(The screen turns white and the music begins playing. The town of Somerset is slowly drawn on screen line-by-line as the music swells to its climax and the picture switches to a daytime view of the skyline, with the Somerset logo)

This… is Somerset.

SCENE ONE

The first scene is a direct pickup from Monday’s episode, as Jack is confronting George at the Cleybank Corporation. Jack has gone there to have it out with George over the newspaper that was sent to Susannah.

JACK: You know, George, I remember when you wanted someone to knuckle under and drop out of a business deal once.

GEORGE: It’s happened a lot, Jack, and you know it.

JACK: And I’ve heard the horror stories. This person was an animal lover. They didn’t like the terms you were asking them to accept, so they backed out of the deal.

GEORGE: I have business deals breaking apart and coming together every day.

JACK: True… but not every business deal ends with you putting a dead cat on that person’s doorstep. Luckily it wasn’t theirs.

GEORGE: (Drawing closer, eyes furrowing) And what the hell are you implying?

JACK: That you take it personal. When someone wrongs you, heaven help them. When Susannah swerves to avoid hitting your son, it was as bad as her actually hitting him. Therefore you want revenge.

GEORGE: Oh come on. I have heard enough.

JACK: (Raises voice) Not quite! I’m not finished with you yet, you son of a…

GEORGE: Oh, finish that thought, please. I’ve been called worse before.

JACK: And no doubt by your ex-wife. Or has your daughter Emily chimed in? I seem to recall there is a reason why she stays in New York and doesn’t come visit.

GEORGE: You want to make it personal, don’t you? (By now George is close to Jack) Tell that to all the Delaney Brands employees you sold down the river when you sold the company to that international firm. You broke the spirit of Somerset.

JACK: And I don’t deny it was a bad business deal. I even apologized to the citizens of Somerset. Then again, you don’t read the Register, you’re only concerned with what goes on in Kansas City.

GEORGE: And why the hell would I care about something that happened there?

JACK: If it rattles someone’s cage and makes them fidgety and nervous, you just love to see that.

GEORGE: (Turns to go back to the desk) I’ve had enough.

JACK: You look at me when you’re talking! Our feud is between us. I’ll be goddamned if you involve anyone from my company in it. Now I can’t prove this was your doing, but considering Zachary’s fresh off a motorcycle accident…

GEORGE: See yourself out.

JACK: (Walks over by the desk and leans in so George can see his face) Keep this up and maybe Zachary will be spending his free time finding the first flight out of Somerset. Then maybe that Moore mansion will be deserted once again. Maybe you and Fenwick can play shuffleboard on the back terrace.

Jack walks toward the door and smiles as he turns.

JACK: Or maybe Fenwick will win a game of backgammon and you’ll push him off the terrace. (Turns and leaves)

George, visibly shaken, goes back to his desk and sits in the swivel chair. He looks out at Somerset.

GEORGE: I’ll be damned if you win this round, Jack. Not a chance in hell.

Sinister music plays as the extended scene fades to black, followed by the Somerset logo.

Somerset… brought to you today by Sure, the only deodorant that leaves you feeling dry all day, every day… and by All-Temperature Cheer, built to clean in all types of water for the way you wash now. All-Tempa Cheer!

SCENE TWO

At Somerset Hospital, Victoria is on duty when Taylor comes up and shuffles some charts into the doctors’ cubicles.

TAYLOR: That was fun last night. We have to do this more often.

VICTORIA: Yeah, but like Alana said… I’d be content with us going out on Fridays or something…

TAYLOR: I know. It was rough doing back-to-back nights at the bar and coming in here to do our shifts. Luckily we got a lot of sleep last night.

VICTORIA: Thanks for letting me crash at your place.

TAYLOR: No problem. (She leans her arms on the desk and watches as Victoria is filling out a chart) Everything OK at the house?

VICTORIA: (Turns and laughs) Oh, come on. Everything’s fine. It’s just that I’m not the drinking and driving type. It kind of got drilled home to me a few years ago that it wasn’t the smartest thing to do. So if I’m going to drink, I’m going to make sure I stay someplace where I can be sober later.

TAYLOR: Smart thinking. (Phone buzzes) I’ll get that… fourth floor, Nurse Kendrick?

As Taylor is answering the phone, Victoria sees Zachary coming out of his therapy session. He smiles and comes over.

