[.....]
Scene One: Sage Gardens-HEAT Headquarters
The models stood around waiting for Helen Schmidt to show up. They had been in the room for an hour now and some of them started to get nervous, specifically Cassie Lakhani. She wanted to be anywhere else right now then meeting with Helen.
It was true, the woman had done a lot for Cassie’s career but she also knew the other side to Helen. The one in which Marina and her siblings refused to talk to. She rubbed her arms as the chills began to come.
“Don’t get too nervous.” Natalie Marlowe spoke, standing behind Cassie. “You don’t want to mess up in front of Mrs. Schmidt, do you?”
Cassie turned to Natalie. “I’m fine.”
“Right.” Natalie replied, not believing Cassie one bit. “Look, I understand that you don’t like me because of your little friend Marina, but I think we should be civil with one another.”
The other girl shrugged Natalie away. “I’d rather not get in the middle of this, especially here of all places. Just stay away from me and my friends. You know Ryan doesn’t even like you in that way.”
Natalie frowned, “Maybe we should just stay away from each other.”
“Great idea.” Cassie mouthed as Helen entered the room, followed by her assistant Mac.
The look on her face was enough to give anybody chills down their spine, Cassie and Natalie both looked away as she stared in their direction. “You.” She spoke, and hand calling Natalie forward.
“Yes Mrs. Schmidt?” Natalie asked, smiling as if she had been awarded the greatest honor in the world.
Helen looked Natalie over before she spoke again, making sure she was the model she was looking for. “Are you pregnant?”
“No!” Natalie snapped, holding her stomach with embarrassment.
“Well then, maybe you should spend more time in the gym.” Helen poked, looking past Natalie and straight at Cassie. “Cassie, dear, I want you to be the model for the reshoots. Can you take care of that?”
“Sure.” Cassie choked, surprised.
Helen smirked. “Good.”
She then looked at Natalie before turning on her heel and conversing with Mac. Natalie however glared at Cassie Lakhani. She couldn’t believe what had just happened to her.
[.....]
Scene Two: Nelson Home
Deborah slipped her hands into the steaming dish water, she had just finished up cleaning the breakfast plates and already her mind had caught up to her. She had tried for months to keep her thoughts out of her head, but it was getting harder and harder each day knowing that Frank was going to work to see Lucy Hahn.
The older woman sighed, a tear escaped her dry eyes.
“Debbie?” Frank asked, stepping into the room. “Have you seen my phone? I think I left it on the night stand this morning. I can’t believe I drove halfway to work and just remembered it.”
His wife turned towards him, a smile gracing her face. “Why do you always lose things?” She teased, walking over to a drawer and fetching his phone. “I figured you’d come back for it. Found it after my shower.”
“Thank you!” Frank replied, he kissed her cheek and retrieved the phone. “I have to get to work. But afterwards I want to treat you to dinner to show you how much I appreciate you.”
Deborah nodded in agreement. “That would be wonderful. But it will have to be a late dinner, I have a late appointment tonight. Kevin Saunders wants me to talk to his wife Melanie about the divorce.”
Frank swallowed hard. “Kevin? Why are you talking to that man?”
“Because Frank, Kevin came to me and asked me to talk to Melanie. He is a very nice man, although I still don’t understand why you hate him. He is being very noble, making sure his soon-to-be ex. wife is handling everything alright.” Deborah let out the water and dried her hands. “Why is it that you hate Kevin so much?”
He could feel her eyes tearing holes through him, they way she did when she knew there was something he was hiding. “Nothing, he just ruffled a few feathers with the boys at the Lumber Mill is all. I’ve got to be headed out though, thank you for finding my phone.”
Still caught in her suspicions, Deborah smiled weakly and watched as her husband shuffled out of the room. Arms folded, Deborah knew exactly why Frank hated Kevin Saunders and deep down it tore her apart.
[.....]
Scene Three: Sage Gardens-Stone Creek Gym
“Ian Kiefer?” Ryan asked as he approached the man in front of him. When Ian acknowledged him, Ryan lifted a hand of greeting. “I’m Ryan Bauer, I called you earlier about the job.”
Ian nodded, he seemed exactly like Natalie’s type and had to keep himself from laughing. “Well, it is nice to finally meet you Mr. Bauer. I want to inform you that you only got the job because of Natalie. It isn’t a fun job either.”
“Quite frankly I don’t care if I have to clean the locker rooms all day. I am just really happy that you could give me a job at this time.” Ryan admitted.
“Good.” Ian smirked. “Because you will be cleaning the locker rooms. I hired you on as our newest Housekeeping Attendant.”
