ANNA BANKS BROOKE DAN GAVIN LIZ MAN NIKK NIKKI WOMAN WOMAN Seriously. We're done talking. MAN What? WOMAN Don't make me call the police. What are you doing? WOMAN NIKKI Shoot. I think I missed a turnoff. Hey, look, dog bakery. Now where did a dog learn how to bake? BROOKE It's a bakery for dogs, mom. Not a dog who bakes. NIKKI Okay. Uh, now, where are we? GAVIN Hey. You ladies lost? NIKKI Oh, uh, yes. How could you tell? I'm looking for Springhurst Street, but my navigation seems to be failing me. GAVIN Yeah, small-town life. They're slow to update the maps. Willow actually turns into Springhurst, so if you take a left up there, you're set. NIKKI Thank you. You're a lifesaver. GAVIN New arrivals, huh? I'm glad to be of service. Uh, I'm Gavin, by the way. NIKKI Uh, I'm Nikki, this is Brooke. GAVIN Well, welcome to town. I look forward to seeing you around. Oh, and if by morning you haven't located your coffee maker, come by and enjoy a cup on the house. NIKKI Oh. Thank you, Gavin. GAVIN See ya. NIKKI Shall we? NIKKI Well, what do you think? BROOKE It's fine, I guess. NIKKI Oh, things are gonna be different here. But no matter what... BROOKE We're going to be together. NIKKI Exactly. I think we're gonna like it here. Moving truck should be here soon. NIKKI Hey, sweetheart, I thought you might like this for your room. BROOKE Oh, did you give dad our new address? He promised to come visit soon. NIKKI Well, that would be great, but don't get your hopes up. Soon means something a little different to your dad, remember? Hey, tell you what, why don't we go downtown in the morning, do a little shopping for the house, you know, get a cupcake from that dog who bakes? What do you say? BROOKE You're such a nerd, mom. NIKKI I'm taking that as a yes. BROOKE Mom, look! You should try it on. NIKKI A new dress is definitely not part of the shopping list. BROOKE Come on. NIKKI Okay. BROOKE Mom, you have to try this on, and this. NIKKI Honey, I can't try on the whole store. LIZ Who says? Try before you buy is my motto. NIKKI I just don't wanna get on anyone's bad side. You know how the owners of these stores are. LIZ No, tell me. NIKKI Uh, "You break it, you bought it." "Only one item in a dressing room at a time." "Unattended children will be given an espresso and a puppy." You're the owner of the store, aren't you? LIZ Liz Cole. Welcome to Not Your Mamma's Closet. NIKKI I'm so sorry. I-I should get going. BROOKE But you haven't tried anything on yet. We like the outfit in the window. NIKKI It's very Gwyneth. LIZ Oh. Oh, I'm obsessed with Goop. Oh, yes. This makes your eyes pop. NIKKI I'll just be a minute, Brooke. LIZ Don't worry. I'll just get her an espresso and a puppy. NIKKI Again, I'm-I'm really sorry. LIZ Don't be. I live for a little unfiltered honesty. LIZ So where do you go to school? BROOKE Oh, I don't yet. We just moved here. LIZ And you came straight to see me? LIZ BROOKE NIKKI What do you think? LIZ Well, I'm biased, but I think you look great. BROOKE It looks nice, mom. NIKKI I'll take it. LIZ So, Brooke tells me you're new in town. NIKKI Yes. Uh, this can be my job interview outfit. LIZ Oh. Where are you interviewing? NIKKI Uh, so far nowhere. LIZ That'll be 87.52. NIKKI Um... LIZ Oh, wait. I forgot the new customer discount. Seventy-five, even. NIKKI You don't have to do that. LIZ Of course I do. There is a catch, though. NIKKI What's that? LIZ Take a job application. I've been looking for some help around here. NIKKI I don't have any retail experience. LIZ Neither did I before I opened up this shop. So come by Monday morning before the shop opens up and we can do an interview. NIKKI I mean, this is very kind of you. But why are you doing this? LIZ Nikki, I know what it's like to need to catch a break. See you on Monday. NIKKI Brooke, you gettin' ready for bed yet? BROOKE Yes, mom. NIKKI Hello? Liz? LIZ Back here! NIKKI Ooh, love your outfit! LIZ Where'd you get it? NIKKI Thank you again, for the opportunity. Like I said, I don't have retail experience, but I have done a little bookkeeping and I love fashion. LIZ Good enough for me. Can you start today? NIKKI Really? I, I got the job just like that? LIZ I've a good feeling about you. All right, let's dive in. I've got a list of things to get through. First, our sexual harassment policy. Don't sexually harass anyone. NIKKI That's it? LIZ Do you need more? NIKKI No. LIZ Great. Store opens in 40 minutes. I think we've earned ourselves a coffee break, don't you? NIKKI Oh. LIZ Let's go. LIZ Yeah, we're a pretty tight-knit community downtown. I have wine club every week with Chrissie from Motley's Gifts And Antiques and Katy from Waldring Books. Oh, I have to take you by Voxley's later so you can meet Mary. She's a blast. NIKKI Hey, what about this place? LIZ Oh, yeah, um, I usually go to McBeanerstein up the street... GAVIN Ladies! Liz, I, uh, it's great to see you. Hey, look, it's cold. Let me get you a table inside. LIZ Or this is fine, too. NIKKI This place is really nice. LIZ I haven't been in here in a while. NIKKI Oh, love those lights. GAVIN Liz, it's been a while. LIZ Has it? NIKKI Hi, we actually GAVIN Yes. Of course. Nikki. Um, how are you and Brooke settling in? NIKKI Great. Everyone is welcoming. GAVIN And how do you know our Liz? LIZ Oh, we used to farm in rural Colorado together. NIKKI Uh, Liz just hired me. It's my first day. First hour, actually. GAVIN Well, congratulations. Liz is the best. NIKKI I couldn't agree more. LIZ Coffee with cream, please. GAVIN And for yourself? NIKKI Oh, mm, mm, latte with almond milk. GAVIN Excellent. I just milked the almond this morning. NIKKI NIKKI He's cute. LIZ Mm, good kisser, too. NIKKI Oh. So are you two a LIZ A walking relationship disaster? No. But