From: Robert Willers <willers@trombone.sps.mot.com>

THE CITY Update for Friday, January 26:

STORYLINE: ROMANCE -- DIFFERENT STYLES
           (location: Danny/Tony's apartment)
* Ally is asking Danny where Tony is.  He doesn't know.  She keeps after
 him, and he asks her to stop giving him the third degree.  She says she
 has a message for him from Stephanie (who called her yesterday).  Danny
 says he'll give it to him when he gets back.  She says she'd rather
 give it to him herself.  "Yeah, I'll *bet* you would, Al."  "And what's
 *that* supposed to mean?"
* Danny flips on the TV and starts to channel surf.  He tells her she's
 free to leave any time.  She still wants to know what he meant; Tony
 and she are just good friends.  Danny isn't buying it: "You're about as
 subtle as a cat in heat."  She says this is ridiculous.  He warns her
 about "playing with fire."  She says she isn't playing with anyone or
 anything.  She asks why he's such a jerk to her and so nice to Molly.
 Danny says he has been waiting all week for that question; he accuses
 her of being jealous.  She says she feels sorry for Molly.  Danny says
 he has a very simple explanation for his attitude: "She's nice to me.
 Get it?"  Danny smiles; Ally scowls.
* Danny says Molly makes him feel like a human being, and that's what he
 likes about her.  Ally says she just doesn't know him very well.  He
 says that's the type of statement that proves his point; Ally says she
 was just "punching back" after he "took a swing at" her, and she wants
 a truce.  No.  He says he doesn't mind the verbal sparring, it's the
 constant games she plays -- seemingly wanting something different than 
 what she says.  She says no, she just wants what she says.  He laughs
 and says no, she usually wants the exact opposite, but Molly says what
 she means.  "No games, no mystery."  Ally says she doesn't want to see
 him.  Danny asks why she finds so many reasons to spend time with him,
 then?  No answer.  Danny says if he wants drama, he'll go see a movie.
 Ally can't believe him.  Danny says he's just trying to get a new life
 going and have a little fun.  Ally says this conversation has reminded
 her why she wanted to have nothing to do with him.  He just says she's
 being transparent again.
[Later.]
Ally is at the PI desk, writing Danny a note.  "A suicide note?"  She
 sneers at him.  He figured that's what it would be, since he doesn't
 want her any more.  She says he would be as desirable as a venereal
 disease.  He reminds her that she ripped his clothes off on New Year's
 Eve.  She says she was drunk and asks what *his* excuse was.  "I'm a
 guy, I don't need one."  She asks if she was just a warm body; he says
 he's not sure about the "warm" part.  She says that's the nice thing
 about mistakes -- you are supposed to learn by them.  He grabs her
 pencil and asks her to admit she wants him.  She says she'd be lying.
 Yeah, lying on your back, says Danny.  Ally looks ill and says she just
 ate, but Danny continues advancing toward her and saying what he wants
 to do with (to?) her (sounding like a bad romance novel).  Tony and
 Alex enter.  Danny and Ally jump out of the chair.  Alex asks if this
 is a bad time.  No, says Danny, in fact, Ally was looking for Tony.
 Tony asks what's up.  Ally says it's personal.  Alex and Danny leave.
 Ally tells Tony that Stephanie called -- she had the baby.
* Tony stares off into space for a while, and Ally asks if he heard her.
 He did; he asks how Stephanie and the baby are.  Both are fine -- the
 baby was born at 7 pounds, 2 ounces (after a 22-hour labor).  Tony is
 visibly upset and decides to go out for a while.  "Where?"  Just out.
 She asks if he's OK.  He says he's fine.  She says she just thought he
 would want to know.  He says he did want to know and, zombie-like, he
 leaves.  Ally starts to follow, but Alex stops her, saying he needs
 some time.  She says she can help him.  "No you can't.  Trust me."
 Alex goes to the phone at the desk.  Danny walks over to Ally.  She
 asks if he saw Tony.  "Yeah, I saw him."  She says Tony loved Stephy
 so much.  Danny says that Tony almost thought of himself as the father
 and he can't believe she took off with Cooper like that.  Ally says
 that she loved Cooper.  Danny tells her to give him a break.  It's
 true, she says, you can love somebody and not know it.  He smiles, and
 she says that she is talking about Stephanie, and not herself.  Danny
 lets that pass.  Ally asks if he thinks Tony will be all right.  Yeah.
 He'll have a few scars but he'll get over it.  Danny tells her to "look
 on the bright side: he's ripe for a rebound."

