Erica and Corbin

         Erica sits in her makeshift office at the casino more annoyed than she had been last evening, She'd tossed and turned all night and couldn't get the image of Jack kissing that Latin Lolita out of her mind. She'd been trying to concentrate on the script changes Corbin had sent over but all she could envision was the two of them wrapped in each others arms in the middle of the "Pine Valley Inn" as if there was no one else in the world! Kissing each other with the intensity of the sun! It was that intensity that scared her the most.
        It was the kind of intensity that she and Jack had shared all these years. Through everything and everyone they had been with she'd never seen Jack look at any woman the way he had look at Tea DelGado. She'd lost him. She'd finally pushed him over the edge and had lost him. That's what really scared her. It frightened her to her core that the love they shared could possible be gone and Jack along with it.
        How could he be gone? They were soul mates always had been always would be. It never mattered who he had dated or who she had or even married Jack was always there. Would always be there waiting for her his arm and heart open.  With the look in his eye that soothed her souls like no other. She and Jack were meant to be together it was practically written in the stars! At least she'd always thought.
        After what she'd witnessed last night she wasn't sure. She wasn't sure of that or anything between the two of them any longer. All that seemed to remain between her and Jack was a indifference. Yes! That was it he was indifferent to her! Her! Erica Kane. He treated her as if she no longer mattered. No it was worse than that. As if she didn't even exist in his world any longer. He hadn't even bothered to shoot her that all knowing smile he had when she'd come in with Corbin. All his focus was on that DelGado woman and she had no idea how to change that. None of her usual tactics had worked. If anything they had accomplished the exact opposite! Now she was at a loss as to what action to take.
        "Excuse me Ms. Kane." Molly calls knocking on the outer door. Erica quickly checks her appearance in the mirror making sure no trace of her inner thoughts appeared in her expression before bidding her to enter.
        "Hi, Molly how are you?"  Molly internally rolls her eyes outside she plasters her work smile on her face. Erica's intentions weren't lost on her. Any minute she'd be pumping her about Uncle Jack.
         "I'm good Ms. Kane. Corbin asked me to give these to you. He said they're the revisions that you talked about." Erica opens the script and flips to the first marked page and reads it quickly. She really didn't have time to go through it all right now. She needed to look as nonchalant as she possible could as she flipped through the pages talking as she does.
           "So how are you enjoying your internship?" Erica asked watching covertly. Molly shrugs.
           "It's interesting I've learned a lot"
            "That's wonderful I'm glad. You've done such a fantastic job.
           "Thank you Ms. Kane.
           "Come now Molly!" She chides. "You and I are old friends you can call me Erica as you've always have."
           "Well we are in the work environment I thought is was only appropriate.
           I can respect that but really, it's not necessary. So how do you like working with WRCW ?"
           "It's been wonderful I've truly enjoyed it."
           "Well, you have a real opportunity here to learn from the best. Gavin and Corbin are both giants in their fields. An internship here looks great on a resume and can lead to a world of opportunities for you."
            "Yes, it really could." Molly agrees reasonably sure where the conversation was leading to.
            "Well, I have a lot of work to do. I'll see you later." Molly says as she walks toward the door.
            "Molly, please wait a moment I was meaning to ask you how's your Uncle doing? I mean with your mother being back in town and all. I'm just hoping that her being here and the you know issues she's been having haven't been too upsetting to either of you?"
            "Actually neither one of us have seen my mother since the day she arrived and we're both doing just fine."
           "I'm really glad to hear that. Honestly  think the least contact both of you have the better. And, if you need anything or just want to talk you know I'm always here for you. You know in a way you and I are kind of family."
           "Thank you Erica I appreciate that but really we're both doing just fine. Bianca and Sean are just a phone call away. Of course my best friend Dani and her Mom. Ms. DelGado has been really loving and supportive to me and Uncle Jack. It's been really great having the two of them in our lives. Oh shoot!" she says looking at her watch "I'd better get going have a good day!" Molly finishes almost running headlong into Corbin as she exits.
          "Little bitch!" Erica mummers to herself as Corbin comes into Erica's dressing room closing the door behind her.
           "I heard that!" Erica's head snaps around and eyes narrow at the sight of Corbin in her dressing room unannounced and uninvited.
           "What is it Corbin?" She asked sounding annoyed and tired. She slaps the copy she'd been holding down on the table and walks to her mini-frige ignoring the cheese eating grin on his face.
           'I came by to ask you if you had finished reading the updates on the scripts I sent you yesterday. I didn't expect you to give me more material."
           "Yes I have. And as a reminder Corbin not everything is fodder for your typing chimps! I get the finally say! Remember that!" 
           "Okay, Okay I get it princess! Don't get your pantyhose in a knot. Oh and by the way you don't actually get the final say. You remember that."
           "Is there something else you wanted Corbin? I'm really very busy." she snipes picking up the script she'd put down before and opening it. Corbin watches her as she flounces back down on the small sofa. His hand propped on the side of his face a playful grin playing on his lips.
           "are you still steamed about what happened last night?
           "I have no idea what you'r referring to."
           "You know exactly what I'm referring to. Jackson Montgomery, Tea DelGado and one of the steamiest kisses I have ever seen and believe me I've seen some kisses that bought in fog. But, that one last night, that one rode in on a thunderstorm!"
            "Are you quiet finishes?"
            "Come on you would have to be completely inhuman not have that little scene shake you. But I'll give it to you Erica. If it had been anyone else but me. They'd have noticed he steam coming out your ears."
             "Did you come by here to sit around and gossip like some twelve year old girl? Because again Corbin I have work to do!"
              "It's only gossip if it's second hand. I was there remember?"
              "I'm going to ask you one last time. What do you want?"
              "I want t know why you still care so much for a man that has obviously moved on. I mean I can pretty much guess but I want to hear it from you. What exactly motivates you? I mean do you really want him and all his ideas of domestic bliss or is it just the thrill of the chase?"
              "Get Out!"
              "No, hear me out. I've done a lot of research on this topic. I think it's the thrill of the chase. I mean look at your relationship. Whenever you two are in a good place for the two of you, you find a way to end it. Look at the facts. You had it all you and Jack were finally married. You had the house the husband and the kids and you gave it all up. and you know why?"
              "No, please enlighten me." She says with a roll of her eyes.
              'Because you're Erica Kane. You're the queen of all Diva's. You were never meant  to be a hausfrau or even a domestic Goddess. No man no matter how wonderful he is will ever tame you. You my dear are a conqueror. At least that's how  see you." He finishes with a shrug.
           "Anyway," He says rising to his feet and walking to the door. "let me know when you've finished reading through those changes I've got to get to the set."
           "Corbin," she calls after him.
           "Yeah?"
           "Thank you for what you just said."
           "You're welcome."
           "Oh, and Corbin just so your head doesn't swell I've never been skinny dipping in my life take it out!" She says feeling more amused than angry and some how lighter than she'd felt moments ago.
          "Well, then we'll have to do something about that." He says with a wink closing the door behind him and giving Kendall the "Okay" sign as he pass. Her hands going up in prayer as she mouths "Thank you".



Erica and Corbin, Jack and Tea

* Copyright Takeitish "Pine Valley Chronicles"