we used to be. NIKKI Sorry, I didn't know. LIZ You were gonna find out sooner or later. Probably not in a super awkward meeting with your boss on your first day. But... NIKKI And now my last. LIZ Oh, no, you're not getting off that easy. Come on, let's get started on your paperwork. GAVIN Milk and coffee with cream. LIZ I mean, after the divorce it was just Anna and me. NIKKI Anna? LIZ That's my daughter. She's turned 15. NIKKI Oh, she's beautiful. She looks just like you. LIZ Ugh. Acts like me, too. She's a total pain in the butt. NIKKI LIZ But I adore her. Dan, my ex, and I had an endless custody battle. I was a mess. I had no money, no one to talk to, and it took me a long time to pull my life together. I always said that if I was ever in a position to help a woman who was in my situation, I would. NIKKI And you knew that I was in that situation just by looking at me? LIZ Because I was looking at myself. GAVIN Can I interest you ladies in anything else? Refill, a delicious muffin to go, fresh out of the oven? LIZ Oh. Just the check. GAVIN Oh! I'm so sorry. LIZ Oh! GAVIN Oh. NIKKI Okay, let me... LIZ You know... Thanks. NIKKI Oh. Uh, you know what? GAVIN Oh, I'm... LIZ Here. GAVIN Oh, no. No, no, no, no. Please, please. It's on the house. LIZ Actually, it's on my pants. GAVIN Send me the dry-cleaning bill. LIZ Oh. Don't, don't worry about it. Ready? NIKKI Yeah, you just... You have my keys. GAVIN Right. Just... NIKKI GAVIN GAVIN Those are yours. NIKKI Thank you. GAVIN Please come back. Um, I promise not to spill coffee all over you again. Hopefully. LIZ Come on. Time to open the store. NIKKI And then I press the tax-exempt button? It... No, wait. Uh, yes. NIKKI Ha! I did it! LIZ Not bad for a first day. You're a natural at this. NIKKI Thank you. Uh, I would like you and Anna to come over for dinner tonight. LIZ You don't have to do that. NIKKI No, I want to. And I think Brooke would love to see you, too. LIZ Only if it's not too much trouble. NIKKI Of course not. 6:30? LIZ I'll bring the wine. LIZ Dan. What are you doing here? DAN Anna left her laptop at my place. Look, while I'm here, can we change our weekends next month? LIZ No. We've already been through this. DAN LIZ This is my place of business. Please don't put me on the spot. DAN You never change, do you? You're a roadblock just to be a roadblock. LIZ All right, we're done talking. Get out of my store. DAN It's not the end of this conversation, Liz. LIZ That's why we have lawyers, Dan. GAVIN Hey, Nikki. Oh, uh, sorry to drop in. NIKKI Hey! Uh, you're looking for Liz? Sh-she might, she might need a few minutes. GAVIN Yeah. Uh, she and Dan still at odds? NIKKI Yeah, maybe. GAVIN Actually, I'm looking for you. Um, I found this after you left. NIKKI Oh, I've been looking for this. It just keeps slipping off. GAVIN It's, uh, Celtic, right? NIKKI That's right. Graduation gift from my grandmother. GAVIN Oh, well, it's very beautiful. NIKKI Hm. GAVIN Have you been to Ireland? NIKKI No. Always wanted to. My grandmother and I even planned a trip, but then she passed away. GAVIN Oh, I'm sorry. NIKKI Thanks. It was a few years ago. GAVIN Mm-hmm. NIKKI Anyway, thank you, thank you for this. I owe you one. GAVIN Okay. Um, buy me a coffee, we'll call it even. NIKKI Um, don't you get free coffee at work? GAVIN Yeah, but it's always better when someone else makes it. NIKKI Hm. Oh. I have to pick up my daughter from school soon, so... GAVIN Okay. Maybe later this week? You know where to find me. Hey, Liz. Always a pleasure. Bye, Nikki. NIKKI He just dropped by. LIZ I know. That's Gavin. NIKKI Hey, I couldn't help but overhear. Is everything okay? LIZ Oh, sure. It's pretty typical Dan. Come on, I'll show you how to lock up. Lights are in the back. NIKKI You've been quiet this afternoon. Hm? How was your first day? BROOKE Fine. NIKKI Whoa, slow down. I can't keep up with all this information. BROOKE I didn't know anyone, all my classes are either way ahead or way behind from where I was back home, and I forgot my lunch in the car. NIKKI So not a stellar first day. BROOKE No. NIKKI Give it time, sweetheart. I know you'll make friends soon. NIKKI Shall we let our guests in? BROOKE Hi! LIZ Hi, Brooke! This is my daughter Anna. ANNA Hi. NIKKI Hi, Anna. I'm Nikki. ANNA My mom told me about you. LIZ Mostly good things. NIKKI Why don't you come in? LIZ ...and the boxes came, and it turned out I hadn't ordered 12, I had ordered 12 dozen. NIKKI Well, I am happy my first day went a little smoother than that. LIZ Speaking of, how was your first day of school, Brooke? BROOKE Fine. NIKKI It's an adjustment. It'll take some getting used to. ANNA I totally know how you feel. I moved up to the high school last year. I was so scared. BROOKE You were? ANNA Took me a while, but now I love it. Who are your teachers? BROOKE Uh, my schedule is in my room. Mom, can we go get it? NIKKI Sure. NIKKI She really opened up to Anna. I haven't gotten more than two words all day. LIZ It's probably nice for her to talk to someone closer to her age. NIKKI Brooke needs a friend right now. Liz, thank you for everything you're doing. First the job, and now Anna... LIZ We all need a friend every now and then. So, what brought Gavin by the store today? NIKKI Oh, uh, he was returning my keychain. LIZ He had your keychain? NIKKI Ah, it keeps falling off. It just needs to get fixed. LIZ And now he wants to take you for coffee? NIKKI Well, Liz, I don't wanna step on any toes LIZ Uh, no, it's, it's not that. NIKKI Are you sure? If you still have feelings... LIZ Oh, Nikki, Gavin and I are definitely over. He was clingy, and I couldn't stand it. And truth is, I'm, I'm just concerned. NIKKI Concerned? Why? LIZ I don't wanna overstep, but I just want you