Tea smiles constantly at how cute Todd looks with his jacket off, his sleeves rolled up and an apron covering the front of his clothes. She's missed Todd's presence and is soaking in as much as she can, not knowing how long he'll be staying this time.

Todd finally takes a brief break from his hectic slicing, stirring and sampling and looks at Tea.]

Todd: You know, you don't have to drink that stuff. I know that it tastes like... Well, I know it's not very good.

Tea: It's fine, Todd.

Todd: I'm surprised you'd dare drinking any of it at all.

Tea: Why?

Todd: Aren't you afraid I spiked it?

Tea: If you did then it would probably taste better.

Todd: True. So, are you going to tell me?

Tea: Tell you what?

Todd: If you recommended my deal or Asa's to your clients.

Tea: We're not talking about business tonight, remember?

Todd: This isn't business. This is personal.

Tea: Todd, you'll find out soon, okay?

Todd: You wouldn't be sitting here with that look on your face if you sold me out to Asa.

Tea: Todd...

Todd: Unless, you're enjoying getting back at me.

Tea: My enjoyment has nothing to do with business. I'm enjoying watching you in the kitchen because I enjoy watching you in the kitchen. It's a rare sight. And, we won't be discussing any business tonight, so please don't ruin our evening obsessing about that, or any other, deal. Okay?

Todd: That's an important deal.

Tea: Why?

Todd: I thought you didn't want to talk about it.

Tea: I won't discuss any details but I am curious as to why you've taken such an interest in acquiring companies. Is this just about Asa? Is it only about revenge?

Todd: What else is there?

Tea: I can think of many things more important than revenge.

Todd: Name one.

Tea: Love.

Todd: Name one I'm capable of.

Tea: I know what you're capable of Todd. How is Starr?

Todd: You wanna see her?

Tea: I would love to see her. I don't want to confuse her, though.

Todd: She's smart. She knows I blew it.

Tea: So, she knows that we were together but that we're not anymore?

Todd: She was at one of our weddings, remember? I think she figured out we were together. And, yeah, she knows.

Tea: She doesn't know about our most recent wedding, though, right? No one does, do they?

Todd: I didn't tell anyone. Did you?

Tea: My grandmother. She knows everything.

Todd: Everything, huh?

Tea: Well, not quite everything. She is the only person that I've spoken to about any of the details, though.

Todd: We're really still married?

Tea: Unless, you divorced me without my knowledge.

Todd: So, we're still married. You're not wearing the rings anymore.

Tea: I was angry after you left. I took them off. It never felt right to put them back on. It was clear that it was over.

Todd: Then why didn't you just divorce me again, like you always do?

Tea: I don't know. Why didn't you? You obviously have taken off your rings and moved on with your life.

Todd: I figured since you've always been the one doing the divorcing, you'd do it this time too. So, does this mean that you get a piece of all the action I've been into lately?

Tea: Clearly, you chose for your action to be outside our relationship.

Todd: You know what I mean. Are you going to try to claim that you should be in on the deals I've been making lately with all the companies I've been buying?

Tea: You can give your paranoia a rest. I don't want anything from you, Todd. Well, that's not true. I would like to be able to stay here.

Todd: I never understood why you wanted to live all the way out here anyway.

Tea: I like it out here. It's peaceful.

Todd: I never understood why you liked that.

Tea: Could you get me another glass of this...whatever it is?

Todd: It's sewage. Actually, sewage would probably taste better. Don't you have anything decent to drink around here?

[Todd opens the refrigerator and is disgusted by all of the healthy options in front of him.]

Todd: What's wrong with you, Delgado? Don't you have anything with sugar and carbonation, like regular people?

Tea: Orange juice would be great.

Todd: Got any vodka to go with it?

Tea: Just the juice is fine.

[Todd continues rummaging through her refrigerator.]

Todd: Soy milk? If it didn't get squeezed through a cow's... Ugh, tofu. This is disgusting in here, Delgado. Worse than when I lived here.

