BONNIE BROCK_ST_REGIS CHUCK CLARA CLIVE DOTTIE EVERYBODY FATHER FRANK HENRY JANICE JOYCE MAUDE MIKE MOTHER OTHER_JANICE PETER PETERS SHANE WAIT_STAFF WILLY BROCK ST REGIS Welcome back! I’m Brock St. Regis and this is “If You Can’t Stand the Heat”! BROCK ST REGIS And nooow let’s announce our Super Celebrity Chef winner! We started with fifty Super Celebrity Chefs. Fifty! Now we are down to two. Will our winner be Big Mike Mahoney? Big talent, big beef bolognese, and big big attitude. Or will our winner be the hot chef at the hottest restaurant in Manhattan - Shane Roarke? He’s the guy men want to be and women want to be with. So, gourmets and gourmands - our number one, Super Celebrity Chef is shane roarke! BROCK ST REGIS Today he’s the country’s most famous chef and most eligible bachelor! Is it just me or will he be breaking as many hearts as he will eggs? Shane Roarke, everybody! CLARA Guys? Guys? Guys! CLARA Could we maybe get back to work now? I mean its not like we have food to serve or anything. WAIT STAFF I guess./Sor-ry!/Ugh - rude! CHUCK You have a great take-charge work ethic, Clara. But you’re not the owner here. It’s not like when you had your own restaurant in New York. CLARA You’re right. I’ll try to remember that it’s different now. CHUCK I don’t get these reality shows, do you? All I know is everybody loves them. CLARA Not everybody. CHUCK He is pretty hot. I mean, if I was a girl. Who was into guys. I would think he’s pretty hot. CLARA I guess. If you like that type. CHUCK I don’t like that type. But if I did, I would. HENRY Miss! Miss! Miss! CLARA Be right there, sir. BONNIE I think that guy wants you, Clara. HENRY Miss! Miss! CLARA Apparently he does. I hear you, sir. And your incredibly rude thumbclicking. BONNIE Don’t you love that? HENRY Miss! HENRY Miss! MAUDE She’s right here, Henry. CLARA How can I help you, sir? HENRY This steak. MAUDE It’s a sandwich, Henry. I asked for medium rare steak. A medium rare steak should be red with a warm centre. MAUDE It’s a sandwich. And you’ve eaten half of it. HENRY That’s beside the point, Maude. A rare steak, on the other hand, should be very red with a cool centre. this steak is very red with a cool centre. CLARA I’m so sorry, sir. I’ll bring you a new one. Medium rare. Red with a warm centre. HENRY Thank you. CLARA Would you like me to take that? HENRY It’s okay. I can finish it. MAUDE I thought you didn’t like it! HENRY I like it. It’s just not what I ordered. MAUDE So you’re going to eat two sandwiches? He’s going to eat two sandwiches. CLARA No problem. It’s the principle of the thing, Maude. MAUDE What principle? Eat two sandwiches and pay for one? Eat two sandwiches and pay for one. That’s his principle. CLARA I’ll be just a minute. BONNIE I’ll bet you’re glad to be back, huh? CLARA Over the moon. CLARA I can’t wait to get home. I’m exhausted. BONNIE Me too. But first I gotta go to the rest room. CLARA You just went to the rest room. BONNIE Gotta go again. CLARA You’ve been stealing cheese from the kitchen, haven’t you? BONNIE Maybe. So? CLARA So you’re lactose intolerant. BONNIE I am not. Cheese just makes me go to the rest room, that’s all. CLARA Cause you’re lactose intolerant. BONNIE Am not! Now take my bag! CLARA Oh, thank you. SHANE It’s nothing. CLARA That was very kind of you. CLARA Well, have a lovely stay at Thunder Mountain. SHANE Thank you, um. SHANE Clara. It’s on your name tag. CLARA Clara. It’s on my name tag. SHANE I’d better go. Goodbye. CLARA Bye. BONNIE Do you know who that is? CLARA Yes. BONNIE That’s Shane Roarke! CLARA I know. BONNIE You know, from the reality show! “If You Can’t Stand the Heat!” CLARA Yes I know. Let’s go. BONNIE He’s even more handsome in real life. Did he make a pass at you? CLARA No. BONNIE He’s quite the ladies’ man, you know. I bet he made a pass at you. CLARA He didn’t make a pass at me. BONNIE Shane Roarke! Staying at our resort! CLARA It’s not our resort. BONNIE If we’re lucky, he’ll come into our restaurant, Clara! Do you think he’ll come into our restaurant? CLARA It’s not our restaurant. But I imagine he has to eat just like a normal person. BONNIE Just like a normal person. Wow. CLARA Yup. PETERS Christmas is just around the corner. And given how many guests we served at Thanksgiving, we expect this will be our busiest holiday season ever. PETERS And I have a very exciting announcement to make. I’ve hired a new chef. And he’s starting today. He’s a hugely talented, accomplished young man. And he’s somebody you just might have heard of. Shane Roarke. PETERS Come on out, Shane! BONNIE Shane Roarke! It’s Shane Roarke! CLARA I know. BONNIE He’s not a guest at our resort! CLARA It’s not our resort. BONNIE He’s working at our resort! In our restaurant! CLARA It’s not our restaurant. BONNIE With us! PETERS Well, Shane has to start getting to know his kitchen and his sous chefs. And we all have to start getting ready for Christmas. Let’s have a great day! SHANE Hi. CLARA Clara. We met last night. SHANE Yes, of course. BONNIE Bonnie! I mean, I’m Bonnie. You’re Shane. Ha! SHANE Hi, Bonnie. BONNIE It was actually my stuff that you picked up last night, all over the lobby floor. Clara was holding my bag while I went to the rest room. SHANE Okay. BONNIE Clara, she thinks I’m lactose intolerant but I don’t think I am. CLARA That’s probably Tmi, Bonnie. BONNIE Cheese just makes me go to the rest room, that’s all. CLARA Definitely Tmi. SHANE Okay. I’ll try to remember that. BONNIE I think he was flirting with me. CLARA He wasn’t flirting with you. BONNIE I’ll have to tell him I have a boyfriend. CLARA I’m sure