to be okay. NIKKI Why wouldn't I be? BROOKE Mom, can we have dessert now? NIKKI Uh, sure. Why don't you help me clear the table? I'll be right back. NIKKI Did you grab the salad bowl? BROOKE No, not yet. NIKKI I'll get it. LIZ And you're acting like this at someone's house? ANNA Because you're being like this at someone's house. LIZ Anna, you're two years away from even applying to colleges. ANNA He said you'd say no. Why're you still so angry with dad? If LIZ Anna, I'm not discussing this right now. ANNA Fine. LIZ Uh, where are you going? ANNA The bathroom. Or can't I go there, either? You're so controlling. NIKKI Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. Is everything okay? LIZ I've learned with Dan if you give him an inch, he'll take a light year. I just have to hold my boundaries, that's all. NIKKI Would you like a little more wine? LIZ Mm, I'd like a lot more wine. LIZ Thank you. So what about Brooke's dad? NIKKI Uh, there's not much to say. He left after he found out I was pregnant and then came back for a couple months after Brooke was born and then disappeared again. Drifted in and out every few years, breaking Brooke's heart every time. LIZ I'm sorry. NIKKI I never really dated, always hoping he'd get his act together. Stupid, huh? LIZ Not stupid. Sounds like he was. NIKKI Well, I finally stopped waiting and moved us here for a fresh start. LIZ To new lives. BROOKE Mom? NIKKI Hm? BROOKE Can I take music lessons? NIKKI Music lessons? BROOKE Yeah, uh, there's music classes at school. I wanna play guitar. NIKKI Oh, Brooke, I wish I could say yes, but we really don't have the extra money for an instrument right now. But, look, you can join the choir for free. BROOKE I don't like to sing. NIKKI I'm sorry, honey. Maybe next year. NIKKI Thank you for shopping with us. LIZ Oh, I have to run to the bank. You okay on your own for a few minutes? NIKKI I think so. LIZ Bring you a coffee? NIKKI Oh, you're an angel. NIKKI Thank you for shopping with us. WOMAN Thanks. GAVIN Hey. NIKKI Hi! GAVIN I hadn't heard from you about coffee, so latte with almond milk, right? NIKKI You remembered. GAVIN Well, it's hard to forget an order after you dump it all over someone. NIKKI Uh, sorry I didn't stop by. Things have been really busy. GAVIN No, I get it, I get it. How are, how are things going? NIKKI Good. Yeah, I think I'm getting the hang of things around here. GAVIN How's Brooke? NIKKI Oh, a little slower to adjust. She's mad at me because I can't get her a guitar. For her music lessons. GAVIN Oh. That's a shame. NIKKI Oh, it's fine. She's 12, she'll be upset or super stoked about something else in a few days. GAVIN Fair enough. Hey, um, I have a couple tickets to Fireside Seven on Saturday. NIKKI What? I thought they broke up. GAVIN They did. But a few members are doing a benefit concert. And my friend canceled last minute, and I thought maybe you'd like to join me. NIKKI I love them, but I wouldn't wanna take your extra ticket. GAVIN Oh, no, no, no, you-you'd be doing me a favor. Come on. Don't make me go alone. Hey turn the radio on NIKKI Yeah, all right, okay. Why not? GAVIN Great, great. Okay, concert's at 8:00. I'll pick you up at 6:00, we'll, we'll grab dinner first. NIKKI Oh, uh... LIZ Gavin? GAVIN Hey, Liz. LIZ What brings you by? GAVIN Oh, just a long-overdue coffee. I'm actually on my way out. LIZ Well, you know the way. GAVIN Mm-hmm. See you Saturday. Turn the radio on LIZ I guess you don't need this. NIKKI I didn't know he was coming by. LIZ See you Saturday? NIKKI He invited me to a concert. Liz, look, I-I don't have t LIZ Nikki, I'm not your mother. If you wanna keep seeing Gavin, it's your call. NIKKI Are you sure? I'm not breaking some sort of girl code? LIZ Nope. He's all yours. Come on, let's get started on inventory. BROOKE You look really pretty, mom. NIKKI Thank you, sweetheart. You excited to hang out with Anna? BROOKE She's here. NIKKI All right. GAVIN Hi, Brooke. BROOKE Mom! NIKKI Gavin, you're early. GAVIN Oh. Sorry. NIKKI Uh... Brooke, you remember Gavin. He owns the coffee shop downtown. BROOKE Hi. GAVIN Nice to see ya. Your mom tells me that you like music. BROOKE Yeah... GAVIN Well... Then I think you should have this. NIKKI Gavin? Gavin, this is too much. BROOKE Mom, look! GAVIN Oh, it was just gathering dust in the back of my closet. BROOKE Can I keep it, mom, please? NIKKI I... What do you say to Gavin? BROOKE Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm gonna go practice! NIKKI That's very kind of you. GAVIN I hope you don't mind. I just thought, since I wasn't using it... NIKKI I really appreciate the thought. It's just, it's a, it's a big gift. GAVIN Don't mention it. NIKKI Hi, Anna. Come on in. ANNA Nikki. Hey, Gavin. GAVIN Hi, Anna. How's your mom? ANNA She's good. She said to say hi. NIKKI Anna, thank you for keeping Brooke company tonight. We'll be back before 11:00? GAVIN Mm-hmm. ANNA Sounds good. Is Brooke in her room? NIKKI Yes, yes. She is practicing her guitar. GAVIN Well... shall we? NIKKI Tough skin sunset in her eyes She's got her shades all see those... NIKKI He was awesome. That solo on White Roses? It was epic. GAVIN I'm glad you had fun. NIKKI Yeah. Best night I've had in a while. GAVIN Hey, what do you say we pop into the cafe for a little dessert? NIKKI Oh, I don't know. It's getting late. GAVIN Oh, it's not that late, plus, I have a caramel cheesecake to die for. A little nightcap for your "best night in a while." NIKKI Okay. A quick dessert. NIKKI So what did you do? GAVIN What any savvy business owner would. I-I gave him a month's supply of free coffee and muffins. Hey, um, I need to tell you something. I know it's not cool to talk about exes on first dates, but, uh, Liz and I dated for