From: Kristen.K.Patterson@dartmouth.edu (Kristen K. Patterson)

Thursday, January 4, 1996 in The City:

I.  Sydney hunts for a king
II.  Angie had the right idea, but the wrong guy
III.  Tony proves that adage that you should be careful when you
  eavesdrop, because you might just hear something you didn't
  want to

Sydney hunts for a king
=======================
Tess comes out of the New York Public Library.  She's collected a
bunch of articles on Jared and Sydney Chase.  A cab drops Richard
off in, and he startles her.  He makes a snide remark resembling
"Tess Wilder at a library; now I've seen everything."  Tess says
even a dumb blonde has to read a book now and then.  Richard says
he'd never call her dumb.  Tess asks for his help in tracking down
his stepdad, and asks when the last time he saw Jared was.
Richard asks what she wants with Jared.  Tess says his help to
get Sydney's meat hooks off her agency.  Richard says last time
she asked Jared for a favor, he wasn't very helpful.  Tess said
she only had 2 minutes on the phone.  Richard says that's 2 minutes
more than he ever had, and if she wants the inside track on Chasey,
she better look somewhere else.  "So, you have no idea where he is?"
Tess asks.  No clue, says Richard.  Tess comments that Sydney was
supposed to meet him in Switzerland, but she didn't go.  Richard
sarcastically says he's heartbroken.  Tess asks if he'd know where
in Switzerland Jared might be.  Richard doesn't know, and he doesn't
care.  He says this isn't about the agency at all, it's about her want-
ing to warm up a lonely old billionaire's bits on a mountaintop, right?
Tess says she thinks Jared has felt a much hotter flame than hers.
Tess hails a cab.

Jacob's playing the piano in the bar, while Nick hangs out at the bar.
Sydney comes in, and Buck asks her why she didn't go one her skiing
trip.  Sydney remarks that "there was a bit of a thaw," while eyeing
Nick.  Buck goes to get her coffee, and Sydney joins Leonard, her
chess partner from the park.  He chastises her for being late.  He
didn't want to meet her there, but Sydney gets him to play.  She
comments that he hasn't taken his coat off.  Leonard says he hasn't
been warm since August, but he'd rather be freezing outside than
be inside.  He doesn't like artsy Soho types.  Sydney tells him to be
tolerant.  Leonard thinks she's trying to distract him from his game,
and takes her knight.  Nick comes over and comments that not many
people can best Sydney at chess.  Leonard asks who he is.  Nick says
another one of her knights.  Leonard's skeptical; Nick says his shining
armor is at the cleaner's.  Syd looks amused.  Leonard is impatient.
Syd makes a move.  Nick continues to make small talk, asking her how
her trip was.  Sydney says she was never all that keen on skiing, too
much snow.  She asks him how his New Year's Eve was, and he says
he wouldn't mind repeating it.  Syd tells him there are 364 days to
go, and Nick says he was thinking in the more immediate future.
Leonard snipes that *he's* thinking of the game, and he's made his
move.  Sydney moves a piece, and says "check."  Leonard gets up
testily, and tells her he'll be by the pool table; let him know when
she has time to fit him in.  Syd says he's just mad because she's
winning.  Sydney invites Nick to finish the game.  He says that
depends on what game.  She gives him choice of games, and he
says he prefers no games at all.  Sydney says it's been awhile
since she's played that one.  Nick says she did okay last night, is
she ready for round 2?  Sydney smiles coyly.  Nick says the only
part of the evening he could have lived without was being all by
himself in Buck's loft.  Sydney says she may be old-fashioned, but
she's not going to cheat on her husband.  Even if you don't love him?
asks Nick, that's not old-fashioned, that's masochistic.  "Disciplined,"
Sydney corrects him.  Nick is astounded that in 20 years of marriage,
she's never... (What?  Had an affair?  Had sex?)  Nick admires her
will of iron, and thinks they belong together.  "Not in this lifetime,"
Sydney says, and comments that his might be rather short if he keeps
drinking so much.  She immediately apologizes, and says she's glad he
quit drinking.  Nick says it almost sounds like she cares.  Syd says it's
not like she wants to see him dead.  Nick says that's a start.  Sydney
says they had their start, and their end, but they never had the middle,
and it's too late now.  Nick says he hasn't yet begun to fight.  Syd
thinks she can take him on.  Nick says it wouldn't be any fun if she
couldn't.  Syd licks her chops (well, lips).  Nick has to leave.  Sydney
asks where he's going.  He says if he's going to win her heart, he has
to get in training.  He goes up the stairs and looks down into the bar,
then collapses.  Buck runs upstairs.
Sydney has gone to get Leonard, and Tess comes and sits at her table.
Syd says sorry, but there's a game in progress.  Tess says yes there
is, and she's going to win it.  Syd boots Leonard.  She asks if Tess
plays chess.  Tess says she knows enough to know you can't play
without a king, and she's got Sydney's.  Excuse me? Sydney asks.
Tess says she and Jared spent New Year's Eve together.

