"Seems to be catching," Zach said with a smile. "Go on… see what the boy wants… I'll just freshen our drinks." Zach took Kendall's drink from her hands and turned away from them as he walked toward the bar – he had promised to trust her, and how better to prove it than to leave her with the man she had claimed to love only a few weeks earlier. She looked at him in confusion before turning to face her ex-almost-fiancé while Zach stood at the bar observing their somewhat heated discussion… until another person approached and drew his attention.
"Why are you here, Zach? Are you trying to torment me?" Maria asked him quietly.
He looked carefully at her and realized that she had been drinking… and that she wasn't holding her liquor very well. His immediate reaction was a desire to remove her from the room and comfort her – but he squelched that impulse almost immediately in favor of a simple reply, "No… I'm here to torment my son."
"Well… you and Kendall certainly deserve each other then," she responded venomously.
"Yes. I think so, too," he answered seriously, ignoring the true meaning of her words. "And I think it's time I rescued her from him. Excuse me." With that he walked away carrying their drinks toward the escalating argument between Kendall and Ethan.
"…have no interest in your opinion," Kendall was saying heatedly. "I've been here half an hour and nearly every single person I encounter tries to run my life. You lied to me… you used me… now you get away from me… I'm through with you."
"Kendall… don't you see… we all care about you… and we want what's best for you," Ethan said earnestly. "Doesn't it mean anything that everyone can see that you're being self-destructive by your insistence at going through with this farce? If my father cared about you at all, he wouldn't be putting you in this position… and by doing so he is proving that he will do anything to hurt Maria and me… is that the basis on which to build a marriage?"
"I think honesty is a wonderful basis for a marriage, don't you Kendall?" Zach interrupted as he handed Kendall another diet soda. "Considering the lies and deception that Kendall's so-called friends have offered her in the past – I think that an open and honest business partnership is a refreshing change."
Kendall gulped her drink, looking from one man to the other and wishing that she could understand the feelings inside of her. She was both hurt and angered that Ethan could still act like she was incapable of running her own life – when he was much more screwed up than she was. But she had cared deeply for him, or had she? She had told Greenlee that she had been in love with the perfect man… not this cad who had preyed on her insecurities. Then she remembered that delicious, if fleeting, sensation when Zach had whispered into her ear – and she wondered if she had any clue what she wanted from either of these men, or herself for that matter. Instead of voicing her confusion she stated flatly, "Go annoy someone else, Ethan. I'm not interested in anything you have to say."
Ethan opened his mouth to answer and closed it again without remark as Zach looked at him with an amused glance and said, "You heard the lady."
After Ethan had stalked away he turned to speak with Kendall, but before he could do so Brooke English invited the guests to be seated for the awards ceremony. He merely followed Kendall as she led the way to the chairs at the back of the room and seated himself next to her. Always trying to read people in any given situation, he observed groups of people move to the chairs and noticed that Ethan and Maria were whispering together in a corner near the podium until Tad Martin separated them and escorted Maria to her seat on the raised dais. He felt badly for Maria as she did not look to be in any shape to handle the ordeal of accepting the award and applauding as a humanitarian the husband who had treated her so badly. He glanced away from Maria to Kendall as she loudly sighed and gently squeezed the hand she held in her lap.
She smiled at him, "That's better."
After Brooke English and Tad Martin each made statements about Edmund Grey the journalist and Edmund Grey the humanitarian, Brooke gave the award to Maria and offered her the opportunity to say a few words about her husband. Maria stood and lurched forward, nearly tripping herself. It was readily apparent to everyone that she had been over-imbibing and Brooke and Tad immediately tried to dissuade her from speaking. However, Maria was so far gone that she was insistent – and what she said should never have been. In front of the assembled company, she explained how her husband had hated her, disinherited her and hid from the world that he had regained the use of his legs. She openly blamed herself and Zach for the thought if not the deed in cuckolding her husband, and also blamed Brooke for loving her husband too much. When she had finished she stood sobbing, seemingly unable to move or speak any further. Tad attempted to assist her in leaving the podium but she shook off his arm and unsteadily stepped down under her own power. She took a few unsteady steps and fell into the arms of Ethan who had remained where they had been whispering prior to the award presentation. He looked shocked but immediately helped her out of the room, followed closely by Tad Martin.
Zach's attention was then distracted by Kendall who had also risen and started walking from the room, although he had no idea why she had made such a decision. Since most of the guests were still seated, her departure was very obvious. He felt torn between the need to remain seated and an even more urgent need to see to both Kendall and Maria, since it appeared that he would once again being blamed for all of their troubles. Finally, his own needs overwhelmed those of propriety and he rose to quickly follow Kendall from the room. What he found in the lobby was Maria verbally attacking Kendall while Ethan and Tad attempted to arbitrate the situation unsuccessfully.
