerie pushes Holly away, Holly falls to the floor, hitting her head on the sink as she falls. Valerie looks down at Holly and sees that she is still conscious and then leaves the bathroom. Holly grabs the back of her head and tries to get up, but can't. She closes her eyes and lies there for a few minutes.
Back at the bar, Valerie is questioned on Holly's whereabouts. "She was getting sick. She wanted to be left alone," Valerie answers. Jamie watches Valerie and when they meet eyes, Jamie throws a faux smile at her. Several minutes later, Holly stumbles across the floor, laughing and still slurring, "I fell in the bathroom. And hit my head." Jamie reaches over and checks out the bump and replies, "I think you'll live. Bret and I will give you a ride home."
Alex quickly interrupts, "No, I'll take care of her. It's on my way home. Business isn't great tonight so I was going to close shop early anyway." Bret and Jamie say their good-byes to Alex, a sloshed Holly, and Valerie. Valerie offers to take Holly home and Alex agrees. Alex writes directions to Holly's house on a napkin for Valerie and then helps her get Holly to the car. "I'm going to call Paul to let him know you'll be there in a few minutes so he can get her in the house." He pecks Valerie on the lips and says his good-byes. He watches as Valerie and Holly drive up North Charles Street.
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Later
that night, a block away from The Brew at the Belvedere Hotel, Scott pays a
valet to park his car. He walks into 
the
lobby and heads for the elevators. He heads into one of the cars and
presses the fifth floor. Once on the fifth floor, he walks out of the
elevator and to the left. He follows the hall around and to the right and
then comes to Suite 505. He knocks on the door and Ashley answers
it. "You wouldn't mind if I slept on your sofa, Ash, would
you?" Ashley responds, "I don't have a sofa." Bret
pushes the door opened and walks in and grabs Ashley and begins to passionately
kiss her. "No sofa? Even better." He closes the door
behind him.
TO BE CONTINUED....
"WHILE YOU WERE AWAY, PART 2" WILL BE POSTED IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS