Brunch
EXT THE PALACE HOTEL
Ben is standing outside the Palace Hotel, looking nervous and fidgety. Ruby walks up to him, and he turns to face her.
"Ben, hey," Ruby greets him with a smile.
"I, I... I was in the neighbourhood... uhm, give or take seventy blocks. Uhm, I just wanted to tell you in person that, eh, the end of last night may not have been my finest hour. It was a, eh, a wave," Ben stammers, making a waving gesture with his hand.
"I, I... I saw that," Ruby replies, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, yeah. Since then I've just been wondering... eh... are you hungry?" Ben asks, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Yes. I had the worst morning," Ruby admits, her stomach growling audibly.
"Do you... do you wanna talk? And eat? Not necessarily in that order," Ben suggests, a hopeful look in his eyes.
"Yes, I would love to do both but food first because I'm starving," Ruby replies, her eyes shining with anticipation.
As they are about to leave together, Lilith walks up to them, interrupting their plans.
"Great, just in time for brunch," Lilith says, her tone sharp.
"Mom," Ruby greets her mother with a sigh.
"Ben, you're still here," Lilith observes, eyeing him warily.
"Look, Mom, I really don't think it's a good idea for me to go to that brunch," Ben protests, his voice trembling with anxiety.
"You promised," Lilith reminds him sternly.
"Yeah, but that was before... before I knew Ben was hungry too. I can't let the boy starve," Ruby argues, her eyes flashing with defiance.
"It would be inhumane," Ben adds, trying to lighten the mood.
"He's not invited," Lilith states firmly.
"Yeah, that's why I'm going with him," Ruby declares, taking Ben's arm in hers.
"Because I can't go with her," Ben jokes weakly, trying to diffuse the tension.
"And we have plans to go to brunch together today," Ruby informs her mother, her voice resolute.
"We had those plans," Ben adds, nodding in agreement.
"Ruby, you're home: Living under my roof, my rules. What is it gonna take to get you dressed and through that door?" Lilith demands, her voice rising in anger.
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IN THE PALACE HOTEL - BALL ROOM
Ben and Ruby stand nervously at the entrance of the Palace Hotel's ballroom, looking around in awe at the grandeur and extravagance of the event. As they take in the surroundings, their eyes fall on the models painted white, posing as statues, and they both feel a little overwhelmed. Anthony Whitlock, Henry Woodbury, and Lilith, all dressed to impress, are seen mingling with the crowd. Meanwhile, Noah, Aiden, Lucy, Katy, and Isabel are sitting together, laughing, and enjoying their drinks. But as Lucy catches a glimpse of Ruby, her expression changes suddenly, and her mouth drops open in fury.
Ruby, sensing the tension, turns to Ben and whispers, "you know, maybe... maybe this was a... a bad idea."
Back at the table, Lucy can't believe her eyes, and she exclaims, "You've got to be kidding me!" Lucy is wearing a breathtaking white dress, which has long sleeves that add a touch of elegance to her attire. The dress is adorned with intricate black flowers that seem to bloom on the fabric, creating a striking contrast. On her head, she has a black ribbon headband that adds a charming and subtle detail to her outfit.
At the entrance, Ben agrees with Ruby, saying, "Yeah, this was... this was definitely a bad idea."
As the two finally gather the courage to enter the ballroom, Aiden notices Ben and remarks to the others, "This should be fun."
Looks like Aiden and Lucy showed up with quite some appetite... for destruction that is.
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IN THE HOME OF THE MADDENS
Huck sat on the couch, strumming his guitar, lost in thought as he tried to find the perfect melody for his new song. Just then, Jenny walked in with a transparent cloth bag that held her new blue dress, looking stunning as ever.
"Hey, dad. How's the new song going?" Jenny asked as she took a seat next to him.
Huck let out a deep sigh, "Ah, I think I need more coffee."
Jenny rolled her eyes, "Whatever works."
Huck couldn't help but notice the dress in the bag, "Where did you get the dress?"
"Oh, it was a thank-you gift from Lucy for doing the party invitations," Jenny replied with a smile.
Huck raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Looks like a very expensive thank-you gift."
"Dad, she's got a closet the size of this apartment just full of them. See, her mom designed it," Jenny explained.
Huck nodded in agreement, "And her mom is very talented... but the dress you made for yourself is much nicer."
Jenny beamed with pride, "Which is why you don't wear dresses."
Huck chuckled, "One of a couple of reasons."
Jenny suddenly changed the topic, "Hey, do you think the Farmers' Market is still open?"
