Luck Be A Lady

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Hello and welcome to Episode 14 of the Passionate & The Privileged! Previously on P&P…

Rattled by a vivid dream about Brynn, Simone made plans to reconnect with her husband Lyle.

Lyle chose to tend to his mother instead, who was freaking out over a letter from a Wisconsin attorney about the Logans.

TJ recognized Jace in the Hunston Hill Beanery, but he thought it was Arthur.

Arthur pointed out that Brynn might want more than a friendship with Simone. Brynn denied it, but the seed may already be sown.

EPISODE 14 - "LUCK BE A LADY"

Brynn cheerfully walks up the long Randolph driveway carrying a Styrofoam tray of COFFEES.

She pauses, closes her eyes and lets the morning sunlight hit her face.

Inside the Randolph house, Simone lies awake, her back to Lyle. She feels him snuggle behind her. She quickly closes her eyes.

@pandpSimone *softly* Simone...

Hmm.

@pandpSimone I’m sorry about last night.

@pandplyle You did what you had to do.

@pandplyle *goes to get up* Rodolpho’s off today. I’ll make coffee.

@pandpSimone *pulls Simone back* Wait. I keep thinking about you. In that sexy thing...

Lyle leans in and kisses Simone. After, she looks away.

@pandplyle I’m glad you liked it. Agent Provocateur. $900 retail.

@pandpSimone I’m not thinking about the price, I’m thinking about who was wearing it.

Lyle pulls Simone close and starts kissing her neck. Simone closes her eyes, disinterested. Lyle begs.

@pandpSimone I said I was sorry... c’mon, give me a rain check... please... do you feel that? Don’t leave me like this...

Simone rolls her eyes and lies back down.

@pandplyle Just make it quick, darling. Like I know you can.

In the Randolph driveway... Brynn picks up one of Max’s toys on her way up the steps and enters the Randolph House.

Brynn walks into the kitchen, humming. The front door swings closed behind her...

As Lyle makes love to Simone, we hear the front door close with a LOUD BANG.

*alarmed* Brynn’s here!

@pandpSimone So what...

@pandplyle *pushes him* Get up, get up! I don’t want her seeing...

@pandpSimone Oh, Simone... I’m so close... I’m almost there...

@pandplyle Then hurry up and GET THERE. Or you’ll have to finish yourself!

Moments later, in the Randolph Kitchen, Brynn sets out the coffees and arranges fresh cut flowers in a vase.

Simone enters, wearing her robe. Brynn smiles warmly.

@pandpSimone And who’s in her robe this morning?

@pandpBrynn Yes, well, Lyle needed to sleep in. Oh, you stopped by the Beanery!

@pandpSimone Rodolpho’s off, isn’t he?

@pandpBrynn You remembered. Brynn...

Simone hugs Brynn tightly for a long beat. She finally lets go, softly touching Brynn’s face.

@pandpBrynn It’s just absurd how pretty you are. Any time of the day.

Brynn feels herself blushing. She turns away, struggling to push the conversation with Arthur out of her mind.

Lyle walks in, dressed for work. A spring in his step.

Good morning ladies!

@pandplyle Morning Lyle. How was D.C.?

Very productive. @pandpBrynn Brynn, I’m sorry about the little misunderstanding we had before I left...

Lyle grabs the paper. Brynn hands him a coffee.

@pandplyle Don’t give it a second thought.

Well, I should have checked.

Oh, and thanks for going to T.J.’s gala on such short notice. My wife tells me you were the best date she’s ever had.

Simone smiles.

@pandplyle It was a lot of fun.

*looks at his watch* Damn. I have to jet.

Lyle stops and gives Simone a long lingering kiss on the lips. Brynn looks down. As he walks out...

I’m going to grab dinner at the office tonight. Why don’t you girls have dinner out on me? I’ll pick up Max from Mother’s on my way home.