STORYLINE: SYDNEY'S MEN
           (starting location: Penthouse)
* Samuel is talking to Richard on the phone.  He tells him he doesn't
 know where Sydney went.
[At a hotel.]
Alex and Tony ask Sydney to wait downstairs.  She says no.  They say
 that it must be Jared writing the messages.  Sydney says it *can't*
 be Jared, and she wants to find out who it is.  Alex says this could
 be dangerous, and they ask to at least go in the door first.  Sydney
 finally agrees.  Tony picks the lock to the hotel room door and he and
 Alex enter...
* [At the penthouse.]
Samuel hangs up with Richard, turns the lights off and leaves to pick
 up dinner.  Someone else (we don't see a face) enters with a key and
 puts on a pair of leather gloves.  He gets a flashlight out and turns
 it on.
[At the hotel.]
Sydney is pacing in the hall.  Alex and Tony come out, and Sydney asks
 them who is in the room.  Tony says she was right, she should have gone
 in first.  Alex says it will be clearer when she goes in.  Seeing them
 both being rather strange, she asks if it is safe to go in.  Tony asks
 if she has any allergies.  No.  He says it is safe, then.  She goes
 into the room.  There's a fire in a fireplace and a bed jammed full of
 gardenias.  Nick walks around the corner.  "Hey, Syd.  How ya doin'?"
* "You?  It's you?!"  She says he scared the hell out of her.  He asks
 how an invitation to The Plaza could scare her.  Not that, the other
 Internet messages!  Nick's reaction is a sure sign that he didn't write
 the other messages.  She asks what the hell he was thinking.  He says
 he just wanted to surprise her, and it worked.
[At Sydney's building's stairwell.]
Tony is unlocking the stairs.  Alex asks why not go up the elevator, and
 Tony says he wants to exercise today.  Alex says if he wants exercise,
 he'll go to the gym.  Tony wants to take the stairs anyway, and invites
 Alex to use the elevator.  Alex, grumbling, agrees to go up the stairs.
 Alex says he is going to check out of the hotel and get an apartment.
 Tony asks how much the room is costing him.  A fortune -- everything is
 expensive in New York City.  Tony asks how Nick could afford the room
 and the flowers.  Alex tells Tony that Sydney and Nick were "an item"
 once.  Tony says she's married, and he doesn't think it is right.  Alex
 says he doesn't know the difference between right and wrong any more.
 Tony smiles and says that when they walked into the room, the scene was
 very romantic.  Alex says he thought Tony was the last romantic -- what
 he did for Stephanie, letting her go like he did.  Tony is confused.
 Alex says that when someone puts another's feelings above his own, that
 is special.  Tony gets frustrated and continues up the stairs.
[At the penthouse.]
The man wanders around the apartment.  He finds the laptop open, with
 the message "I'm back, Ready to play?"  He goes to a photo of Sydney,
 takes it out of its frame and tucks it into his jacket pocket.
[At the Plaza.]
"You wanted to *surprise* me?!"  She explains the problems she has been
 having with the messages on her computer, and says this one scared her.
 He apologizes.  She asks why he didn't sign his name on his message.
 Because he thought she wouldn't come.  She asks why he signed Jared's
 name -- he's in Europe!  So what?  So how could he be at the Plaza,
 waiting for her?  Nick says he just wanted to talk to her.  He asks
 that she not have him arrested; he has no more bail money.  Sydney
 pouts and asks what he wants to talk about.  He says he wanted to start
 with an apology, then wing it from there.  Sydney picks up a gardenia
 and says she's waiting.  Nick asks why she "showed up with the Hardy
 Boys."  She reminds him that the email messages have scared her.  He
 asks what email is -- he wouldn't know it from "f-mail" and says he
 hired a "slacker" to take care of it for him.  She says he means a
 "hacker" and asks how many messages he has sent her.  Just the one.
 He says that knowing she is being threatened isn't helping the romantic
 mood.  She says it's "just business" and changes the subject: "Now...
 what happened to that apology?"  Nick smiles: "I'm sorry.  Your turn."
 Sydney protests, bringing up the facts that she didn't ask for any of
 this and that he can't even afford it.  "No kidding."  She asks how he
 paid for it.  He says he has --er, had some assets.  She says that the
 only thing he has that's worth a dime is...and she looks around the
 room.  "You didn't...you didn't sell the guitar?"  Nick just smiles.
* [At the penthouse.]
Samuel is back with his dinner.  He jumps, having noticed something.
 He walks slowly around the apartment.  He turns around and sees the
 intruder.  "Oh my God."
[At the Plaza.]
Nick says she can't blame a guy for trying.  She says she *can* blame
 him for scaring her.  He repeats that scaring her was not his intent.
 No, but next time you want to surprise me...  Nick says there won't
 be a next time.  She can't believe he hocked the Gibson (guitar).  He
 says yeah, it was really stupid of him.  She goes to her purse and
 gets out her checkbook.  "Put the checkbook away."  He grabs it out of
 her hands and tosses it aside; in doing so, grabs her.  "I don't want
 your money."  He kisses her.  At first, she puts up a mild resistance,
 but then she relaxes.  He pulls back: "You know what I want."  She
 doesn't say anything.  "Have a good life, Syd."  He walks to the door
 but before he can open it, Sydney says, "Nick, wait."  Nick opens the
 door.  "Nick!"  Nick closes the door and says, "Don't ask me to stay
 unless you really mean it."  Sydney ponders her decision.

-----
|  Tongue-twister of the month:                        |  Bob Willers  |
|    Say this ten times as fast as you can:            |  Phoenix, AZ  |
|    "Bitter Budget Battle"                            | MY opinions!! |
+------------ willers@trombone.sps.mot.com ------------+---------------+

