S2E8: (Birth) Control Your Husband!
The opening shot shows a car pulling into Eleanor’s driveway. It parks and Valentina and Micah get out of it and walk to the door. Micah knocks on the door, after waiting a minute and silence, the couple looks at each other.
Micah: “Maybe look through the window? They’re old and may not hear the knock…”
Valentina: “I guess.” She laughs and knocks agan. A few seconds later, Eleanor opens the door.
Eleanor: “Hello dears! Welcome! Come on in.”
Micah and Valentina follow Eleanor to the kitchen and sit at the kitchen table. There are four glasses of wine already filled in each place. Moments later, Franklin, Eleanor’s husband, brings out a tray full of appetizers. Valentina glances down at the miniature wieners on a stick.
“One thing I can depend on Lady E for, other than her being tipsy, is unseasoned appetizers.” She giggles.
Franklin: “Micah, Valentina, hello how are you all?”
Eleanor: “Yes! How have you engaged babies been doing?”
Valentina: “Oh, we’ve been reeling since that horrific dealership party last night.”
Eleanor: “Tell me about it.”
Franklin: “I was disappointed that Olivia wanted to dispute with you, Eleanor.”
Valentina: “That was really out of the blue and you two were exchanging some low blows.” She nods.
Eleanor: “Well she was coming at me for no reason at all. I was conversing with Frank and she proceeded to spaz out. I considered her a friend.” She takes a long sip from her wine.
Valentina: “Do you think you all are at a point of no return?”
“Olivia and I are in a good place — I thought she and Lady E were in a good place as well but clearly not. Maybe I can help bridge the gap before it widens too far.”
Eleanor: “I don’t know. Olivia is unpredictable and very weird at times, so I have no clue.”
Valentina: “I was talking with Yvonne Langley after the event and she said Olivia was very two faced towards her as well.”
Micah: “I think I’ll go to the bathroom.” He looks uncomfortable and gets up and heads down the hall that Franklin tells him to.
The camera catches Micah texting furiously as he walks. His phone buzzes for a second and he quickly picks up the phone call as he disappears around the corner.
Eleanor: “Well maybe we’re just seeing the real side of who she is. She was being very weird on the boat in Key West as well.”
Valentina: “I think you two need to get together. I also want to know if she was the one who told Lauren what I said about Richard.”
Eleanor: “Who else would it have been? I didn’t tell her. You didn’t tell her. Ren didn’t know. So who does that leave? Olivia. She is a fake ass b*tch!” She snaps. Franklin gets up and heads to the kitchen to continue working on dinner.
Valentina: “Let’s just have dinner. Get the men back here to serve us!” She laughs.
“C’mon Val, just admit you are shocked by Olivia being messy and phony behind your back. It’s okay to call a duck a duck and a snake a snake.”
The girls continue chatting as the scene fades out.
A basketball buzzer is heard. All of a sudden the L.A Lakers are seen running across the STAPLES Center Arena. The camera zooms in on Olivia, Ren, and Lauren who are sitting courtside and cheering.
Olivia: “The Lakers have this in the bag, ladies!”
Lauren: “Go Lakers!”
Ren grabs a handful of popcorn from the popcorn bucket in Lauren’s lap and throws it in her mouth.
Ren: “This is so fun. Thanks for taking us, Olivia.”
Olivia: “You can thank Brandon! I’m happy I get to finally sit courtside at a Lakers game.” She laughs.
Lauren: “So are you guys glad to be back home from the trip? And we NEED to talk about the dealership party last night..”
Ren: “I’m so glad to be back home. The whole trip was a sh*t show. There was not one moment of peace in Key West.” She takes a swig of beer, Lauren nods in agreement.
“Now that I’m back, I’m seeing there is one…er, two common problems in our group of friends. Eleanor and Valentina. Last night at Lauren and Richard’s party just proved my point.”
Ren: “I’m really done with Eleanor. I don’t want to be around her anymore because she just causes way too many issues. Like calling Olivia a pedo last night…who does that?”
Olivia: “Absolutely bonkers. Eleanor has to be on drugs.”
Lauren rolls her eyes and proceeds to cross her legs, glancing at the ongoing basketball game.
Lauren: “They went completely insane on the yacht in Key West, can you imagine how much money we paid for the mess? And then they went insane at our event, again.” She scoffs. “I am just so over Eleanor’s outbursts and Valentina’s complete lack of decency.”
