Cliff House: Dead Flowers

May 20, 1993

SCENE: The study of the SPAULDING MANSION, daytime. JENNA and ROGER chat about “the poor departed Mr. Mancini.” Rex Mancini’s real name is BUZZ COOPER, and he didn’t go anywhere, but that’s another story. JENNA accuses ROGER of being jealous of MR. MANCINI’S interest in her. ROGER denies it. JENNA tells him he has nothing to worry about.

Soon, GRADY arrives to give JENNA a private warning about ROGER, and BLAKE comes with a file for ROGER. She doesn’t knock.

BLAKE and ROGER leave JENNA and GRADY in the study. As BLAKE leaves, she notices the roses JENNA was arranging in a vase. BLAKE and ROGER talk out in the hallway . . .

BLAKE: Well, it looks like the old homestead’s overflowing with flowers these days, isn’t it?

BLAKE picks up the bridal bouquet from Eleni and Frank’s wedding, which JENNA has left on a side table.

ROGER: Oh . . .

BLAKE: Oh, don’t tell me you didn’t notice.

ROGER: Well, those appear to be dead flowers.

BLAKE: No, not just any dead flowers—a wedding bouquet. Probably from Eleni’s wedding. And most likely that the lovely Ms. Bradshaw had to claw her way over a dozen ladies-in-waiting to snag it.

ROGER: I doubt that.

BLAKE: “Catch the bouquet and you’re next.” That’s what they say.

ROGER [smiling]: May I have the file, please?

BLAKE: That’s not the real reason that I came. How do you feel about marriage, Dad?

ROGER raises an eyebrow.

BLAKE: You can’t tell me that the subject of marriage hasn’t come up with Ms. British Airways.

ROGER: Well yes, I can, and it hasn’t.

BLAKE: Really? I would have thought that you’d have jumped at the chance to marry into ... all of this, plus Spaulding.

BLAKE tosses ROGER the bouquet, and he catches it.

ROGER: You see, I already did that. Remember how well it worked out?

BLAKE: Oh, but let’s face it, Dad. Being married to Jenna would be a lot more fun than sharing a towel with Alexandra Spaulding. And since it’s not going to work out with the true love of your life, Mom ...

ROGER: Let me have the file.

BLAKE: But it is her, isn’t it? I mean, no matter who else is in your life, it’ll always be Mom?

ROGER: Blake, that’s enough.

BLAKE: I guess it must be a dilemma. You can either go for the gold, which is what you’ve always done, or you can try again with the one true love of your life. Oh, but enough about you! Let’s talk about me.

ROGER: Okay, fair enough. All this talk about marriage—could it be that the wonderful Mr. Marler has finally popped the question?

BLAKE: No. Not that I care whether he does or not.

ROGER [skeptically]: Nah!

BLAKE: No! We’ve worked out our relationship, Daddy, and everything’s fine.

ROGER: Yeah, but I don’t think he’s even so much as broached the subject with you, has he?

BLAKE: Well, I’ve got the world on a string! A great guy, a terrific job, a pretty cool father, too. Okay, not the best mother in the world, but a pretty cute kitty cat. I like my life—I really do—so why would I risk the best time that I’ve had by blowing it and getting married?

ROGER: I didn’t say you wanted to get married. I think you want to be asked.

ROGER: You don’t need a proposal from Ross Marler to make you feel good.

BLAKE: Is that what you really think, Dad?

ROGER: I think you’ve got a whole lot of trouble valuing yourself, Chrissy. I think that you’ve always let the men in your life define who you are, when you’re better than all of them put together. And, look, that’s my fault. You didn’t have a father around when you were growing up.

BLAKE: Oh, no. Don’t do that!

ROGER: Yes, between your mother and me, there was always some trauma. There was always a crisis going on.

BLAKE: That’s because you love her.

ROGER: Listen, does it really make you feel better to think that I still carry a torch for your mom?

BLAKE: It’s not a torch. It’s more like a feeling, a feeling that is so strong that it can survive anything. Dad, I’m talking about a love that comes around once in a lifetime. And I don’t think you and I would know what to do if we really thought that it was over.

Later, ROGER and BLAKE rejoin JENNA and GRADY in the study.

JENNA: Oh, hello you two. What have you been up to out there?

ROGER: Well, Blake got hold of this story The Inquisitor was planning to run tomorrow.

JENNA: Hmmm. "Jenna Bradshaw: The Jewel Thief Who Would Be CEO".

BLAKE [smiling]: Nice picture though.

JENNA: Is this ever going to stop?

ROGER: As a matter of fact, it already has. I just got off the phone with the publisher of this rag, and reminded him of a pleasant little weekend he had in May with a woman who may or may not have been of age.

BLAKE: Those were nice pictures too.

JENNA [laughing] : So, they killed the story?

ROGER: May it rest in peace.

JENNA [very pleased]: Oh, you are brilliant!

ROGER: Aw, just part of the job, mam! Speaking of which ...

BLAKE: ... you want a ride back to Spaulding?

ROGER [giving JENNA a kiss]: No thanks. I got a few things to take care of first. Bye.

Hmmm....now just what could Roger mean by "a few things to take care of first"?

Same Day, Next Episode:
The Volcano