Angie had the right idea, but the wrong guy
===========================================
Jacob apologizes to Buck for doubting his ability to keep Nick clean
and sober.  Buck says to give Nick some credit, too; he was out all
night without Buck's supervision, and didn't drink.  Buck comments
that things are going better; Tess is happier, Jacob and Angie seem
to be working things out about Kayla... Jacob is noncommital.  Buck
says he still hasn't found all the checkers pieces.  Jacob apologizes
for Kayla's childish display.  Buck says it's spooky; Kayla is out of
control around Jacob, but is the perfect little angel around Angie.
Jacob's noticed.  Buck asks if Angie has?  Jacob says no, and he
isn't going to bring it up to her, either.

Nick (before the above scenes) goes over to Jacob and says his music
is nice, and he doesn't lie about music.  Jacob's working on "Angie
and Jacob's Song," which doesn't have any lyrics.  Nick says there's
a lot of love in that tune.  Jacob says there's a lot of inspiration,
while eyeing Angie, who is talking to Frank at a table.  Frank's in a
mood and not talking.  Angie asks if he's upset about her moving in
with Jacob.  No, Frank says, it's about you becoming Kayla's foster
mother.  Frank thinks it's a mistake.  He has nothing against Kayla,
but he thinks in this society, it would be confusing for Kayla growing
up with a black parent.  Frank says what she's doing is great, but...
"just don't do it with a white child," Angie finishes.  Frank points out
that for every white child that needs a home, there are 20 black
children who do.  Angie is concerned with a little girl, not with stat-
istics.  She sees his point, and says if she had just decided out of the
blue to become a foster parent, she would have picked a black child,
but it just happened this way, and she won't turn her back on Kayla
just because she's white, period.  Frank says he didn't expect this to
be an easy conversation.  Angie says she loves him and understands
how he feels.  She remembers when she was in college... Frank says
it isn't about college, it's about society and their people.  Angie says
she and Jesse always tried to give Frank a sense of his heritage. 
Frank says he's talking about the present and the future.  Angie says
that's what the clinic is about.  Frankie says he's not a baby, quit
patronizing him.  Angie denies that she is.  Frank says he's late for
class, but he'll call later to continue this conversation.  "Frankie,"
she calls after him.  He snaps at her to call him Frank.  Jacob asks
him what's up, as he stalks by.  He asks Angie what's going on.
Angie says she and Frank are at a bit of an impasse.  She says she
owes Jacob an apology; when she asked if Kayla's being white
bothered him, it looks like she was asking the wrong person.  

Tony proves that adage that you should be careful when you eaves-
drop, because you might just hear something you didn't want to
================================================
It's Molly's first day working for Soleito/Masters, and she's nervous.
Tony doesn't want her there, so Molly thinks he hates her.  Tony
doesn't even know her, so how can he hate her?  Molly babbles
nervously about her skills and her honesty; Tony tells her she doesn't
have the ability to shut up.  He says someone could walk in and confess
to murder, and she'd never know it because she never stops talking.
Molly says it's only when she's nervous, and she explained it Alex and...
Tony apologizes.  Molly says he must be nervous, too.  Tony doesn't
have a clue what he must be nervous about, and Molly says she helped
her brother through a horrible case of premarital jitters.  She re-
assures him he'll be fine once he puts the ring on her finger.  She asks
if it's going to be a big or a small wedding, not that it matters because
she cries at all weddings, especially when the bride & groom write their
own vows, are you and Steffi going to write your own vows?  Tony
interjects that they haven't decided yet, but they probably will.  Molly
asks if they have any entertainment yet, because she's a singer, and
she's pretty good, even though her voice is kind of small, with a mic-
rophone you can definitely hear her... Tony interrupts again that she
can come to the wedding, cry, sing, dance, and swing from the chan-
deliers if she wants, as long as he can tape her mouth shut until they
say "I do."  Tony goes to get lunch, and asks her if she wants some.
The phone rings, and Molly answers it in a very professional voice, but
doesn't take a message.  Tony asks who it was.  "Wrong number," she
says.