At HUNSTON HILL ACADEMY, Max sits in uniform at his desk. Unlike his classmates who appear older, Max’s feet barely touch the ground.

And so, who can tell me the roman numeral for... *writes on the board* 1802.

Max shoots his hand up. A large boy next to him snickers.

@pandpmax Max. Go ahead.

*loudly* M-D-C-C-C-I-I

Excellent! *writes on board* Because C is equal to 100.

@pandpmax *whispers to Max* C is equal to Cocksucker...

The large boy pushes his cheek out with his tongue and makes a jerky motion with his hand. The kids laugh. Max looks down at his desk.

LATER at THE FEDERALIST - Hunston Hill’s fine dining restaurant is packed with the city’s wealthiest residents, a line curls out the door.

Brynn sits in the giant center booth alone. A sea of designer dresses parade past.

She looks down at her off the rack summer dress, feeling out of place.

A murmur ripples through the restaurant as Simone finally glides through the door. The owner motions for a waiter.

Simone scoots in the booth close to Brynn.

@pandpBrynn I’m sorry I’m late. Have you been waiting long?

@pandpSimone Just a few minutes. I had no idea about the dress code.

@pandpBrynn Don’t worry about that. You’re with me.

Simone squeezes Brynn’s hand under the table. Brynn relaxes. A waiter sets down two glasses of champagne.

@pandpSimone Will you be having the usual Mrs. Randolph?

You don’t mind if I order for you? *off Brynn’s nod*

@pandpwaiter Yes. For two.

The waiter leaves. Simone looks at Brynn with a twinkle in her eye.

@pandpBrynn Guess why I was late?

@pandpSimone Your mother-in-law needed you to pick up cigarettes?

@pandpBrynn *laughs* I was pulled over by the police. For speeding!

@pandpSimone NO. Did you get a ticket?

@pandpBrynn Of course not! Randolphs don’t get tickets. They get badge numbers.

@pandpBrynn Anyway, I was speeding because I was coming back from Bridgeport.

@pandpSimone What were you doing in Bridgeport?

@pandpBrynn Picking up this. For you.

Simone sets a tiny wrapped box on the table.

@pandpSimone Simone!

@pandpBrynn It’s nothing. You know how I like to shop. I saw it and I thought of you.

Brynn stares at the little box without opening it.

@pandpBrynn Please don’t tell me you have a phobia of small boxes.

@pandpSimone *laughs* I was just trying to remember the last time someone gave me a gift.

@pandpBrynn Well, it won’t be your last from me. So go ahead.

Brynn undoes the ribbon and opens the tiny box. Inside is a simple necklace with a tiny platinum FOUR LEAF CLOVER.

Brynn nearly passes out seeing a symbol so closely associated with the LOGAN FAMILY.

@pandpBrynn Do you like it?

@pandpSimone *recovers* Yes, yes. I love it.

@pandpBrynn It’s a symbol of luck. And I guess that’s what you are to me.

@pandpBrynn For most of my life I’ve already had everything I wanted. Or felt entitled to it.

@pandpBrynn So I never really had that feeling of being lucky. Until I met you, of course.

@pandpSimone I don’t know what to say.

Brynn looks at Simone and her heart swells. She’s in trouble and she knows it. She leans in and hugs Simone.

@pandpSimone Thank you. For thinking of me...

@pandpBrynn *whispers* It’s impossible not to.

FLASHBACK to 1994: We are on the HUNSTON HILL ACADEMY football field...

A FOOTBALL COACH blows his whistle loudly. Eleven players in uniform slam into each other as the quarterback launches the ball long.

ON THE BLEACHERS A LONE TEENAGER sits doing homework. The FOOTBALL tumbles into view a few feet away.

Seconds later a BEEFY FOOTBALL PLAYER runs up to fetch the ball. The teenager looks up.

IT’S JACE. No, wait a minute. IT’S ARTHUR! He’s lean and handsome, wearing his school uniform jacket and tie.

