Tea: No, I said that as long as I was with you, I was willing to go anywhere. I was willing to make my home anywhere that you were.

Todd: Speaking of homes... Are you still living in...

Tea: Our home?

Todd: Are you?

Tea: I know that you already know the answer to that.

Todd: I have so much real estate I can't keep track of the status of all of my tenants.

Tea: Well, this chick lawyer is still one of your tenants. I assume the rent will be increasing after this meeting.

Todd: What rent? I told those idiots not to charge you anything.

Tea: They're not, Todd. I meant that after this meeting, I'm expecting that to change.

Todd: You can keep living there at no charge.

Tea: Permanently?

Todd: For as long as you want to live there.

Tea: Will you sign over the deed?

Todd: You expect me to give you a house after what you did to me?

Tea: What did I do to you, Todd?

Todd: Never mind. Let's get this meeting over with.

Tea: All I did was fall asleep in your arms, Todd. You can blame me to all of your friends and family back in Llanview but...

Todd: What friends? You know I don't do friendship.

Tea: Frankly, I don't know what you're doing at all anymore.

Todd: I thought your spies were giving you updates.

Tea: I know that you threw my niece out on the street when you moved back into the penthouse. What did you do, bribe a government worker to lose any record of that deed you had signed over to her?

Todd: It turned out I didn't have to. She was too stupid to file the one I had, in poor judgment, signed. So, you have been keeping track of me? Are you stalking me?

Tea: I don't have time. As you can see, I've been busy sleeping my way to the top.

Todd: So, how did you get this job, seriously?

Tea: I went to school with one of the heirs. We ran into each other after you abandoned me.

Todd: I did not.

Tea: I'm allowing you to lie to everyone else, Todd. Don't try it with me. I won't stand for it.

Todd: You don't have to...you're sitting down.

Tea: So, I ran into this old friend and we got to talking and he told me about the troubles the company was having and I offered my services.

Todd: To console him?

[Todd knows from the look on Tea's face that his inferences that she slept her way into her job are hurting her.]

Todd: So, he just gives you this big deal job for no reason?

Tea: I interviewed with the board. They hired me because I'm good at what I do and because I could be objective. Whether they sell this company, keep it, split it up and sell part of it, doesn't matter to me. I'll give them the best advice I can and I'll ensure that any portion of this company that they do sell will have the best deal possible attached to it.

Todd: So, the whole company isn't for sale?

Tea: It could be if certain conditions are met.

Todd: Like what?

Tea: Like, the family maintains partial ownership in the company.

Todd: Well, then forget it.

Tea: Not a controlling interest but they do want to maintain some ownership. They would continue to have representation on the board. They want certain guarantees for their employees.

Todd: They're nuts.

Tea: Perhaps, but that's what they want and that's what I'm here to ensure they get.

Todd: Do they know you're negotiating with your ex-husband and the guy who ruined your marriage?

Tea: Yes, they know we were married. I didn't discuss it in enough details for them to know that you were the one who ruined our relationship.

Todd: I wasn't referring to me. I meant Asa.

Tea: Asa ruined our relationship? I don't remember him being in our bed the night before you walked out on me without a word.

Todd: I didn't say anything about that night.

Tea: Well, that was our last marriage. From what I've gathered, you've neglected to mention to anyone that we're currently married.

Todd: We're divorced.

Tea: Not yet.

Todd: I thought you were taking care of that. You had no problem divorcing me the other two times.

Tea: Well, this time I thought I'd let you take care of it since it was your idea to walk away from it. I hope none of your relationships have resulted in marriages yet because if they have they're not legal.

Todd: So, you really are stalking me.

Tea: I am doing no such thing. I haven't been near Llanview since you convinced me to give up my life there and give life with you another chance. I do still have a niece and some friends there.

Todd: So, you've grilled your connections about me?

Tea: Actually, I've made it very clear that I don't want to hear anything about you. They've told me a few things anyway, though.

Todd: Like what?

Tea: Like the company you've been keeping.

Todd: What company?

Tea: Look, Todd, it's none of my business. I understand that you wanted to move on. We gave our relationship another try and obviously it just wasn't right for you. Believe me, the second time a guy abandons me on our wedding night, I get the message that the relationship isn't going to work out. I really do wish you as much happiness as you can find with whomever you're able to find it with.

