Not Friend Anymore
THE PALACE HOTEL - THE ROOM OF THE HART
Ruby is standing in the middle of the room, surrounded by boxes and rummaging through them to find something. She seems frustrated and irritated as she calls out to her mother.
"Mom, did you borrow my Michelle Parise? Uh, I can't find anything in here!"
Lilith, sitting on the bed, looks up from her book and replies calmly, "Well, it might help if you unpacked. Look, you're home now, it's your life, you should start living it."
Ruby scoffs at her mother's words. "This is not live, this is a hotel we're living in because you decided you didn't like the colour of the walls in our real home."
Lilith hands Ruby the green pair of pumps she was looking for. Ruby takes them with a sigh and puts them on.
"Mom, I said I'd go to this brunch. What else do you want from me?" Ruby asks, her tone annoyed.
Lilith seems concerned. "Ruby, why are you being like this? You love parties. This is just not like you."
Ruby responds defensively, "Maybe it is like me. Maybe you don't know what I'm really like."
Lilith looks at Ruby with a mix of confusion and sadness. "Oh, ok, tell me."
Ruby puts on her pumps and stares at her mother, her face expressionless.
Lilith tries to change the topic. "So did you and Ben have fun at the concert last night?"
Ruby hesitates for a moment before answering. "We, uhm, never made it. We actually ended up at the 'Kiss On The Lips' party."
Lilith seems surprised. "Ah, well that must have pleased Lucy."
Ruby shakes her head. "Lucy? Actually no, not that pleased. Which is why I'm going to talk to her."
Lilith reminds Ruby to be back in time for brunch. "Just be back in time for brunch, ok?"
"Mom!" she called out, her voice heavy with both anxiety and frustration.
"Look, honey, I know how hard it is for you to be back but the more you hide yourself away the more people are gonna think you have something to hide." Lilith could see the pain in Ruby's eyes as she spoke, the way her daughter's lips quivered.
Ruby's expression hardened at Lilith's words. "Coming from someone who's keeping my brother in an institution," she spat out. Lilith's heart sank at the mention of her son. She knew how much it hurt Ruby to be separated from him. "That's different," Lilith said, trying to keep her voice steady. She could feel the tension in the room growing, like a storm cloud gathering on the horizon. She knew they needed to talk, to find a way to bridge the gap between them. But it was hard, so hard, to know where to start.
Ruby rolls her eyes and starts to leave. Lilith calls out after her, "I mean it: Don't be late!"
As Ruby walks out of the room, her emotions seem conflicted. She's angry, frustrated, and maybe even a little bit hurt. She feels like her mother doesn't understand her and that nobody knows who she is.
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THE PALACE HOTEL
Ruby rushes towards the street to hail a cab, her hair waving in the wind. She catches the attention of a yellow cab and shouts, "Wait!" to the driver. She then jumps into the back seat just as Ben walks up to The Palace Hotel. Ben enters the hotel and walks over to the reception, looking a bit nervous.
"Hey! How are you doing? I, ah, I was in yesterday with Ruby," Ben says to the concierge.
"How could I forget," the concierge replies with a polite smile.
"Yeah, well, is... she in?" Ben asks, trying to sound casual.
"Just missed her, actually, but you're welcome to wait," the concierge responds.
"Ok, maybe I will. She probably won't be that long, right?" Ben says.
"Once she went out and didn't come back for six months but feel free to sit," the concierge jokes, pointing in the opposite direction.
Ben nods and heads towards the lounge, Meanwhile, Noah walks towards the elevator, and Lilith steps out and greets Noah.
"Hi, Noah, it's great to see you," Lilith exclaims with a smile.
"Hi, Misses Hart. Good to see you," Noah responds, feeling a bit shy.
"Oh, I'm just heading out," Lilith says, walking towards the foyer with Noah.
"is Ruby in?" he asks, hoping to catch her before she leaves.
"Oh, you just missed her but I'll tell her you came by. I'm sure she will be happy to hear it," Lilith responds with a warm smile.