Trying to keep his dislike of the job duties under wraps, Ryan chuckled and followed Ian on a tour of the janitors closet.
---
Our love. Our fights. Our friendships.
On Concrete Shelves.
Forever, they shall be remembered.
---
Scene Four: Stone Creek Hospital
Dr. David Schmidt helped Emily Roscoe into her coat, it was finally time for her to leave the hospital. “I know you told me not to thank you, but I just cannot help it.” Emily started, turning to face David. “I could have died.”
“But you are very much alive.” David responded. “Do you remember the directions to your apartment? If you need anything you have my number and if you do need a friend, I’ll give you Gail’s number.”
Emily smirked. “You really are very kind Dr. Schmidt.”
“It’s nothing.” David replied, he looked around the room. “I think that is everything. You should come back to the hospital in a week for a check-up just to make sure everything is functioning.”
“I will!” Emily chuckled. “Everything is fine. Listen, I know it’s not my place but I have heard the way you talk about your daughter, I think you should just get to know her again. Ten years is a very long time, I’m sure there is a lot you don’t know about Gail.”
The advice caught David off-guard and it took him a moment to check the credibility of it. He nodded in understanding and walked Emily to the hospital door where they bumped into a very clumsy Lucy Hahn.
“I’m so sorry!” Lucy chuckled, grasping a hold of Emily as the two retracted from their collision. “I should have known this would happen, I have a case of bad timing in everything I do.”
“It’s quite fine.” Emily replied, she looked at David confused at who Lucy was and why she was entering her now vacant hospital room. “I was just on my way out--do I know you?”
Lucy shook her head. “No, I actually work at Thurlow Lumber Mill, Mr. Thurlow asked if I would come down and help you around town for the day. But apparently I do more damage than good! I already mowed you over!”
Emily smiled. “It’s fine, I’m alright. Dr. Schmidt was actually giving me directions to my apartment. Would you mind if we stopped off there first? I just want to get things stable.”
“Excellent!” Lucy gasped, “Mr. Thurlow already located your belongings and had them delivered to the apartment so you can breath a sigh of relief. Silly me, I didn’t introduce myself, I’m Lucy Hahn.”
The bubbly girl standing before Emily smiled brightly as she offered a handshake. Although she knew that Lucy was just doing her job, Emily was torn between thanking her and fear for her safety.
[.....]
Scene Five: Sage Gardens-HEAT Headquarters
Cassie slipped out of the meeting room and into the hallway, pulling her phone from her purse and dialing Marina’s number. After everything that happened during the meeting, she couldn’t believe what was going on.
“Marina! Oh I’m glad that you actually answered your phone today.” Cassie spoke, she paced the hallway trying to collect her nerves, a hand on her stomach. “You will never believe what your mother did today.”
She knew the history between Helen Schmidt and her three children: Kirsten, Emmet and Marina. Cassie had witnessed Helen at some of her worst moments but because she was working under the woman, she tried to put it to the side. Her children on the other hand have held the grudge against Helen for years.
“Helen ditched Natalie for the photo shoot and chose me to represent the magazine instead!” Cassie twirled her hair as she mentioned exactly why Helen made the decision to replace Natalie.
Marina shifted her weight as she stood in the bathroom of their apartment. “Really? Cassie that is great news! I would have loved to see the look on Natalie’s face when she heard that!”
Although Cassie’s morning had started very early in the day, Marina’s was barely starting and she stood somewhere between brushing her teeth and combing her hair. “My mother can sometimes be a decent person and I’m pretty sure she knew you would be a better candidate.”
As Cassie went on about the extent of her new modeling campaign, Marina shifted the phone and looked at her reflection in the mirror. There was a great hatred for Natalie Marlowe in Marina’s eyes. She just couldn’t stand the girl.
When she heard that Natalie had helped Ryan get a job, Marina was angry. A small part of her was envious of the way Ryan talked about how much he appreciated Natalie. But she tried hard not to let it get the best of her.
Marina had spent the last couple of weeks buried in her workload and knew that Ryan was getting angry with her constant distant behavior. Sometimes it felt like she was sacrificing Ryan for her own benefit.
As Marina found herself in deep thought she knocked her contact case onto the floor of the bathroom. “Shit!” The girl chuckled as Cassie shouted at Marina for not listening. “I just dropped my contact case, hold on, okay?”
Leaning down to retrieve it Marina spotted something in the trashcan, her heart stopped as she realized that it didn’t belong to her and by process of elimination it had to be Cassie’s. How could it be? Cassie didn’t mention anything.