@pandparthur What are you looking at?

@pandpfootball1 *sarcastic* Nothing. Clearly.

Another player trots up.

@pandparthur What are you doing here, Logan scum?

@pandpfootball2 C’mon man, don’t you know? He’s looking at us. He wants to see some big sweaty dicks.

@pandparthur Don’t you?

Arthur looks down, silent.

@pandparthur Answer him, fag!

*grabs his crotch* Is this what you want?

The players walk up to Arthur menacingly. He bravely closes his book and waits for the inevitable. Suddenly...

HEY! Give me the ball assholes!

@pandptj Sorry.*tosses the ball* We were taking care of a little PROBLEM.

The quarterback PULLS OFF HIS HELMET. It’s T.J. RANDOLPH. Homecoming King, drop dead gorgeous... and looking right at Arthur.

Arthur looks away, humiliated.

Yeah, we’re telling him he needs to move his gay ass to queersville. *in Arthur’s face* We don’t want you here.

The Skinny Player swats Arthur’s BOOKS off the bleachers. They scatter. He goes in for a swing.

In a flash, T.J. pulls the Skinny Player away from Arthur, sending him flying into the dirt.

Not on my team! KNOCK IT OFF!

@pandpfootball1 What the hell is wrong with you, man?

He likes dudes.

@pandpfootball1 What are you, five? We’ve got playoffs on Saturday and you’re wasting my time with this shit?

Get back on the field and get your stupid heads back in the game!

The two players glare at Arthur and trot off. T.J. picks Arthur’s books up, dusts them off and hands them back.

@pandparthur I’m sorry, those guys can be real assholes. You okay?

@pandptj *flustered* Yeah. I plan on putting all this in my autobiography someday…

@pandptj When I’m running the world and they’re working at Red Lobster. So it’s actually a good thing.

@pandparthur *laughs* That sounds about right. I’m T.J. by the way.

@pandptj Please. I know who you are.

@pandparthur Yeah, I know who you are too.

T.J.’s eyes pierce into Arthur.

@pandptj Our families don’t like each other so much.

@pandparthur Nope. But history doesn’t always have to repeat itself...

@pandparthur Anyway, I’d better head back. Nice meeting you, Arthur.

@pandptj You too… *shouts* and thanks!

@pandptj Thanks. You can get dressed now. Mr. Randolph? MR. RANDOLPH?

TO BE CONTINUED...

Coming up on TUESDAY APRIL 26th on P & P…

In SAKS FIFTH AVENUE, Simone flips over a tag reading $1900. She nods to a salesgirl who adds the dress to a PILE on the counter.

From behind Simone...

@pandpSimone Shopping binge? I thought you’d gotten help for that.

Simone whips around to face Meta Randolph.

@pandpmeta Leave me alone. I’m trying to keep my sanity.

@pandpSimone My brother’s being himself again?

@pandpmeta NO, this has nothing to do with him for once. Actually I suppose it does, but ANYWAY, I can’t talk about it.

Meanwhile, in DR. BISHOP’S OFFICE...

@pandptj T.J. Can I ask you a favor?

@pandpdrbishop Sure. Name it.

@pandptj Your sister-in-law, Simone? She brought a friend to your event.

@pandpdrbishop Ah, Brynn Leveque. She’s their new nanny.

@pandptj *smiles* A nanny. And she’s single, right?

And later… Brynn touches the necklace Simone gave her that she now wears.

@pandpSimone I should go. Thank you again for my beautiful clover. And for being...

Electricity fills the air. Brynn slowly leans in and kisses Simone gently... on the cheek. Simone closes her eyes.

@pandpSimone... a good friend.

@pandpBrynn Yes, we’re good friends. I don’t think I’ve ever had a good friend.

Thank you for watching! We'll see you TUESDAY APRIL 26th as things heat up on The Passionate & The Privileged!