he’ll be broken-hearted. BONNIE Oh! You like him, don’t you. CLARA What? Don’t be ridiculous. BONNIE You like him. I can tell. But I’m not sure if he likes you or not. CLARA Can we get to work now? BONNIE I mean, I’m sure he likes all sorts of women, given his reputation. Hundreds of women, probably. CLARA Oh my gosh. BONNIE You’ve go to be careful with guys like that, Clara. I mean, I watched every episode of If You Can’t Stand The Heat, and believe me, Shane Roarke is like a total playboy. He’s a rake. CLARA A “rake”? BONNIE That’s what my grannie used to call guys like that. He’s a rake, all right. But you like him and I can’t blame you for that. CLARA I didn’t say I liked him! BONNIE You like him. And I’m your best friend. So I’ll see what I can find out. CLARA Please don’t. BONNIE You can count on me. CLARA That’s what I’m afraid of. CLARA Hi. My name is Clara. Can I start you off with some drinks? JOYCE Drinks! That sounds like a great idea, Claire! CLARA Um, it’s Clara. JOYCE I’m Joyce. JANICE I’m Janice. OTHER JANICE And I’m the Other Janice! JOYCE Isn’t that hilarious, Claire? CLARA Actually it’s not Claire, it’s Cla- JOYCE Claire! We’re just three single girls from New Jersey on holiday here in the mountains. JANICE Whoo hoo! JOYCE And we happened to notice that your new chef is Shane Roarke! JANICE Shane! Shane! Shane! Shane! JOYCE You know, Shane Roarke? Celebrity chef? The winner of If You Can’t Stand The Heat? The reality show? CLARA Yes, I know. JANICE He is so handsome! OTHER JANICE Oh my heavens! JOYCE Can I be honest with you, Claire? The truth is, we didn’t just notice Shane was here. JANICE We knew all along! OTHER JANICE That’s why we came here! JOYCE But we’re not stalkers or anything. In fact, we used to frequent Shane’s Manhattan restaurant every single week. Without fail. And even though we never actually talked to him, we kind of felt as if we got to know him personally. JANICE But not as personally as we’d like! JOYCE I wonder if Shane would drop by and say hello? Could you ask him? We’d love to see him again. CLARA Ah he’s pretty busy... JOYCE Thank you, Claire! JANICE Yeah thank you, Claire! CLARA Shane! Sorry to bother you! Shane! SHANE Yeah, just a sec! CLARA Hi! SHANE Hi! CLARA Clara! SHANE Clara! Hi! CLARA Hi! SHANE I guess we’ve officially said hi now! CLARA Yeah! Sorry to bother you! I have a table of three young ladies from New Jersey! They asked if you could drop by to say hello! I said you were probably too busy! SHANE Peters says I’m never too busy to butter up customers! CLARA Their names are Joyce and Janice! And another Janice! SHANE One Joyce and two Janices! They sound fascinating! CLARA I doubt it! They actually freak me out a little! But they’re very excited to see you! SHANE I’ll drop by! Thanks! CLARA Okay. See you later. I guess. SHANE Hello, ladies. BONNIE Wow. He is so smooth. Isn’t he smooth, Clara? CLARA Who? BONNIE Shane! CLARA Oh yeah. I guess he’s smooth. If you like that kind of thing. BONNIE Hi, Mr. Peters. PETERS Hi, Bonnie. Clara? Shall we? CLARA Be right there, Hugo. BONNIE Hugo? CLARA That is his name. BONNIE I wouldn’t admit it if I was him. And what’s he mean, “Shall we?” Shall we what? CLARA Shall we - mind your own business, maybe? BONNIE Hugo. Hmf. SHANE Why don’t you guys take a break now. It’s gonna be a busy night. SHANE Soda? BONNIE Got one. Thanks. BONNIE I gotta hand it to you, Shane. You were pretty smooth with your lady fans there. SHANE They’re quite fascinating, actually. Did you know two out of three of them are named Janice? BONNIE Wow. That is fascinating. I bet you have a lot of lady fans, huh? SHANE Yeah. I suppose. BONNIE Cause of the T.V show, I guess. I bet people think you’re, like, a playboy. A ladies man or whatever. SHANE They think I’m a rake, Bonnie. BONNIE A rake? Wow. People can be so stupid. Still, I should probably tell you I have a boyfriend. Just to be clear. SHANE Okay. Thanks. BONNIE He’s a city planner. His name is Clive. You know, Bonnie and Clive. Like Bonnie and Clyde. Only instead it’s Clive. SHANE I got it. So what about you and Clara? Have you been friends a long time? BONNIE Best friends since we were little kids. We both grew up here in Thunder Valley. I never left. Clara went to the city for a few years. Now she’s back. But I think she’s jealous of me now. SHANE Why’s that? BONNIE Maybe cause I have a boyfriend. You know, Clive. SHANE The city planner. BONNIE Yeah. And she doesn’t have a boyfriend. At all. SHANE Okay. So what’s going on with Peters over there? PETERS It’s very important that we keep this very quiet. Nobody can know about it. For now, at least. CLARA I understand. BONNIE Oh no, there’s nothing going on there. I don’t think. SHANE Hmf. BONNIE Hmf. DOTTIE Recognize anybody? SHANE As a matter of fact, I think I recognize you. DOTTIE Well, you have a pretty sharp eye then. Some of those pictures are older than Methuselah. SHANE You haven’t changed a bit. DOTTIE Flattery will get you everywhere. FRANK There’s a lot of history on that wall. SHANE Shane Roarke. DOTTIE Fancy a coffee, Shane Roarke? FRANK Oh, we’ve had this place how many years, hon? Forty-two, forty-three? DOTTIE Forty-five years. FRANK Forty-five years, says the boss. And between you and me, she’s always right. DOTTIE I am. You’re not from around here, are you Shane? SHANE No, I grew up in New York City and never really left. Until now. I just took a job at the Thunder Mountain resort. FRANK Oh, we know a lovely girl who works at the fancypants restaurant there. The something or other. SHANE The Summit. FRANK Yes that’s it. DOTTIE