Tea: I was holding back while you were here since I know how adverse you are to anything of an alternative nature.

Todd: Meatless meatballs? You've lost your mind, haven't you?

Tea: Actually, they're pretty good. You could put them in whatever you're cooking.

Todd: I could put them in the trash where they belong.

Tea: Don't you dare.

Todd: What are you going to do to stop me? Jump the counter and tackle me?

Tea: Don't tempt me. I will be coming in there, though, unless you give me the orange juice I ordered.

[Todd pours a glass of orange juice for Tea and places it on the counter in front of her. He then places the container to his own lips and drinks a few gulps of the juice before closing the container and placing it back in the refrigerator.]

Todd: So, Delgado, if we can't talk business that means we get to talk about personal stuff, right?

Tea: What would you like to discuss, Todd?

Todd: You seeing anyone?

Tea: I don't know...

Todd: You don't know if you're seeing anyone?

Tea: I don't know if we should talk about this.

Todd: Well, if we can't talk about business or personal stuff, what's left?

Tea: Politics?

Todd: All politicians are idiots. Are you seeing anyone?

Tea: It's important that you have an answer to that question?

Todd: I'm just curious about why you're avoiding it.

Tea: Tell me about your personal life.

Todd: I asked first.

Tea: Since you're the one who left me on our wedding night, I think you should answer me first.

Todd: That's not true.

Tea: What isn't?

Todd: I didn't leave you on our wedding night.

Tea: Todd, I told you earlier that you can lie to everyone else about what happened between us but I won't play along if you try to lie to me.

Todd: I wasn't lying. It wasn't our wedding night. It was the morning after.

Tea: What time did you leave?

Todd: Why would that matter?

Tea: I don't know. I guess I'm just wondering how long you lasted. How long before you realized that you couldn't spend another moment with me?

Todd: Well, I'm spending this moment with you and in a few moments dinner will be done and I'll be spending a bunch of moments watching you chew.

Tea: Was it as soon as I fell asleep?

[Todd focuses on stirring something that doesn't need to be stirred to avoid eye contact with Tea.]

Todd: No.

Tea: Five minutes later? Several hours? How long?

Todd: I don't know. I wasn't checking the clock.

Tea: Was it still dark out?

Todd: Yeah...I guess.

Tea: Then it couldn't have been too long. We went pretty late into the night.

Todd: It was a while, Tea, okay? I wasn't counting so I don't know how long.

Tea: Why did you leave?

[Todd stops what he's doing but he continues to look away from her. He knew she would probably want answers tonight. He considered not coming to dinner so he could avoid her questions and, more importantly, to avoid his own feelings. He chose to come, though. He felt that he owed it to her. He also just wanted to be with her for a little while again.

Seeing her earlier in the day made it even clearer to him how much he's missed being with her. He even missed talking with her, even though he hates talking and he hates how deep her questions go sometimes.

Tea finally decides to let him off the hook, at least for now.]

Tea: We'll have dinner, okay? After dinner, if you're up for it, we could have the discussion that I think we both need to have.

Todd: Speak for yourself.

Tea: I am. I need some answers, Todd. I can go on with my life without them. I have gone on with my life without them, but it would help to have some knowledge and understanding of what happened and why. There were so many good moments, Todd...

Todd: There were?

Tea: Yes. I need your help to put the bad ones behind me so I can move on and, hopefully someday, be able to recall those good moments without the pain from the bad ones coloring my perspective.

Todd: Have you been seeing a shrink, or something?

Tea: Have you?

Todd: Dinner's ready.

Tea: Good. Let's eat.

Todd: Shouldn't you set the table? Or, do I have to do all the work?

Tea: You want to eat at the table? You don't want to eat over the sink?

Todd: For dessert, we could.

[Tea busies herself preparing the table as Todd puts the finishing touches on their meal.]

to be continued...