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“I hope that I didn’t wake you Frankie,” Eleni held open the door for him. “I called Buzz at least five times and no answer.”

“Pop’s a sound sleeper,” Frank answered.

“And then I tried Harley, but she told me to call you,” Eleni explained as she gestured towards the bathroom. “You know how clumsy I am…”

“It’s fine Eleni, really.” He assured her, “Now what did you say happened.”

“I dropped my bracelet down sink drain, after I got out of the shower. I wouldn’t mind so much but Marina gave sent it to me last Mother’s Day.” She ran her fingers through her black curly locks of hair, “Oh Frankie please tell me you’ll be able to find it.”

Frank headed towards the bathroom and began working to find the missing bracelet. After about a half hour later he came back with the bracelet for his ex-wife. Eleni praised him and thanked him with a kiss on the cheek. As he was washing his hands, getting ready to leave the water pipe burst, covering Frank from in water from head to toe!

“Damn it.” She heard him from the bathroom.

“Frankie?” Eleni rushed to the bathroom door, “Frankie, what happened…Oh my goodness, oh Frankie!”

It took Frank ten more minutes and multiple failed attempts to fix the water situation and once done there was nothing on him that was dry.

“Here take off your clothes…” Eleni’s words stopped him mid-step. “Stop it you know what I mean.”

Eleni took his clothes down stairs to the dryer in Company. Meanwhile, upstairs Frank sat with a towel around his waist. He stood up to readjust when the door suddenly swung open.

“Okay, Natalie downstairs said she would give me a call when your clothes were dry…” Eleni stopped and looked on at a naked Frank, “Oh…oh my,” she smiled.

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Josh Lewis was sitting in the living room with the Cedar’s project file in hand, waiting for his son to arrive home. Shayne parked his car in the driveway and headed inside. As he made his way to the door he thought about emailing Derek and then heading to bed.

“You got a minute to talk son?” Josh asked as soon as the door closed behind Shayne.

“I was going to head upstairs and do some packing,” Shayne answered. “But I could spare a minute or two.”

“I was just wondering if there was anything you wanted to share with me,” Josh began.

Shayne’s eyes darted, “Like what?”

Josh threw the folder on the table, the word “Confidential” stared up at Shayne. “Let’s start with what you know about this.”

“Well it would help if I knew what that was,” Shayne defended himself.

“Don’t you play games with me boy!”

“And don’t you yell at me like I’m some dog that crapped in the floor.” Shayne retorted. “Tell me what that is and I’ll tell you if I know anything about it.”

He took a deep breath and thought for a moment, “It’s the Cedar’s file.” Josh paused. “Shayne I know that you stole this information and gave it to someone at Spaulding Enterprise.”

“Really? You think that I sold my family out to Spaulding Enterprise? What reason would I have to do that?”

“Why don’t you tell me that…it baffles my mind Shayne.”

“Well you know what baffles my mind Dad, is why you are so sure that it was me. I’m sure there were at least half-a-dozen people at Lewis that you or Uncle Billy or Bill has pissed off at one time or another.”

“Watch your mouth Shayne,” Josh warned.

“You know what, I’m out of here because right now you’re so angry you’re not thinking straight.” Shayne told him.

“Don’t you walk out that door!”

“Watch me.”

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Holly Reade let out a heavy sigh of relief as she looked around the empty ballroom at Towers. She couldn’t believe that she had told Blake not to worry about anything, that she would handle it.

She made her way across the room with an empty gift bag in hand to collect the disposable cameras used to capture the moment. In the distance she heard the elevator doors open and then close. “You’ve missed the party,” she called out without looking.

“I didn’t actually,” Alan Spaulding replied from the entrance of the room. “Holly what are you doing in her all by yourself? You know they pay people here to clean up after these events.”

“I’m fully aware, thank you Alan. Is there something that I can help you with?”

“I seem to have misplaced my cell phone and came back to see if the bartender found it,” he explained.

“Did you try calling it?” Holly asked. “I lose mine all the time at work.” She walked across and retrieved her purse from behind the bar and handed him her phone, “Here dial your number.”

Alan did as he had been instructed and within seconds the jingle of his phone could be heard coming from a table near the balcony. “Mission completed,” Holly smiled and went back to collecting cameras.

“Thank you,” Alan told her.

“You’re welcome,” she replied without looking up, expecting him to leave.

“Is there…um, something I could help you with Holly?”

She stopped and looked up, “Did you just offer to help me collect cameras? Cameras, that mind you, were used to capture the wedding of Roger Thorpe’s daughter?”

Alan scoffed at the thought, “I just want to repay your kindness,” he waved the phone in the air. “That’s all.”

The two proceed to finish clearing off the tables and place all the belongings that have to be taken back to the Carriage House on a single table. “Thank you for your help Alan, it was very generous,” Holly told him and head towards the elevator.

