Erica and Corbin

             

            Corbin shifts the bag in his hand then knocks on Erica's dressing room door twice not waiting for Erica's response before entering. He close the door behind him calling he name as he enters. Following the trail of discarded clothing to her bath. He listens at the bathroom door to the sound of her still coughing and the water running and knocks on it.
           "Hey Erica? I got you something that will help." He says as he tentatively knock again then listens to the coughing and sputtering coming from the other side of the over the sound of running water.
            "Help? How could you possible help! My throat and stomach are on fire!" She groans out her voice sounding raspy and dry as she moans again in agony. Corbin hears more coughing and the toilet flush then more moaning accompanied by the sounds of gargling.
             "Please tell me you didn't try brushing your teeth?" He asks smothering a laugh as Erica chokes and sputters on the other side of the door.
             " God in heaven!" She rasps before the sounds of gargling erupt again.
             "Come on Erica I promise I have something that will make the burning go away." He cajoles.
             " Those witches tried to poison me!  I want them fired Corbin! Do you understand me? I want them gone!" She croaks then coughs.
              " Erica please I promise it will help." He pleads then smiles at the sound of the water being turned off then the door unlatching.
              "Hand me my robe!" She barks opening the door a crack and trusting her arm out her fingers pawing at the air. Corbin opens her closet door and hands her the robe she had hanging on the back of the door.
               "You've got five seconds!" She hisses as the bathroom door flies open and she stalks towards him her face flushed and her hair plastered to her head and dripping with perspiration.
               "Here chew this." He says handing her a slice of bread,
               "I don't know how..." She starts before Corbin's commanding voice cuts her short.
               "Just chew it! Then drink this he says pouring milk in to a glass and handing it to her. "Drink half of it slowly then chew another piece of bread." Erica drinks half of the contents of the glass fighting herself to keep from swallowing it all. Then chews another piece of bread before finishing the contents of the glass and sighing in relief.  Corbin smiles taking the glass from her and refills it then hands it back to her.
               " Feel better now?" He asks as Erica reaches for as tissue and dabs at her face.
               "I mean it Corbin I want them fired!"
               "Now hold on a second Erica. From the early feed back it was ratings gold."
                "Ratings gold? Is that all you care about? They tried to poison me and nearly killed me in the process and all you can say is "Ratings Gold"!!"
                "Admit it Erica they gave as good as you gave" He chuckles further infuriating her.
                "What are you talking about? Everything I did today was to improve the quality of the show! They were out of control and completely out of their element!"She says with a wave her hands and a shake of her head as Gavin smiles back at her.
                " You were trying your darnedest to make them look foolish and they retaliated. Seriously what did you really expect them to do?"
                " I expect them to act like the professionals they were hired to be!"
                " You mean the same professionalism that you showed today?"
                "That's not fair!"
                "Sure it is! Erica no matter who you have on the show whether you have co-host or not people still tune in every day to see Erica Kane."
                "I know that!" She snaps then takes a deep breath before continuing. "My God, you make me sound like some jealous prepubescent." She half laughs her usual coyness missing from her words her anger still weighing on her tongue. She walks to her mirror and dabs at her now ruined makeup staining her eyelids and cheeks. She begins to swipe at the dark circles left by her running eyeliner angrily tossing the used clothes in to the corner of the table. Corbin follows behind her talking to her reflection in the mirror as she whips a comb quickly through her hair twisting it in to a neat little bun on the crown of her head.
                " I don't see you that way at all. You're just a woman who's had a lot of change in a very short amount of time. I don't even know why you're so worried about this show when you have something so much bigger and greater to sink your teeth in." Corbin watches the wheels turn quietly as Erica contemplates what he said.
                 " New Beginnings" Is my baby I started that show from the ground up!" She says firmly. " I'm not going to let you and Gavin just waltz in here and destroy something I've poured every ounce of my energy in to and made into the success it is today." She chided as Corbin nodded in agreement while his thoughts screamed if she was so great neither he or Gavin would be here. That would definitely be counter productive. he needed to smooth the edges not 
                 " I get it "New Beginnings" is your baby but "Raising Fire", is your legacy Erica! When are you going to realize that? Your life, your story will take a lifetime to tell and even past that! It's a soap opera! It could last for ten, twenty maybe fifty years! Think of all your fans. You've had not one but two best selling books about your life you, "The Erica Kane". People have been waiting years to see that all unfold right before their eyes. "Raising Fire" could be legendary like the great "Bless My Lineage" by Agatha Dixon or her other one "One Lives A Life" or those other two "Fraternity Row" or "The Progeny and The Uneasy". All of them have been on for decades with millions of fans all over the world. There hasn't been a new Soap Opera in decades! Everything we do will be fresh and new! Our pool of writers have never written for another soap there young with fresh ideas that will fit in to this decade. And the most brilliant part of it all is it's all based on you and your history! That's what you should be focused on. "New Beginnings" is going to be fine "Raising Fire" is the newborn that needs all of your attention right now. People will say Erica Kane had a good talk show for awhile or they can say Erica Kane created one of the best soap operas of all time. Together we can blow those other soaps right off the air! That gorgeous is all up to you." He finishes his eyes boring in to her reflection. Erica thinks a moment about the wisdom in his word. For a change there was an earnestness in his voice.
               "You make some excellent points," She says the coyness in her tone and attitude he'd always found enchanting and exasperating was back her fury hopefully exhausted."and, I'm not saying I agree with everything you've said because I will always be concerned with "New Beginnings'" but you're also right when you say I need to focus on "Raising Fire". Besides I've already seen what happens when I leave you by your self too long." She teases making them both smile and Corbin's mood lighten. His expression was ripe with satisfaction giving him a child like awkwardness as he walked toward the door then back she thought smothering a laugh. 
               " Well okay then! Why don't I go and check in with Gavin. If you're up to it maybe you and I could get some dinner, maybe go over some ideas I had for episode where "Jerica" first meets her crush "Prescott Brennan" and his girlfriend "Sara Larkin" the schools "it" couple." Erica smiles back her memories of Phil Brent and Tara Martin dampening her mood as she turns back toward the mirror and reaches for her jar and twists the lid off as she talks.
                "Why don't you give me about an hour to freshen up?" She says almost bursting with laughter as Corbin's eyes widen in surprise.
                "That's terrific! I'll see you in an hour." He's says sounding almost giddy as he walks toward the door. Erica watches his reflection in the mirror waiting until his hand was almost on the handle before calling to him.
                "Oh and Corbin?" She says sounding like her old self.
                "Yeah?" He smiles back still elated with the progress the two of them had just made. His heart sinking as her eyes narrow as she rises from her seat.
                " You tell Gavin, if anything like today ever happens again, I will own this station and everyone in it. See you in a bit." She says her tone lightening again before walking into the bathroom and closing the door behind her. Corbin chuckles to his self as he leaves her dressing room closing it behind him.
                "I'll assume that went well" Gavin asks as he pushes off the wall and walks beside Corbin down the hall.
                "Better than I expected." He sighs and shakes his head.




Erica and Corbin
Erica and Gavin
Erica, Corbin and Gavin
The All New "New Beginnings"
             
* Copyright Takeitish "Pine Valley Chronicles" 2020