"I... I don't know about that," Noah says, feeling a bit uncertain.
"Oh, what? I mean, Ruby loves you and I think she's always had a little crush on you. Of course, you and Lucy are the perfect couple," Lilith says, trying to reassure Noah.
"Mmh, is Ruby going to be long? I could just wait," Noah says, hoping to see Ruby before he leaves.
Lilith nods towards the concierge and says, "Uhm, well, Dexter here can take care of you. I'm just gonna step out for a while and Noah's gonna wait for Ruby."
Noah let out a sigh of relief, "Great," he said. The concierge standing in front of them scanned the waiting area and replied, "He can get in line behind that guy." Lilith and Noah turned around to see Ben sitting in a chair behind them.
However, Lilith is disappointed to see Ben waiting for Ruby at the hotel. "I had a feeling you'd be back. Ben, is it?" Lilith says, greeting him with a forced smile.
"Madden, yes. It's nice to see you again, Miss Hart. I hope you had a pleasant, eh, 21 hours since I last saw you," Ben says, trying to sound charming.
"Yes, it has been very pleasant... until now," Lilith says, her disappointment evident in her tone. She nods towards Noah and Ben and says, "Gentlemen..." before walking away, leaving Noah and Ben to sit next to each other.
N: "Hey."
B: "Hey."
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HOME OF THE EVANS
Ruby exits the elevator and spots Lucy. "Lucy? Hey," she calls out. Lucy turns around, and the tension in the air is palpable. Ruby takes a copy of 'Breakfast At Tiffany's' out of a bag and offers it to Lucy. "Hey, I got two baguettes and Audrey," she says, trying to lighten the mood.
Lucy's response is cold and unwelcoming. "I must have totally blanked on the part where I invited you over," she says icily. Ruby's expression falls, and she struggles to find the right words. "I... I called you. Lucy, it's Sunday morning: Coffee, croissants, 'Breakfast At Tiffany's'. It's our tradition," she pleads.
Lucy is unyielding. "I have new traditions now," she says curtly, sitting down with the Sunday paper and pointedly ignoring Ruby. She's wearing a white dress pajama that looks rich and expensive, paired with a white drape jacket. Her wavy brown hair is on point, and she looks stunning.
Ruby tries to make amends. "Look, Lucy, I'm really trying to make an effort here. I thought everything was good between us," she says, sounding desperate.
Lucy's response is crushing. "It was... before I found out you had sex with my boyfriend," she says, her voice trembling with anger and hurt. Ruby is left speechless, trying to find the right words.
"How did you find out?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Noah told me. At least he felt he owed it to me to tell the truth," Lucy says bitterly. Ruby is at a loss for words, her face a mask of guilt and shame.
"I don't know what to say," she admits, feeling like a complete failure.
"Don't bother saying anything. I wouldn't believe you anyway," Lucy retorts, her voice cold and cutting.
Ruby and Lucy were standing face to face. Ruby began, "Lucy, it was..." before being cut off by Lucy's sharp words. Lucy's face twisted with anger and disgust as she spoke. Her tone was biting and cold. "You know... I always knew you were a whore... I never took you for a liar too." Ruby's face fell at Lucy's accusation, and she was struck speechless. She didn't know what to do or say to make things right. "Lucy, how can I fix this?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. But Lucy wasn't interested in hearing Ruby's excuses or apologies. "You don't, Ruby. You just stay away from me, my boyfriend, and my friends." Lucy's eyes narrowed, and her body language made it clear that she was done with the conversation. "You're done here," she said, turning on her heel and walking away. Ruby stood there, alone and devastated, as Lucy disappeared into the distance.
Ruby's visit was short and apparently not very sweet but you know what is? Revenge. We hear it's best served cold. Who's hungry?
Ruby had already left the place when Jenny exited the elevator and entered the living room. As soon as Jenny enters, Lucy shouts from the other room, "Doretha, I told you I didn't want to see anyone!" Lucy enters the living room and sees Jenny standing there. Lucy's facial expression softened. She asks, "Hey, Jenny. What do you want?" To which Jenny replies, "Eh, I realized that I still have your calligraphy pens... from the party invitations and thought you might need them for something."