As Zach approached Ethan looked at him in exasperation, "Excellent… just what we need… as if you haven't caused enough trouble this evening."
Zach walked up and put his arm around Kendall's shoulders, saying softly, "Come on, let's get out of here."
Kendall looked at him with an expression of outrage and opened her mouth to speak, but instead had another idea and pulled Zach to her in a passionate kiss. Briefly stunned, he wrapped his arms around her and surrendered to her advance, surprising her in turn with his own momentarily unleashed passion. A moment later they pulled apart and stared into each other's eyes, not remembering the fact that their former lovers were standing just a few inches away.
"Maria… why don't you come up to my room and lie down," Ethan said to her solicitously as she swayed on her feet still gripping the award she had accepted on behalf of her husband. Maria looked at him, not fully comprehending but following meekly as he led her through the lobby toward the elevators while Tad stood looking from Zach to Maria and Ethan as if deciding which one of them to accost first.
At that moment, Erica's voice could be heard loudly as she approached Zach and Kendall, "Well… it seems that you have the corner on public displays, Zach. Cemeteries, hospitals and now hotel lobbies… only this time you've dragged my daughter Kendall into your little games. Why don't you and that no good son of yours leave town and conduct your private little war elsewhere… you're not wanted here."
Zach turned toward Erica with a smile on his face, "Jealous, Erica?"
"Of what? You? I don't think so… just unhand my daughter and get out of here before I have you thrown out," she answered hotly.
"You and what army, Mother?" Kendall said viciously. She looked at Zach and raised on her toes, placed her hands on his shoulders and kissed him lingeringly once more. "Remember that room you offered to get for us? I think now would be a good time."
Zach looked at her in surprise, but stepped over to the desk to arrange a room without any comment. He didn't know what Kendall was up to, but he was sure he'd soon find out. While he gave instructions to the desk clerk, Kendall continued to spar with her mother.
"Do you enjoy causing trouble, Slater? No… don't answer that," hissed Tad as he joined Zach at the counter. "Of course you do… and the more pain you cause the happier you are. I shouldn't be surprised at anything you do… but I still am. Why on earth did you show up here to flaunt your relationship with Kendall in front of Maria? Hasn't she been through enough?"
Zach turned his head and looked at Tad, his narrowed eyes glinting dangerously, but kept silent as if waiting for the other man to finally reach a point.
Tad continued, "I want to make sure you know that you're to blame for everything that happened here tonight. If this is what you do to people you claim to love, then I sure as hell don't want to see how you treat people you don't like."
"No… I don't imagine that you do," Zach said softly. "Because I don't think you could handle it."
"There you go… threatening again. Don't you ever get tired of threatening everyone?" Tad said. Without waiting for a reply he continued, "Stay away from Maria… far, far away. You've done enough."
"I'm not even near Maria… you must have me confused with my son," Zach answered in the same soft but menacing tone.
"Just… just stay away from her," Tad repeated. "I'm going up to get her and take her home. I won't let your son hurt her… and I won't let you hurt her either. I mean it, Slater… Maria's been through enough. It's over."
"I couldn't agree more. Now go do your good deed and get her out of here. And, Martin," Zach answered, "so that you don't have to keep looking over your shoulder… you can rest assured that I have no intention of following you." He turned back to the desk clerk as Tad stalked away and Kendall joined him, having been unable to quell Erica's endless complaints against all things Cambias.
"What was up with Tad?" Kendall asked him.
Zach handed the clerk a credit card from his wallet before answering her, "He wanted to remind me that I'm the scum of the earth… I told him I'd gotten the memo, but he just had to add a postscript."
Kendall started to smile before Erica said loudly from behind them, "Jackson… you have to do something before she goes up to that room with Zach Slater. Please, talk to her… maybe she'll listen to you."
After giving her mother a dark look – and holding up her hand to stop Jackson from adding his opinion, Kendall asked the desk clerk sweetly, "Is the honeymoon suite available?"
The young man answered, "Uh… no… we don't have a honeymoon suite… but we have a very nice…"
Zach answered quickly, "That will be fine, thank you."
"Oh… and could you have something sent up from the bar… nothing bubbly, I've sworn off champagne… perhaps… what do you think, Zach? Cognac?" she asked him.
He smiled and nodded, getting an idea of her game, "A bottle of Courvoisier and two snifters, please… and… would you like anything else with that?"
"Perhaps some caviar?" she answered sweetly.
"…and the lady would like some caviar," he said to the clerk as he accepted the room key and his returned credit card.
They both turned and walked towards the same elevators that Ethan, Maria and Tad had all used a few moments before, with Erica and Jackson standing in the lobby protesting loudly but unable to distract them from their goal.