(The screen turns white and the town of Somerset is slowly drawn on screen line-by-line as the music swells to its climax)

This… is Somerset.

SCENE ONE

Annabella and Victoria are still at the kitchen table having morning coffee as the 18th episode of Somerset begins, and Annabella is talking about life over in Italy while Victoria wipes the sleep out of her eyes and repeats that she’s not the model type.

VICTORIA: I’m not in the same league you are, Bella.

ANNABELLA: Says who? (Takes out mirror and shows her) My God, Tori. Look at you. You’re gorgeous. You’ve got a face that could stop traffic…

VICTORIA: You’re saying that because you’re my sister, you know.

ANNABELLA: I never knew you had self-esteem issues.

VICTORIA: (Gets up from chair, walks across room and shakes her head) I don’t. It’s just I’m not that type of woman.

ANNABELLA: I never knew there was a type. Does that mean I’m vain and insecure just because of what I do?

VICTORIA: (Spins to face Annabella) My God, Bella! No! I didn’t mean it that way. I’m just not the model type.

ANNABELLA: And you think I am when I’m here in the states? No way. I love my anonymity over here. Only a handful of people know that in Italy, I’m one of the hotter supermodels around.

VICTORIA: While here, you’re just Annabella Petterino.

ANNABELLA: The minute I get on that plane and set foot in the states, it’s a relief to not have anyone notice me like that here. I can pick my car up out of storage. I can go through a drive-in window and order a cheeseburger without anyone looking at me funny.

VICTORIA: (Gets sly grin) Especially because you’re a model ordering a cheeseburger.

ANNABELLA: Tell me about it. Some models cringe when they get around peanut dust. They worry they’ll put on a pound just by inhaling it.

VICTORIA: With this family, we put on a pound just by inhaling Dad’s cooking.

ANNABELLA: (Pours another coffee) Now come back here and play catch-up with me. I wanna hear what’s going on in your life.

VICTORIA: Yours is more exciting.

ANNABELLA: Suuuuuure it is.

The music plays as the sisters laugh, able to share a fun moment together. The scene changes to the outside of an office building. The interior shot is of Susannah coming off the elevator to Jack Martin’s office area. Joanne comes out and notices Susannah.

JOANNE: Good morning, Miss Lucas. Nervous?

SUSANNAH: A little. I’m not sure what to expect.

JOANNE: You’ll do just fine. You look very nice today, by the way.

SUSANNAH: (Twirls around) Thank you. I tried to rope a friend of mine into helping me decide what to wear on my first day here at Martin Enterprises. Now he calls this my lawyerly look.

JOANNE: Well, Miss Lucas, you’ll fit in nicely in a courtroom.

SUSANNAH: Thank you. I’ve heard that before… and please, call me Susannah. I hear Miss Lucas enough in court.

JOANNE: Just as long as you’re not in trouble. (Hears door open) Ah, right on cue.

JACK: (Opening door and notices Susannah) Susannah! Good morning and welcome to the first day of the rest of your life.

SUSANNAH: Ah, does this mean lifetime employment?

JACK: I don’t know. It beat saying welcome to your first day in hell. (Laughs) Come with me, your cubicle awaits.

(Susannah and Jack go down the hall as the music plays and Joanne sits down to take a phone call… the picture fades to black, followed by the Somerset logo reappearing.)

Somerset… brought to you today by Comet cleanser, the leading bathroom and kitchen cleanser that disinfects as it cleans… and by Millstone Coffee, the high-end coffee without the high-end price.

SCENE TWO

At the Cleypool estate, George is on a call with an investor as Zachary limps down the curved staircase and into the living room. Fenwick arrives with coffee for George and notices Zachary.

FENWICK: Master Zachary. Orange juice?

ZACHARY: If there’s any available.

FENWICK: Mmmmyes. I was just in the grove this morning squeezing freshly. I’ll get the carton.

ZACHARY: (Laughs) I needed that, Fenwick. Thanks.

FENWICK: Glad I could be of service. I shall return. (Sets coffee by George’s desk and disappears from the scene)

GEORGE: (Turning around, off the phone) Why the hell didn’t you sleep down here last night? Didn’t the doctor say to stay off your feet?

ZACHARY: No, he said don’t run into the corner of any bed. I’ve already done that.

GEORGE: How is the ankle feeling?

ZACHARY: It hurts like hell at times, but I’ll live. Are you working from home today?

GEORGE: If you think you can get around, I’ll probably go into the office and oversee today’s conference call. I’m going to get my team together and discuss our options for Somerset’s urban renewal.

