Thanks for the reviews!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
APL Financial Miami, 8am next day
Scott: *steps off elevator*
Bob: Hey! Scotty! *walks over*
Scott: *smiles* Hey.
Bob: *wraps arms around Scott*
Scott: Oof.
Bob: How are you? *lets go* I haven't seen you in ages.
Scott: *smiling* I'm doing alright, how about yourself?
Bob: *lifts hand* Married man now.
Scott: *blinks* Wow, congratulations. Who's the lucky...person?
Bob: His name's Jim. He works across the street at an insurance company.
Scott: *smiles* I'm happy for you. You deserve the best.
Bob: *nods* So how's the new job? I hear you work the uh, second largest firm?
Scott: *laughs*
Bob: *smiles*
Scott: It's a great place to work. *walks away*
Bob: *follows* You plan on moving up?
Scott: Nah, I don't think so. For now, I'm comfortable where I am in the company.
Bob: And how about in your life? I saw the news a little while ago. Couldn't believe they were talking about the same Scott Finch I know. Hostage-taking?
Scott: I made the wrong decision.
Bob: You aren't still using, are you?
Scott: No.
Bob: I'm glad to hear it. I'll tell you, I hate reading the Obits because I can't help but look for your name.
Scott: *nods*
Bob: *stops walking, takes Scott's arm* Are you really going to commit to this?
Scott: I'm taking it a day at a time.
Bob: *nods*
Scott: ...Sometimes an hour at a time.
Bob: What happened to you? You used to run the number 1 investment firm on the planet. You were one of Forbes top 10 CEOs. *scratches head* You have a beautiful wife and 2 wonderful kids. What the hell was so wrong in your life that you would rather die?
Scott: I don't have an excuse.
Bob: It's just frustrating. I don't like to see someone I care about and who I looked up to, lose everything. And for what?
Scott: I apologize for disappointing you and this company.
Bob: Well I'm sorry that I didn't help you when I should have.
Scott: It wasn't your problem, it was mine.
Bob: I let you shoot up heroin in an airport bathroom. I watched you get high in your condo. That doesn't make me a very good friend.
Scott: *lowers head*
Bob: *sigh* ...I'm sorry. *hugs Scott*
Scott: *blinks*
Bob: *hugs tighter*
Scott: Uh...*pats Bob on the back*
Bob: *starts to cry* I love you, man.
Scott: *looks around*
Bob: *sniffs*
Scott: *winces* I need my lungs.
Bob: *steps back* Oh.
Scott: Why don't we grab a coffee sometime and catch up.
Bob: *wipes eyes* Sure, definitely.
Scott: But for future reference...I don't like being touched. Nothing personal.
Bob: Right.
Gables Estates, house, 11am
Scott: *walks in*
Steph: *coloring on paper*
Anni: Yours looks way better than mine, Steph.
Steph: *smiles*
Scott: *walks over*
Anni: *lifts eyes*
Scott: Where's Lori?
Anni: She had to take Dominick to an appointment.
Scott: *sits in chair*
Steph: Daddy, you want to color?
Scott: No thank you.
Anni: It's very therapeutic.
Scott: *stares at Anni*
Anni: Are you okay?
Scott: Yes. I was just thinking.
Anni: 'Bout what?
Scott: Nothing important.
Anni: *nods*
Steph: Daddy, can I go play outside?
Scott: Yes you can. But stay in the backyard.
Steph: Okay. *stands, runs*
Anni: *scribbles on paper* Did I mean anything to you?
Scott: *looks at Anni*
Anni: When we were together. Or were you just being a man and taking advantage of the situation?
Scott: *lifts brow* Anni, I care about you. Deeply. I don't get involved with people on a whim, I'm not Tom. I've only been with 3 women in my life.
Anni: ...Really?
Scott: Apparently it makes me endearing.
Anni: *smiles*
Scott: *grabs paper and crayon*
Anni: So...in another life where Tom and Lori didn't exist...
Scott: *smirks* Here we go again.
Anni: Come on, entertain the idea just a little.
Scott: Okay. So it's a perfect world, right?
Anni: Exactly. No Tom and Lori, no Visa bills, and New York is completely in tact.
Scott: *smiles* And we happen to meet and get involved.
Anni: Yes. I figure we met at a silent auction on Broadway.
Scott: Nice. What did I bid on?
Anni: A trip to Paris. Two tickets.
