oldEpisode Two-hundred-ninety-one:
On Air Lawrence Accuses Jennifer
of Seducing Him. To Comfort Her,
Jack Takes Her for a Drive in the
Mountains, His Car Runs out of Gas.

---

[Air date early June 1991]

 

SCENE ONE: IT IS A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER AND EVE IS AT THE PENTHOUSE IN HER ROBE WHEN THE PHONE RINGS. SHE CALLS OUT TO JACK TO ANSWER IT BUT HE IGNORES HER AND SHE GRABS IT. IT IS FRANKIE AND HE SYMPATHIZES WITH HER ABOUT THE MORNING PAPER. SHE IS STILL ON THE PHONE WHEN JACK COMES OUT DOING UP HIS SHIRT SLEEVES.

 

JACK: Good morning Bunt Cake.

EVE: No, Frankie I haven't. Frankly I don't understand why anybody would waste their money on something so badly written as The Spectator anyway.

 

JACK OPENS THE FRONT DOOR, PICKS UP THE MORNING PAPER AND LAUGHS AT HER COMMENT.

 

EVE: Frankie, why, what's on it?

 

JACK UNFOLDS THE PAPER AND IS SHOCKED WHEN HE SEES THE HEADLINE.

 

JACK: This wasn't suppose to come out until next week.

 

FRANKIE THEN TELLS EVE THAT SHE BETTER CHECK THE PAPER AND SHE HANGS UP AND GOES AFTER JACK.

 

JACK: Plum bottom I'm going to go get the garbage out of the kitchen. I'll be back.

EVE: DON'T YOU MOVE! Frankie, hold on one moment, okay.

JACK: I will be back in just a tick.

EVE: DON'T YOU MOVE! JACK, GIVE IT TO ME, RIGHT NOW. GIVE IT TO ME!

JACK: I've got a splitting headache. I really can't.

EVE: NOW JACK.... NOW!

JACK: I'm sorry, I really.... I

EVE: GIVE IT TO ME! SHE GRABS THE PAPER AND OPENS IT. THE HEADLINE READS: DEVERAUX DUPLICITY DISCLOSED.

JACK: I believe your conversation is dangling a bit.

EVE: Frankie.... (To Jack) DON'T YOU.... MOVE! SHE ASKS FRANKIE TO COME OVER THEN HANGS UP.

JACK: You know I think it's really great that you and Francoise are working on your differences because before long you and I will be officially unentwined and....

 

EVE STARTS TO HIT HIM WITH THE NEWSPAPER.

 

EVE: I HATE YOU. I HATE YOU. I HATE YOU!

JACK: Whoa, whoa, whoa.... whoa.... whoa!

EVE: IF YOU THINK I'M GOING TO HAND YOU A DIVORCE AFTER THIS LITTLE SURPRISE YOU ARE CRAZIER THAN YOUR MOTHER, JACK. I am going to make your life a misery.

JACK: Oh more than it already is?

EVE: No, you are never going to be able to get rid of me now, ever, ever!

JACK: But what about love? I mean you've gone through so much work to get your hooks into Francoise, you can't just run away now.

EVE: Shut up, just shut up alright. I know the only thing you're thinking about is your relationship with Jen Jen, right? Wow which gives me an idea. You fired the first shot Jack. Welcome to World War III.

 

SHE STORMS BACK TO HER ROOM.

SCENE TWO: MEANWHILE AT THE STUDIO, JENNIFER IS GETTING READY TO RECORD AN INTERVIEW WHEN LAWRENCE ARRIVES BECAUSE HE IS DOING AN INTERVIEW WITH MADELINE. SHE WANTS HIM TO LEAVE BUT MADELINE INSISTS ON GOING AHEAD WITH HIS APPEARANCE.

SCENE THREE: BACK AT THE LOFT JACK IS TIDYING UP SOME PAPERS WHEN HE HEARS A KNOCK ON THE DOOR AND EVE COMES RUNNING OUT DRESSED IN SEQUINS.

 

JACK: Oh do I hear the sound of a heartbeat?

EVE: Can you leave? Just go away, go away.

JACK: Miss De Mille I'm waiting for my close up.

EVE: Just leave.

JACK: I'm ready to play the jealous husband. I can do it. I really can.

