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

Well, Jennifer and I traded days this week, so here's the...
LOVING Update for Tuesday, April 18:

STORYLINE: EASY MONEY
 (starting location: Wilder ad agency)
* Buck walks Stacey into work.  She says she wishes he would...  "Let
 you co-sign the loan?"  Buck wants to do this himself and Stacey says
 she understands.  They kiss and Buck leaves.
* Stacey calls a contact at the bank, Mr. Touhy(?).  They small-talk for
 a moment (their sons are on the same baseball team), then he asks what
 he can do for her.  She says she needs a little favor.  "Anything.
 You're still our favorite customer, you know."  She says that a friend
 is stopping by to get a loan today, and she assures him that her friend
 is a good risk even though he doesn't look that good on paper.  He gets
 the hint and asks how sure she is.  She says she is willing to "stand
 behind him 100%."  "Are we speaking metaphorically or literally?"  "You
 have my personal guarantee."  He says there is a special form for that.
 She says she is willing to sign any papers she needs to sign.  Then,
 he says, he doesn't see any problem with that.  She asks him to make
 sure the friend doesn't know she did this.  He says he can take care of
 that and asks for the friend's name.  "Buck Houston."
* [At the bank.]
Buck, arms full of papers and blueprints, goes into Touhy's office.  He
 admits his salary history isn't so hot, but things are more stable now
 that he has the Rodeo.  Touhy acts impressed that he went into business
 for himself.  "Well, everything seems to be in order."  Buck continues
 to try to shove him documentation and blueprints.  "I don't need to
 see those."  Buck is bewildered and thinks he is summarily turning him
 down.  "I really need this money.  I have to build this house."  Buck
 says his brother is out of town, but when he gets back--  "That isn't
 necessary.  You've got the loan!"  "What?"  "I'm approving your loan.
 Congratulations."  Buck gets a big smile.
* [This storyline combines with the next storyline -- see below.]

STORYLINE: THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT?
 (location: Wilder ad agency)
* "After Cabot and Clay, Wendell Barnes is the most important person at
 A. E.," Tess tells Brianna and Frankie.  Tess wants to sell him on
 using them; he has nibbled the worm but he hasn't swallowed the hook.
 Stacey enters and apologizes for being late; the other three completely
 ignore her.  Bri compliments Tess on her outfit.  Tess tells Bri that
 she could be more like herself: "This isn't Sunday school, show some
 flesh."  Frankie says that Bri's outfit looks fine.  Tess ignores him
 and says they will start by unbuttoning her top button.  Bri asks if
 she is serious.  "Sad to say, 'sex sells.'"  Tess walks over to Stacey,
 who says, "Don't even think about it."  Frankie asks if they are ready
 for this: he has never shot professional video and Bri has never been
 a model.  Tess says that if he says that while Wendell is there, he is
 fired, and to not tell Wendell that he is still in High School.  "OK."
Stacey hands the draft of the ad copy to Tess.  Tess tells her to say
 that she has been writing ad copy for eight years.  "In other words,
 lie?"  "Actually, _exactly_ in those words."
* Tess escorts Wendell into her office.  She offers him some coffee; he
 declines.  "Mr. Barnes, ..."  He doesn't want things so formal.  That
 is fine with Tess, who introduces "Wendell" to the other three.  "Well,
 where's Stephy?"  Tess says there has been a change in plans and tells
 Wendell about Deborah's heart attack.  He asks, "But Stephy will still
 be able to do the shoot?"  He says she is the reason he came to Tess
 in the first place.  Stacey excuses herself to make an important phone
 call.  Wendell says the whole campaign is built around Stephy.  "There
 are other models."  "Yes, there are other ad agencies."  Tess says she
 has found someone he will like very much.  She gestures toward Bri and
 says, "Meet Miss Galaxy."
* [At the receptionist's desk.]
Bri thinks she blew it; she didn't even say anything.  Stacey tries to
 reassure her that Wendell loved her and Frankie both.  Frankie thinks
 he just rambled.  Stacey says no, he sounded like a man with a vision.
 She says she thinks they sold him.  Bri says she hopes so, for Tess'
 sake.  Stacey goes to get a bagel.
Frankie asks Bri what the first thing she is going to buy when she is a
 big model.  Bri pouts, saying she didn't think it went very well.  She
 says she knows Barnes was counting on Stephy, so is he going to settle
 for the *receptionist*?  Frankie says she isn't the receptionist any
 more, and that "you are all of that and then some."  Bri smiles.  He
 says that Barnes was eating out of her hands by the end of the meeting.
 He says it was "kinda creepy" -- there's something Frankie doesn't like
 about Barnes.  "He's kinda slimy."  "Like a snake."  No, says Bri, she
 used to have a snake (!) and they're scaly, not slimy.  OK then, says
 Frankie, he's slimy like a salamander, and he still doesn't like him.
 Bri says you can't always like the people you work for.
[In Tess' office.]
"Tess, don't get me wrong.  She's a very pretty girl [...] but she's not
 Stephy."  "Not yet, anyway."  Tess says she molded Stephy and made her
 what she is today.  Wendell says he likes Tess' modesty.  Wendell says
 that Stephy was -- is something special.  "'Special' is my specialty.
 You take my word for it.  Bri's going to be very hot, and you'll be the
 first one to have her."  "Have her?"  "You know what I mean."  Wendell
 says she is a hell of a saleswoman, and asks for some time to think
 about it.  He gets up to leave.  Tess stops him, saying that she really
 wants his business, "and I'm willing to do just about anything to close
 the deal."  She gets right in his face.  "Anything?" "Just about."
* [At the receptionists's desk.]
Frankie drops a copy of a funny "Far Side" cartoon on Bri's desk.  He
 asks if they're still "on" for tonight.  Bowling and pizza, she says.
 She warns him that she's not a very good bowler.  "I don't know, you
 really bowled me over!"  She laughs at his bad pun.  He asks if Wendell
 is still in Tess' office.  Yes, and she wonders what they're talking
 about.  She says she can't believe this is happening.  Frankie says
 he had better get back to work.  They agree that he will pick her up
 at the agency at 7:00.  "Hopefully we'll have something to celebrate
 tonight."  "We will, we will.  Positive thinking!"  Frankie leaves.
The phone rings.  Bri answers.  It is "Jim from the bank" asking for
 Stacey.  As Tess and Wendell walk out of her office laughing, Jim
 tries to leave Stacey a message saying she has taken care of "that loan
 problem."  Bri is distracted for a moment, but she gets the message.
 Unfortunately, she puts the message in Tess' in-box, not Stacey's.
Wendell and Tess are laughing about a story Cabot once told Wendell.
 He says Cabot is a different person when he's out with the guys.  Tess
 thanks him for his time and says she hopes he'll take her proposal
 seriously.  "Eight o'clock tonight, then?"  Yes, says Tess, she'll be
 looking forward to it.  He will, too.  [A pause while Wendell gives
 Tess a good once-over.]  He gives her a peck on the cheek and leaves.
Tess snaps back into "angry" mode and asks Bri what she is staring at.
 Nothing.  Tess asks if there are any messages.  Bri hands her the
 message intended for Stacey.  As Tess looks it over, Bri asks how she
 thinks she did.  "You did very well.  We all did very well."
Buck enters the agency.  He says "hi" to Tess and asks if Stacey is
 around.  Just then, she comes up.  He tells her he got the loan.  They
 celebrate.  Tess looks again at the message and (apparently) figures
 out what is going on.