Huck looked at the clock, "Yeah, why? You wanna go?"
Jenny smiled excitedly, "Yeah."
Huck teased her, "I thought you were getting too old to go places with your dad."
"Well, you used to be cool. And the '90s are having a comeback," Jenny replied playfully.
Huck shook his head in mock disappointment, "You have no idea how much that hurts."
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IN THE PALACE HOTEL - BALL ROOM
Ben and Ruby are standing at the decadent buffet spread in the Palace Hotel's grand ballroom. Ben is relishing the exquisite taste of the Beluga caviar and appreciating the brunch spread. "Well, can't say much for his childbearing skills but Henry Woodbury knows brunch," he remarks to Ruby.
As Ruby scans the room, Noah catches her attention and signals to her that he wants to talk to her outside. "Uhm, I... I need to use the ladies' room. You think you be ok for yourself for a while?" she asks Ben. "Yeah, come on, me and some Beluga caviar? Can't get enough of this stuff," he replies.
Ruby chuckles and leaves, while Ben turns to one of the painted models and tries to strike up a conversation. "Hey, how's it going?" he asks, but the model doesn't answer or move. "No? You don't... ok, just... go ahead and do your thing," he mutters awkwardly.
Just then, Aiden catches Ben's eye, and they stare at each other for a while until Aiden turns to his father, Henry. "Aiden!" Henry turns away from a guest and greets his son. "Would you excuse me?" he asks the guest, who obliges.
Aiden is dressed in a stylish white suit with a charming beige bow tie, paired with a white and pink patterned shirt and white pants. Despite the black eye, which may have been acquired in a recent altercation, he still exudes a confident and attractive aura. It's possible that the injury has caused him to adopt a more submissive demeanor, but this is purely speculative. Aiden looks disheveled, with a black eye and a bruise on his cheek. "Father," he says, and Henry notices his son's injuries. "The, uh, the invitation said 'Black Tie' not 'Black Eye'. Are you ok? I mean if you're in some kind of trouble..." he asks, looking concerned.
Aiden replies cryptically, "Only of my own making." Henry tries to justify the party, "Why do you think I do all this, hu? This party is for you. Ok, so you can meet people. You know, become a part of something, make some kind of change."
Aiden is unimpressed and sarcastic, "Really? I thought it was another excuse for an open bar and, eh, re-hiring the Milanese statues." Henry is exasperated and tells Aiden to lose the scotch, "Do me a favor, will you? Lose the scotch... it's barely noon."
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IN THE PALACE HOTEL - OUTSIDE OF THE BALLROOM
Noah stands nervously outside the ballroom of the Palace Hotel, waiting for Ruby. After a few moments, Ruby arrives and Noah immediately begins, "Ruby, I really need to talk to you." Ruby, looking tense and agitated, retorts, "Actually, I need to talk to you which means you can listen. Noah, you told Lucy! What were you thinking?"
Noah tries to explain himself but Ruby is in no mood to listen. As they stand there arguing, a party guest interrupts them because they're standing in her way. "Excuse me," she says impatiently. Noah quickly apologizes, "Sorry," and they move a little apart to let her through.
Realizing that they can't talk freely in the hallway, Noah suggests they continue their conversation elsewhere. Ruby is dubious, "What? Where Lucy might see us?" But Noah insists, "We can't talk here. Meet me in Aiden's suite." He takes a key out of his pocket and offers it to Ruby.
Ruby hesitates, but finally relents, "Ten minutes." Noah promises to meet her there and she takes the key. "I'm not sneaking around with you," she warns him. But Noah begs, "Please, just to talk."
"I meet you up there"
As Ruby walks away, Noah watches her go with a mix of hope and anxiety. He knows that he has a lot of explaining to do if he hopes to make things right with her.
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IN THE PALACE HOTEL - BALL ROOM
In the grand ballroom of the Palace Hotel, Anthony and Lucy were engrossed in conversation. Anthony admired Lucy and complimented her by saying, "You look beautiful as always. Where's your lovely mother today?" To which Lucy replied, "Paris. Must be some drama at the atelier."
Anthony was curious and asked, "Nothing too dramatic, I hope. Her line is doing very well. I was just telling my firm what a great investment she'd make. She's really going places."
Lucy responded with a hint of sarcasm, "Hopefully places far far away. Just kidding."
As they spoke, Noah approached and took Lucy's empty glass. He promised to get her a refill and walked away with Anthony. Noah kissed Lucy on the cheek before leaving and Anthony remarked, "Lucy seems happy. Looks like... you're taking care of business as we discussed."