 

EVE LETS FRANKIE IN AND THE FIRST THING HE ASKS IS TO TURN ON THE TV.

 

JACK: Francoise, this is no time to be getting bored. A little early.

FRANKIE: No Jack. Alamain is doing an interview on WATB.

EVE: Just him?

JACK: All by himself, just him.

 

JACK RUNS OVER AND TURNS ON THE TELEVISION.

JACK (CONT.): Alright, let's see what he's up to.

SCENE THREE: AT THE STUDIO.

 

LAWRENCE: The reporter in question displayed an attitude completely lacking in morality whatsoever. I was lured, seduced if you will. And understandably so to a great many men in your audience. We are admittedly susceptible to the charms of the overly photogenic. I mean how many can resist the apple when it's offered so temptingly. And when you are someone who wears their heart so open and on their sleeve it's very easy to be emotionally manipulated.

 

MADELINE TRIES TO INTERRUPT HIM BUT HE CONTINUES.

 

LAWRENCE: Needless to say, I would welcome my accuser to come forward and dispute any of my comments but I doubt that we'll ever see that happen because the truth as they know it is irrefutable.

 

JENNIFER IS ANGRY AND UPSET AND DECIDES TO LEAVE THE STUDIO RATHER THAN LISTEN TO ANYMORE.

SCENE FOUR: BACK AT THE PENTHOUSE, JACK TURNS OFF THE TV.

 

JACK: I....

FRANKIE: Jack leave it on.

EVE: Jack, stop it, okay.

JACK: I've heard enough.

EVE: Where do you think you're going?

 

JACK PICKS UP THE PHONE AND DIALS THE STUDIO.

 

JACK: I'm calling WATB and trying to get a hold of Miss Horton. Hello, hi, Jack Deveraux here. I need the newsroom please. And.... hello. They put me on hold.

NEWSROOM: Hello, studio four.

JACK: Yeah Jack Deveraux here. I need to talk to Miss Horton.

NEWSROOM: Oh too late Miss Horton's gone. Just missed her.

JACK: Oh thanks a lot. Damn it!

FRANKIE: Why, what happened?

EVE: Where are you going?

JACK: She's gone. I'm going to find Miss Horton.

EVE: What?

JACK: Don't worry Eve. The best thing is that you're all by yourself.

JACK RUNS OUT AND GETS IN THE ELEVATOR.

 

JACK: Oh come on. Where are you Miss Horton?

 

EVE IS STUNNED THAT JACK RAN OUT. SHE CANNOT UNDERSTAND HOW HE GETS SO UPSET WHEN JENNIFER IS NOT AROUND BUT WHEN JENNIFER IS THERE, HE DOES NOT REACT. EVE ALSO COMMENTS THAT JACK IS *DYING* TO GET A DIVORCE FROM HER, WHICH ALSO PROVES HOW MUCH HE CARES ABOUT JENNIFER.

SCENE FIVE: JENNIFER GOES BACK TO ALICE'S AND UP TO HER CHILDHOOD BEDROOM. SHE PICKS UP HER TOYS AND THEN GOES TO LOOK OUT THE WINDOW THINKING BACK OVER HER YOUTH. JACK APPEARS BEHIND HER.

JACK: Nice view huh? Look I think you're going to have to stop running away like this Miss Horton.

JENNIFER: I always felt so safe here. I know that sounds really silly.

JACK: Well it doesn't really, it doesn't.

JENNIFER: It does. But still something inside me wishes that I could go back somehow.... before.

JACK: Before.... what? Me?

JENNIFER: Before Lawrence.

 

JACK DOES NOT QUITE BELIEVE HER.

 

JENNIFER: Before you, before Frankie, before everything. I mean didn't you ever want to run away sometimes back before you didn't have anything to worry about? When you could just dream.

 

JACK SIGHS AND THINKS OVER THOSE DREAMS. NO ONE WOULD WANT TO GO BACK MORE THAN JACK.

 

JACK: You can always dream.

JENNIFER: I remember so many nights and years thinking about how wonderful it would be to make love.

 

JACK IS SOMEWHAT CONCERNED.

 

JENNIFER: I was so innocent. And he took that away from me.

JACK: Well.... not technically.

JENNIFER: Yes he did. He took it away. (Beat) He took away that part that never would have changed. That one part that would have always been.... (Sigh).... I don't know. I guess a little girl.