Her name’s Clara Garrison. SHANE Oh yes! We’ve met. DOTTIE Wonderful girl. She worked here every summer through high school, and then full-time for a couple of years, before she went to the city. FRANK Dottie and I were never blessed with children. So Clara is kind of like a daughter to us. DOTTIE So what brings you here today, Shane? SHANE History, I guess. I’m interested in the smaller, family-owned resorts in this area. FRANK There used to be quite a few of them on the mountain. But we’re one of the last ones around. It’s been hard to really compete with the big resorts and chains. DOTTIE We still do a pretty good business at breakfast. FRANK Thanks to you. If it wasn’t for Dottie’s Western omelettes we’d be dead and buried by now. You should drop by one morning, Shane. SHANE I just might do that. BONNIE I saw that look. CLARA What look? There was no look. BONNIE There was a look. SHANE You’re still here. CLARA Just finishing up. SHANE I really appreciate your help. CLARA It is my job. SHANE I know. But tonight was crazy busy on top of being a couple of waiters short. CLARA Tell me about it. SHANE You probably didn’t have time for supper, did you? CLARA I’ll grab something on the way home. SHANE Or I could make you something to eat. I’m going to make myself something anyway. I’m not a bad cook, you know. CLARA Are you sure I can’t help? SHANE You can open a bottle of red wine, if you like. CLARA I can do that. CLARA Wow. That was fantastic, Shane. SHANE Thanks. I’ve been practicing. CLARA It’s starting to pay off. SHANE Bonnie mentioned that you were in the city for a few years. CLARA She said that, huh? SHANE Yup. CLARA Well, yes. I always wanted to have my own place. I opened a little restaurant. We did okay for a couple of years. But then, well, it went downhill. SHANE It’s a tough business. CLARA Yeah. I guess I took on more than I could handle. SHANE Or maybe the timing wasn’t right. CLARA Maybe. Anyway, after it went under I came back home. And here I am, at least until I figure out what’s next. SHANE Another glass of wine could be next. CLARA That, I think I could handle. CLARA Whoa! SHANE Clara! Are you okay? CLARA Help! Help! SHANE Hey! They laugh and roll about in the snow. He ends up on top of her, looking down at her face. They stop laughing and for a moment it seems as if he will kiss her. But then he gets up and pulls her up after him. SHANE You’re pretty sneaky, aren’t you? CLARA Who, me? CLARA Well, my car’s over here. SHANE I don’t want you falling again. CLARA Thank you, sir. SHANE You’re welcome, my lady. CLARA And thanks for the meal. And the company. It was really nice. SHANE My pleasure. SHANE That doesn’t sound promising. CLARA It’s promising to drive me crazy. SHANE I don’t think it’s driving you anywhere. Leave the car here. I’ll get one of the resort mechanics to look after it tomorrow. Come on, I’ll give you a ride. CLARA Thank you. SHANE Here we are. CLARA This is just like my car. CLARA This is it. SHANE Reboot? CLARA They sell used cowboy boots. SHANE Well, if I run into any used cowboys I’ll let them know about this place. CLARA Thanks again, Shane. For everything tonight. SHANE It was nice spending time with you. CLARA Would you like to come in for a tea or something? SHANE No, thanks. We’d better, you know. CLARA We’d better what? SHANE Well we work together, we should just keep things professional. CLARA Professional? What? SHANE You know, I don’t think, I mean as much as I’d like to, I don’t think we should, you know, do anything we might regret. Because we’re working together. And I’m kind of your boss. Maybe we shouldn’t get involved. CLARA Involved? I asked if you wanted a tea. And what makes you think I want to get involved, anyway? SHANE No, I just meant that CLARA I guess you just assume every girl you meet wants to get involved, is that it? SHANE No, no, I didn’t mean CLARA Well, I’ve got news for you, Mister Roarke. Just because you’ve got money and you’re this famous person who’s been on TV doesn’t mean everybody’s going to be impressed with you. Because frankly, I’m not impressed. At all. And I definitely do not want to get involved. Good night. CLARA What a jerk! SHANE I’m such a jerk! PETERS Two milks, one sugar. CLARA Thank you. You’re a lifesaver. PETERS You ready for this morning? CLARA Halfway through this coffee, I will be. PETERS Good. JOYCE There’s his car! Told you we didn’t lose him! SHANE Well, Dottie. Frank was right. That’s the best western omelette I have ever had. DOTTIE Really? SHANE Yes, ma’am. And I’m a bit of an expert on omelettes. DOTTIE Are you, now? SHANE I’d love to get the recipe. DOTTIE Ooh, I’m afraid that’s a trade secret, my dear. More coffee? SHANE I’d better get to work. But can I get one to go? DOTTIE You certainly can. SHANE Actually, um make that two coffees to go. DOTTIE Coming right up. CLARA That’s Shane’s car, isn’t it? PETERS I believe it is. CLARA I wonder what he’s doing here, first thing in the morning? PETERS He’s probably been here since last night. So I guess he’s living up to his reputation. DOTTIE Clara! It’s so good to see you! CLARA Dottie! Good to see you too! FRANK Don’t use up all your hugs on Dottie, now. CLARA I always save one for you, Frank. CLARA Frank, Dottie. This is Hugo Peters. He owns the restaurant I work at. FRANK Ah yes. The something or other. PETERS The Summit. FRANK Something like that. DOTTIE It’s a pleasure to meet you. PETERS I wonder if you have a few minutes to speak with us after breakfast. I have a proposal I think you might be very interested in. DOTTIE Oh! I haven’t had a proposal since