Cliff House: Jealous Hearts

April 19 and April 21, 1993

SCENE: It's the night ROGER has H.B. Lewis exposed (via BUZZ, aka REX MANZINI) at a "Man of the Year" dinner that was supposed to be in his honor. This scene takes place later that night ...

At ROGER’S apartment, everything is boxed up in anticipation of moving into the SPAULDING MANSION the next day. JENNA, who did not go to the LEWIS party, sits cross-legged in ROGER’S pants, belt, and shirt, waiting for him to come home.

ROGER comes in, a little tired, and finds this curious sight.

JENNA [facetiously]: Hark! Do I hear footsteps?

ROGER: What are you doing?

JENNA: Oh, don’t worry. I’ll tape them all back up again. I know it would take our movers at least three weeks to do it.

ROGER [amused]: What happened to you?

JENNA: Don’t worry about me. How was your shindig?

ROGER: You look like . . . Buster Keaton unleashed in a Gidget movie.

JENNA [laughs and hugs him]: Well, what was I supposed to do? They packed up every stitch of my clothes, and they left them all in boxes, so I’ve been hunting all night for something I could wear. All I could come up with were your clothes. [Rifling through a box, she finds . . . ] Sheets! Satin sheets! I think we should celebrate, since it’s our last night here, isn’t it?

ROGER: You’ll look a whole lot nicer in those sheets, although the pants are pretty cute.

They kiss.

JENNA: You, of course, have already been celebrating, haven’t you? I’ve been here all by myself.

She takes off ROGER’S jacket.

ROGER: You wouldn’t have enjoyed yourself.

JENNA: Oh, yeah? How come?

ROGER: Oh, it was just kind of a fiasco, you know? Another pillar of the community toppled, all rather sad, really.

JENNA: Oh, tell me!

ROGER: Suffice it to say that there will be no further clients of Spaulding Enterprises wooed away by the trustworthy aura of Lewis Oil. You’ll read all about it tomorrow. But if you want a preview, I’ll be glad to oblige.

Actually, JENNA’S mind seems elsewhere. There is a knock at the door, much to JENNA’S disappointment.

JENNA: Oh! Who is that?!

ROGER: Why don’t you go warm up those sheets while I see who this is?

JENNA: No, no. Why don’t I come see who this is with you?

They open the door, and find an outraged HART.

HART to ROGER: You knew it would happen. You knew I’d have no choice but to come to you. You want to turn them against me, don’t you? You think if you hit Billy low enough, if you hit him hard enough, you think he’s gonna get mad and kick me out and then I’ll be out in the cold again and you’ll be there! Well, that’s not gonna happen!

ROGER: Listen to me, son. This is between me and Billy Lewis. Don’t put yourself in the middle of this.

HART: How can I not be in the way? I am the reason you went after H.B. tonight and disgraced him in front of this whole town—in front of this whole state!

ROGER: H.B. Lewis is a tired old down-home hypocrite! Now, where does he get off putting himself up as an example for anything?!

HART: He is an example! He has a hell of a lot more guts, a hell of a lot more dignity in his worst hour than you’ve had in your whole life!

JENNA: What did Roger do?

HART [ignoring her]: Look, you didn’t show anybody up tonight except yourself! Don’t you get it, huh? I’d sooner work for H.B. and Billy for the rest of my life until the day I die—hell, I’d sooner fight a dog for a crust of bread—than to ever have to look at you again!

HART storms off, leaving a distressed ROGER behind.

The next day ...

MICHELE meets HOLLY in a booth at COMPANY.

MICHELLE: Okay, report!

HOLLY [thinking for a second, then says . . .]: Uh, what day is this?

MICHELLE: Wednesday.

HOLLY: Well, my not knowing that gives you an indication of just how exciting my life is these days, so why don’t we skip Holly Lindsey and go straight to you. How was your day?

MICHELLE [not enthusiastic]: It was okay.

HOLLY [puzzled]: You only had half a day of school.

MICHELLE: But double homework.

HOLLY: Ugh. . . I know what I want you to talk to me about. What happened with the meeting with Dr. Lyndon—and why did you run out of the hospital?

MICHELLE: I told you I didn’t want to talk to any psychiatrist.

HOLLY: Yeah, well, I can relate to that, but you said you were gonna try.

MICHELLE: I changed my mind.

HOLLY: Now, didn’t we have a deal about this?

MICHELLE: Uhm.

HOLLY: What was it? How did it go? You were gonna talk to her and then you could stay at my house for a few more days.

MICHELLE: Please don’t make me, Holly.

HOLLY [with a touch of mockery]: Ohh!

BLAKE joins them.

BLAKE: Is this a private party, or what?

MICHELLE: Hi, Blake!

BLAKE: Hey, honey! What are you gossiping about?

MICHELLE: Oh, my homework. Your mom’s helping me. You were lucky to have her when you were a kid. You must have gotten straight A’s with her around.

BLAKE looks pained.

HOLLY: So, what brings you here?

BLAKE: I thought I’d stop by and pick up some lunch for Dad.

HOLLY: And champagne, no doubt. You must be celebrating over at Spaulding. [HOLLY gives BLAKE a pointed look.]

BLAKE [Stops short a second]: Oh, you’re talking about what happened to H.B. Lewis at the Governor’s Ball last night? I didn’t have anything to do with that.

HOLLY: Of course not.

BLAKE: Honest! That was a WSPR thang.

HOLLY: That was a Roger Thorpe “thang,” and anybody—

BLAKE: Mom, I heard about that when everybody else did! Okay, do you know how Gilly got that story, because I don’t.

HOLLY [Cuts her off, talks to MICHELLE]: Okay, what’s our agenda today? Let’s see. Why don’t we do the math first, and then you can have your ice cream, and then we’ll do history?

BLAKE [To MICHELLE]: I’ve got to go, honey.

MICHELLE: Bye, Blake!

BLAKE: See you later!

HOLLY gets beside MICHELLE in the booth, and BLAKE, ordering ROGER’S lunch at the bar watches the two of them. BLAKE looks vulnerable.

Meanwhile, at ROGER’S office at WSPR ...

"Jealous Hearts" continued...