EPISODE 7.08 [New Years Eve]

Pinon Hallow Country Club

Classic. Clean. Simple. Those were the words that Bianca Francis would use to remember the setting of this ball for the rest of her life. All around her couples were dancing. The women dressed in pale, icy blue tones. She was amazed she didn’t see duplicates of a single dress in a town this small.

She stretched on her tip toes as she looked around, trying to spot Mason’s dark hair in the sea of almost identically dressed men.

“Don’t fall over.” Patrick Arnold smiled before he started down the steps. At the bottom he paused looking around, feeling claustrophobic in the tux. He looked around, spotting Kit behind the bar. “Hey.”

Kit smiled, “Hey, you look totally uncomfortable.”

Patrick sighed, trying to see if he could find the familiar blond head, “Yeah well, it wasn’t really my idea to show up at this thing.”

“Cassie isn’t here yet.” Kit poured Patrick a beer, “So any word on what happened to Chantilly?”

Patrick shook his head, “Not that I’ve heard. I wish I’d gotten that case.”

“Man, this party sucks. Last year was way better.” Reese Lucas strode up to the bar while texting on his phone. “Long Island Iced Tea please.”

Kit nodded, he had it half done already since that’s what Reese had been ordering almost every night at Chantilly.

Reese looked up from his phone, “Have you guys heard about that new club that’s supposedly opening in a few weeks.”

Kit and Patrick shook their heads.

Reese took the drink and looked around the room, “So, think anyone will get arrested tonight?”

Kit leaned forward, “Reese, shut up. Relax, enjoy the party. Its New Years Eve for crying out loud. And when Cassie Williams shows up, stay away from her.”

Reese pouted just a bit, “Oh come one, one year ago to the night of her infamous arrest, it would be a killer piece.”

“Don’t do it Lucas.” Patrick glared at him before taking a sip of his beer.

“Fine.” Reese took a long sip and sighed, “So see any hot single women around tonight.”

“Wasn’t looking.” Kit smiled.

Patrick rolled his eyes, “Only because you got with Amanda.”

“You’re like the baby daddy, just not the real daddy.” Reese declared before walking off.

Patrick looked at his friend, “He has a point.”

Kit shrugged, “Only because Jack hasn’t don’t crap for his daughter. Ava is a precious child and she deserves better then Jack.”

Patrick chuckled as he looked at the stairs, Jack was next to Shayna and flashbulbs were going off, “Too bad the writers are on strike, wouldn’t it be wonderful if she just left town cause she got a job?”

“I know a few people that she would make happy with that.”

Did you check the tires
Put gas in the car
Don't think you need to much, 'cause you ain't gonna get that far
Did you pack the good times
Don't forget a map
Just in case the route you take isn't there to take you back

Just as Jack and Shayna reached the bottom of the stairs her purse began to sing some obnoxious song that Jack preferred to pretend he didn’t recognize. But he did. She blasted it when ever she was working out.

He rolled his eyes, whatever the conversation was he didn’t care. It was almost 2008 and here he was, in a relationship with a woman he wasn’t even sure he liked. They never really talked, just had sex. Though the sex did make it easier for him to forget about his past.

Shayna tossed her cell phone in her purse and pulled Jack closer to her in a mischievous smile. “That was my agent.”

“Okay, what did he want?” Jack looked around wondering if he could find anyone he knew, his eyes settled on Patrick and Kit and figured they were not the ones to save him from whatever crazy thing Shayna was getting him into.

“Well, since the writers strike is going on they need to fill the time with all that reality crap.” She tossed her loose curls over her shoulder. “Well my agent said that they’re doing another version of Love and Honor, and Wink Montana wants ME to be the bachelorette for this edition.”

Jack stared at her, “But you have a boyfriend. Me, remember?”

She bit her lower lip and batted her eye lashes, “About that, I mean Jack this could get my name out in their again. This could just be the kick start I need.”

“Are you breaking up with me?”

“Well, not really. We’re just going to pretend to be broken up.” She smiled, “I mean why would I be looking for love if I didn’t have it already. Besides how many of those people actually married the ones they met on the show.”

So close, but so far. Jack sighed, maybe she would go on this show and find some other sucker that would do her bidding. And then he could reclaim what he’d lost. He just had to figure out how first.

You can hold any girl that you like
Fall in love when it's easy at night
But, you'll wake up wondering why she ain't ever something better
When you're lost and run out of road
Find what I already know
In the end closer's all there is
But you won't find this
No, you won't find this

Lysa rested her chin on her hands as she looked into Sam’s eyes. “So what is the story with you and my dear step-aunt Kimberly?”

“This town is getting way too incestuous.” He smiled, “She was involved with some stupid people, well I was under cover trying to break the whole thing up. She was just kinda in the wrong place, wrong time and the only way I could keep her from getting mucked up in the whole thing was to woo her and marry her under my secret identity.”

Lysa nodded and leaned back in her seat, “So did you ever love Kimberly?”

Sam played with his cocktail napkin, “No. The only woman I ever loved was murdered by her brother.”

“Pam.”

“Yeah, Pam.” Sam suddenly felt drenching wet as water cascaded over his head.

Kimberly slammed down a glass on the table and got in his face, “I will make you pay.”

“Kimberly!” He chased after her, tossing Lysa and apologetic look, “I did it to keep you out of prison.”

She stopped and spun around, “What?”

“They put your name on contracts, by being Remington Steele and marrying you I was able to get your name off of them.”

“And when they all got busted I would’ve too and I’d be in prison right now?”