a bit. NIKKI I know. She told me. GAVIN Oh, okay, good. I didn't want things to get awkward if we were to go on another date, or dates. NIKKI Well, I respect your honesty. GAVIN Is it okay if I ask, um, there's not an angry ex-husband that's gonna get up in my face, is there? NIKKI Angry is highly probable, showing up is very unlikely. GAVIN I'm sorry. I-I shouldn't have asked. We don't have to talk about it. NIKKI It's okay. Yeah. Brooke's father promised to be the dad that she wanted, promised to be the husband that I wanted, but, um, he couldn't do it. And actions speak louder than words, as they say, so... GAVIN That's unbelievable. You and Brooke are so amazing. NIKKI Thank you. Yeah, we have a much better life now. GAVIN Yeah. NIKKI What about you? Hm? Never married? No kids? GAVIN Uh, no. No, not anymore. NIKKI Oh, Gavin, I-I'm sorry GAVIN No, no, no, no. It's, uh, it's-it's fine. I-I, I never talk about it with anyone. But, but you, you're, you're easy to talk to. Years ago I was with this really great woman, and we got, uh, pregnant while we were dating. We had a, we had a girl... Violet. She was two months when she died of SIDS. NIKKI Oh, Gavin, I'm so sorry. GAVIN Yeah, yeah, it's just, it's one of those stories you hear about other people, you know, and... Well, needless to say, um, losing her didn't bring us closer together. NIKKI Yeah, I get that. What a thing to go through. Hey, thank you. I'm glad you told me. GAVIN It's getting late. I gotta get you home. NIKKI Right. Anna will probably be wondering where I am. NIKK GAVIN NIKKI Here. GAVIN Thanks. NIKKI Um... GAVIN Oh. I've wanted to do that since the first time I saw you. NIKKI Gavin, I... GAVIN Oh, this doesn't sound like it's gonna be good. NIKKI It's just that, um, I'm just getting settled, and I've got Brooke to think about. And I'm just not ready to jump into anything too fast. GAVIN I understand. Yeah, I mean, we'll-we'll take it slow. I just like spending time with you. NIKKI I really like spending time with you, too. GAVIN Okay, then that's all this needs to be, just two people spending time together. NIKKI LIZ Someone's in a good mood. Would this have anything to do with your date last night? NIKKI I wouldn't call it a date. Not exactly. And don't worry, we talked and we agreed, we are taking it slow. MAN These are for you. LIZ Thank you. Taking it slow, huh? ANNA Good job. BROOKE Thanks. NIKKI All right. You girls have fun today. I should only be at the store for a few hours. BROOKE I thought you weren't leaving until 12:00. NIKKI I am going to get a coffee first with Gavin. It is our one-month anniversary. ANNA Ooh! BROOKE NIKKI All right. I'll see you later. GAVIN Hey. NIKKI Hi. GAVIN Just in time for my break. NIKKI Mm-hmm. GAVIN I think I'm gonna name a drink after you on the menu. NIKKI What's it gonna be called? What? What? GAVIN No, you're just, you're just adorable, that's all. Hey, I, um, I got you something. Open it. NIKKI Gavin, what did you do? GAVIN Well, you said you always wanted to go. And I've been itching to get out of town, so... NIKKI This is too much! GAVIN Do you like it? NIKKI I love it, but... NIKKI Oh, shoot, it's Liz. I gotta go. GAVIN You gotta go already? NIKKI I was supposed to be there ten minutes ago. I'll call you later. GAVIN Okay. Yeah. NIKKI Thank you. This is amazing. NIKKI Sorry. I didn't realize how late it was. LIZ Oh, it's calmed down now. It's not like you to be late. NIKKI I know, I was with Gavin. LIZ Of course. What's that? NIKKI Oh, um, Gavin wants to take me to Ireland. LIZ Ireland? NIKKI Hm. LIZ He's already bought the tickets? These are first class. He must have spent thousands. NIKKI What? Really? LIZ Nikki, this is the exact opposite of taking it slow. WOMAN Can I leave this with you? Thanks. LIZ Let's chat later. LIZ You know I see a lot of myself in you. NIKKI I do. LIZ Well, I made a few mistakes when I was younger, and I don't wanna see you make the same ones I did. But I'm seeing some red flags with Gavin that you may not be seeing. NIKKI Red flags? LIZ Well, you know, Dan, my ex-husband, he was a charmer. We met when I was down on my luck, then he came swooping in like a savior. Expensive gifts, lots of compliments. LIZ Only a few months after we started dating, he had me moving in with him and quitting my job. I couldn't see or maybe I didn't wanna see what he was doing. NIKKI Which was what? LIZ Isolating me. Making me rely on him so that I didn't have an identity outside of our relationship. NIKKI Okay, um, what does this have to do with Gavin? LIZ Dating Gavin was like Dan, the sequel. The charm, the smile, the flowers, the gifts, and then it all turned. Wanting to spend all of our time together, and getting jealous whenever I had other plans. It was, it was exhausting. So I broke it off, and it got ugly. NIKKI Really? Well, you seem to get along fine now. LIZ Yeah, only because I avoid him whenever I can. NIKKI Liz, Gavin's been through a lot. Well, maybe he just moves fast because he's afraid of losing what he's got again. LIZ Maybe. I, I'm only telling you my experience. Look, Nikki, I don't want to control your life. I-if you wanna keep seeing Gavin, then I won't stand in your way. But just watch for the red flags. I'm gonna grab some more wine. BROOKE King me. NIKKI Whoa, whoa! Are you sure you didn't cheat? BROOKE Mom! NIKKI Was Anna coming back? BROOKE Hey, Gavin. GAVIN Hey, Brooke. How's the guitar going? BROOKE Good. I learned a Nirvana song. GAVIN Nirvana? You're gonna have to show me that. BROOKE Okay, I'll go get my guitar. GAVIN Actually... Can you give your mom and I a few minutes first? BROOKE Sure. GAVIN Thanks. NIKKI Gavin, what are you doing here? Hi. GAVIN Um, well, I wanted to finish our