 

SHE LOOKS AT HER TEDDY. JACK IS A BIT AT LOSS FOR WORDS.

 

JACK: Look this is obviously not a good time. A difficult time and Lawrence is obviously thriving on it. You just have to remember it won't last too much longer. You're going to go to court and it'll be over. It'll be over soon.

JENNIFER: Not soon enough Jack.

JACK: Soon enough.

JENNIFER: Sometimes I don't know if I'm going to make it. I mean I want to break into Lawrence's house and I want to find that video tape.

JACK: We have to wait for the right time to do it. We just wait for the right....

JENNIFER: That's all we do, wait. Everyday it's something else and everyday it gets worse and it's all that I ever think about Jack.

JACK: I'm just....

JENNIFER: It's just all I think about.

JACK: Okay, alright. (Beat) We obviously have to come up with some way to.... to get your mind off it.

JENNIFER: Like what?

JACK: Like I don't know what. I'll come up with something. Just come with me, come on. Leave the bear behind.

 

JACK TAKES HER OUT OF THE ROOM.

SCENE SIX: IT IS NOW LATE AT NIGHT AND THEY HAVE BEEN DRIVING QUITE A WHILE.

 

JENNIFER: Jack where are we?

JACK: I believe we're in my car. Is this a trick question?

JENNIFER: No but this isn't the usual way we go to Bayview.

JACK: No it isn't. I thought we'd take the scenic route. Isn't it lovely?

JENNIFER: Well in case you didn't notice, it's a little dark outside Jack.

JACK: No, I.... I did happen to notice as I'm driving. In fact I could see the difference between the pitch black and the tinted windshield.

JENNIFER: Then why did we take the scenic route in the dark?

JACK: Well to see all the scenic animals. You know, the raccoons, the deer, the possum, the occasional armadillo. Creatures of the night. The only way to see creatures of the night is to become a motorist of the night.

JENNIFER: Then what are you doing, why are you slowing down?

JACK: Oh, why am I slowing down?

JENNIFER: Yes why are you slowing down?

JACK: Oh I think it's just an optical elusion. Maybe a lack of visual clues or perhaps a lack of leaded petroleum.

 

THE CAR GLIDES TO A STOP.

 

JENNIFER: Huh.

JACK: Heheheh.

JENNIFER: We're out of gas.

JACK: Yes I believe I already said that.

JENNIFER: So what do we do now?

JACK: I believe we do the nocturnal thing. We take to the night, brave the beasties. Take a walk, alright?

JENNIFER: Alright, that's fine with me if that's what we have to do.

JACK: You got the flashlight.

JENNIFER: I got it. Walk it is.

JACK: Right.

 

JENNIFER HEADS OFF WITH JACK FOLLOWING.

SCENE SEVEN: THE WALK FOR A WHILE UNTIL THEY COME TO A CABIN.

 

JACK: Will you point it in the right direction?

JENNIFER: Jack, we've been here before.

JACK: Oh yes of course we've been here before.

JENNIFER: We have.

JACK: Look we're just looking for a place to lay our.... to take a load off. Let's get inside.

JENNIFER: No, we've been here. This is the cabin that you brought me too when you kidnapped me from the wedding to Emilio.

JACK: Look unless your name is Lincoln all log cabins look alike alright. Let's just go inside and take a load off.

JENNIFER: Okay but this is the exact cabin. I'll show you. Come on.

 

THEY GO INSIDE, AND IT DEFINITELY IS THE *SAME* CABIN. JACK CONTINUES TO PRETEND IT IS NOT, AND THAT HE DID NOT PURPOSEFULLY TAKE HER THERE TO MAKE HER FEEL BETTER.

 

JACK: Please show me Mrs. Lincoln.

JENNIFER: Look.

JACK: Well the door opens the same.

JENNIFER: Look this is it Jack. Look it's the same furniture, the same deer.

JACK: The same deer.

JENNIFER: Look Jack, look at the logs. These are the logs that we left when we left.

JACK: Wow it's a couple of logs!

JENNIFER: No these are the exact logs, Jack.

JACK: Hmmm.

JENNIFER: Look there's the radio. That's the radio that you used to make that fake announcement.

JACK: You can find those things in any log cabin across the country. Now look if you want to play dØjð vu that's fine. We've stood here before and we've talked like this before.