Sam nodded, “Yeah.”

She rubbed her arms, looking around. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a bitch Sam.”

“Its been understandable. You thought I was a cheating bastard that conned you out of money.”

Kimberly looked at her cell in her hand as it began to ring. “I should get this.” She started to walk away and then turned back, “Thanks Sam.”

Sam nodded and watched as she opened her phone, blushing for a moment before returning to his table.

Kimberly began to quickly type a message as she walked, just as she walked right into JD Brown.

“Careful.” He smiled, his dark eyes glowing with the reflection of the candles around the ballroom. “Texting and walking can be very dangerous.”

“Your right. I should be more careful. See ya.” She began to back away as her thumb hit the send button.

JD smiled feeling his cell phone vibrate in his pocket.

There's once in a lifetime
And there's once in a while
And the difference between the two is about a million miles
Oh, you might get lucky while the moon is looking up
But in the truth of the morning, the stars will be long gone

“Thanks for inviting me.” Dee pulled her coat on as she looked at Elijah, “I wish I didn’t have to go but work calls.”

Elijah smiled, “Its perfectly fine. I understand.” He helped her on with her coat.

“I’ll call you when I get back to town.”

“Perfect.” He leaned down and placed a kiss on her cheek. “I look forward to it.”

Dee blushed, “Happy New Year Elijah.”

“Happy New Year Dee.” He watched her start up the stairs, he couldn’t help but find it just a little odd she had to race away tonight while her co-worker was standing by the bar getting blitzed out of his mind. Then again perhaps that’s why she was the one who had to work.

A waiter carrying a tray of champagne stopped long enough for him to grab a glass as he walked around the room. It just wasn’t right. As long as Dee had been here, he’d been distracted enough that he didn’t have to think about Siobhan and how a year ago they became engaged. Now, it hung around him. Thick and depressing.

He took another sip of his champagne, wondering if he’d be able to enjoy the evening at all.

You can hold any girl that you like
Fall in love when it's easy at night
But, you'll wake up wondering why she ain't ever something better
When you're lost and run out of road
Find what I already know
In the end closer's all there is
But you won't find this

“Conner, could you go get our coats?” Kendall pushed herself up from the uncomfortable chair trying to balance with her pregnant belly.

“Everything okay?” His eyes darted to her baby bump.

She rolled her eyes, “I’m exhausted. I know its New Years Eve, but I really want to just go and curl up in bed.”

Conner smiled, “I think that sounds perfect.” He gave her a quick kiss and went towards the coat room.

“We can’t keep this a secret forever.” Carl’s voice spat into the darkness of the closet.

“We have to.” The whisper was just too soft and far away for Conner to make it out. But it gave him a chill.

“Just getting my coats.” He called out to let them know someone else was around.

He could see a set of female feet as Carl’s appeared to get pulled closer. He noticed the shoes were flat instead of heels like most of the women were wearing. He wasn’t sure why it struck him it just did. “You’re safe, for now!” He called out as he grabbed his and Kendall’s coat and left.

Maggie let out an exasperated breath, “That was too close Carl.”

Carl’s body was pressed against hers, his hands resting each on a side of her baby bump.

She covered his hands with hers before kissing him.

Kendall and Conner were just about out the door when Maggie came out from the ladies room. “Happy New Year.” She smiled.

Conner nodded and then his eyes looked down towards her pregnant belly and then he saw her shoes. He looked back up into her eyes, “Happy New Year Maggie.”

Maggie caught the tone of his voice. He knew. This couldn’t be good.

You can hold any girl that you like
Fall in love when it's easy at night
But, you'll wake up wondering why she ain't ever something better

Sam wrapped his arms around Lysa, pulling her chilled body against his as they kissed on the balcony.

They still had a little bit of time before midnight and if Sam had things his way they would spend it together, out on the balcony while everyone was inside getting drunk.

“This is perfect.” Lysa turned around so her back was against his chest.

Sam held her close, “Yeah it is.” He breathed in the scent of her perfume and began to kiss her neck.

Lysa giggled, “Sam, you are frisky tonight.”

“I can help it, especially being this close to you.” He confessed as he breathed in her ear.

Lysa felt her heart racing, “I know. I just don’t want to rush this.”

“Me either.” He turned her around and kissed her before leading her back inside.

“Oh come on!” Kip Davis rolled his eyes as he spoke into his cell phone and entered the cold winter air of the balcony. “Okay, fine just e-mail it to me in the morning. Take the rest of the night off man. Gees.”

After her returned his phone to his pocket, he looked around as though he was suppose to see something but all he saw was the stars in the sky, his breath escape his lips, and the moonlight reflecting on the pool below.

When you're lost and run out of road
Find what I already know
In the end closer's all there is
Oh, in the end it's me you're going to miss
'Cause you won't find this
Oh, you won't find this

“Three!” Mason called out, grabbing Kimberly’s hand he was sick of watching her mope around all night. “Two!”

Kimberly smiled and joined in at the last second, “One!”

“Happy New Year!” Mason hugged her.

Kimberly hugged him back before pulling back and then moving in, kissing him.

Mason returned the kiss. Thinking nothing of it besides being a New Years kiss.

“Oh my God.” Bianca gasped when she finally laid eyes on Mason as his lips parted from Kimberly. She turned and began towards the stairs, suddenly feeling like Cinderella, willing herself to keep her shoes from falling off.

Mason was in shock, not really sure what had just happened. He turned to say something to Kimberly but she was already gone.

Song used; You Won’t Find This sung by Carrie Underwood.