Todd: So, you're going to give me this company?

Tea: Todd...

Todd: And, without any of those stupid restrictions.

Tea: Fine. Let's put aside our personal relationship and talk business. You're not going to get your way on this one. You either meet our conditions or we look elsewhere.

Todd: To Asa Buchanan?

Tea: If he's willing to give us the deal we want, yes.

Todd: He's a pathetic old man who ruined everything for us and you want to reward him by stealing this company from me and giving it to him?

Tea: He didn't ruin anything for us. We ruined it all by ourselves.

Todd: You don't remember him trying to set me up for a murder I didn't commit which caused a lot of stuff to happen that led to one of our breakups?

Tea: Is that why you've been following him around and stealing companies he's trying to acquire?

Todd: It's a pretty good reason, don't you think? Besides it makes that vein in his neck throb and it's fun watching it and waiting for it to explode.

Tea: Todd, Asa didn't ruin our relationship. You do realize that, don't you? We've had several more chances at our relationship since then and we've blown each one. That's not his fault. That's not anyone's fault but ours. You have clearly moved on with your life on a personal level so why are you holding grudges about what happened years ago, that may or may not have been responsible for some of the tension in our relationship at the time?

Todd: Tension? The man tried to fry me.

Tea: Fine, Todd. If you want to hate Asa, go ahead and hate him, but do not use our relationship as part of your game.

Todd: Fine. I'll hate him because I hate him. Is that okay with you?

Tea: That's fine. Now, let's get back to business. I'd like to get home early tonight.

Todd: Something good on TV? Or, someone good sitting in front of the TV waiting for you?

Tea: Don't you already know all there is to know about my personal life?

Todd: Obviously not since I didn't know I would be seeing you today.

Tea: If you had, would you have shaved and worn matching socks?

Todd: My socks match.

Tea: No, they don't. They're slightly different shades of the same color.

Todd: One's just faded a little.

Tea: No, one is a different color.

Todd: And, what's wrong with my stubble. I thought you said you liked it.

Tea: I do. I mean, I did. It always made you look, I don't know...

Todd: Irresistible?

Tea (smiling slightly): Actually...

Todd: So, uh, since I own your house I get to ask you if you've shacked up with anyone, right?

Tea: Why would that give you any rights to poke into my personal life.

Todd: It's my shack so I get to know if you're shacking up with anyone. Are you?

Tea: I live alone. If you don't believe me, you could come by tonight before you go back to Llanview and see for yourself.

Todd: Is that a dinner invitation?

Tea: Only if you're willing to do the cooking. I have a feeling I'll be exhausted after a certain meeting with a certain exasperating businessman today.

Todd: I could bring some take-out.

Tea: I was in the mood for home cooking. So, should I expect you?

Todd: Well, I do want to check on my investment.

Tea: Good. It's agreed then. Let's get back to business.

Todd: We could talk about all this over dinner and you could tell me that you're giving me the company.

Tea: If you come over tonight we won't be discussing business at all. We'll work here as late as we have to until we're both satisfied with the results of our negotiation.

Todd: If we can't talk business what were you expecting to talk about over the dinner that you will be cooking for me?

Tea: Well, during the dinner you're cooking for me, I expect that it will be like most of the dinners in our past -- we'll hardly talk as you inhale your food as fast as you can and drink heavily. By the way, I have no beer. I threw yours out after you left.

Todd: I'll bring more.

Tea: It would be nice, Todd, if we could have one meal together were you don't drink yourself into an emotionally dead condition.

Todd: I'm always emotionally dead.

Tea: I'm serious, Todd. Having dinner together might be a nice way to put a final chapter on our relationship but I don't want to spend the whole time watching you get drunk. Come sober and stay sober or don't bother coming at all.

Todd: You always did hate for me to have fun.

Tea: I thought you were having fun that last night. Obviously, I was wrong.

[They both are silent for several minutes as they stare uncomfortably at each other. Finally, they return to talking about business and don't speak again of their personal relationship as they spend much of the afternoon together trying to work out a deal.]

to be continued...