conversation from this afternoon. NIKKI Okay. GAVIN Um, I got something for you. NIKKI Gavin, it... GAVIN Wow. It's beautiful. I know we've only known each other a little while, but it feels like much longer. Look, I had this whole speech about the necklace and the trip and what it all represents, but that's kinda feeling cheesy right now, so I'm just gonna say it. I'd like you to move in. NIKKI Move-move in with you? GAVIN Yeah, I-I saw how you had to rush into the store today, on a weekend... NIKKI Well, I had to work. GAVIN But what if you didn't have to? You're struggling to make ends meet in a dead-end job NIKKI Dead-end job? GAVIN I just mean... You're capable of so much more with just a little bit of help to get back on your feet. I know this is a big step, but, Nikki, I've, I've never felt like this about anyone before. And after losing Violet, I-I, I didn't think I could be this happy again. NIKKI What about Brooke? GAVIN Well... My place has lots of space. It's closer to her school, she could walk if she wanted. NIKKI She's just getting settled after the move. I need to think about what's best for her. GAVIN Well, maybe what's best for her is a little financial stability and-and a mom who can be there for her more. NIKKI Well, are you saying I'm neglecting my daughter? GAVIN No, no, not at all. W... Where are you getting that? NIKKI I-I, I-I don't know, it's just, t-things are moving a lot faster than I'm ready for. GAVIN I know we haven't exactly taken things slow, but, Nikki, I think we can make each other really happy. NIKKI Gavin, I'm not ready for a serious relationship right now. And I, I ignored a lot of red flags in my last relatio GAVIN What, what? Red flags? NIKKI I think we need to take a step back. I really, really like you, Gavin. We just want different things right now. GAVIN I'm, I'm sorry if I pushed too hard. It's only 'cause, you know, I-I really like you. I NIKKI Don't be sorry. I had a really great time with you. Just not the right timing. GAVIN Right. Right. Okay. Will you tell Brooke I said goodbye? NIKKI Of course. GAVIN Okay. Bye, Nikki. LIZ Hey. NIKKI Hey. I'm just tidying up. LIZ I know. The store has never been so clean. It's almost like you're avoiding me. NIKKI I'm not avoiding you. Okay, yes, I am avoiding you. LIZ Why? NIKKI I broke things off with Gavin last night. LIZ Oh, Nikki. NIKKI He came to my house unannounced and asked me to move in with him. LIZ Yikes. What did you say? NIKKI I panicked. I kept hearing your voice in my head, so I basically told him too much, too fast, too many red flags. LIZ I'm sorry. NIKKI I mean, sorry? You suggested it. LIZ That doesn't mean I wanna see you sad. NIKKI I know. LIZ Trust me. In the long run, I think it's better this way. NIKKI I only hope I made the right choice. I just don't wanna look back and regret it. LIZ No, I don't think you will, Nikki. It's for the best. NIKKI Thank you. WOMAN Oh, miss? Hi. LIZ Can I help you? WOMAN I was wondering... NIKKI I think we're gonna get cleaned out tomorrow. LIZ Anything you want dibs on before the sale? NIKKI Hm, everything. LIZ NIKKI LIZ Dan? What's up? Ah. I've told you not to call me during business hours. NIKKI Uh, Liz, I just have to go pick up Brooke from guitar. LIZ Hold on a sec. No worries. Tell her I say hi. NIKKI You okay? 'Cause I can stay. LIZ Oh. It's Dan. I'm fine. NIKKI Okay, well, I can come back afterwards, put out some sale signs, clearance tags? LIZ I can handle a roll of masking tape. See you tomorrow, girlie. NIKKI Okay. Bye. LIZ Okay. What's so important? No. I'm not discussing this again. BROOKE NIKKI What are you still doing up? BROOKE I'm working on the F chord. NIKKI Well, work on them tomorrow, sweetheart. It's past your bedtime. BROOKE Mom! NIKKI Brooke! Goodnight. I love you. I will be listening for clandestine F chords. BROOKE Goodnight, mom. Love you, too. NIKKI Hey! LIZ Hey. Checking in. How are you holding up? NIKKI Oh, fine. Mostly. I could ask the same about you. LIZ I'm fine, too. Uh, why "mostly?" NIKKI Oh, I don't know. I... I've just been wondering what if I made the wrong call. I know you had a bad relationship with Dan, and I just hope it's not clouding things with Gavin. LIZ Okay, well, why don't you sleep on it? I'm-I'm just about finished here, so I'm gonna go pick Anna up at her friend's house. Although I'm sure she'd rather stay there an extra day or two. NIKKI Uh-oh, what's that mean? LIZ She's mad at me about Dan. NIKKI Ooh. Well, if you need me, call for reinforcements. LIZ Deal. And, hey, hang in there. NIKKI I will. Bye. NIKKI Anna! What are you doing here? ANNA I'm so sorry, I tried to call, but your phone was off. NIKKI H-how did you get here? ANNA I was at my friend Charissa's. She lives a couple blocks away. NIKKI Well, they let you leave by yourself? ANNA I thought my mom was coming, so I was waiting outside. She didn't come to pick me up. I think they went to bed. I didn't know what to do. NIKKI I'm glad you're here. ANNA She's not answering her phone. I'm worried. NIKKI We're having a big sale at the store tomorrow. She probably just lost track of time. ANNA Yeah. NIKKI Hey. Why don't you let me call her, okay? LIZ Hey, I know you wanted Liz, but guess what, you've got her voicemail, if you want me to call me back, say something interesting. NIKKI Anna, Brooke is asleep. Can you stay here with her? Uh, I'm gonna go to the store. ANNA But NIKKI I'm sure it's fine. I'll call you when I get there. NIKKI Liz? Liz, are you here? NIKKI NIKKI GAVIN Nikki. NIKKI Gavin? What are you doing here? GAVIN I saw your car out front. NIKKI Uh... GAVIN What happened here? BANKS Nikki Hansen? NIKKI Yes. BANKS I'm Detective Banks, I just wanna ask you a few questions. NIKKI Of course. BANKS