ZACHARY: What type of urban renewal are we talking about?

GEORGE: I’m trying to put together some sort of deal where we buy this property, wreck it and build fresh on the site. (He points at the map)

On the map, with ominous music playing in the background, we see George is pointing at The Peoples Building. The camera zooms in on the map site and the next scene blends in… it is a shot of The Peoples Building, and the camera pans back to show an empty office. Jack and Susannah enter.

JACK: Voila. Susannah, meet your office.

SUSANNAH: (Looks around as they enter) I love this interior. Very nice. (Looks outside) Jack Martin, don’t feel obligated to give me a great view just because you and my dad are old friends.

JACK: (Holds up hand) Hold it, hold it with the protest, my dear. I think if you look outside any office window on this side you’ll see the same view of Somerset. Goes with the territory when you own the building.

SUSANNAH: Well, either way, I’m going to love working in here. Thank you very much, Jack. Now all I need are some other people in here with me. This office looks a little too big for one person.

JACK: I am working on that as we speak. I’ll be out of town for a couple days on business, but I intend on making it a top priority when I return. By the way, your computer log-in information should be tucked inside your desk.

SUSANNAH: Gotcha. All right, I’ll get right on everything I’ve got to do.

JACK: I haven’t even talked about work with you yet.

SUSANNAH: See how eager I am to start? (Smiles)

Jack chuckles as the two head over to the desk and she sets down her briefcase. The scene changes back to the Petterino kitchen, as Annabella and Victoria are talking up a storm about her last visit to Italy.

ANNABELLA: I find it very hard to believe that some guy hasn’t swept you off your feet yet and whisked you away to the Thousand Islands or something.

VICTORIA: I’ve been busy at the hospital… (remembers) but there is this cute guy that came in a while back to get treated for an ankle injury he had in a motorbike accident.

ANNABELLA: Ooooo! I’d like to hear about this one.

VICTORIA: Well… there’s really nothing to tell. I don’t know how often he comes in for therapy and he’s been nothing but supportive to me when he does come in.

ANNABELLA: Sounds like a winner.

VICTORIA: Now what about you? I hear you’ve got a date with Scott tonight.

ANNABELLA: Tori… (laughs and blushes a bit) It’s not a date. Scott and I are just going for a drink and playing pool.

VICTORIA: How long before you two admit there’s a spark there?

ANNABELLA: Never. (Sees Tori looking kind of skeptical) Tori, I mean it. Scott knows how I feel and I know how he feels. And besides, I can’t wait to share my news with him.

VICTORIA: What news is that?

ANNABELLA: Well… he already knows the gist of it, but I met someone in Italy.

Victoria’s face brightens as Annabella smiles, and the picture fades to black.

We’ll return to Somerset in just a moment.

SCENE THREE

In the Petterino kitchen once again.

VICTORIA: Bella, you give up details right this instant.

ANNABELLA: Well, I don’t really want to share an awful lot… he lives here in the states, but he does business occasionally in Italy. I want to keep things kind of quiet because Mom and Dad don’t know about him.

VICTORIA: But Scott does?

ANNABELLA: Like I said… we’ve got that kind of friendship.

VICTORIA: Hmm. Okay, whatever you say…

The music fades as the next scene commences, back at the Cleypool estate. George is looking at the map and comparing it to the model of Somerset on the table.

ZACHARY: I gotta tell you, Dad, your model of Somerset looks considerably different than the one on the map.

GEORGE: The whole point, my son. This block of Somerset will look a lot different when I’m done with it.

ZACHARY: But Dad… that includes The Peoples Building… the Woodruff Building… One Somerset Plaza… and all the business on this street.

GEORGE: (Notices Zachary pointing at businesses on Trowbridge Street) And your point is?

ZACHARY: Some hard-working people own businesses on this block.

GEORGE: Are you getting soft on me, son? Or do you have a hankering for Italian food all of a sudden? (Music builds)

ZACHARY: You’re not serious about the last part, are you?

GEORGE: Restaurant row. Bernard’s. Petterino’s. The Riverboat Club. Gone. All of them. When I’m done, this town won’t know what hit it.

Zachary looks at George with a little skepticism as the picture fades to black. Following commercials, the Somerset theme plays over the credits.

Join us each weekday afternoon at this time for the continuing story of Somerset. And on most of these same stations, be sure to watch Genoa City. Back after a short absence on SONBC.

The preceding program was pre-recorded.