Frank’s. And that turned out pretty well. FRANK Better for me than for you. We’ll sit down with you as soon as the rush is over. PETERS Great. DOTTIE Coffee to start? CLARA Yes, please! PETERS This proposal of ours. As I said before, we have to keep it very quiet. CLARA Yes. As you said before. PETERS You can’t tell anybody. CLARA There’s nothing to tell, Hugo. Not yet, anyway. PETERS Loose lips sink ships. CLARA I get it. PETERS That’s an expression from World War II. The U.S. Office of War Information used it on posters all over the place. It means you have to be very careful what you say because you never know who might be listening. You could be giving information to the enemy. CLARA Okay, Hugo. PETERS My point is, the less said the better. In fact, neither of us should say anything at all. CLARA Great advice. I think we should both follow it, starting right now. PETERS Now you’re getting the idea. CLARA No way. JANICE Where could he be? JOYCE I have no idea, Janice. JANICE Now I’m worried. JOYCE Me too. OTHER JANICE That was the best Western omelette I have ever had. FRANK Don’t be a stranger now, Clara. You promise. CLARA Promise. I’ll be back before you know it. DOTTIE We’re going to hold you to that, sweetheart. PETERS And you two promise to think about what we said and get back to us as soon as you can. FRANK Dottie and I have to talk about it, of course. Then Dottie will make a decision. DOTTIE Not just me! FRANK But if our Clara is involved, I have a feeling it’s a pretty good thing. DOTTIE Oh Clara, I forgot to mention. We met somebody else who works at the resort. FRANK Shane Something. What was his last name, dear? DOTTIE Shane Roarke. FRANK Something like that. CLARA He’s the new chef at Hugo’s restaurant. DOTTIE Chef! My goodness! He said he loved my omelette. He wanted the recipe! CLARA No surprise there. FRANK Everybody loves your omelette, buttercup. CLARA So he was just here for breakfast? DOTTIE Well no, he actually came yesterday afternoon. CLARA What was he doing here? FRANK You’d better ask him, honey. We’re bound by innkeeper customer confidentiality. DOTTIE Is that really a thing, dear? CLARA None of my business anyway. Thanks again. PETERS I like your discretion, Frank. Loose lips sink ships. DOTTIE There’s something wrong with that man. FRANK Yup. PETERS As you know, the restaurant will be closed tonight. And, as we do every year, we will be serving up a preChristmas dinner at the homeless shelter. It’s all in the spirit of Christmas, of course - but it also happens to be great publicity for the restaurant. Those of you who have volunteered should be at the shelter no later than five p.m. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to make it myself because of a family emergency. BONNIE Same emergency he has every Christmas, I guess. CLARA Yup. WILLY Thank you, dear. CLARA My pleasure, Willy. WILLY The food is better than ever this year. BONNIE We have a new chef, Willy. He’s good, isn’t he? WILLY Fantastic! But you know, the best part isn’t the food. The best part is seeing you two ladies every Christmas. CLARA That’s so sweet, Willy. And hearing that is the best Christmas present you could give us. WILLY That’s good because I didn’t buy you a thing. CLARA Excuse me. BONNIE You’ve got to talk to her. SHANE I’m a little scared. SHANE Clara? CLARA Yes? SHANE Can we talk for a minute? CLARA Go ahead. SHANE No, I mean. Please. SHANE You’re really good with everybody. They seem to know you. CLARA Well, I’ve been doing this for years. Even when I was in the city, when I’d come home for Christmas, I never missed one of these dinners. SHANE That’s really great. CLARA For a lot of these people, this is the closest thing to family that they have. But I get a lot more out of it than I put into it. Is that what you wanted to talk to me about? SHANE No, no. I wanted to talk about, um, your car. The mechanic said it was something with the alternator. Anyway, it’s working now. It’s in the parking lot across the street. CLARA Thanks. So what do I owe you? SHANE Nothing. CLARA Great. SHANE So you won’t have to ask Mr. Peters or anybody for a ride. CLARA Are you spying on me? SHANE No, no! Of course not. I just happened to see you arrive this morning. Through the window. In the restaurant. CLARA You know. How I get to work, whether I walk or take the bus, or get a ride with Hugo - it’s really none of your business. SHANE I know. You’re right, of course. You call him Hugo? CLARA Well, it’s two fewer syllables than Mister Peters. It saves a lot of time. So if you’ll excuse me. CLARA Not necessary. SHANE No, it is. I had a great time with you. And then I said something incredibly stupid. I didn’t mean it the way it came out. I was just really nervous. CLARA Said the famous playboy. SHANE That’s just it. Clara, I’m not a playboy or a ladies’ man or whatever you want to call it. I take relationships very seriously. And I would only pursue a relationship with someone I felt a real connection to. CLARA I get it. We don’t have a connection. Can I go now? SHANE The truth is, the other night I felt a very strong connection with you. I don’t know if you felt anything at all, but it it rattled me. It made me nervous and a little scared. So I started squawking like an idiot. I am really really sorry. I’d love the chance to make it up to you, if you’ll let me. CLARA I’m listening. SHANE Look. We’re almost finished here and the night is young. I’d love it if you’d come to my place. And I could cook you a proper supper. Sure. Okay. That would be great. SHANE Great. BONNIE Great! BONNIE I wasn’t eavesdropping. CLARA