When was the last time you talked to Ms. Cole? NIKKI We spoke a few hours ago on the phone. E-earlier today I saw her here at the store. BANKS Did you notice anything unusual? NIKKI Not really. Well... We were prepping a sale to clear out some old stock. BANKS Does the store have a camera system? NIKKI I don't think so. Liz never mentioned one. BANKS Okay. BANKS You said you came back around midnight? NIKKI Yes. BANKS We've been trying to contact Anna's father NIKKI I don't think that's a good idea. BANKS Why's that? NIKKI Liz has custody. I just don't think she'd want Anna going with Dan. BANKS I'll talk to DCFS. We'll see if we can find her a tempo NIKKI I can take her. BANKS I don't know if they'll agree to that. NIKKI Detective, her mother just went missing. The last thing she needs is to be with some stranger for the night. BANKS I'll see what I can do. NIKKI Thank you. Uh, detective? You should talk to Dan, though, about Liz. I heard them arguing earlier. BANKS Was that unusual that they argued? NIKKI No. They fought all the time. BANKS Did this fight sound any different? NIKKI No, not really. BANKS What time was that? NIKKI Six o'clock. I was leaving to pick up my daughter from guitar. BANKS You said you talked to Liz after that. NIKKI Yes, around 8:00, and she said everything was fine. BANKS We'll have to lock down the crime scene for a few days while Forensics looks things over. Okay? NIKKI Detective, in cases like these, how likely is it... BANKS Uh, Ms. Hansen, every case is different, and we have to see where the evidence leads. NIKKI It's not good, is it? BANKS Please call me if you think of anything else. NIKKI GAVIN Hey. The police told me I had to leave. A-a-are you okay? NIKKI No, no, I'm not. Where is she, Gavin? What happened to her? GAVIN I wish I knew. Do they have any leads? NIKKI No, no. They don't know if she's alive, or if... GAVIN Hey. It's just a broken mirror. It does not mean she's not okay. NIKKI Blood usually means someone isn't okay, Gavin. GAVIN We need to stay positive until we hear something. Do you want me to come drive you home? NIKKI No, no, no, I'm fine. I... I need to go and tell Anna what happened. GAVIN Oh, that's not gonna be easy. Promise me you'll call if you need anything. NIKKI Yeah, I will. Thank you. GAVIN No problem. I'd do anything for you, Nikki. NIKKI I know. LIZ Hey, I know you wanted Liz, but guess what, you've got her voicemail. If you want me to call you back, say something interesting. NIKKI Hi. GAVIN Hey. Hey. I, uh, closed early today. Most of the downtown did, actually. Everyone was worried. How are you holding up? NIKKI Trying to keep it together for Anna's sake. GAVIN How's she doing? NIKKI Oh, she's finally asleep. She was up all night. NIKKI Hi. DAN Nikki, right? I'm looking for Anna. NIKKI I-I'm... I'm sorry, I can't let you in. ANNA Dad? DAN Princess, are you okay? GAVIN Hey. Wh... DAN Anna. Honey, here. ANNA DAN I'm so sorry. Hey. Shh, shh, shh. Go on and get your things. I'm gonna take you home. Okay? All right. NIKKI Mr. Miller, I... DAN We're gonna get out of your hair. NIKKI I'm afraid I can't let you take her. DAN What are you talking about? Oh, I get it. What did Liz tell you? NIKKI Uh, DCFS has granted me protective custody. DAN She's my daughter! NIKKI And I understand that, but until I hear differently, I am her guardian, and I can't let her go with you. DAN Her mother is missing! She needs to be with her family right now. NIKKI I'm sorry. DAN Listen to me GAVIN Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back it up. DAN Or what? ANNA Dad? DAN Just a second, princess. We're talking. Just talking, right? GAVIN Yeah. So why don't you leave before this gets ugly in front of your daughter? DAN Princess, I can't take you with me right now. ANNA Why not? DAN I'm sorry. I will come back to get you as soon as I can, I promise. ANNA Dad! DAN I promise. I'm gonna be back to get you as soon as I can. Okay? NIKKI Anna. NIKKI Things just keep getting worse, don't they? GAVIN You got a lot going on right now and... I'm just gonna go. NIKKI Gavin... Would you... Will you stay a little while? GAVIN Of course. NIKKI Thank you. GAVIN No problem. How is she doin'? NIKKI She finally fell back asleep. Poor thing, she's completely exhausted. GAVIN Yeah. NIKKI You know, it's strange... GAVIN What's that? NIKKI Liz always talks about Dan like he's this monster, but he seems like a dad who's concerned about his daughter. GAVIN Are you saying Liz was lying? NIKKI No, no, not lying, but maybe biased? GAVIN Well, he did get pretty threatening. NIKKI If someone told me I couldn't take my daughter home from a stranger's house, I don't know how I'd react. GAVIN Yeah, but just because he's a good father NIKKI It doesn't mean that he's a good husband. I know. GAVIN Or that he wouldn't have hurt Liz. Would he, would he have a motive? NIKKI I've been thinking about that. If Liz is gone, all of her assets go to Anna. But until Anna turns 18... GAVIN Dan's in charge. And he stands to inherit his ex-wife's assets. NIKKI At least for a few years. GAVIN Mm-hmm. NIKKI Gavin, if he hurt Liz to get to Anna, I can't let him take her. GAVIN Well, then we need to find out what really happened. NIKKI I know I said things were moving too fast, but with everything going on, I'm really happy you're here. GAVIN I'm glad to hear you say that. I've, um... missed you. NIKKI Anna... ANNA Why are you looking up my dad? You think he had something to do with my mom? NIKKI I don't know what to think. ANNA Is that why I can't stay with him? NIKKI No, it's complicated, Anna. ANNA My dad has worked so hard to be a different person, and my mom doesn't wanna see it. And now you won't, either. NIKKI Anna... Anna. GAVIN Do the