“You know I was about to pour myself a night cap, would you join me?”

“Alan you know that I don’t…”

“Drink, of course. We have club soda or sparkling cider for the lady,” Alan held up two bottles. “What do you say?”

Holly thought a moment, shook her head and then decided why the hell not. The only thing she was rushing home to was an empty, dark house and memories of days gone by. She sat down at the bar and watched as Alan poured himself a drink, then a club soda for her. They began talking about the wedding, relationships and even Roger…before Holly knew it she had two and half hours had past…

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After the wedding reception, Gus took his mother back to the Spaulding mansion and declined her offer to stay the night.

Alexandra became worried about him and began to question where he was staying. Gus said that he was living in a hotel and that she shouldn’t worry about him. Alexandra was worried and she followed him to the outskirts of Springfield.

“What are you doing here?” Gus was standing in the doorway of the run down motel, shirtless.

“I was concerned about you,” Alexandra informed him. “Put a shirt on and invite me in.”

Gus slipped on a white tee-shirt as Alex surveyed the room. Cigarette cartons filled the table and small chair, there was a pile of unwashed clothes in the corner and fast food bags covered the extra queen size bed.

“And just how long have you been staying here?”

“Since I left Harley,” Gus answered. “You know it’s not that bad. I used to live like this when I was in the FBI and when I first moved to Springfield.”

Alex shook her head and mocked, “Not that bad. This place is absolutely disgusting Gus.”

“That’s why I didn’t invite you here. Not exactly the living habits a mother likes to see for her son.”

“That’s true enough,” Alex noted. “Why don’t you come back to the mansion with me?” She put her hands up almost to defend herself, “Before you answer, just think about it. I would like very much to have you there.”

“I don’t need a handout here. I’ve taken care of myself just fine for a very long time without the help of anyone else.”

“I never said I was offering you a handout Gus. I’m just extending the offer of my home. You are as much welcome there as any of Alan’s children or Nick.” She walked across the room and kissed him on the cheek. “Just promise me that you’ll at least think it over.”

Gus shook his head. “I’ll call you in a few days.”

“All right, I can ask for nothing more.”

As she opened the door the cool winter air ripped through Gus’ room, “Good night son,” she said softly and then left.

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“I can’t believe how the time’s gotten away from me,” she glanced down at her watch.

“You have a prior engagement?” Alan asked.

“No…” she smiled, “It’s just been a very long day is all.”

“I understand.” He paused for a moment, “Holly?”

“Yeah?”

“Would you like to dance with me?”

She laughed at the mere thought and then knew he was serious, “Alan, there’s no music. Perhaps another time,” Holly headed towards the elevator and suddenly a Rascal Flatts song filled the empty ballroom.

“No excuse now Holly,” Alan declared. “It’s just one dance with someone you’ve town for many years. We’re practically family.”

Holly shook her head, “We’re not practically family Alan. Just because Blake’s been married to both your sons does not make us practically anything.”

“One dance.”

She laid her purse and jacket on an empty table, “One dance,” she told him. “And then I’m going home.”

“I won’t stop you,” Alan assured as he took her into his waiting arms.

Holly allowed herself to drop her guard for a moment and for the first time in many, many months she felt like nothing could bother her in that moment. It felt peaceful and calm, which scared her because she was in the arms of Alan Spaulding!

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Shayne turned his car off and sat in the parking garage of the Beacon. His mind raced with thoughts of the last year, Tony’s death, Marah’s anger towards Reva, meeting Derek, coming out to his friends, then it was Alan-Michael and now this with his father.

“Son-of-a-bitch!” He hit the steering wheel in anger. He knew that sooner rather than later he would have to own up to what he had done, stolen the information from Lewis Construction and gave it to Alan-Michael Spaulding. Shayne’s life was spinning out of control and he knew that the only person that could help him would be Tammy. He just hoped he wasn’t too late.

Shayne jumped out of his car and slammed the door. In the distance he heard another car door slam a few seconds after his, he thought nothing of it. He was halfway through the parking garage, he could see the door leading to the elevators and he heard someone call out his name.

“Shayne,” it was the voice of a familiar man.

He spun around and questioned “Austin…” No one answered him back and Shayne concluded it was just his paranoia, but it was nothing of the kind.

As he made his way closer to the doors the word, “fag” echoed through the empty parking garage and Shayne was dealt a fatal blow to the head.

The bat fell to the cement first, seconds later so did Shayne. A male assailant picked up the bat and fled to his car as Shayne lay bleeding from his wounded head…left for dead!

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Next on "The Guiding Light"

- Frank & Eleni talk about a future...

- Tammy leaves Springfield

- An unlikely duo get drunk...together!

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