Cooper and Steffi are talking in the hallway.  Steffi wonders what he's
doing there, and he says Tony asked him to come by and clear the air.
Steffi asks if they did.  Pretty much, Cooper says, but I wanted to see
you, too.  Steffi says here I am.  Right where you belong, Cooper says.
In the stairwell?  Steffi asks.  No, Cooper replies, with me.  Steffi tells
him not to do this.  Cooper's sick of playing games, and they belong to-
gether.  Steffi says she doesn't believe in fate.  Cooper says he didn't
either, but he's starting to.  He says he didn't plan to come to New York,
he was just going to write a letter... Steffi interjects that she wishes
he had.  Cooper continues that for some reason, he got on a plane.
"Rotten timing," Steffi comments.  Cooper goes on to say that he
walked in on a baby shower, for their child, about 2 seconds before
Tony proposed.  Steffi says he already has proposed, and this (holding
up her hand) is an engagement ring.  "So is this" says Cooper,
whipping a diamond ring out of his pocket.
"Do you remember this?" Cooper asks.  It's the ring he gave her when
they got engaged.  Steffi starts to cry, and says she thinks it's really
unfair of him to bring it up.  Cooper says he got it in a package today,
with other jewelry from the estate.  "Kismet?" asks Steffi.  Call it
what you want, he says.  Steffi calls it a very cheap trick.  Cooper's
sorry she feels that way.  He tells her he has no use for it, so she
might as well keep it.  Steffi says to give it to some other girl.  Cooper
says there'll never be another girl, and grabs her hand.  She tells him
not to touch her ever again.  Cooper says she doesn't mean that, and
they both know it.  Cooper knows Steffi cares about Tony, and he's a
good guy, but she's not in love with him.  Steffi yells that she is, how
many times does she have to say it?  Cooper says she can say it as
many times as she wants, but he doesn't buy it.  Steffi asks what he
wants from her.  Cooper says look me in the eye and say you don't
love me.  Tony approaches from the floor above, and hears this.
Cooper continues that if she can do that, he'll go.  Steffi starts crying
again, and says she can't.  "Are you happy?" she cries, "I can't, but
I can't leave Tony, I can't hurt him, or I won't be able to live with
myself."  Cooper says it's inevitable that someone will get hurt.
"As long as it's not you, right Cooper?" Steffi snaps.  Cooper says
if she marries Tony, everybody loses.  They'll be in a loveless
marriage... Steffi says it won't be loveless, but Cooper says her
gratitude for him isn't the same as love.  Tony's going to feel it, and
the baby will, too, and her noble gesture will make 4 people miserable.
Steffi yells that it's not a gesture.  "Why did you have to come back?"
she wails.  Cooper says because he loves her.  "Tell me to go, and I will,"
he says.  "Go, and get out of my life," she says, and bursts into tears.
Cooper holds her.  They start to kiss.  Tony watches from above.  Cooper
tells Steffi not to cry.  She says he's messed up her entire life.  Cooper
asks her to marry him, today.  Steffi says no.  Cooper asks if he can
change her mind?  Steffi says she has to think.  Cooper says there's
nothing to think about.  Steffi wants to be alone.  Cooper says okay,
he'll go, but he wants her to tell him she loves him.  Steffi says she
never stopped loving him, but he knows that, doesn't he.  They kiss
again.  Cooper leaves.  Steffi looks after him.  She doesn't see Tony
on the stairs, until she starts to go up them.  She looks upset.  Tony
looks like he's either going to start shouting or crying....

Stair-hanger...

-Kristy