STORYLINE: A LIE A DAY KEEPS ALLY AWAY
 (location: Jeremy's house)
* Casey is on the phone with Danny.  He says that if he said he will be
 there, he'll be there.  Danny tells him to make sure he is.  He tells
 Casey not to bring anyone.  He says he has one shot and tells him not
 to blow it.  They will meet in 1/2 hour.  They hang up.
Ally enters, all smiles.  Casey stammers, "Hi."
* He asks what is going on.  She says she knocked, but nobody answered.
 She asks what the phone call was about.  He says he made an appointment
 with an editor at the _Herald_ to show him his photos and hopefully
 get a position on the staff.  "Well, that's *great*."  No response.
 Ally asks if he is OK.  She asks if the funeral is still on his mind.
 He says it is.  She wonders how a nine-year-old kid can get ahold of
 drugs.  Casey tells her that they deal drugs everywhere.  Ally asks how
 she got her hands on that kind of money.  Casey says, "Her name was
 Jenny."  Ally apologizes.  Casey apologizes.  He says they think she
 found a vial of something in the park and thought it was candy.  Ally
 says that makes her really angry, and Casey agrees.
Ally asks if he forgot.  "Forgot what?"  They were going to take Tyler
 to look at pre-schools.  Casey says he has that meeting now, and...
 Ally asks if he can reschedule.  "No, I can't."
* He asks if they can do it later in the day.  She says the open house
 is only this morning.  He mutters that he might be able to call the
 paper and try to reschedule.  [STUPID!]  Ally perks up and asks him
 to try.  He says he might not be able to get another appointment for
 a long time.  She says this *is* Tyler's school, and that's important,
 too.  He asks if maybe she could do this herself, and she reminds him
 that he "sort of" promised Cooper that he'd take over the father role.
 He says he has been twice the father to Tyler than Cooper ever was.  He
 says he doesn't want to fight about this; he is trying to get his act
 together (Ally interjects, "And you have."), and he simply can't do
 everything.  She tells him to go to his appointment because it means so
 much to him.  He tells her this could be his only shot.  Ally says that
 if he gets the job, he will be happy and she will be happy, so Tyler
 will have no choice but to be happy.  Casey promises to be there for
 the next one.  "The next *what*?"  Whenever Tyler needs him again.  He
 thanks her for understanding.  He says he loves her and she says she
 loves him and asks him to call her after the meeting.  He says he will
 and that he wants to hear about the school, too.  Ally leaves.
* [In a dark alley.]
Casey enters and paces.  Eventually, Danny comes up from behind him and
 grabs him by the shoulders.  Casey says he scared him.  Danny says he
 must scare easily.  He is disappointed in Casey; he didn't even notice
 the guy who was following him.  Casey says nobody followed him.  Danny
 says no, but someone could have been following him.  It could have been
 a cop, someone coming after his stash, anything.  "You've gotta watch
 your back.  You can't trust anybody."  "Including you?"  Casey points
 out that he left him for the cops at his apartment and asks how he
 knows he isn't just setting him up again.  "You don't."  Casey says he
 is getting tired of Danny.  "You're not the only game in town.  You
 either use me or you cut me loose.  That's it."  "OK, tough guy.  It's
 showtime."  Danny produces a large package of drugs and hands it to
 Casey.

-----
|   "I guess irony can be pretty ironic sometimes."    |  Bob Willers  |
|         -- William Shatner as Buck Murdock,          |  Phoenix, AZ  |
|            from AIRPLANE II: THE SEQUEL              | MY opinions!! |
+------------ willers@trombone.sps.mot.com ------------+---------------+