The camera pans to Ren who is smiling and waving at Lonzo Ball as he walks off the court for halftime, he nods back. She turns her attention back to the girls.
Ren: “Oh, I know. It’s truly disgusting. I’m thinking about dropping my charges against Eleanor ONLY because she’s old and I believe she’s mentally ill. My good heart won’t allow me to send her to jail.”
Olivia laughs, Lauren shakes her head and eats a handful of popcorn.
Ren: “In all honesty, I don’t think we should invite her to any more group events until she can give us all a public apology for her lies and slander. I want her out of this circle, she makes Niecy look like Queen Elizabeth.”
Olivia: “Maybe we should host like…an intervention and bring a drug test with us.”
Ren chuckles.
Ren: “That’s actually brilliant.”
Lauren: “We should all do drug tests, it makes it like less intrusive?” She raises an eyebrow at Ren and Olivia. “Unless you guys don’t want to take them.” She laughs a bit.
Ren sips the rest of her beer, looking slightly nervous.
Ren: “No, we should focus on her because we are concerned.” She clears her throat and looks at the game as it starts back up. “On another note, how is Richard after the whole Valentina situation.” She looks over at Lauren.
Lauren: “He’s fine. He just hates Valentina & Micah but I would be lying if I said I cared. I actually did set up a lunch with Valentina in a few days because this needs to be squashed.” She takes a gulp out of her soda cup. “I did ask him about the pregnancy rumors…and well…he said he got a paternity test with a girl he had a thing with last year.”
Ren: “What the f*ck?!”
Olivia: “Oh my god…I’m sorry Lauren.”
Lauren just sighs.
Lauren: “Apparently she got pregnant shortly after they stopped seeing each other and Richard thought this was not relevant to tell me because…” she does air quotes. “ ‘It was not mine, so why bother you with it’ ”
Lauren attempts to hold back tears as she looks at Ren and Olivia. Ren grabs Lauren’s arm and strokes it. Olivia pulls out a napkin and wipes around Lauren’s eyes. Sad music starts playing.
Olivia: “Lauren…awh.”
Ren: “Oh baby, don’t cry.”
“Seeing Lauren like this devastated me but I would be lying if I said I was surprised when I first heard these rumors. Turns out they had some truth to them.”
Ren: “So what are you going to do?”
Lauren wipes a tear from her face and clears her throat.
Lauren: “I honestly don’t know. I know this sounds crazy given all Richard and I have been through, but this was the first time I felt really betrayed. He had a vasectomy and is suppose to be using condoms with these girls but he’s not and that is not okay! I know people don’t understand our agreement and I don’t need them to, but him not abiding by our agreement is total bullshit.”
“It’s really hard to talk about this with the girls. Honestly, It’s embarrassing. I know Olivia and Ren are my only true friends in this group so I decided to open up more. We tried to hide everything but that didn’t exactly work out so might as well talk about it.”
Olivia shakes her head.
Olivia: “You’re strong. You’ll make it through this.”
Lauren: “I did make an appointment with our therapist next week so I can process my emotions before sitting down and talking about it. She’s great and has worked with us the past year. If anyone can help, it’s her.”
Ren: “At least your taking steps to move forward.”
Olivia: “Yeah, that’s good hun.”
Lauren wipes some tears away and forces a smile.
Lauren: “Anyways. Olivia, how are you and your underage man doing?” She chuckles.
Olivia lets out a laugh too.
Olivia: “He is not underage! He is almost 30 years old. We are good and the boys love him.”
“Raul and Luis are the most important people in my life. I was stressed about introducing Brandon to my sons since we started seeing each other. Even though my sons are grown, it’s still good to know that they like Brandon and approve of him!”
Ren: “Olivia, I’m really happy for you!”
Lauren: “I’m glad your boys like him. It must be really easy to have him around the home.”
In that moment, the Lakers win and the arena irrupts. The girls stand up and cheer.
Olivia: “That game was everything! Thanks for coming guys, it was really good to have some time with just us three!”
Lauren: “Yes, I needed this. It was good to have fun and go out with you guys like old times.”
Ren: “I seriously had the best time.”
Ren’s Interview:
“It’s been awhile since the three of us have all been together to talk and bond like girlfriends. Though it’s probably going to take awhile to regain trust between all three of us, I’m happy about where we are.”
The scene ends as the girls are seen walking towards the exit, arms linked and chatting with one another.