police have any new leads? So what are you gonna do now? NIKKI What can I do? Wait for the police to investigate. GAVIN Nikki, Liz could be in real trouble. And if Dan's behind it NIKKI We don't know that he is. GAVIN You know what she said about him. NIKKI I-I know, I know. More and more I'm wondering what if Liz isn't telling the truth? What if there was a side to her that... I don't know. GAVIN There is. NIKKI What? What do you mean? GAVIN Look, I didn't wanna say anything, I know you and Liz are friends, and I-I don't wanna speak ill of her. NIKKI Gavin, what is it? You have to tell me. GAVIN I just think there's a side of her that's kind of cruel. I don't know how else to say it. She seemed to enjoy making life difficult for people. NIKKI How? GAVIN Well, one day she'd be angry that she hadn't heard from you and the next she acted like you were smothering her. Like, you couldn't win. And it wasn't just me. She burned through employees like crazy. Even her own daughter. Anna can only see her dad on Liz's terms. Anna told me once that her and her dad used to be very close. I wonder if he got tired of being cut out. NIKKI We don't know that that's what happened. GAVIN I just feel like Dan's involved. What if... What if we kept an eye on him? NIKKI But how do we do that? GAVIN I have a friend. He's an-an old college roommate. He's a PI. NIKKI Private investigator? GAVIN He owes me a favor. NIKKI I-I-I don't know, Gavin. Maybe we should just give the police a little more time. GAVIN And let the trail run cold? Tell you what? Tell you what, let me call him. Maybe he'll agree that it's a police problem. But at least we'll know. NIKKI I guess. GAVIN I'll let you know as soon as I hear from him. NIKKI Thank you, Gavin, I... I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here. GAVIN You won't have to find out. NIKKI NIKKI Gavin? GAVIN Nikki. Hey. Uh, I'm not one-hundred percent sure, but I-I think I've got something. NIKKI Uh, what is it? GAVIN Look, i-it's late. Why don't you come to the cafe in the morning, okay? I'll make you breakfast, I'm guessing you've been too stressed to eat. NIKKI Uh, okay. I'll come by after I drop Brooke off at school. GAVIN Okay, okay, I'll see you then. LIZ LIZ GAVIN If you scream, it goes back on, and it's not coming off again. You understand? Brought you something to eat. LIZ Gavin, please... you have to let me out of here. GAVIN See, I only wanted to talk to you, Liz. But you can't ever be reasonable. If it's not your way, you-you flip out. LIZ I'm sorry. Please, we can work this out if you just let me out of here. GAVIN See, Nikki, she's easygoing. She gets me. We clicked the moment we met. Well, you don't give up on love like that. And without you around, we actually have a real chance. LIZ What are you gonna do? You can't keep me here forever. GAVIN I'll-I'll let you go. I just need to be sure you'll keep your mouth shut. LIZ Gavin, please GAVIN Now, you want something to eat? LIZ Please. I won't say a word. Please. GAVIN All right. LIZ No, no. No. Uh, stop, stop. Please. LIZ NIKKI Did you talk to your friend? GAVIN I did, yeah. He said he was gonna look into it, he found something right away. It turns out Dan has an online dating profile. Check out his relationship status. NIKKI Widowed? GAVIN And that's not all. He didn't turn his Bluetooth off, so my friend pulled up a list of recent locations on his phone. NIKKI Well, these are all near the store. He's been hanging around the neighborhood for three days. Well, we need to show this to the police. GAVIN Well, we will, but we'll need something a little more concrete than this. Otherwise the cops just blow it off. We're gonna nail this guy, Nikki. For Liz. NIKKI For Liz. GAVIN Now, let's get you something to eat. Hm? Would you like to hear the breakfast specials? I also take requests. NIKKI I don't have much of an appetite. Maybe just a coffee? GAVIN Nikki... You can't help Liz if you don't take care of yourself. So why don't you let me take care of you? NIKKI Okay. Granola. GAVIN Coming right up. WOMAN I'll be right back. LIZ GAVIN Everyone's up there looking for ya, Liz. Dan is in on the action. LIZ What about Anna? Is she okay? GAVIN She's coping. Mm-hmm. Well, Nikki and I are taking care of her. Would you please eat something? LIZ I need to see my daughter. Please, Gavin, you don't have to do this. GAVIN Liz, I want you to see her. Okay? I do. But how am I supposed to trust what you're gonna do if I let you go? LIZ I promise, I won't say a word. GAVIN I'm sorry, I, I just can't take that chance. Eh? LIZ Uh, w-wait. Can I have some water? GAVIN Yeah. LIZ No... BANKS Ms. Hansen, you've reopened? NIKKI Y-yeah, I'm trying to keep the store alive. I think Liz would've wanted it for her daughter. BANKS I just wanted to ask a few more questions about your relationship with Elizabeth Cole. You two are close? NIKKI Uh, she's my boss. And a friend. BANKS I understand there was conflict between you two the day she disappeared. NIKKI Conflict? Who told you that? BANKS Something about a boyfriend? NIKKI Oh, um, that's Gavin. No, no, we weren't fighting. We had a disagreement BANKS Was it about the store? NIKKI The store? Well, what's this? BANKS It's an amendment to her will. Giving you conservatorship of Anna's inheritance, which includes this store. NIKKI What? No. BANKS You didn't know about this? It appears she had her attorney draft it before she disappeared last week. NIKKI I had no idea. BANKS So you're saying... You didn't have a motive. NIKKI Motive? D-detective, am I a suspect? BANKS You're a person of interest. I'd like to ask you a few more questions down at the station. Maybe tomorrow afternoon? And, Ms. Hansen, I suggest that you consult a lawyer. NIKKI I'm