Cliff House: Jealous Hearts, Part 2

Meanwhile, at WSPR, JENNA sits up on ROGER's desk as he tries to read through a file. She displays her legs prominently.

ROGER gives up.

ROGER: C’mon. How’s a guy gonna concentrate with those gorgeous endless legs stretched out here. C’mon!

JENNA: Ooh! I think you have amazing powers of concentration. You have . . . amazing powers, period.

ROGER: Don’t you have some business to attend to at Spaulding?

JENNA: All my business usually was taking care of Lewis piracy, but you seem to have taken care of that in one fell swoop.

ROGER: You sound awfully sure of yourself.

JENNA: Well, I am. That was quite a bloodbath. You left them bleeding. . . [Laughs] And now, I finally understand why people hate you.

ROGER: Oh, does it bother you?

JENNA: Noooo.

ROGER: You’re lying.

JENNA: Well, no, no, really it doesn’t. It just make me wonder, if you’re capable of doing that to the Lewises, getting them where they’re most vulnerable, where they’ll feel it the most, where do you draw the line, Roger? Or is there a line?

ROGER: Oh, of course there’s a line—between “us” and “them.” Now look, it’s true. I fight with whatever I have at my disposal. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as long as I’m on your side.

JENNA [laughs]: Are you truly on my side?

ROGER: Oh, I cannot believe you are asking this question again!

JENNA: Well, if you keep doing things without telling me about them!

ROGER: Well, okay, all right, okay. I understand. You’ve been pretty let down in the trust department, especially when it comes to men.

JENNA: Especially . . .

ROGER: See, from now on, nobody had better come after you ever again, or they’re gonna have to deal with me. [They kiss.]

A troubled BLAKE bursts in—without knocking.

BLAKE: Daddy, I need to talk to you. [taking in the view] . . . Bad time?

JENNA: Actually, it is.

ROGER [notices that something is wrong]: Are you all right?

BLAKE: Well, yeah. I mean, I will be.

JENNA is irritated. ROGER turns to her.

ROGER: Would you mind, honey? I’ll catch up with you as soon as we’re finished.

JENNA: Uhmm.

JENNA turns to go, and ROGER says one last thing to her in an aside.

ROGER: Wait, wait. I’ll make it up to you, I promise. We’ll christen our new place tonight, okay?

JENNA: Umm-hmm.

As he shuts the door, JENNA hears BLAKE through it.

ROGER: What’s the matter, honey?

BLAKE: I just ran into Mom. You’re the only person I can talk to about her.

JENNA doesn’t like this, but she doesn’t listen to any more.

We next find JENNA very shortly thereafter at the bar in COMPANY trying to get her old buddy GRADY on the telephone. As she talks, she doesn’t see HOLLY coming up beside her.

JENNA [Into the phone]: You’re supposed to meet me here, to help me with the movers. I have left messages for you every five minutes. Where are you? Did you pilfer my limo and go look at art shows?

JENNA hangs up, and notices HOLLY. Then she sees MICHELLE. HOLLY watches them carefully during the ensuing conversation.

MICHELLE: Jenna?

JENNA: Oh, my goodness! Hello! I didn’t see you here. You look beautiful—and so grown up!

MICHELLE [flattered]: Thank you!

JENNA: Listen, from today on, you and I are going to be neighbors. We must have tea.

MICHELLE: You moved in?

JENNA: Well, almost.

HOLLY cuts in with: “The Spaulding mansion becomes chez Bradshaw. Well, sic transit Jenna.”

BUZZ arrives. A little later, there is a shot of HOLLY looking out the window, not displeased, watching them leave together.

Back in ROGER’S WSPR OFFICE, we miss a little of the conversation between ROGER and BLAKE, but come back in with . . .

ROGER: Holly actually accused you—

BLAKE: Well, not in so many words. Michelle was there, so she was very subtle about it. But she was taking digs at me for working at Spaulding with you.

ROGER: So, you want me to tell her that you’re innocent in all this?

BLAKE: Yes!

ROGER: And when is the last time she believed me—about anything?

BLAKE: Well, she hasn’t believed a word I’ve said in months!

ROGER: She’s at Company now?

BLAKE: Yeah, with Michelle. She hangs out there a lot with her these days. I guess she . . . helps with her homework, or . . . I don’t remember her ever helping me with my homework like that. . . . Do I sound jealous?

ROGER: Are you?

BLAKE [embarrassed]: Of a little girl whom I adore! What kind of monster am I?

