[Todd stares at his ex-wife for a long time, not believing that she's in front of him again. He thought there was a good chance he'd never see her again...at least not by her own choice.

The tension becomes palpable as their gaze is maintained, neither willing to be the first to look away. Stanley stands to the side, not understanding why they're just staring at each other and not speaking.]

Stanley: Ms. Delgado?

[Tea speaks to her assistant but doesn't break her gaze from her ex-husband's eyes.]

Tea: Yes, Stanley?

Stanley: Is there anything else?

[Tea is the first to break eye contact as she looks toward her assistant.]

Tea: You can wait outside, Stanley. I think Mr. Manning and I will be able to handle these negotiations by ourselves. Won't we, Mr. Manning?

[Todd also looks away from Tea and focuses a gaze at Stanley that is so intense and filled with disdain, that it scares Stanley.]

Todd: I want somebody else.

Stanley: Sir?

Todd: I want to see the CEO or the president or anybody else with a decent title. I'm not doing this with her.

Tea: That's fine, Mr. Manning. I'll just advise my clients to take Mr. Buchanan's generous offer.

[Todd finally looks back at Tea again.]

Todd: What was he offering?

Tea: Let's start this meeting. You can tell me your offer and we'll go from there.

Todd: You're nuts.

Tea: I'm the nut who could block this deal for you, Mr. Manning. Do you want this company or not?

Todd: Yeah, I want it.

Tea: Then you're going to have to go through this chick lawyer to get it, so deal with it. Stanley, wait outside.

Todd: You stay right where you are, Stanley.

Tea: Stanley is my employee. I pay his salary. You cannot order him around.

Todd: Sure I can. Watch this. Stanley, sit.

Tea: Stanley, wait outside.

Stanley: Ms. Delgado?

Tea: Everything is fine, Stanley. Mr. Manning just seems to have a problem dealing with a woman that he can't order around like a dutiful wife.

Todd: Dutiful wife?

Tea: Stanley, wait outside. Now!

Todd: Better do it, Stanley. Chick lawyers can't handle men who think for themselves.

[A very confused Stanley leaves the conference room, closing the door behind him.

Tea opens the bag of food Stanley had brought in moments earlier.]

Todd: Hey, that's my food.

Tea: I asked Stanley to bring me something, too. I haven't eaten yet today.

Todd: So? You think I care about your eating habits?

Tea: I don't think you care at all, Todd.

Todd: Call me Mr. Manning.

Tea: You should call your pilot and head back to Llanview.

Todd: You're going to let Asa swipe this company from me just because you hate me?

Tea: I don't hate you. Besides, I have a strong suspicion that Asa was interested in this company before you were and you are the one trying to steal this deal out from under him.

Todd: Whatever. I still want it.

Tea: Well, you can't have everything you want.

Todd: Obviously.

Tea: Let me guess...you blame me.

Todd: Of course I do. For what?

Tea: Never mind, Todd. Let's just eat our lunch and discuss our business. After we're done here, we can go back to pretending that we never knew each other, never had a relationship, never...

Todd: I'm sure you forgot within the first ten minutes. You were always good at forgetting about me...moving on...finding someone else.

Tea: Is that a question?

Todd: Did it sound like a question?

Tea: It sounded like you were trying to gather information without wanting to be up-front and honest in your inquiry.

Todd: Give me my sandwich and my beer. It's too early in the day for you.

Tea: Sorry, no beer.

Todd: Well, that's it. I'm not doubling Stanley's salary and stealing him away from you if he can't be trusted to get me beer.

Tea: I changed your order. I want you sober for these negotiations.

Todd: You think a couple of beers would get me drunk? You really didn't pay attention much while we were together, did you?

Tea: I paid attention. I know how surly you get when you drink.

Todd: I'm always surly. I don't need booze in my belly for that.

Tea: Let's just take care of business, okay? You can have fun getting drunk later.

Todd: Is that an invitation?

Tea: Why would I offer any kind of invitation to you after what you did?

Todd: Fine. Let's talk about business.

Tea: Fine.

[The former spouses sit across from each other and immerse themselves in their lunches. Neither speaks or looks at the other for several minutes. When Tea looks up again, she notices that Todd has mustard on the side of him mouth.]

Tea (gesturing toward her own lips): You have some mustard...

Todd: Want to lick it off for me?

Tea: Do you want a different attorney, is that it?

Todd: Yeah, I want a different attorney. I already said that. There's no way you'll give me a fair shot at this.

Tea: I am more than capable of putting aside any feelings I may have had for you in the past and rendering an objective determination on what is best for this company and my clients.

Todd: Oh, really? Did you do the objective thing with that old goat?

Tea: Asa?

Todd: It's all his fault and I bet you just let him charm the pants right off of you. Didn't you?

Tea: Well, I wasn't wearing pants...

Todd: Not after he got done with you.

Tea: He certainly was charming.

Todd: He's great at kissing up, isn't he?

Tea: He is a great kisser, that's true.

Todd (standing up): Forget it. I don't need this. It's a stupid, stodgy, boring company that sells stuff that only an idiot would want to buy. Let the old guy have this one. His company will be belly up soon anyway and he'll take this company down with him.

Tea: Is that why you're doing this? You're trying to get back at Asa for some imaginary wrongs you think he committed against you in the past.

Todd: Imaginary?

Tea: Todd, let's just put aside the past and continue this meeting.

Todd: I just told you I don't want this company anymore.

Tea: Yes, you do. If you walk out of here now you'll just go to a bar and beat up a jukebox out of frustration.

Todd: Yeah, right...like I'd do that.

Tea: I read over your proposal and I have to tell you, Asa made a better offer...at least on paper.

Todd: What does that mean?

Tea: This company has been in the same family for generations. It's not doing well, though.

Todd: You need to improve your negotiating tactics. You're not supposed to tell me the company stinks.

Tea: It doesn't stink. It's been having some problems in recent years which are quite obvious and one of the reasons Asa thought acquiring it at this particular time would be so easy. He was wrong.

Todd: So, you're giving the company to me?

Tea: I'm not giving the company to anyone.

Todd: Then why am I wasting my time here?

Tea: Todd, sit down and we'll continue this meeting.

Todd: Fine, but only because I like this sandwich. I'll have to buy the company that makes them.

Tea: It's not for sale.

Todd: How do you know?

Tea: They're also my clients.

Todd: Well, you've been busy.

Tea: I haven't had any distractions recently and have been able to focus fully on my career.

Todd: Your new guy doesn't distract you?

Tea: As I was saying, this has been a family owned company for generations.

Todd: Are you trying to dodge the question?

Tea: They would like to keep it family owned but, quite frankly, the surviving family members don't have the skills, or attention span, to make that plausible.

Todd: You could get fired for talking about your clients like that.

Tea: Believe me, they're well aware of my views.

Todd: You're still treating your clients like you treat your husbands?

Tea: No, I treat them better. But, that could be because they treat me with a hell of a lot more respect than my husband ever did.

Todd: Which of the old guys are you bagging? Or, are you doing all of them?

Tea: You're disgusting.

Todd: I'm honest.

Tea: That's a joke.

Todd: I don't appear to be laughing. You must have gotten the job somehow, right? All of a sudden you're a big corporate lawyer. You had to get yourself into the boardroom somehow.

Tea: And, you think I took the shortcut through the bedroom?

Todd: Did you?

Tea: My bedroom is no longer any of your business. You chose that when you chose to leave my bedroom the morning after...

Todd: That's not how I remember it happening.

Tea: I know what you've been telling people, Todd. I know all about the lies you've been spreading back in Llanview. Did you really think I wouldn't hear about them?

to be continued...