Scott: Right so naturally, I'll need a date.
Anni: Enter Anni Grey. We fall madly in love on the trip and can't stand to be away from one another. Which leads you to pop the question a few months down the road.
Scott: I figure you have this all planned out.
Anni: You propose at the top of the Empire State Building. On Valentines Day. OH and you get all teary-eyed and cute and when I say yes, we have this romantic kiss and I can tell that we're going to be together forever.
Scott: *nods*
Anni: And then you take me on this twilight snowy carriage ride in Central Park. OH and then we retire to the bedroom and snuggle closely all night, feeling one with each other. *sigh*
Scott: ...Uh huh.
Anni: And the next morning, you make me strawberry waffles with a little side of butter and serve it to me in bed. Now, I'm on the fence about whether we'll buy a villa in the country or a condo in the city. I'm thinking we flip a brownstone so we can make room for the kids.
Scott: *blinks* Kids.
Anni: Rory and Emily.
Scott: *stares at Anni*
Anni: And every morning before you leave for work in your Porsche, you give me the paper and a kiss on the cheek. So I give you your mug of coffee. And sometimes I meet you for lunch and we take a walk down Broadway, reminiscing about how we first met.
Scott: *looks down at table*
Anni: And that's when I tell you I'm pregnant again and you get all excited and have to tell strangers on the street. So anyway, w-
Scott: Hold on. You seem to have really put some thought into this...hypothetical situation.
Anni: It's just a rough draft. Of course in this scenario, I'm not 20 years your senior.
Scott: No. I wouldn't change you at all.
Anni: *looks at Scott* Really?
Scott: *nods* I'm sure I'd love you just the way you are.
Anni: You love me?
Scott: *blinks* That's not wha-
Anni: I LOVE YOU TOO! *hugs Scott*
Scott: *stares blankly*
Anni: Wait. *lets go* What?
Scott: *stares at Anni*
Anni: What did I just say?
Scott: You love me.
Anni: And what did you say?
Scott: Something completely different.
Anni: ...But you can understand my confusion.
Scott: Uh, right now
I'm a little confused.
Anni: Great, let's forget it then.
Scott: Anni, I'm not going to ignore what you just said. Do you really feel that way?
Anni: It doesn't matter. You have Lori, I have Tom, the end. It's the way it has to be.
Scott: Why?
Anni: *blinks* Because you love her and I love Tom. I was getting onto your page, stop flipping them about.
Scott: You love me.
Anni: Stop repeating it.
Scott: Why didn't you just tell me before?
Anni: *scoffs* Yeah right. You only have eyes for Lori, remember? Just like every other man I've ever loved. Except Tim but don't even get me started on his major malfunction with Katie. Ugh. *slams head onto table* I can't believe I got a drunken tattoo of a finch.
Scott: What?
Anni: *lifts head* What?
Scott: *stares at Anni*
Anni: Oh yeah, you don't know about that. It's okay, it looks enough like a sparrow. No one will know. Except maybe Speed and Katie. And Tom. And Horatio but he knows everything.
Scott: ...Is there anything else I should know?
Anni: Uh, let's see. *counts on fingers* I can't stop thinking about you, dreaming about you, seeing things that remind me of you and well, last night when Tom and I were together, I may have actually said your name instead of his. BUT it's okay because Tom doesn't pay attention to anything but himself when he's in the moment.
Scott: *blinks*
Anni: *sigh* I wish I was the drug addict prostitute so I could have met you first.
Scott: *rubs eyes*
Anni: OH! I have the perfect idea. Okay. You divorce Lori, I'll divorce Tom and they can get married and live happily ever after so we can be together.
Scott: Uh...
Lori: *walks in* Hey! We're back!
Scott: Thank God. *stands*
Lori: *walks over*
Scott: Where have you been?
Lori: I took Dom to one of those child psychologists.
Dominick: *runs upstairs*
Scott: How'd it go?
Lori: She wants to see him twice a week.
Scott: Sounds good.
Lori: You guys hungry? I was planning to cook up that recipe Tom gave me.
Scott: Tom gave you a recipe?
Lori: Yeah, 5-alarm chili. He says it was a Christmas family tradition at his place when he was a kid. You like spicy food, right?
Scott: I love it.
Lori: *smiles* Excellent. *walks away*
Anni: Lucky bitch. *kicks table*
Lori: *turns around* What?
Anni: Yummy dish.
TBC....................................