Noah responded, "Dad, not everything in life's a business deal."
To which Anthony chuckled, "Come talk to me in thirty years." They then approached Timothy Good, and Anthony introduced Noah to him for a potential summer internship.
Meanwhile, Aiden walked up to Lucy, who was worried about Serena's presence at the brunch. Aiden offered her a key and suggested a way to get Noah's attention, saying, "I'm honored to be playing an even small role in your deflowering."
Lucy was disgusted and replied, "You're disgusting."
Aiden was unfazed and urged her, "Yes, I am. So why be shy? Just grab Noah and finish this. Report back with details."
Lucy walked off and approached Noah, who was bidding farewell to Mr. Good and his father. As she approached him, she asked, "What are you doing right now?"
Noah was taken aback and responded, "Ah, well, I was just gonna..."
Lucy cut him off and asked, "What about me?"
Noah was hesitant and replied, "Uhm..."
Lucy pushed him further and asked, "Do you have a better offer or..."
Noah relented and replied, "No, of course not."
Lucy smiled and said, "Yeah?"
Noah responded eagerly, "Now?"
Lucy nodded and said, "Now. Now." They left the ballroom, leaving Aiden looking after them.
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IN THE PALACE HOTEL
The elevator doors slide open with a soft ding.
Noah breaks away from Lucy just long enough to ask, "Where are we going?"
Slowly, Noah's hand moved from Lucy's shoulder to her face, gently brushing her cheek. Lucy's heart began to race as she felt his touch. In that moment, all her worries and fears seemed to disappear. She turned her face towards his, and their lips met in a soft and tender kiss.
"I've got us the best room in the whole place," Lucy replies with a sultry smile.
They had no sense of time passing. They were completely lost in the moment, their bodies pressed against each other. It was as if the whole world had disappeared, and it was just the two of them.
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IN AIDENS ROOM
As they step out of the elevator and head towards Aiden's room, Lucy pushes Noah through the door. But their romantic moment is interrupted as they find Ruby already there.
"Noah..." Ruby says, drawing out his name.
Lucy looks at Ruby in disbelief. "Ruby," she says, her voice laced with anger. Ruby replied back, "Lucy."
N and L, hot and heavy in the halls of The Palace Hotel, only to find R already waiting. Sparks were flying for sure... but will it be a three-way? Or D-day?
"What is she doing here?" Lucy demands, turning to Noah.
"I was waiting for Noah," Ruby explains.
"Just to talk, I swear," Noah adds, trying to ease the tension.
"You said you'd never speak to her again!" Lucy exclaims, furious.
"It's not Ruby's fault," Ruby defends herself.
"Do not defend her!" Lucy snaps.
"I asked her to come," Noah interjects, hoping to calm Lucy down.
"Oh, oh, so you want to talk to her," Lucy says sarcastically.
"Yes. Yes, to explain... why I'm not talking to her," Noah says, his tone pleading.
"Maybe I leave you two to finish that fascinating conversation," Lucy says, turning to leave.
But Ruby can't resist a final jab. "Uh, no, no, I'll go. Let you guys get back to your quicky."
"It wasn't a quicky. Sex is actually kind of a big deal to some of us," Lucy retorts.
"Oh, yeah, I can see that. Aiden's bed? Very romantic. Classy too," Ruby snarks.
Lucy's anger flares up again. "Oh, like you. I bet your new friend Ben would love to hear all about how classy you are."
"Ben? What..." Ruby starts to say, confused.
As Lucy runs off, Ruby turns to Noah. "God, do you really think she's gonna tell him?"
"It's Lucy," Noah says with a shrug.
They both run after her, but Ruby can't help but scold Noah along the way. "I can't believe you told her."
"You just expected me to keep it a secret?" Noah counters.
"Yes, Noah. There's nothing wrong with keeping a secret if the truth is gonna hurt someone!" Ruby insists.
"That's a hell of a way to look at things," Noah says, frustration evident in his voice.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize in all this you were the most honest guy on the planet," Ruby snaps back.
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EXT THE PALACE HOTEL
Ben steps outside of the Palace Hotel and looks around for Ruby. He sees Henry and Lilith talking to each other, apparently in the middle of an argument. Henry's face is tense as he says, "It just seems to me that you're the one who doesn't want to be seen together in public." Lilith, on the other hand, looks agitated and defensive as she responds, "No, I do want to be seen together. I just don't want to see you together with anyone else. Tell your harem of shopgirls and models that you're seeing someone."