Lucy was not convinced by Jenny's excuse and said, "That's the lamest excuse I've ever heard. You wanna know what Aiden Woodbury is saying about you." Jenny's face showed that she was concerned and asked, "No. Is he... saying things? Is anyone?" Lucy replied, "Mmh, no. Not yet anyway. Aiden likes to brag about his conquests, not his victims. Come on, you can help me get ready for brunch."
Jenny agreed and followed Lucy upstairs. As they were walking, Jenny noticed an arrangement of flowers, and she said, "Nice flowers." Lucy replies, "They're hydrangeas."
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EXT NEW YORK
Lilith steps out of the yellow cab and takes a deep breath of the polluted Brooklyn air. She looks around and notices the colorful graffiti on the walls and the bustling crowd. "Just coffee. I'm not staying long... I want to get out of here before someone throws me down and tattoos me," she mutters to herself.
Huck Madden, greets her with a smirk on his face. "This is Brooklyn, Lil, not the 'Warped Tour' and don't tell me you had all your tattoos removed. I mean, even that one, the little heart-shaped one between your, uhm..." Lilith rolls her eyes and interrupts him, "Don't try to be cute, ok. Those days are way behind you."
Huck continues to tease her, "And here I thought I was getting better looking every day. So, what's the big emergency?" They walk into a nearby coffee shop to get their drinks.
Lilith, with a hint of annoyance in her voice, said, "Ben went out with Ruby last night." Huck, with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes, replied, "And as Madden, I sure am proud of him." It was evident that Lilith was not pleased with Ben's decision to go out with Ruby, her furrowed brows and the way she crossed her arms over her chest gave it away. Meanwhile, Huck's pride was palpable, as he sat up straight and puffed out his chest.
"Well, currently he is sitting in the lobby of the hotel where we're living," Lilith says with a worried look on her face. The shop assistant greets them, "Hi, how can I help you?" Huck orders two americanos, one with an extra shot. Lilith nods in agreement.
Huck tries to comfort her, "You don't actually think that I'm gonna tell my kid he can and cannot date. I mean, is that really the reason you came down here?" Lilith sighs, "Oh, I know what you're implying."
Huck jokes, "That maybe you're falling for me again." Lilith laughs, "You're right, you're right. It's the low income tax bracket, the bad v-neck t-shirts, the awful jokes. I don't know why your wife left you." Huck retorts, "Well, she's got better taste than you."
The shop assistant brings them their coffee, and Huck pays. Huck continues to tease her and says, "I mean, come on, why else have I seen you more in the last two days than in the last fifteen years?" Lilith tries to brush it off, "An unfortunate twist of fate."
Huck asks, "But fate nonetheless, unless... you are... are you seeing someone?" Lilith denies, "No, not really." Huck digs deeper, "Aha, not serious... or he's married, that is your type."
Lilith tries to stop him, "That's enough, Huck." Huck continues, "What's his name? Have I read of him in 'Forbes' or 'Rolling Stone'? Well, whoever he is, I'm sure he can't keep up with you."
Lilith smiles, "Well, I'm gonna take that as a compliment. But I'm serious, I'm worried about Ruby. I don't need some new boy influencing her, distracting her from her needs." Huck tries to reassure her, "Well, no offense, Lil, but I'm guessing a kid like Ben is exactly what Ruby needs."
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EXT THE PALACE HOTEL
Ben walks away from the main entrance of the Palace Hotel, lost in his own thoughts. As he rounds the corner, he bumps into Noah near the front gate.
"So, ah, what do you need to talk to Ruby about?" Ben asks curiously.
"Nothing, just in the neighborhood. You?" Noah replies nonchalantly.
"I... I'm nowhere near the neighborhood but I'm working on a better excuse," Ben stammers, feeling slightly embarrassed.
