Tom's POV
How could this be happening? Tom thought. It had been just over a year since Derek and Karen's wedding and although it had been difficult for Ivy to accept, he was sure she was over Derek. In fact he had spoken to her just this morning and she seemed to be doing well. She was dating again and had decided to put all her energy into playing Marilyn. Ivy had told Tom she was confident she could maintain the success Karen had established. Tom was genuinely excited for her. This was Ivy's shot as a leading lady on Broadway.
What could have happened between this morning's conversation and this afternoon? He needed to find out. The image of Karen pulling free from Ivy's grip and the look on her face as she fell backwards was one that would haunt him for the rest of his life. If Ivy was to blame he wasn't sure what he would do. For so long he had been her main supporter but at times that came at a price. Trying to be there for her, he often over looked her short fallings. Could this have been one of those times, had Ivy deceived him about her feelings towards Derek and Karen?
When Derek's name was first proposed to direct Marilyn, Tom admits he was not a fan. They had so much bad history that just the sound of Derek Wills' name repulsed him. When he had learned that Ivy was seeing Derek it worried him. Derek's reputation with women at the time was that of love them and leave them. Tom had tried to warn Ivy but she had told him in no uncertain terms "I'm a Big Girl, Tom; I don't need you to look out for me." When Derek had ended his relationship with Ivy, Tom assumed Derek dumped her in order to move on to the next pretty face. It wasn't until later in talking to Ivy that Tom discovered Derek had ended things because he had realized she wanted more than he could give her. It had hurt Ivy that Derek found love with Karen and for months after they had formally announced they were in a relationship, Ivy swore it was the only reason Karen had gotten the leading role. Tom and Sam had both done their best to console her but for a period of time they stopped talking. The pressure to keep tabs on her had become overwhelming and was taking a toll on their relationship.
Plus, Tom had seen the positive influence Karen had on Derek. Derek smiled and laughed more. He was more focused and his critique of individuals was less aggressive and more instructive. The cast enjoyed working together and especially working for Derek. Derek had also approached Tom asking if they could have dinner. Julia had pushed him to say yes and to his surprise he was glad he did. Derek explained what really happened all those years ago and while he had not gone to producers to bad mouth Tom; he admitted he was wrong for not defending Tom when the subject came up. He also explained why he had agreed to go along with the critic's review. He told Tom he wanted so badly to prove to his father that he had what it took to succeed on Broadway. For the first time in a long time, Tom could see sincerity in Derek's words and Tom remembered his old friend. Tom had missed their friendship and that night they vowed to start fresh. Friendship was something they both wanted.
Sitting in the waiting room Tom resolved himself to being there for his friend. No matter what excuse Ivy would come up with; this time she was going to have to face it on her own. Derek needed Tom and so did Derek's family.