Henry counters, "I am... but those conversations take a little time." Lilith's tone becomes more exasperated as she retorts, "Well, they've got nothing but time, Henry. They're twenty-five." Suddenly, Lilith notices Ben standing by the entrance looking at them. She says, "Excuse me," and walks towards him.
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IN THE PALACE HOTEL
Ben walks back inside, and Lilith follows him.
Lilith confronts Ben, saying, "Ben, wait! Look, I really don't appreciate your lurking in the shadows eavesdropping on my private conversation." Ben is taken aback and quickly responds, "What? No, no, I wasn't. I was looking for Ruby." Lilith seems skeptical, and her eyebrows furrow as she says, "Well, I don't see her. Do you?"
Ben shakes his head and replies, "No, which is why I was looking." Lilith seems agitated and defensive again as she says, "I don't know what you're doing here or what you think you heard..." Ben interrupts her, trying to diffuse the situation. "Nothing, I heard nothing," he says. Lilith seems to calm down slightly as she says, "But Ruby doesn't know." Ben nods in agreement and says, "And neither do I, ok? So now if you excuse me, I'm gonna go back inside, not tell anyone a thing, and mind my own business."
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IN THE PALACE HOTEL - BALLROOM
Lucy confidently walks up to Ben, who appears to be a bit disheveled and anxious. "Ben? Hi, I'm Lucy Evans, Ruby's friend," she introduces herself. Ben's face lights up with recognition, and he replies, "Oh, hey. Yeah, do you happen to know where she is?"
Lucy replies, "As a matter of fact, I do." Suddenly, Ruby and Noah come running in, and Ruby exclaims, "Lucy!" Ben, relieved, turns towards Ruby and asks, "Ruby, there you are." Ruby greets Ben with a "Hi," and he inquires, "Where were you?"
Lucy interjects, "She was waiting in a hotel room... for my boyfriend." Ruby quickly chimes in, "To talk!" Noah adds, "About why we weren't talking." Lucy shakes her head disapprovingly and remarks, "That doesn't sound any smarter the second time."
Ben, puzzled, asks, "Why weren't you talking? Does this have anything to do with why you were waiting for Ruby this morning?" Ruby, shocked, responds with, "You were what?" Aiden joins the group, and with a grin, he exclaims, "And here I thought you were waiting for me."
Ben, confused and frustrated, demands an explanation, "No, what is going on here?" Lucy calmly replies, "We were just getting to that." Ruby, pleadingly, asks Lucy, "Lucy, please, don't do this." Lucy, ignoring Ruby's request, sarcastically remarks, "Sorry, did you want to tell him?"
Aiden, with a smirk, declares, "I'll tell him." Noah and Lucy both express their surprise, "You know?" Aiden responds confidently, "I know everything." Ben, feeling left out, exclaims, "And apparently, I know nothing."
Ruby, with a hint of regret, admits, "Look, Ben, it was a long time ago, and I regret it..." Aiden, interrupting her, remarks, "Look, Ruby, stop trying to pretend you're a good girl. So you slept with your best friend's boyfriend. I kind of admire you for it."
Ben, feeling betrayed, asks Ruby, "Is that true?" Lucy, with a tone of authority, chimes in, "Well, then she ran away and lied about it. I just thought you should know before you fall head over heels for your perfect girl in her perfect world... and then get left all alone with no one but your 'Cabbage Patch Kid'." Noah, confused, asks, "'Cabbage Patch'?"
Ben, starting to lose his cool, inquires, "Did you talk to my sister?" Aiden responds in a mocking tone, "Ah, yes, little Jenny. Do believe she and I have some unfinished business." Ben, now furious, walks up close to Aiden and warns him, "You stay away from her."
Aiden, with a sadistic smile, taunts Ben, "Poor devil, so little time, so many sluts to fu..." Ben, unable to control his anger anymore, pushes Aiden, causing him to crash into a waiter, who falls down. The guests turn around to witness the scene, and Katy takes photos with her cell phone while Isabel texts.
Ben, realizing his mistake, tries to calm everyone down, "It's fine! It's fine! Everyone can stop looking. He's a jerk. But it's my fault, and... and I'm leaving." Ruby, trying to make amends, offers, "I'll go with you." But Ben, feeling betrayed, replies, "Actually, I'd prefer it if you didn't."
Ben walks off, and Noah, disappointed, remarks, "Hope you're happy." Lucy, a bit somber, her voice full of bitterness, replies, "Not even close." Lucy walks off, and Noah follows her. Aiden, unaffected by the commotion, remarks, "Looks like it's just you and me. Apparently, my room's available."
Some might call this a fustercluck... but on the Upper East Side we call it Sunday afternoon.