ROGER: You’re no monster. You may be reading a little too much into this. Your mother’s got nothing but time on her hands right now, and of course, she feels sorry for Michelle.

BLAKE: So do I. It just really hurts to see her treat Michelle in a way she never treated me.

ROGER: I know. I know things are really bad between the two of your right now, but she really does love you, you know?

BLAKE: Well, thanks for trying to make me feel better, Daddy, but I don’t think so. No, you know, I think she’s really sweet to Michelle because of . . . who her father is.

BLAKE’S back is turned to ROGER as she says this, and he braces himself as he hears it.

ROGER: What do you mean?

BLAKE: Ed. I mean, don’t you think Mother would have loved me a lot more had I actually turned out to be Ed’s daughter after all? . . . I’m sorry.

ROGER: No, no, no, no, no! Don’t be sorry. You’re absolutely right. Your problem with Holly is me. You remind her of me, so she holds you at arm’s length, she holds you suspect. The fact is, your mom needs scapegoats wherever she can find them, and you and I are it, kid.

ROGER hugs BLAKE, and says, “She does love you, honey. And I love you, too. But you know that. You and your brother—the most precious people in my life.”

BLAKE doesn’t look entirely happy with the mention of her brother, but she seems somewhat comforted.

BLAKE: Listen, I should be going. I have a lot of phone calls to make.

ROGER: Hey, why don’t you just use my office? I’m on my way out. I promise you nobody will disturb you here.

BLAKE: Great. I will. I’ll take you up on that.

ROGER: All right. Things are going to work out. You’ll see.

ROGER kisses her cheek before he leaves.

A bit later in the afternoon . . . ROGER finds HOLLY and MICHELLE at COMPANY.

ROGER: Holly?

HOLLY: Michelle is sitting there.

ROGER: I know.

HOLLY: So, did Blake go running to Daddy?

ROGER: Where is Michelle?

HOLLY: She’s upstairs. She’ll be back any minute.

ROGER: See, comments like that, “Did Blake go running to Daddy?” I mean—

HOLLY: Didn’t she?

ROGER: Blake works for “Daddy.”

HOLLY: Blake does Daddy’s dirty work.

ROGER: Why are you so quick to accuse her?

HOLLY: I can’t believe you’re still coming to me about her. That water ran under that old bridge a long time ago.

ROGER: Well, just help me to understand, okay, because I don’t. You love our daughter. Why do you keep giving her grief?

HOLLY: Why are you really here?

MICHELLE joins them.

MICHELLE: Hi, Mr. Thorpe.

ROGER: Hi, Michelle! Good to see ya. How’s school?

MICHELLE: Pretty good. Holly’s been helping me with my homework.

ROGER: Oh, yeah?

MICHELLE: She’s so smart.

HOLLY: Flattering me again.

ROGER: What’s your favorite subject?

MICHELLE: English.

ROGER: English . . . English for $400.

HOLLY [enjoying herself . . . rather pointedly interrupts]: Yes . . . We have been discussing truth in journalism, the obligation of the media. Now who better to discuss this than Mr. Thorpe? Why don’t you tell Michelle about the truth?

MICHELLE: It’s like when you see those magazines in the supermarket, “President Clinton Kidnapped By Martians.”

ROGER: Well, those are more like comic strips, really, Michelle.

HOLLY: Not to be confused with responsible news outlets like WSPR, which report only the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but, right Roger?

ROGER: Yes, that’s right, Holly.

ROGER says this a bit facetiously. Underneath the scene, the “on the bed in Acapulco” music is playing.

MICHELLE: I just came down to get my books anyway. Julie’s gonna help me with my Spanish— not that you’re not good at it.

HOLLY: No, good. Spanish is “Greek to me”. I’m glad you found Julie. I’ll catch you later.

ROGER to MICHELLE: Here’s your pencil.

MICHELLE: Bye, Mr. Thorpe.

ROGER: Hasta luego!

ROGER turns to HOLLY as MICHELLE leaves.

ROGER: Sweet girl. So, you and she are spending a lot of time together, huh?

HOLLY: Anything wrong with that?

ROGER: Not at all. Good work, I suppose.

HOLLY: What do you mean, “good work”?

ROGER: Well, since you’re such a bust with casseroles, I suppose the best way to Ed is through his daughter.

HOLLY: Ed and me? No, Roger. You’re losing your keen sense of perception. But maybe Jenna can help you get it back. It could take . . . the better part of a lifetime.

ROGER smiles knowingly.

Next Scene:
It's Always Personal