Wow. SHANE You like it? CLARA It’s incredible. SHANE I guess it’s okay. CLARA Okay? SHANE You know, it’s temporary. It’s not home. CLARA I guess you’re right. I prefer my shoebox, too. SHANE The one above the used cowboy boot store? That’s the one. SHANE Come on. We’ve got some cooking to do. CLARA Are you sure you don’t want me to do anything else? SHANE You opened the wine, right? CLARA I did. SHANE And you’re enjoying yourself? CLARA I am. SHANE That’s all I want. CLARA It’s such a beautiful view. SHANE It sure is. CLARA I was talking about the mountain. And the snow. And the Christmas lights. SHANE I wasn’t. CLARA Oh boy. SHANE Is that a good “oh boy”? CLARA It’s a good oh boy. CLARA Shane. There’s something I need from you. SHANE Name it. CLARA Coffee. SHANE You’d like a coffee? CLARA I’d love a coffee. SHANE Coming right up. CLARA So what brought you here, anyway? It wasn’t just a job offer. SHANE You’re right, it wasn’t. With my restaurant and the TV show, things got really crazy. I wanted to just get away from everything. I guess I needed to slow down and recharge. So when Peters approached me to take over the Summit, it was a nobrainer. CLARA How long do you plan on being here? SHANE My contract is for six months. But I’m thinking about staying a while longer. You know, I’m kind of falling in love with the area. And everything in it. You know, the mountains, the fresh air, the town, the slower pace. CLARA The trees? SHANE Yes, the trees. And other vegetation. CLARA So, you don’t miss family, or friends? Or girlfriends? SHANE I can honestly say I have had only two real girlfriends in my whole life. CLARA I don’t believe that. SHANE It’s true. That whole playboy persona was invented for the T.V show. It was good for the ratings, apparently. It didn’t hurt at the restaurant either, I guess. But I’m just not that guy. CLARA So what guy are you? SHANE I guess you’ll have to find out. CLARA I guess I will. So this morning at the Mountain View. You weren’t with three girls from New Jersey? SHANE Who’s spying on who now? CLARA I saw your car in the parking lot. SHANE I was having breakfast. All by myself. CLARA Dottie and Frank happened to mention that you were there earlier too. But they didn’t say why. SHANE I was just exploring. I really love the old inns. I guess you could say I’m a bit of a history buff. CLARA You’re also a bit of a mystery man. SHANE I want to know more about you. CLARA You already know about me. I’m a recovering failure. SHANE You’re only a failure if you don’t learn from your experiences. I don’t think that’s you. CLARA Okay. Then who am I? SHANE You’re strong and determined. And smart and beautiful. CLARA I’m listening. SHANE You want to have something of your own. You want to build it. And watch it grow. I bet you want to go back to the city and start another restaurant. CLARA I’ve thought about it. I just feel as if I left something unfinished. SHANE You’ll finish it. Whatever it is. And it’ll be yours. SHANE You know, I saw you at the Mountain View, too. With Hugo. What was that all about? CLARA You don’t think Hugo and me no! That was just business. SHANE You don’t want to talk about it. CLARA I can’t. Not right now. SHANE So we’re both a little mysterious. SHANE I think I’m falling for you, Clara. And it hurts. DOTTIE How are the omelettes? BONNIE You really like him, don’t you, Clara? CLARA I really like him. But I’ve really liked guys in the past. And you know how that’s worked out. BONNIE Oh, don’t be a Negative Nanny. CLARA You mean a Negative Nelly? BONNIE Whatever. Both of those people are very negative. When I first met Clive I thought he was the most boring person in the world. I almost didn’t go on a second date with him. But after a while, I realized he wasn’t boring at all. He was just shy. Of course, most city planners are boring. CLARA You don’t say. BONNIE I do say. But the fact is, Clive is the funniest, most exciting city planner I have ever met. And I feel lucky I gave him a chance. CLARA I like Clive. BONNIE Me too. I know Shane isn’t a city planner or anything. But famous chefs can be fun too. CLARA Here’s to chefs and city planners. PETERS Clara? CLARA Right here. PETERS Can I see you in my office for a minute, please? CLARA Sure thing. SHANE Ooh, the principal’s office. You must be in trouble. CLARA That’s me. The bad girl. PETERS Shut the door if you don’t mind and have a seat. PETERS I see you’re spending a lot of time with Shane lately. CLARA My own time, yes. Is that a problem? PETERS No, no, not per se. I just wonder if you’ve had enough free time to work on our little proposal. Have you even talked to the Havens lately? CLARA Yes! I see them almost every day at breakfast. PETERS Okay. That’s great. Oh, I have something for you. CLARA What’s this? PETERS Just a little Christmas present. CLARA But I didn’t get anything for you. PETERS Don’t be silly. Open it. CLARA It’s lovely. I don’t know what to say. Thank you. PETERS You deserve it, Clara. You’ve been a tremendous help to me. And once this deal goes through, you’ll be able to buy yourself jewellery that makes that necklace look like a knock-off. CLARA That sounds good. PETERS Look, if things go as planned on this deal I might want to send you to New York. CLARA New York? Really? PETERS Really. I have another deal in the works there, which I’d like you to take on long-term. Does that sound interesting? CLARA Yes! It sounds great. PETERS Good. But remember. CLARA I remember. CLARA I haven’t even asked you what you’re doing for Christmas. SHANE I think I might be going back to the city. CLARA Of course. That