Episode 84, originally published 08-Feb-98

Fast Food

Jill arrives at Nina's apartment and bangs loudly on the door. "Nina!! I know you're in there, Nina..." Finally Nina opens it and greets Jill cordially. "Hi there. You don't have to bang the door down, I was just in the bathroom." "Oh, sorry," Jill says, "with your up and down moods lately I didn't know..." "So," says Nina, "what brings you by? Making sure your son is ok?" "Well, in a way. But also--I came to offer you a job." Nina is taken aback. "A job? You mean like wake up in the morning, eat a slice of toast, scrape the snow off the car and hope I make it to work before 9:01 so they don't dock my pay?" Jill mulls the thought. "Well, sort of, yes... I just think it would be good for you to have a regular thing in your life. To give your life purpose." "You mean something regular that's not my parenting." "Well, you've had that for a while and it wasn't enough to keep you from being depressed." "And my writing..."

"Your what?" Jill asks, surprised. "Writing. Jill, I've become a writer." "Well, that's perfect," Jill says. "Perfect?" "Well, what do you think we DO at Jabot? We write reports." "But Jill, I don't want to write reports--I want to write FICTION." "Fiction?" "You know, like you take an idea but you stretch it--and you don't tell all the truth? You throw in your own personal ideas--anything to get the reader involved." "Oh, marketing literature!" Nina sighs. "Jill, why would I want a job." "So that you feel fulfilled?" "I am fulfilled." "So that you have some free money?" "Jill, if you really cared about me having free money, you'd work with Katherine to get my allowance under Phillip's trust fund increased. But even with what I have now, I have more than enough money for everything I could ever imagine wanting." "Well, how about because it would be a challenge?" Jill asks, getting more desperate. "How about because it would shut you up," Nina says, rolling her eyes. "If that's what it takes," Jill says. Nina sighs. "All right, Jill, I'll take it--I'll take the job. But I'm not promising anything. I just want you to stop harrassing me. And if it doesn't work out, I don't want any more of your bright ideas, ok?" Jill is excited. "Nina, I think you are making such a good move--just show up tomorrow at Jabot and we'll get you started right away."

Victoria is pacing around her office. "I can't believe everyone's going to forget my birthday. I feel so alone," she laments. Finally she picks up the phone and calls Tony. "Hello?" "Hi, stud," she says. "Victoria?" "Good catch," she says. "Well, there's not that many women who think of me as a stud." "Oh, I dunno," Victoria says, "you might be surprised. Anyway, it's my good fortune that I called you and they didn't. I've got a proposition for you." "A proposition?" "That's right--tomorrow's my birthday and I need company." "Count me in," he says. "I haven't told you what I'm plannning yet." "You don't have to--I trust you that it's going to be something special." "So you want to be surprised?" she asks. "Absolutely," he says. "Knock my socks off." "Ok," she says. "I'll pick you up from your house tomorrow at noon, ok?" "I'll be waiting."

The next morning, Nina arrives at Jabot and reports to Jill's office. Jill looks up and says, "Nina! I'm so glad you didn't back out..." "I said I would be here, didn't I? By the way, I hope this isn't a ploy to get me back together with Ryan..." "No, no, I'm pretty much beyond that. This is just about keeping you interested in things." "Things?" "Well life, mostly. After your suicide attempt." "I didn't actually get as far as attempting suicide--it's just that with that little twit around, I gave the matter more than its usual due of thought." "Well, be careful about referring to her that way--she is Keith's daughter and it's awkward for me to have to be defending people's criticisms of her all the time." "Ok, then. Let's talk about work. Where do I start? The mail room? I've heard that's where everyone gets their start." "Well, it's true--but even then, Jabot has a very accelerated promotion structure so it wouldn't be the worst thing. But no, because of your skills in writing, we've made a special position for you in the Marketing Department--you'll be our substitute Report Writer." Nina looks skeptical. "Substitute report writer?" "Hey, look Nina, it may not sound glamorous, but it's really important. Suppose an employee is sick or out of town but we need a report from there. You'll be called in to write their report instead. You'll learn all about different aspects of the company." "But what if I don't know what's needed?" "Well, then you'll do like everyone else does--you'll make stuff up. But because of your training in writing--it will appear smooth and seamless and no one will ever know. How does that sound?" Nina thinks a moment. "Surprisingly good, actually. When do I start?" "Right away," Jill says. "I'll show you to your office."

Victoria arrives to greet Tony. "Where's your suitcase?" she asks. "Suitcase? Are we going on a trip?" She nods. "You didn't tell me." "Of course not. You told me to surprise you. Well, it's ok with me if you don't have anything to wear at night--better that way even. Hop in." He opens the door and gets in. "All set?" she asks. "I still don't really know what we're doing, but sure--I'm ready." "I'm kidnapping you for a while," she says. "For how long?" "I don't know. At least for my birthday--so I don't have to be around for the ceremony--maybe much longer. Depends on how much fun we're having, I guess."

Everyone is assembled in the board room. Victor looks at his watch. "Jack, where's my daughter?" he grumbles. Jack says, "I can't understand it Victor. I told her there was a board meeting, but she's nowhere to be found." "Damn it," Victor mutters. "What's the matter?" John asks. "Well, I had planned to announce my daughter was to be named the new head of Brash and Sassy today, but ... it will look very bad if she's just skipped out. One cannot have a president that behaves this way." "I thought I was the president," Ashley chimes in. "Well, you, my darling, are the president of Jabot--Victoria is--or would have been--president just of Brash and Sassy." "You can do that? Have two presidents?" Ashley asks. "It's done all the time in real companies," Victor assures her. Ashley breathes a sigh of relief.