"You guys like..." Noah trails off, uncertain how to finish the sentence.
"Oh, ah, I... I don't know," Ben admits, feeling awkward.
"Yeah, well, that's Ruby. With her, you'll never know," Noah says with a shrug.
Just then, Aiden walks towards them, sporting black sunglasses. As he gets closer, he takes off his sunglasses and Ben notices his black eye.
"Noah! There you are. What are you doing?" Aiden exclaims, clearly surprised.
"Nothing... just waiting for you," Noah replies calmly.
Aiden notices Dan and immediately becomes hostile. "Him? What are you doing here?" he demands.
"Why? What is this... your hotel?" Ben asks, feeling defensive.
"Actually, it is," Noah interjects, trying to diffuse the situation.
"Yes, and unless you have a reason to be here I have to ask you to wait on the curb with the rest of the trash," Aiden sneers, his anger palpable.
"Trash? Look man, I live in Brooklyn, alright, not the Ozarks... no offense to the Ozarks. But don't you think we're taking this class warfare thing way too far?" Ben retorts, feeling his own anger rise.
Without warning, Aiden forcefully shoves Ben with some amount of physical force., causing Noah to step in and hold him back. "Ok, man, let's just go," Noah says, trying to calm down Aiden.
"You told me to stick up for Ruby's reputation... if anyone has a reason to kick his ass it's you," Aiden growls, pointing at Noah.
"It's no warfare. Not here," Noah insists, leading Aiden away from Ben.
Before leaving, Aiden turns to Ben and warns, "This isn't over."
"Hey, any time, man. That one black eye looks a little lonely," Ben taunts back, feeling defiance.
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LUCY'S BEDROOM
Lucy stands in front of the mirror, trying on the blue dress that her mother picked out for her to wear to the brunch. Jenny is with her, watching her in awe. "Wow, Lucy, it's... it's beautiful. I mean... you look beautiful," says Jenny, admiring Lucy's appearance. Lucy touches the blue dress with her fingers, seemingly unimpressed. "It's average. The collar is from last season. And besides, Stella McCartney's a much better version of Bergdorf's," she says, taking the dress off. She knew she looked good, and she was going to own it.
Her pink thong hugged her curves perfectly, accentuating her round and firm buttocks. The thin fabric was barely there, teasing anyone who caught a glimpse of it. Lucy loved the feeling of the thong against her skin, it made her feel sexy and free. And with her black bra, her cleavage was on full display, drawing the attention of everyone around her.
Her hourglass figure was the envy of many, with a tiny waist and full hips. She had worked hard to maintain her figure, and it showed. As she walked, her hips swayed gracefully, drawing attention to her curvaceous behind. Her curves were a work of art, and she was proud of them.
Jenny walks over to Lucy's bed and picks up a doll, examining it closely. "Wow, these dolls are great. Oh my god, you've got 'Cabbage Patch'. My brother used to have one of these. His name was Cedric," she says, reminiscing about her past. Lucy looks at Jenny, seemingly surprised. "Your brother's name is Cedric?" she asks.
Jenny clarifies, "No, that was his 'Cabbage Patch Kid'. My brother's name is Ben. Actually, you might know him. He, uhm, he went out with Ruby last night." Lucy remembers. "That was your brother? So does that mean you're friends with Ruby now?" she asks, curious.
Jenny responds, "I mean, I don't have a problem with her but if someone did have a problem with her I wouldn't have a problem with that either." Lucy looks at Jenny, trying to convey a message. "You know if you like that dress... you can have it," she says, offering the dress to Jenny.
Jenny is surprised and grateful. "What? No, no," she says, refusing the offer. Lucy insists, "I'm sure you'll find some way to repay me." Jenny thanks Blair for the dress and for the advice about Aiden. "Wow, Lucy, thank you, I mean, for the dress and... for the other thing... about that Aiden," she says, appreciative.
Lucy offers some words of wisdom to Jenny, "If you want to be part of this world, Jenny, people will talk... eventually. And you need to decide if all this... is worth it."