makes sense. You want to see your family. By the way, you haven’t told me anything about your family. SHANE I guess I haven’t. CLARA Well? Brothers, sisters? SHANE No brothers or sisters. Just me. CLARA Ooh, you’re an only child. That explains a lot. SHANE What does that mean? CLARA I’m just kidding. But I suppose that’s all the more reason you should see your parents. SHANE Clara. CLARA I want to tell you something, Shane. SHANE Okay. CLARA I’m not supposed to tell anybody. But I want you to know. SHANE I’m all ears. CLARA I’ve been working on a project with Hugo. And it has to do with the Mountain View. Dottie and Frank are on their last legs. They have enough cash flow to last through the winter, but after that they’ll have to shutter the place. SHANE That’s really too bad. But I can’t say I’m surprised. CLARA It breaks my heart. But Hugo wants to buy them out. His plan is to totally renovate, and run it as an upscale boutique hotel. CLARA And he says he’ll keep Dottie and Frank on as managers for as long as they want. SHANE Okay. CLARA It’s more than okay. This could be a huge deal for me. I’ll be responsible for overseeing the whole thing. And today Hugo said that once this project is on its feet he might send me to New York. SHANE New York? For how long? CLARA I have no idea. I don’t even know what the project is, a hotel, a restaurant. Whatever it is, I’d be in charge. It would be mine. SHANE Peters got you involved because of your connection to the Havens, right? CLARA I like to think my experience has something to do with it. But, yes. The Havens are like family. They trust me. SHANE Of course they do. But do you trust Peters? CLARA He hasn’t given me any reason not to trust him. Why are you being so negative about this? SHANE Before I took this job, I made some phone calls. I wanted to check into Peters’ track record. You know, he doesn’t have a great reputation. Several people warned me about him. SHANE But I wasn’t too concerned because the deal was just short-term. CLARA So you’ll only be here short-term. SHANE That was the original plan. But Peters just offered me a new contract. Five years. For a lot more money. CLARA So what’s the problem? SHANE I just don’t trust the guy, Clara. Nobody offers you a deal like that after less than a month. He knows my reputation as a chef but he has no idea who I really am, as a person. CLARA Well, I guess I don’t know who you really are either. SHANE I’m sorry, Clara. I’m just saying, whatever Peters tells you, about that property or anything you can’t just assume he’s telling the truth. CLARA Can’t you just be happy for me? There’s no hidden agenda here, Shane. SHANE How do you know for sure? Have you looked? CLARA Maybe I should look at You. I’ve known Peters longer than I’ve known you. How do I know that jerk on TV isn’t really you? Maybe you Are that guy. And - maybe you’re not really going back to the city to see your parents. SHANE What? CLARA Maybe there’s somebody else you want to see. SHANE There’s nobody else, Clara. Listen CLARA No! You listen, Shane. Merry Christmas. And goodbye. FATHER I just want to say how thankful Mother and I are to have all our loved ones here. Our littlest girl, Darlene, our son-in-law, Barry. And our two beautiful grandchildren. And our wonderful daughter, Clara, who we hope will soon follow in her younger sister’s footsteps and give us some more grandchildren. MOTHER No pressure, honey! FATHER To family. EVERYBODY To family! FATHER Well, let’s dig in, then! CLARA Bonnie. It’s me. BONNIE Hey, Clara! Merry Christmas Eve. Clive says hi. Clive! Say hi! CLIVE Hi. CLARA Hi, Clive. BONNIE So, how was the meal? How’s the family? CLARA Everything’s fantastic. It’s driving me crazy. Do you think you could meet me for a drink? BONNIE Let me check with Clive. Is it okay if I go for a drink with Clara? CLIVE Yup. BONNIE Clive says yup. CLARA Great. I’ll see you there. Bye. MOTHER Everything okay, honey? CLARA Yeah. Everything’s fine. Uh, Mom. CLARA Sorry. I gotta take this. It’s my boss. CLARA Hi Hugo. What’s up? PETERS The kids are fighting, the wife is nagging and the mother-in-law hates me. So it’s a typical Christmas Eve. CLARA Okay. PETERS Listen. I need you to pick something up from my office. CLARA Sure. No problem. PETERS There are some documents in a manila envelope on my desk. We’re going out of town tomorrow and there’s something I need to look after as soon as possible. CLARA I’ll pick it up and swing by your house first thing in the morning. PETERS Perfect. I’d get it myself but I’ve had a few too many egg nogs and I’m gonna have a few more. In the background we hear Hugo’s wife loudly calling him. PETERS All right! All right! I’m coming! Gotta go, Clara. CLARA Sorry, Mom. But I have to go out for a bit. It’s a work thing. MOTHER And you might meet Bonnie for a drink. CLARA And I might meet Bonnie for a drink. MOTHER You know, a lot can change from one Christmas to the next. Have a good time, honey. CLARA Thanks, Mom. CLARA Oh, what the hell. She grabs the envelope and opens it. She pulls out the documents, a sheaf of papers half an inch CLARA Wow. That is a lot of money. CLARA Thanks for coming. BONNIE Wouldn’t miss it for the world. BONNIE Hey, Mike! How about a couple of shots? Christmas can be a difficult time. MIKE Tell me about it. BONNIE What’s this? CLARA Nothing. Just some documents I picked up for Hugo. BONNIE Hugo? Hmf. MIKE Here you go, ladies. CLARA Thanks, Mike. BONNIE To best friends and better days. CLARA Touche. CLARA Everybody was just so happy. My sister is so happy with her perfect husband and he’s