“No, it’s fine.” Marina sounded distant as she tried to wrap her mind around her recent discovery. “Everything is fine Cass, I’m listening now. What about the dress she wants you to wear?”
Marina couldn’t help but wonder if her best friend really was pregnant.
[.....]
Scene Six: 980 Faustino Cottages #7
Kirsten poured her younger brother a cup of coffee as they caught up on life. Watching Emmet play with Megan made Kirsten feel like her family was so close together and made her forget that her brother was living out of town.
“I was talking with dad the other day.” Emmet spoke up, between sips of coffee. “He was telling me about the lunch you want to stage with Patrick Sutton of all people?”
She held up her hands in defense. “I just want my daughter to be a part of both families. It is hard enough that Charlie is at odds with his father, I don’t want Megan growing up without Charlene and Patrick.”
Emmet sighed. “I understand what you want Kirsten, trust me. I just don’t think that is the right way of going about it.”
Kirsten knew she was asking for a lot to have both James Thurlow and Patrick Sutton in the same room. “I just don’t know what else to do.”
“You don’t know what to do?” Emmet asked, amazed. “I never thought I would hear you say that! Kirsten Thurlow always knows what to do.”
“Helen screwed this family up.” Kirsten spoke. “She ripped us apart and it took us awhile to get back on our feet. I don’t want Megan to grow up in a dysfunctional family like we had to.”
“Megan has you.” Emmet spoke. “You are one of the most driven and family-oriented people I know. She has her father, Charlie, who is loving and supporting of you and Megan. Megan has an amazing family and we are all here for her in case she needs us. I just don’t think you need to meddle with her grandparents lives.”
“You think I’m meddling?” Kirsten asked, although she knew the answer.
Emmet nodded. “I think we shouldn’t push them to be friendly with each other. They have a lot of issues to work out on their own and a lunch is not going to solve them.”
Kirsten smirked. “You are right. When did you get so smart?”
Blushing, Emmet shrugged. “I just suppose being with Iris has leveled me in some weird way. It’s like everything is going exactly the way it should.”
“Good.” Kirsten replied, still wrestling with the idea of dropping the subject of the Thurlow and Sutton feud.
[.....]
Scene Seven: Sage Gardens-Stone Creek Gym
“Hey.” Natalie spoke, tugging on Ryan’s shirt. “You look official working here at the gym. How does it feel?”
Ryan turned red and looked around in case Ian was watching him. “I’m a janitor.” His face scrunched at the realization that it wasn’t exactly the job that he wanted. “I’m grateful that you got me the job though!”
“I know. I was hoping that Ian had something better lined up for you when I asked about any openings. But he gets kind of jealous of guys when they become my friends. I have a feeling he did this on purpose.”
“Who is this guy anyways?” Ryan asked. “I haven’t really seen him around much. Especially here after he showed me around he kind of just left.”
Natalie understood exactly what Ryan was talking about. “He just has a busy schedule, Ian doesn’t stay in one place too long. Always waiting for the next big thing to come his way. This time he is going to be a veterinarian so he shares his time between school and work.”
“You know a lot about this guy.” Ryan spoke.
She admitted the truth with a nod. “I’ve known him awhile, we met in California a couple years back for one of my photo-shoots.”
“Is that where he collected a favor from you?” It was a question that had been on Ryan’s mind since Ian referred to Ryan as a favor. He watched as Natalie squirmed. “What exactly did you do for him Nat?”
“Oh nothing!” She replied trying not to sound harsh. “It was just a small favor, nothing to worry about. I was doing some shoots by his house and he just asked a favor. Have you talked to Marina about the job?”
Ryan decided he would drop the topic and replied. “Yeah, she is happy that I finally have my own job you know?”
“Is she mad that I got you the job?” Natalie asked, now finding herself prying in Ryan’s personal life.
“Marina is fine, she is just glad that things are working out for me. She has a lot on her plate with work and I’ve got school to worry about. I’m almost done with it.” Ryan watched as Natalie tugged at her hair. “Why do you ask so much about Marina anyways?”
“Forget I mentioned it.”
Ryan looked at her confused. “Fine. I should get back to work just in case Ian comes back, I don’t want to lose a job that I just got.”
Natalie frowned. “Sure.”
[.....]
Scene Eight: Callahan Condo's-Cassie & Marina's Apartment
Marina pulled on her coat as she made her way out of the apartment. It wasn’t that she was mad that Cassie could possibly be pregnant, Marina didn’t really no for sure if she was. But what hurt her was the fact that Cassie didn’t tell her about it.