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EXT THE PALACE HOTEL
Ruby, with a haggard expression on her face and her hair flying behind her, is seen running after Ben as he walks away from her. She calls out his name, "Ben, Ben! Wait! I'm so sorry." Ben stops and turns around, with a look of discomfort and resignation on his face, and replies, "There's... there's no need to be, really. I shouldn't have come here today. I made a mistake."
Ruby, with a desperate tone of voice, says, "No, you didn't. Look, I'm sorry about Lucy and Aiden..." Ben cuts her off, "It's not about Lucy or Aiden... I mean, it is but it's not just them." Ruby nods in understanding and replies, "No, I know. Trust me, I know. This world... it's crazy."
Ben, with a sigh, says, "Yeah, yeah it is... and you're part of it." Ruby, with a hint of confusion in her voice, asks, "What... and you didn't know that?" Ben, with a tinge of disappointment, says, "I don't know... I thought you were different."
Ben turns around and starts walking away as Ruby is left standing there, looking at him in silence. Ruby, with a sense of regret, says, "Well, I'm sorry I'm not who you thought I was. But... what's happened is in the past, you know." Ben stops and looks back at Ruby. Ruby continues, "And all that I can do is try to change. But if you can't accept that then... you know... you're not who I thought you were. Well, I guess we both made mistakes."
Ruby walks away from Ben, her head hung low, while Ben looks after her for a moment before turning around and continuing to walk away.
Ruby turns around but Ben is leaving.
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IN THE HOME OF MADDENS
Ben sat at the counter sipping tea, his eyes glued to his phone. Jenny entered the kitchen holding a pot with beautiful flowers, the sweet fragrance of the flowers filling the room. Huck followed her, looking at Ben with a curious expression.
"Hi," Jenny greeted Ben with a smile, placing the pot on the counter.
"Hey, Jen said you went looking for Ruby. Did you find her?" Huck asked, his voice filled with concern.
Ben looked up from his phone and sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I found her and then I lost her."
Huck's face fell. "Oh, eh, that's... eh..."
"It's fine. It's fine, really. It's all for the best. Ruby and her friends and her family... her whole world... turns out it wasn't for me," Ben said, his voice laced with disappointment.
Jenny's eyes widened. "Wait, Ben. What happened?"
"Did you tell Lucy Evans about Cedric?" Ben asked, his eyes narrowing.
"I... it may have come up," Jenny admitted, looking apologetic.
"You can't trust these people, Jen. Don't tell them anything," Ben warned, his voice tense. "Those are nice flowers," he added, trying to change the subject.
"They're hydrangeas," Jenny said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.
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IN THE HOME OF EVANS - LUCY'S ROOM
Lucy lies on the bed with her back to Noah, her eyes staring blankly at the wall. Noah sits beside her, his body tensed with anticipation.
"Look, Lucy," Noah says, his voice soft but firm, "either you try to forgive me and move on... or we end it."
L turns her head slightly, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. Her face is a mask of anger and hurt.
N reaches out and puts his hand on her shoulder. She flinches at his touch, but he doesn't withdraw.
L takes a deep breath, her body slowly relaxing under his touch. She turns her head to look at him, her eyes searching his face.
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EXT OF THE MADDENS HOUSE
Ben is stepping outside on the fire escape
Well, Ruby's mystery man is a mystery no longer. His name is... oh, who cares. Now that he and R are over... so are his fifteen minutes.
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IN HOME OF THE HUMPHREYS - JENNY'S ROOM
Jenny is wearing her new blue dress and looks at herself in the mirror.
But his sister Jenny was spotted with a new dress... gifted from Lucy herself. Everyone knows an Eleanor original is the uniform of L's private army. But will J be a loyal soldier? Or will she side with R's rebel forces?
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THE PALACE HOTEL - AIDEN'S ROOM
Aiden is lying on his bed looking at his cell phone, a blonde is cooling his black eye with ice
And as for R herself: We hear she left today's brunch with... no friends, no boy, and nowhere left to run.
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EXT NEW YORK -
Ruby is walking down the street looking at pictures of Lucy, Noah, and herself on her cell phone
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HOME OF THE EVANS - LUCY'S ROOM -
Ruby squeezes Noah's hand
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EXT HOME OF THE MADDENS
Ben is sitting on the fire escape, staring into the night
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EXT NEW YORK
Ruby looks at a picture of herself hugging Lucy.
It looks like the ultimate insider has become a total outsider. It's your move, Ruby. And you know who'll be watching.
Ruby throws her cell phone into a garbage can