"That's all we have for today. For The Cutting Edge, I'm Tad Martin."
"And we're clear!"
Tad stood and walked off the set, loosening his tie. "I'm out of here!" he said.
"Tad!" Liza called, following after him. Tad stopped. "Did you go?"
"To the shrink?" Tad laughed. "That woman is a nut. Where did you find her anyway?"
Liza shook her head. "She was the only one who would work with us." she paused. "Well, is she helping?"
"I'm not sure yet," he said. "All she really made me say was what I already knew. that I'm upset that Dixie's gone. We set up another appointment. I guess that's a start, huh?"
"It'll work out," Liza said. "Trust me."
Tad put his hand on Liza's shoulder. "I'll see you in the morning?"
Liza smiled as Tad turned and left the studio. He took his car keys out of his pocket once he stepped outside. Turning to his right, he came to an abrupt stop.
"Brooke?" Tad said. Brooke was standing directly in front of him, her eyes red and her face tear stained.
"I didn't know where else to go," Brooke said. "I didn't know." Brooke fell into his arms, sobbing.
Tad put his arms around her, rubbing her back. "Shh," he said. "It's OK. What happened?"
Brooke rested her cheek up against his chest. "I can't." she said. ".do it again. I can't."
"You can't do what?" he asked. "Brooke."
"We got it, Tad," Brooke said. "Tempo. got the award." Brooke grabbed the back of his jacket in her hands. "I can't go to New York, I can't."
"Shh." Tad brought his hand up to the back of her head. "It's going to be alright. It's going to be OK, alright? I promise. We'll make this OK. I'll help you through it. I promise." Tad could feel Brooke quiver. "Come on," he said. "You can't drive like this, I'll take you home." He put his arm around her waist and began to lead her to the car. He opened the passenger side door and helped her in before walking around to the driver's side and getting in himself. Tad started the engine and began driving. At points, he would cast a glance over at Brooke, who was just looking out the window at the passing objects. They were both silent as they pulled into Brooke's driveway.
Tad helped Brooke into the house and slowly over to the sofa. He then made his way into the kitchen, returning with a glass of water. He handed it to Brooke, who took a sip, and then placed it down on a coaster on the table in front of them.
Brooke wiped her eyes. "You must think I'm one sorry soul," she said.
"No," Tad said, putting his arm around her shoulder, gently squeezing. "Why would I think that? I know how you feel about this whole thing."
"But this is paranoid, right?"
Tad put his hand on the side of her head, easing it down so that it rested on his shoulder. "It's alright," he soothed her. He rested his chin on the top of her head.
"But..."
"No 'buts'," Tad said. "I told you we'd take things as they came, didn't I? I promised I'd be there for you and I'm not going anywhere, no matter what."
"And we're clear!"
Tad stood and walked off the set, loosening his tie. "I'm out of here!" he said.
"Tad!" Liza called, following after him. Tad stopped. "Did you go?"
"To the shrink?" Tad laughed. "That woman is a nut. Where did you find her anyway?"
Liza shook her head. "She was the only one who would work with us." she paused. "Well, is she helping?"
"I'm not sure yet," he said. "All she really made me say was what I already knew. that I'm upset that Dixie's gone. We set up another appointment. I guess that's a start, huh?"
"It'll work out," Liza said. "Trust me."
Tad put his hand on Liza's shoulder. "I'll see you in the morning?"
Liza smiled as Tad turned and left the studio. He took his car keys out of his pocket once he stepped outside. Turning to his right, he came to an abrupt stop.
"Brooke?" Tad said. Brooke was standing directly in front of him, her eyes red and her face tear stained.
"I didn't know where else to go," Brooke said. "I didn't know." Brooke fell into his arms, sobbing.
Tad put his arms around her, rubbing her back. "Shh," he said. "It's OK. What happened?"
Brooke rested her cheek up against his chest. "I can't." she said. ".do it again. I can't."
"You can't do what?" he asked. "Brooke."
"We got it, Tad," Brooke said. "Tempo. got the award." Brooke grabbed the back of his jacket in her hands. "I can't go to New York, I can't."
"Shh." Tad brought his hand up to the back of her head. "It's going to be alright. It's going to be OK, alright? I promise. We'll make this OK. I'll help you through it. I promise." Tad could feel Brooke quiver. "Come on," he said. "You can't drive like this, I'll take you home." He put his arm around her waist and began to lead her to the car. He opened the passenger side door and helped her in before walking around to the driver's side and getting in himself. Tad started the engine and began driving. At points, he would cast a glance over at Brooke, who was just looking out the window at the passing objects. They were both silent as they pulled into Brooke's driveway.
Tad helped Brooke into the house and slowly over to the sofa. He then made his way into the kitchen, returning with a glass of water. He handed it to Brooke, who took a sip, and then placed it down on a coaster on the table in front of them.
Brooke wiped her eyes. "You must think I'm one sorry soul," she said.
"No," Tad said, putting his arm around her shoulder, gently squeezing. "Why would I think that? I know how you feel about this whole thing."
"But this is paranoid, right?"
Tad put his hand on the side of her head, easing it down so that it rested on his shoulder. "It's alright," he soothed her. He rested his chin on the top of her head.
"But..."
"No 'buts'," Tad said. "I told you we'd take things as they came, didn't I? I promised I'd be there for you and I'm not going anywhere, no matter what."