equally happy with her. And they’re both incredibly happy with their two beautiful children, one of each. And my Mom and Dad, they’re so so happy to be grandparents with two beautiful grandchildren, one of each. I tell you Bonnie, everybody is so so happy! It was horrible! BONNIE I’m really sorry to hear about - all that happiness. That sucks. CLARA Thanks. BONNIE I have some good news, though. Want to hear it? CLARA Of course I want to hear it. BONNIE I’m engaged. CLARA Congratulations! BONNIE Hey, are you crying? CLARA Of course not. BONNIE You are too. CLARA Happy tears. BONNIE They don’t look happy. CLARA They’re happy. I’m happy. When are you gonna do it? BONNIE I don’t know. In the spring, maybe. Or a few years from now. I don’t like to be uptight about these things. CLARA My best friend is getting married. To a terrific Clive. And I’ve fallen for a guy who might not be that guy or he might be that guy and now I’ve wrecked it and I might not ever see that guy again. BONNIE Except at work. At the restaurant. Five days a week. More with overtime. CLARA I’m gonna quit my job. BONNIE That’s a good idea. So, what’s in the envelope, really? CLARA It’s a secret! BONNIE You can tell me! CLARA Hugo is offering Shane a new contract. He wants to lock him up long-term. But I don’t think it’s going to work. I think Shane wants to get as far away from here as he can. BONNIE How much is it for? I bet it’s a lot of money. CLARA I can’t tell you. All I can say is it’s a lot of money. BONNIE Compensation, compensation, compensation. Whoa! That is a lot of money! CLARA You’re not supposed to see that! It’s confidential! BONNIE Oops. CLARA You have to be kidding me. BONNIE Clara, I am so sorry. That was really stupid of me. CLARA What is this? BONNIE It’s a mess, that’s what it is. And it’s all my fault. I’m so sorry. I don’t know how we’re gonna fix this. You know, Clara. Maybe you should quit your job. CLARA I don’t believe this. BONNIE I know. BONNIE I’m gonna take these, um, clauses, to the washroom and put them under the hand dryer. CLARA Never mind that. Sit down. CLARA This doesn’t make sense. Clive is a city planner, right? Meaning he works at the city planner’s office, right? BONNIE You think that doesn’t make sense? CLARA Call him! Right now! I need to do something! All by myself! And I need me and you and Clive to do it! BONNIE Okay! What are we gonna do? CLARA We’re going on a secret mission! BONNIE Yes! I never told anybody this but all my life I’ve wanted to go on a secret mission! Clive! FRANK Look who wandered in from the cold. DOTTIE Shane! DOTTIE Merry Christmas! SHANE Merry Christmas. Are you sure I’m not intruding? DOTTIE Gracious, no. FRANK We love Christmas visitors. And at our age we can’t stay awake long enough to greet Santa Claus. DOTTIE Fix Shane a drink, Frank. Are you hungry, dear? I’ll make you a nice sandwich. SHANE A nice sandwich sounds nice. SHANE When I first came here, I didn’t tell you what I was really looking for. And I didn’t show you this. SHANE My parents. On their honeymoon. That picture hung in our kitchen for as long as I can remember. They never said exactly where it was taken and I never asked. They just said it was in the mountains. And one day they’d go back there. But they never did. FRANK You think they might have stayed here, son? SHANE I don’t know. I’ve ruled out a few places. But the other inns they might have been at are long closed or torn down. DOTTIE I’m afraid I don’t recognize them, Shane. But that doesn’t mean anything. FRANK Some days she barely recognizes me. DOTTIE But I do recognize the cushion. I have one just like it on the chair by the telephone table. SHANE I saw it the other day. DOTTIE But it’s hardly unique. It was a very popular catalogue mail order item. Back then you couldn’t walk into anybody’s living room without tripping on a snowflake cushion. DOTTIE Put your glasses on, Frank. FRANK I don’t need my glasses. SHANE It’s date stamped on the back. December 85. Frank turns the photo over and holds it out at arm’s length. FRANK Well, in 86 we had a small fire that destroyed all the old records. Otherwise, we could have checked the log book. FRANK If they were here, I probably took this picture. DOTTIE We used to take pictures of all the guests and send them at Christmas. FRANK I’m gonna put my glasses on. DOTTIE Good idea. FRANK Come with me. BONNIE This is so exciting! CLARA I know! CLIVE Shhh! I don’t know why I’m doing this. It’s insane. BONNIE You’re doing it because it’s an exciting secret mission! And because you love me! CLIVE Get in! Quietly! BONNIE Did you find it yet? CLIVE I literally just started looking! CLARA Peters. Hugo Peters. BONNIE Hugo. Hmf. CLIVE Here it is. CLIVE Okay. I see he’s made a couple of exploratory proposals. CLARA Whoa! BONNIE What is it? CLARA I can’t make any sense of it! They’ve written everything twice! BONNIE Um, I think maybe you’re seeing double. CLARA That would explain it. CLIVE I’m going to make a copy. You can read it in the morning, Clara. And then destroy it! And we’re all going to forget this ever happened! CLARA I love you guys! Bonnie and Clive! We’re criminals! BONNIE Oh, I feel so exhilarated! CLIVE Heaven help me. MOTHER Merry Christmas, sunshine. CLARA Thanks. Merry Christmas. MOTHER Somebody had a little too much fun last night. CLARA Where’d you get these? MOTHER I found them in the bathroom. Behind the toilet. CLARA Oh. MOTHER Will you have some eggs, honey? CLARA Unbelievable! MOTHER Fresh fruit, then? PETER Coming! Coming! PETERS Clara. Do you have my documents? CLARA You means Shane’s contract? Yes, I