Victor continues to pace nervously. Finally, he turns to Jack. "I can't just go with this position vacant now that I've gone to the trouble to create it. Let's move someone up from down below and we can consider later whether Victoria should have it. Who do we have?" "Well, everyone's out sick this week," Jack says. "But we have Nina Chancellor." "Really? She works for us? I don't recall acquiring Chancellor Industries." "No, just her. It gives her something to do. She's our substitute report writer." "Oh, a subsitute?" Victor says, raising an eyebrow. "That's perfect. We shall promote her immediately to Substitute President of Brash and Sassy. Have her brought up immediately so that all this cake and ice cream does not go to waste, ahright?"

Later that night, Victoria returns to the Tack Room, a bit tipsy. Cole says, "Hey, I thought you had gone out of town." She shakes her head and says, "I know. It's weird. I don't know why, but I suddenly felt the urge to change my mind and come home to be with my husband." She undresses and slips into the bed, saying: "Actually, I'm surprised to find you alone. It's almost as if you knew it was my birthday..." "I did know it was your Birthday, Vikki. Everyone knew." "They did?" she says with real surprise. "Yes, there was a big celebration over at Newman Enterprises--they were going to promote you to president of Brash and Sassy." Vikki is floored. "Really? Wow. So--so--what happened? Did they postpone it?" "Nope, your dad likes things to happen on time, and when you weren't there, he gave it to someone else." "Well, who? My brother??" "Nope. Nina Chancellor." "Nina? She doesn't even work for Jabot." "No, you're wrong, Victoria. She'd just been hired as a report writer, and I've seen her writing. I knew right away she was on the fast track to success. A position came open, and she went for it." "I can't believe it. It was supposed to be my birthday present, and Dad gave it to someone else." "No, actually, your dad made a big point about how it WASN'T a birthday present, and he couldn't very well give it to someone who was playing hookey for the day, so..."

Victoria looks crushed. "Well, at least I have my husband to come home to. Cole, I'm really glad you weren't with Ashley. I was a little worried that..." She hears a key in the lock and Ashley enters. "I guess I spoke too soon," Victoria says. "Victoria!" Ashley says, surprised. "I didn't know it was a party for three," Ashley says, "I have the feeling I'm not welcome right now." "No--" Cole starts to say, but Victoria cuts him off. "Well, at least the woman you're having an affair with is smart enough to reason intelligently--no, you're not welcome, Ashley. But thanks for returning our lost key. You can leave it on the table by the door there." Ashley throws the key down and rushes out crying. "That wasn't very nice," Cole says. "Oh, come on Cole, it's my birthday. You have to be nice to me. How about a little drink." "Sounds to me like you've already had several `little drinks'." "Well, maybe, but one more won't hurt. And it might relax you..." She pours him one drink, and then another. Things are soon out of control.

The next morning, Victoria is at the main house talking to Nikki. "I can't believe it--I've fallen in love with my husband again," she confesses. Nikki shakes her head. "I'm so surprised to hear that, Victoria. I just never expected it. Didn't you say just a couple of weeks ago that you were going to try to get your husband to love you and then you were going to dump him?" Nikki asks. "Did I, Mom? I don't remember. Lately I feel like I've been drifting, almost without personality. Doing things that I can't explain. As if the hand of God was driving me toward some fatalistic end--only he himself doesn't know what that end is. Does that make any sense?" "Not really," says Nikki. "But if your memory is as bad as you say, I wouldn't worry about it. By tomorrow your inconsistencies will be all forgotten..." Victoria half-smiles. "I guess you're right, Mom. Losing Brash and Sassy isn't so bad as long as I have my husband, and having my husband isn't so bad as long as I don't remember I didn't want him..." "There, see," says Nikki, continuing to console her, "you're coping better already." Victoria perks up a little more and says, "You're right. My husband is a special man; I don't remember why, but I'm sure any moment now it will come to me. I'm just going to think positive.... Hey, I'm going back to the Tack Estate. Could you have Miguel send down a special romantic dinner just for the two of us?" "Sure honey, I'll do that."

At the Tack Estate, Cole is just waking up. "Did I really do last night what I think I did?" he asks. Victoria almost laughs. "You're having personality continuity problems, too, huh? Must be something going around. Anyway, don't worry, you were great." Cole is getting dressed. He stops to look at her. "Vicki, last night was a mistake. I've decided--I really have to have Ashley." "But Cole, last night was so special--it was like we found each other again." "We were drunk, Victoria, both of us. It wasn't me. Be glad I'm not filing rape charges against you for taking advantage of me. But it's over. Do you understand? I've made up my mind--I want Ashley." He is out the door, and she is left in tears.

A short while later, Miguel enters with dinner. "Dinner is served. Where is Sen~or Howard?" "He's left me, Miguel." "And he's coming back?" "Well, not to see me, I'm afraid. And probably not tonight." "That is too bad. I had prepared a really exquisite meal." Victoria looks up, "Miguel, have you eaten?" "Not yet," he says. "I usually serve myself last. If Sen~or Howard is not going to eat, I may eat his portion." He serves her a portion, but holds the rest for himself. Victoria points to an empty seat across the table from her and smiles invitingly. "If you don't mind eating Cole's leftovers," she says, "I think this may be your night, Miguel. Why don't you join me?"

That's all for this episode. Hope you learned something. Don't miss Episode 85!
If you missed any older episodes, see the index.

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