Part 47
-- Opening Music --
( Henry and Viena are... ahh... hmm... making out
in their diner.))
Viena (laughing): We're going to miss Jack and Katy's engagement party if we don't stop.
Henry: Who?
Viena (kissing Henry): Oh, you're terrible.
Henry: I think you oughtta listen to me. I think that - after a long day of serving our loyal customers and earning an honest buck, we owe it to ourselves to enjoy all the perks of being our own bosses. (kisses Viena)
Viena: Mmmm.
(Colonel Meyer walks into the diner, sees Henry and Viena and is surprised/shocked.)
Colonel Meyer: Woah!
Viena: Oh!
(Colonel Meyer raises a hand up to cover his face.)
Colonel Meyer: Pardon me! I'm sorry, I must be in the wrong place. I'm looking for a Henry Coleman.
Viena: Oh- No, no, no! No, you found him.
(Viena begins flirting with Colonel Meyer)
Viena: Henry, this very handsome man is here to see you.
(Henry reaches out to shake Colonel Meyer's hand.)
Henry: Hi! Hi, how are you? How's it going? Um, we're closed.
Colonel Meyer: The sign outside said "Open 24 Hours".
Henry: Yeah, well it's kind of - of a private party, if you know what I'm saying. Can you come back tomorrow?
(Colonel Meyer is flustered, shakes his head.)
Colonel Meyer: You know? Perhaps I should introduce myself. I'm Colonel Winston Meyer. My son Noah is-is moving in with your sister and I thought under the circumstances we-we should probably meet.
(Colonel Meyer leans forward to shake Henry's hand again).
Henry: Yeah. Absolutely. Yes, yes. It's a pleasure-pleasure to meet you, sir. Maddie has told me so- you're a Colonel?
(Viena pats a booth)
Viena: Here! Please, sit down.
Colonel Meyer: Oh no. I couldn't.
(Viena is still coming on quite strongly to Colonel Meyer).
Viena: And yes you're right. We should get friendly.
Colonel Meyer (flustered and embarassed): No - Thank you. Ah - You and Mr. Coleman seem very busy.
Viena: Oh no, no, no. We were just fooling around. We can do that anytime. Please, sit! (She pats the booth).
-- Scene shift to Noah, Luke, and Maddie walking in the shops of Oakdale. Maddie is talking to Luke. --
Maddie: And it's really great how they have these cute, little one bedroom apartments near the campus.
Luke: Oh! So you guys are getting a one bedroom?
Maddie: Well, I- that's all the space we need *shrug*, and its all we can afford (looks at Noah who chuckles) but we think we found the perfect place, right?
(Luke is distressed, looks down and tries to drop out of the coversation discretely.)
Noah: Yeah, we liked it so much, we were ready to sign the lease right there.
Luke: Well. I've heard, once you find the right one, you know.
(Noah is disconcerted by Luke's off-hand comment, tries to shrug it off. Noah's father, Holden, walks by.)
Luke: Dad! Dad, hey what's going on? I thought you and mom were going to a party at the farm?
Holden (looks down at the paper he's carrying): Yeah, in a bit.
Luke: Is everything okay?
Holden: Yeah *forced smile* Everything's fine.
(Holden looks at Noah and Maddie.)
Luke: Okay. (pauses to introduce Noah and Maddie) Well you know Maddie, and this is Noah.
Maddie (smiling): Hey.
Noah: How are ya?
Holden: Luke's mentioned you before.
Noah (shaking Holden's hand): Nice to meet you, sir.
Holden: Nice to meet you too.
(Luke suddenly grabs his father's shoulder and pulls him to the side.)
Luke: Dad, really, what's going on? You're acting very strange.
Holden: Have you heard about the shooting?
Luke: What?
Holden: At the Lakeview?
Luke: What? Let me see this.
(Luke receives the newspaper and opens it up.)
Maddie: Oh my god, Noah. Look! That's the woman we saw Dusty arguing with. He grabbed her and said she'd be sorry. Remember?
Noah: Yeah, I know. That's crazy!
Holden: Wait. You heard Dusty threaten her?
Maddie: We walked in on it. (turns to Luke) Your mom must be freaking out!
Luke: Oh yeah, probably. I mean, its her hotel and Dusty's a good friend of hers.
Maddie: Wait. I mean, not only that, she was...
Holden (suspicious): She was what?
(Quet moment. Everyone is on edge.)
Holden: Maddie?
Maddie: Shhhhe was there too.
Holden: What exactly did you hear Dusty say to this Cheri woman?
Maddie: Well she said something like she was- ah- she meant to hurt him, and she was glad that she did, and then he told her that she would be sorry and thats when Mrs. Snyder interrupted them.
Luke: Hey, mom didn't tell you about any of this?