have Shane’s contract. PETERS What did you do to it? CLARA I accidentally dropped it into some beer puddles on the floor of the Dusty Dog. PETERS You what? CLARA And then I accidentally read it. PETERS You what? CLARA And I found something very interesting. CLARA You’ve written in a non-compete clause that’s so restrictive - it’s totally insane. PETERS That’s standard, Clara. Besides, what do you care? You’re not his lawyer. And it’s not your business! CLARA Sure, it’s standard. For New York or Chicago. But here? There IS no competition here. Except for the Havens. PETERS What are you talking about? The Mountain View can’t compete with me. CLARA You’re right. Not right now they can’t. And maybe you want it to stay that way. And maybe you want to pay Shane a small fortune and stop him from working for anybody else around here! PETERS You’re talking like a crazy lady. Give me that! CLARA And then there’s this! You don’t want to renovate the Mountain View. You don’t want to “restore it to its former glory,” you jerk. You want to tear it down for parking lots and concessions and condos! PETERS Those are just - exploratory proposals. Where did you get them, anyway? Oh! You got them from Mister Roarke, didn’t you? CLARA I did not! I stole them all by myself from the City Planner’s Office! CLARA With unidentified accomplices! But what difference does it make how I got them? I got them and now I know you’re a liar and a hypocrite! I trusted you! PETERS You want to talk about trust? Late last night the Havens called me to tell me the deal was off. So I went down there to talk some sense into them. And guess who was there, pulling the strings? Your boyfriend Shane, that’s who! CLARA What? He’s not my -anyway, he’s in New York. PETERS Is that what he told you? CLARA This is a lovely necklace. I think your wife might appreciate it. PETERS I hope you realize you’re fired! CLARA I quit! PETERS It’s your own fault! What did I say about loose lips, huh young lady? Loose lips sink ships! Didn’t I tell you that? Loose lips CLARA hugo, would you please just shut up?! CLARA Merry Christmas. CLARA what? SHANE Come on. I’ll give you a ride. CLARA How did you find me? SHANE I went to your parents’ house. Your Mom said you might be at Bonnie and Clive’s. So I went to Bonnie and Clive’s. And they told me about your little crime spree. So I had a pretty good idea where you might be headed. CLARA I would have told you about the crime spree. I would have told you everything. SHANE I know. And I want to tell you everything. CLARA I’m listening. SHANE I didn’t come here for a job. I came here because I was looking for something. Or trying to get something back. I don’t know which. But that’s why I went to the Mountain View that first day. And that’s why I was there last night. FRANK come with me. DOTTIE We always called this room the Bridal Suite, even though it’s pretty much identical to all the other rooms. FRANK Except for the view. If a couple was on their honeymoon, we would have put them in this room. SHANE I don’t think they were here. There’s a wooden trim around the window in the picture. DOTTIE Frank! What on earth are you doing? FRANK I carved this trim myself. After so many years it dried and split. I’ve been meaning to fix it and put it back up. SHANE It’s the same. FRANK I’d say so. SHANE They were here. SHANE Their honeymoon was the one and only vacation my parents ever took. They lived in the city and barely made ends meet. My Dad worked as a cook in greasy spoons and diners. My Mom was a waitress. I know now what a struggle it was for them. But I guess I inherited my love of cooking from them. When I started doing well in my career I promised myself I’d take them for a winter vacation in the mountains. SHANE Maybe even bring them back to where they spent their honeymoon. But I got so busy with work and I spent less and less time with my parents. Three years ago, my mother died of cancer. Not a year later, my father had a massive heart attack. SHANE So here I am. Three years too late. After I lost them I couldn’t stop feeling guilty. I didn’t make enough time for them. I could have brought them here. But I didn’t. I know it’s stupid but in a way I feel as if I don’t deserve a family now. I didn’t think I had a right to share in anybody else’s Christmas. That’s why I told you I was going to the city. But there’s nobody there for me. CLARA That is definitely stupid. Any family would be lucky to have you. SHANE Come on. CLARA What are we doing here? SHANE You’ll see. DOTTIE Merry Christmas! FRANK Merry Christmas! CLARA Merry Christmas. DOTTIE Dinner will be on the table in a few minutes. SHANE Come on. I want to show you your Christmas present. CLARA Just like in the picture. SHANE Just like in the picture. CLARA So where’s my Christmas present? SHANE You’re looking at it. CLARA What? The view? SHANE The view. The room. Everything. Including me if you’ll have me. CLARA Um I don’t get it. SHANE Dottie and Frank have agreed to sell the hotel. To me. But only on the condition that you are part of the deal. CLARA But how? SHANE I’ve made pretty good money as a chef. But I made a fortune on that stupid reality show. We’re going to fix the place up, Clara. Dottie and Frank will stay as long as they want. I’ll do the cooking, except for the omelettes, of course. And you’ll run the whole thing. Because it’s yours. CLARA You mean it’s ours. SHANE We can build something here, Clara. CLARA I love you. SHANE And I love you. CLARA I got you a scarf. SHANE Just what I wanted. FRANK Gotcha! JOYCE There’s his car. Told you we didn’t lose him.