Shots of people walking around Downtown Beverly Beach play on the screen. Multiple shops and restaurants are shown. The camera finally settles on a nice bistro and shot changes to inside as Lauren is being escorted to a table by a hostess. Lauren picks up the menu and studies it.
“I agreed to meet with Valentina for lunch because we need to clear the air if we are going to be going to group events together. I don’t think we will get along or be best friends, I just want to understand why she would want to spread rumors about me before even getting to know me.”
Ominous music plays as the camera shoots Valentina walking into the restaurant.
“Why am I wearing a ‘Change’ T-shirt? It’s because I’m tired of women restricting themselves to loveless relationships and weak mindsets. Hopefully I can cure both of these things in Lauren today.”
She walks up to the table and sits down.
Valentina: “Hello, Lauren.”
Lauren: “Hi, I’m glad we could get together today.” She smiles.
Valentina: “I am too, is Richard coming?”
Lauren shakes her head.
Lauren: “No, I wanted to talk to you one on one.”
The waiter comes up and takes the ladies’ orders.
Lauren: “I’ll just have the green goddess salad and a glass of your merlot.”
Valentina: “Can I please do the chicken caesar salad and a sparkling water? Thanks.”
He takes their menus and walks away, the girls go back to focusing on eachother.
Lauren: “Honestly, Valentina. I want to get to a place where we can be civil because we have so many mutual friends.”
Valentina: “Well, you have the issue with me.” She shrugs and looks smugly at Lauren.
Lauren: “I had no issue with you until I heard you were spreading rumors about my husband.” She raises an eyebrow.
Valentina: “I was sharing with the ladies what the young lady told me.”
“Oh f*ck, does this girls know Richard’s sugar baby?”
Lauren: “What young lady?” She maintains her poker face.
Valentina: “The young lady that your husband gives money to so that she stays silent about the fact she’s carrying his child.”
Valentina’s Interview:
“I guess one of the sex parties went bad.”
Lauren finishes taking a drink from her wine glass and sets it down.
Lauren: “Okay. Let’s be clear. Richard does not have a child on the way. If this was told to you, why would you go to the other girls and not come to me about it? It hurts constantly having to defend my marriage in this friend group. I know you don't know me very well, but I am a really good friends if we were to have actually gotten that far to begin with. I feel like I barely know you, yet you seem to know alot about me.”
Valentina: “I know alot about your husband, I didn’t even know Richard was married before I came to this group.
“My parents are successful business owners so they know alot of people, including Richard Barnes. My father said Richard was more of a polygamous swinger than a monogamous cheater. If he had a wife, she would surely be kept in the shadows which…Lauren fits the type!”
Lauren shakes her head.
Lauren: “Look, I know my marriage is unconventional. But it works. We have been married 21 years now and I don't plan on leaving him. We have a great marriage, business, and family. I am okay with Richard having sexual affairs and we have been this way for quite some time. You can think what you want, but that’s my life.”
“This girl is far too young to stress me out with her judgment. Let’s see if her and her fiancè last 21 years, then she can come talk to me.”
Valentina yawns.
Valentina: “You’re doing everything in your power to skate around the issue.”
She reaches in her bag and pulls out a folder, in it is the printed Page Six article released a few months prior where one of his former employees accused Richard’s business of being like a brothel.
Valentina: “So you mean to tell me this comes out… and a woman is pregnant but you’re going to play the ‘Unconventional marriage aka I need his income’ card?” She laughs. “You set women back.”
Lauren: “You shouldn’t believe everything you read in the paper. You putting me in a box and telling me how my marriage should be sets women back.” She rolls her eyes.
Valentina: “So I shouldn’t believe that someone who you say has sexual affairs is having…sexual affairs?” She bursts out laughing.
Lauren: “You have no idea how hard I work. I also help our business and earn an income. I don’t need his money.”
Valentina: “Yeah, blah, blah, blah — Sure. You don’t cook or clean. No dirt under those fingernails. I’m saying you need a higher self esteem and deal with the facts.”
Lauren: “And I’m saying you need to get out of my business and worry about your own life. I wish I had enough time to print out a article and try to present it to someone I barely know. Girl, please take this ‘single white female’ sh*t and get out of here.
Dramatic music plays as she takes the article and folder and throws it onto Valentina’s plate. She gets up from the table and walks out.
“Valentina needs to stay in her lane. I’m officially done with this girl.”
The episode ends as the camera pans to Valentina who remains sitting, she just chuckles.
Valentina: “Weak…just weak.”
