10 - Annie
The doorbell rang at Carmen's house. Maria was there alone.
"That must the accountant," said Maria.
She opened the door to find Eric standing there.
"What is it, Eric? You know Ricardo's making progress."
"I'm not here to talk about Ricardo, Maria. I'm here to talk about us."
"There *is* no *us*, Eric."
"I know, and I want to know where we stand."
Maria sighed. "I am attracted to you, Eric. But I'm not ready for a relationship right now -or anytime for a while."
"I understand that, Maria. But I also know that you're dwelling on the past -and that you need to move on with your life."
"Well I'm just not ready to, so you can stop waiting Eric. Why don't you get to know Nancy better."
Nancy was a friend of Eric's that he had dated on and off during the years. Although he enjoyed spending time with her, there was no spark like there was with Maria. But Maria just wasn't giving him the time of day, and he was beginning to wonder if she ever would.
"Goodbye, Maria," he said as he turned around and walked off.
"It's for your own good, and mine," said Maria as she sadly closed the door.
At Maria's building, two construction workers were doing some minor retrofitting when they came across the gas box.
"Man I bet this gas hasn't been turned on in y*ears*," said one.
"It's gonna be pretty unstable when it gets turned on," Said the other The building will have to be detoxicated "
"We better call Miss Torres," said the first.
Meanwhile at Cedar Oaks. Ricardo was in the reading room when Jude wandered in.
"Hey," said Jude.
"Are you visiting someone?" said Ricardo.
"Well I was going to visit my friend, but he had a doctor's appointment. You?"
"I'm a patient," said Ricardo.
This didn't brother Jude at all. "I'm Jude Cavanaugh."
"Ricardo Torres."
"Say, Ricardo, do you know an Annie Douglas-Richards?"
Ricardo's ears perked up at Annie's name.
"Yes," he said cautiously.
"Thought so," said Jude amused. "She has quite a reputation."
"What do you mean by that?" said Ricardo.
"Annie's attractive and everything, but she's just very well *Annie*."
"Look," said Ricardo. "Annie may not always do the right thing but she's still a good person. My sister Maria and I both know that."
"Okay, forget it I'm sorry," said Jude. *Of course, Torres, he's Maria's brother Ben's ex-wife*, Jude thought.
Ricardo was deep in thought. Something had just clicked in his head.
Meanwhile Annie stood unseen in the doorway smiling. She had heard everything.
Maria was eating at a café when she heard a familiar voice talking on a cell phone. It was Nancy, Eric's friend.
"Yes, that will be *two* tickets.." Nancy was saying. "Yes, four weeks from today. The other person coming with me?... Eric Spencer"
The doorbell rang at Carmen's house. Maria was there alone.
"That must the accountant," said Maria.
She opened the door to find Eric standing there.
"What is it, Eric? You know Ricardo's making progress."
"I'm not here to talk about Ricardo, Maria. I'm here to talk about us."
"There *is* no *us*, Eric."
"I know, and I want to know where we stand."
Maria sighed. "I am attracted to you, Eric. But I'm not ready for a relationship right now -or anytime for a while."
"I understand that, Maria. But I also know that you're dwelling on the past -and that you need to move on with your life."
"Well I'm just not ready to, so you can stop waiting Eric. Why don't you get to know Nancy better."
Nancy was a friend of Eric's that he had dated on and off during the years. Although he enjoyed spending time with her, there was no spark like there was with Maria. But Maria just wasn't giving him the time of day, and he was beginning to wonder if she ever would.
"Goodbye, Maria," he said as he turned around and walked off.
"It's for your own good, and mine," said Maria as she sadly closed the door.
At Maria's building, two construction workers were doing some minor retrofitting when they came across the gas box.
"Man I bet this gas hasn't been turned on in y*ears*," said one.
"It's gonna be pretty unstable when it gets turned on," Said the other The building will have to be detoxicated "
"We better call Miss Torres," said the first.
Meanwhile at Cedar Oaks. Ricardo was in the reading room when Jude wandered in.
"Hey," said Jude.
"Are you visiting someone?" said Ricardo.
"Well I was going to visit my friend, but he had a doctor's appointment. You?"
"I'm a patient," said Ricardo.
This didn't brother Jude at all. "I'm Jude Cavanaugh."
"Ricardo Torres."
"Say, Ricardo, do you know an Annie Douglas-Richards?"
Ricardo's ears perked up at Annie's name.
"Yes," he said cautiously.
"Thought so," said Jude amused. "She has quite a reputation."
"What do you mean by that?" said Ricardo.
"Annie's attractive and everything, but she's just very well *Annie*."
"Look," said Ricardo. "Annie may not always do the right thing but she's still a good person. My sister Maria and I both know that."
"Okay, forget it I'm sorry," said Jude. *Of course, Torres, he's Maria's brother Ben's ex-wife*, Jude thought.
Ricardo was deep in thought. Something had just clicked in his head.
Meanwhile Annie stood unseen in the doorway smiling. She had heard everything.
Maria was eating at a café when she heard a familiar voice talking on a cell phone. It was Nancy, Eric's friend.
"Yes, that will be *two* tickets.." Nancy was saying. "Yes, four weeks from today. The other person coming with me?... Eric Spencer"