Holden: Well, I- I've barely seen your mother lately. I mean, we talked about it briefly.
(Luke turns to Maddie)
Luke: Well did you hear what this woman said, like how she was gonna hurt Dusty?
Holden: Cheri Love was the one responsible for posting that video of Dusty and Alison Stewart online.
Noah: Man! That explains why Dusty was so upset. I mean, putting his personal life out there for everyone to see and talk about.
Maddie: You know, I'm so sorry. I told Henry that I'd meet him so he can cosign the lease.
Noah: Do you want me to come with you?
Maddie: No, that's fine. Besides, you wanted to edit some Invisible Girl, right?
(Holden turns to Luke)
Holden: Is that the project you've been writing?
Luke: Yeah! Yeah, Noah's directing and editing, and Maddie, as you know, is our star.
Maddie: Yes, but its a very tough job, I might add.
(Noah and Luke laugh.)
Maddie: You guys gonna be back at the studio?
Noah: Well I do have to do some editing. I didn't know Luke was gon-
Luke: Well, I was gonna do some writing, but if you guys -
Noah: I don'-
Luke: No, no, no! It's okay. Go. Go, go. I, ah, have to talk to my dad anyways.
Noah: It was very nice to meet you, sir. (Leans forward to shake Holdens hand again).
Holden: You too.
Maddie (soft and sweet): Bye.
Luke: Bye bye.
(Maddie and Noah exit.)
Holden: Everything alright at work?
Luke (a little too cheerfully): Yeah!
Holden: Something just seemed a little off! You didn't want to help with that edit.
Luke: Ah, Noah knows what he's doing. He doesn't need me looking over his shoulder.
Holden: Hmm. Seems like a good kid. Don't you like him?
Luke (pauses): What? Oh.. yeah! Def- yeah. Yeah.
Holden (not quite to the point of shaking his head at Luke): What's going on?
Luke (pauses, considers): I really, really don't wanna talk about this with you.
Holden: I just don't wanna see you unhappy, especially after everything that happened with Kevin.
Luke: Okay, Kevin? That was completely different. You know. Kevin wasn't g-. It was just different.
Holden: Yes. This is different! You work with this guy. He's dating Maddie. She's your
friend.
Luke: Dad! I know. I get it, and I have it under control. So don't worry, okay?
Holden: You're my son. One day you'll be 52, and you know what I'll be worried about?
Luke (whispering): What?
Holden: You.
Luke (laugh): I'm fine.
Holden: Alright.
Luke: So, why didn't mom tell you about this fight between Dusty and this Cheri woman?
Holden: You know, things are just getting crazy with me and your mom lately.
Luke: Right. Look, what's going on between you two?
Holden: You know what? Don't worry about it. (forces a smile)
Luke: Dad? One day, you'll be 52, and you know what I'll be worried about?
Holden: What?
Luke: That you didn't do everything you could to fix things with mom.
(Luke exits).
-- Scene shift back to diner. Colonel Meyer is watching Viena try to clean lipstick off of Henry's neck. --
Viena: How did you manage to get lipstick all the way over
here?
Henry: Ah, yes. Well some things must remain a mystery, sweetheart. (to Colonel Meyer) So I- I am really glad you stopped by, Sir. Colonel. Colonel-Sir.
Colonel Meyer: You can call me Win (smiling).
(Viena suddenly puts her hand over Colonel Meyer's.)
Viena: Oh! Win! That's a fantastic name! You must be a lucky man.
(Colonel Meyer smiles broadly at Viena.)
Colonel Meyer: Well, not as lucky as -- (Henry clears his throat). I suppose, yes!
Viena: Oh, well you most certainly are a very handsome man! (Viena caresses Colonel Meyer's hand). No wonder, our dear Madeleine is so crazy about your son! (Viena flies up from her seat and hugs Colonel Meyer). Oh, and Henry's right. It's so good to meet you!
Henry: Sweetheart! Down! Let the man breathe!
Colonel Meyer: Umm, y-your sister tells me you- you recently acquired this establishment.
Henry: Ah, yes!
Viena: Well, Henry actually won it with the most glorious hand in-
Henry: You know, I don't think the Colonel needs to hear all these boring details.
Colonel Meyer: And did you always want to be.. in the service industry?
Henry: No, I just sort of fell into it.
Colonel Meyer (blinks): And - ah, what did you do before?
Henry (clears throat): A little of this, a little of that.
Viena: Oh! Please, don't be so modest, Henry. (to Colonel Meyer) Before, Henry, he was a card shark! He was a TV producer! He was a private investigator! And he was a limo driver. So you might say that I... have... a thing for men in
uniform... *raises her eyebrows*
Henry: What-what is it that you- you do, Colonel?
Colonel Meyer (pauses, blinks): I'm a Colonel... in the Army. Retired, of course.