Then again Marina hadn’t told Cassie about her recent crush on Ian Kiefer. She found herself smiling every time she said his name. It just felt right to say. Marina knew it was wrong to like him but she couldn’t help herself.
A knock wrung through the room causing her to break her train of thought. “I’m coming.” She spoke, grabbing her purse on the way so that she could make her exit. “Ian?”
The man standing at the door smirk. “I would say I was in the neighborhood, but that is a lie.”
Confused, Marina leaned against the door. “Then what are you doing here?”
Ian took a deep breath. “I haven’t seen you lately around the park and it kind of bummed me out. I read your article the other day and I found it well thought out. Marina I think I like you.”
She stood there stunned, those were words that she didn’t want him to say. “Ian, I can’t.”
He felt as stupid as a door post. “I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t have come over without calling you first--wait, I don’t think I ever got your number, did I? Either way I shouldn’t have came over.”
Marina grabbed his arm as he turned away. “No it isn’t that. Honestly, I felt like I’ve known for awhile and I stopped going to the park because I didn’t want to see you again. The truth is Ian, I have a boyfriend.”
“Oh.”
“He is a really wonderful guy and I just think I need to stay with him, it wouldn’t be right to break things off. We have been together for a really long time.” Marina responded, she felt horrible for leading him on. “You’re a really great guy.”
Ian nodded. “Yeah. Can we just pretend that I never came here?”
Marina shook her head. “I’m afraid we can’t.”
“Well then I might as well do this,” Ian replied, he leaned in and kissed Marina on the lips. “It was really nice meeting you Marina.”
The woman couldn’t find the words to respond to Ian in time as he turned around to leave. Instead she stood stuck in the doorway, conflicted between wanting to kiss Ian again and running to Ryan for a hug.
[.....]
Scene Nine: Lakeside Hotel
“Do you think I’m meddling?” Kirsten Thurlow asked when she entered the hotel. It was clear that the renovations were coming to an end and this excited her because it meant they were ahead of schedule. But she couldn’t get the words out of her head.
She looked at her husband Charlie as he moved her way. “Emmet said that he thinks I am meddling in my father’s business with your father. Do you think I’m meddling? Because if you do, then you should tell me.”
Charlie knew where this conversation could go. But he didn’t know where he should take it, he grabbed Kirsten’s hand and kissed it. “I think you are just trying to protect Megan’s future.”
Kirsten smiled, it was nice for him to put it into perspective. “I just don’t want to be the one who makes matters worse. Charlie if you don’t think it is a good idea for the lunch, then I will pull the plug.”
“Maybe right now we should focus on the renovations?”
“You think I’m meddling, don’t you?”
But the man shook his head. “I already told you what I think Kirsten. I think we should postpone this little lunch thing for now. We have a lot to focus on with the hotel and the cafe and hosting the Founder’s Ball.”
She understood where Charlie was coming from, that was for sure. Kirsten agreed that they had a lot on their plate as of now, it was just eating at her. How could she raise a daughter who only knows one side of the family?
“Hey,” Charlie spoke, lifting Kirsten’s chin to link eyes. “Are you alright with pushing the lunch back a bit?”
“Yeah.” She spoke, herself unconvinced.
[.....]
Scene Ten: Saunder's Home
Deborah looked around the house before she left. Kevin Saunders was living a life of a king, a warm home that housed collections of expensive artifacts, people who cooked for him and his wife. Everything seemed perfect except the fact that he was divorcing his wife Melanie.
“Thank you for coming over Debbie.” Kevin spoke, snapping her out of her thoughts. He watched as she made her way over and gave him a hug. “It is really nice to know that you could make house calls.”
“I think that what you are doing for Melanie is very thoughtful Kevin.” Deborah spoke and although she felt bad for his wife it seemed like they were leaving things on a positive foot. “It was a pleasure to help the two of you discover an understanding.”
Kevin showed Deborah the door before answering his ringing phone. He knew exactly who is was so he let it go to voicemail twice before he finally answered it, making sure the coast was clear.
“I need to see you.” The voice spoke, so definite that it made him sweat with anticipation.
He entered the parlor and asked the maid inside to leave, when he was sure that she was gone he spoke into the phone. “I shall see you soon, Charlene.”
[.....]
Next Time on On Concrete Shelves...
+ James confronts Helen.
+ Charlene makes her decision about Kevin.
+ The reason that Gail is in town is questioned.
+ Marina tests Cassie's friendship and her secret...
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