ZACHARY: Thank you for keeping me company last night til my friends got there.

VICTORIA: No problem. I’ve never had a guy buy me two drinks before.

ZACHARY: So my friends were a little late.

VICTORIA: (Points down) How’s the ankle?

ZACHARY: I’ll be fine. I’ll be hobbling around, but everything’s going to be good. Say, about last night…

VICTORIA: Yeah?

ZACHARY: I can’t believe I’m going to say this… but would you do me the honor of buying you another drink, this time just the two of us?

Victoria is surprised by Zachary’s proposal, and the music builds as the camera focuses on Victoria’s face.

CUT TO – Giovanni’s. Nick is coming in to meet someone for an appointment. His meeting isn’t there yet, however, so he sits at the bar. Rose comes out and notices Nick there.

ROSE: Hi, Nick. Cocktail?

NICK: I’m afraid I can’t, Rose. I’ll just take a pop instead.

ROSE: You got it. On duty?

NICK: Yeah… waiting for my 10:30 appointment and I’m still taking medication.

ROSE: Yes, I heard. Through the grapevine – you were hospitalized earlier this week?

NICK: Small concussion, nothing major. I did something stupid – I fell out of bed.

ROSE: That’s terrible… you must have packed quite a wallop.

NICK: No, I’m afraid the nightstand got the better of me. (Laughs) Come to think of it, the floor wasn’t too ginger with me either.

ROSE: Well, next time, do me a favor and strap yourself in.

NICK: (Notices Mike coming in) I might have to… my 10:30 is here.

ROSE: Oh, Mike’s your 10:30? Are you guys going to eat?

NICK: Probably not, but if you want to make up a basket of chips to munch on or something…

ROSE: I think I can do that.

Nick gets up from the bar and gingerly walks over to the table, where Mike has set his stuff down.

MIKE: You getting around all right?

NICK: Trying to, at least. Alana was a great help to me when we left the hospital.

MIKE: Yeah, she filled me in and told me the nurses didn’t let her live it down.

NICK: (Waves hand) Hey… I hope you know there’s nothing between the two of us.

MIKE: Oh, I know that. I’ve known it for a while. In fact, I got the pleasure of kissing Alana – albeit briefly – when I celebrated my job promotion yesterday.

NICK: Did Vickery finally give you the investigative gig?

MIKE: I got it.

NICK: Put ‘er there, pal. Now we can dish the secrets of Somerset together.

The two laugh as the scene draws to a close and the picture fades to black with music playing.

We’ll return to Somerset in just a moment.

Have you wanted to write As The World Turns the way you wanted to see it done? Na’Vell Lee is tired of seeing the world turn one way. He wants to see it done HIS way. The result? As Worlds Collide. Coming soon to SONBC.

SCENE THREE

Back at the hospital, Victoria has said goodbye to Zachary and come back to the nurses’ desk. For some reason, she looks like she’s still in shock. Taylor notices this and quizzes her about the situation.

TAYLOR: How’d your meeting with Zachary go?

VICTORIA: Okay, I guess.

TAYLOR: Just okay? Girlfriend, spill it.

VICTORIA: Well… he asked me out for another drink.

TAYLOR: Oh. Well, we know how that turned out. I can imagine you giving the 100th version of your speech that you’re a career girl, how you can’t spare taking the time away to have some fun…

VICTORIA: Taylor, that’s not how it worked. (Pauses) I said yes.

Taylor gets a look of surprise on her face as Victoria can’t believe what she did.

CUT TO – Cleybank Corporation, where George is in his office as Zachary approaches the door. Zachary stops short of entering, as he can hear George on the phone.

GEORGE: You did your job, but it wasn’t perfect. She suspected it was me and as a result I got a visit from Jack… oh, he’s going to ratchet the stakes up a bit… well, if he wants to get down and dirty, maybe I’ll start tinkering with the downtown properties a bit. Take Giovanni’s.

Zachary is listening intently at the door.

GEORGE: What I could do to that place would make The Godfather look tame.

The music plays as Zachary realizes he has an interest in Victoria… but it clashes with his dad’s business plans. He leans against the wall and shakes his head.

The picture fades to black. Following commercials, the Somerset theme plays with the closing 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 The Market, the goings on of life at your neighborhood local market.

This program was pre-recorded.