a suspect? What am I supposed to tell Brooke? GAVIN You really had no idea she was adding you to her will? NIKKI No, she didn't say anything, and now the police are looking into me, when they should be looking into Dan. GAVIN Well, just because the police aren't watching Dan doesn't mean I can't. NIKKI Why don't you get your PI friend do it? GAVIN He's on a case right now. It'll be fine. Dan won't even know. NIKKI Gavin GAVIN Hey, hey, hey. Liz was my friend, too. NIKKI I thought you said she made your life difficult. GAVIN Well, yeah. We had a rough break-up. I'm not gonna deny that. Uh... But we still care about each other. NIKKI I'm not so sure that goes both ways. She said some pretty harsh things about you when we were dating. That's why I didn't know what to believe about Dan. She was so wrong about you. GAVIN Nikki, I wanna make things right. Let me help her now. NIKKI One day ago. ANNA Nikki, have you heard from my dad? NIKKI Not in a few days. Why? ANNA He's not answering his phone. NIKKI Uh, he's probably busy. Why don't you keep trying? NIKKI Sorry, sweetheart, I have to take this. Gavin? Uh, where are you? GAVIN I was following Dan, but I lost him. NIKKI What's that sound? GAVIN Um, I'm at the cafe. Someone... Someone must've left their phone here, I-I guess. NIKKI Gavin, I need to see you. GAVIN Ah, now's not a good time actually, you know? GAVIN Uh... Yeah. Things are, uh, things are kinda busy at the moment. GAVIN Oh. ANNA Dad? Dad? NIKKI I'll come by the cafe. GAVIN No, no, no. I'm-I'm not, I'm not at the cafe, uh, Nikki. NIKKI You just said you were. GAVIN Yeah, yeah, uh... I just walked out. Uh, just give me a, give me a minute. And I'll-I'll call you right back, okay? Thanks. ANNA Dad's phone is off now. NIKKI Anna, I need you to stay with Brooke for a little bit. ANNA Why? Where are you going? NIKKI Gonna look for you dad. NIKKI LIZ LIZ LIZ LIZ NIKKI That's Violet. NIKKI NIKKI NIKKI No, no, no, no, no, no. Dan? No, please. Okay. NIKKI I'm gonna get you some help. LIZ LIZ LIZ NIKKI Liz. Liz. LIZ Ah. Nikki, thank God! Please, you have to get me out of here. GAVIN GAVIN LIZ Dan. Oh, my God! Oh, my God! GAVIN Look, I'm sorry, Liz. Please know I never wanted it to be like this. I thought we could figure something out, but things are getting out of hand. Hey. How did you get your gag off? LIZ I... GAVIN Nikki. I know you're here. GAVIN Nikki, I know what this looks like, uh, but let me explain. Nikki. GAVIN Nikki. NIKKI LIZ Hurry! Hurry, Nikki! NIKKI GAVIN LIZ GAVIN Nikki. Nikki? I just need you to listen to me. This wasn't my fault. Okay? GAVIN Look, after you broke it off with me, I went to the store to talk to Liz. I-I had to. I went to tell her to leave us alone. GAVIN Red flags? I know you talked to her. LIZ You know, we're done talking here. GAVIN I knew that she poisoned you against me. Everything that you said to me, I'd heard before. They weren't your words. They were hers. LIZ We're done talking. You should leave. GAVIN Liz... LIZ Don't make me call the police. GAVIN What? Come on. I-I-I'm sorry, just-just... Can we please just talk about this? Okay? LIZ No! No! GAVIN And I didn't mean for her to get hurt. I didn't mean for any of it, Nikki, I didn't. I wanted to help her. I did. But I knew she wouldn't leave well enough alone. She was gonna ruin my life, again. Again. GAVIN Take everything from me. I panicked, you know? I-I thought if I waited long enough for her to calm down, I could reason with her, but then she woke up in the back of my van a-a-and freaked out! LIZ No. No! GAVIN Please, please, just come out so we can talk. We, uh... We can talk. W-w-we can always talk. We can talk about everything. GAVIN Nikki. Look, I know you're in there, okay? Just, you don't have to be afraid... GAVIN Hey, Nikki. What are you doin'? GAVIN Nikki! Why can't we just talk? GAVIN GAVIN Come on! GAVIN Nikki! GAVIN Nikki, please, let me explain. NIKKI Stay back. GAVIN Okay, okay. Okay. I've been, I've been thinking of a way out of this, because we can have a life together, you know, you, me and-and Brooke. We can be a family, okay, 'cause I'm, I'm not giving that up again. NIKKI Gavin, I know you don't wanna hurt anyone. Please, just let Liz and Dan go. Then we can talk. GAVIN No. No, I can't do that. But I have figured it out. Okay? Angry ex-husband. Bitter custody battle. Murder-suicide. Liz'll be gone and-and we can, we can finally be together. LIZ LIZ NIKKI NIKKI NIKKI You're okay. You're okay. LIZ I'm fine. Really. BANKS Glad to see you alive and well. I should get to the hospital and see Dan. I can get checked out there. NIKKI I'll go with you. Detective, are we finished? BANKS I have enough for tonight. You are lucky to have a friend like that. She never gave up on you. NIKKI I could say the same about her. Hey, you are safe now. LIZ Thank you, Nikki, for everything. NIKKI I had to get you back. I don't wanna run the store by myself. LIZ Oh, I think you're due for a promotion. NIKKI NIKKI Okay, you stay put. I am gonna go get the car. LIZ So, what do you think, store manager? NIKKI I love it. BROOKE Mom, Liz, the store looks great. NIKKI Thanks, Brooke. What do you think about Taco Tuesday at our place tonight? LIZ I never say no to guacamole. ANNA I wanna show Brooke those new sweaters you got in. LIZ All right. Right there. ANNA Mom, text dad what to bring to the barbeque on Sunday. LIZ Okay. NIKKI You and Dan seem to be getting along well these days. LIZ Hm, we're both trying our best for Anna's sake. Something about having an ex try and kill you makes other exes look not so bad. I have others I can introduce you to. NIKKI Uh, no thank you. I am gonna be concentrating on my friendships right now. LIZ I can get onboard with that.