JENNIFER: No this is the cabin.

JACK: Look the point is we found a safe place to spend the night. Let's not make an epic out of this.

JENNIFER: We were never going to see Jo were we? You deliberately planned this Jack?

JACK: Who me?

JENNIFER: Yes Jack, you.

JACK: Oh no, I would never....

JENNIFER: You did.

JACK: I would never....

JENNIFER: You did.

JACK: I would never....

 

THEY BOTH SMILE AND LAUGH.

 

JENNIFER: You did.

JACK: I would never. I would....

 

SHE SHINES THE FLASHLIGHT IN HIS FACE.

 

JENNIFER: You did.

JACK: Don't shine that in my face.

JENNIFER: You did.

JACK: Thank you. I would never do that.

SCENE SEVEN: LATER JACK SETS A FIRE AND WHILE HE IS ARRANGING IT, JENNIFER SITS DOWN NEXT TO HIM.

JENNIFER: You know I know why you brought me here Jack.

JACK: Yeah, to watch me singe my knuckles.

JENNIFER: No, you wanted to take me back to the way things were before all this happened with Lawrence.

JACK: OUCH.... OUCH, OUCH!

 

JACK BURNS HIS KNUCKLES AND STARTS TO SUCK THEM.

JACK: Me, I did that?

JENNIFER: You wanted to help feel that way again. And I wish it were possible but you can't just undo things that have already happened.

JACK: Well you can't undo something, perhaps you can help it along a bit.

JENNIFER: Here.

JACK: Yeah help me along a bit. Here, my hands are turned into sausage links.

JENNIFER: You sit down.

 

JENNIFER TAKES THE POKER FROM HIM WHILE HE SITS BACK IN A CHAIR BY THE FIRE.

 

JENNIFER: There, that's it, that's all you had to do.

JACK: Yeah.

 

SHE PUTS THE POKER AWAY.

 

JACK: You know something.... ah.... the best thing about this is.... you know.... since we stuck out here and it is just us, we can take this opportunity to get away from all the people and the places and the problems of Salem and just all that stuff.

JENNIFER: What do you mean stuff?

JACK: Oh you know what I mean, stuff.

JENNIFER: Hmmm well we could give it a try. I mean I think it would be nice to just get away from everyone and everything and just.... do what we want to do.

JACK: Sure. Talk, discuss.... discuss world news, journalism and all sorts of thing.

JENNIFER: Well that's not exactly what I had in mind Jack.

JACK: Oh it's not, huh.

JENNIFER: No it's not.

JACK: Well.... I tell you what, I did get us into this predicament and I'll leave it to you to keep us entertained while we're here.

JENNIFER: Alright. I think it would be really nice just to be close to you and to know that you're.... here.

JACK: Well of course I'm here. There's carnivores out there. I'm not going to be out there. Of course, I'm going to be....

 

THEY ARE NOW STANDING. JENNIFER PUTS HER FINGER OVER HIS LIPS.

JACK: Excu....

JENNIFER: Stop talking Jack.

JACK: I can't....

JENNIFER: No, stop talking..

JACK: You said I ca....

JENNIFER: No, you said that I can set the ground rules, right?

 

JACK MUMBLES THROUGH HIS LIPS.

 

JACK: Huh.

JENNIFER: Yes, so it's the same rules for everybody. Right?

JACK: Really? How egalitarian of you?

JENNIFER: Ssssshhhh! "Egalitarian"?

JACK: Yes, it's a big one.

JENNIFER: Come here Jack, sit down.

 

HE SITS IN A CHAIR AND SHE STILLS ON HIS LAP.

 

JACK: I was saying the best part of this, is just us. We're the only ones.... here.

JENNIFER: The only ones.

 

SHE WRAPS HER ARMS AROUND HIS NECK AND THEY CUDDLE IN CLOSE.

JENNIFER: This is nice Jack.

JACK: I thought we weren't supposed to talk.

JENNIFER: I know. I just.... I just wanted to thank you.

JACK: For keeping my mouth shut?

JENNIFER: No, for trying to make me forget about Lawrence.

JENNIFER: Can we?

JACK: Well we can try.

JENNIFER: Yeah we can.

JACK BEGINS TO KISS HER GENTLY AND LOVINGLY AND SHE RESPONDS BY KISSING HIM.