Moonlight Bleu

Maddie trudges slowly into the office. It takes all the energy she can muster. Clearly she is exhausted. The office is empty behind her. Maddie plops down at her desk and breathes a huge sigh of grateful relief to be motionless for at least a minute. There must be three tons weighing on her shoulders - well actually her chest. It is so HOT in her office. She thinks about getting up to adjust the A/C but doesn't. She closes her eyes and heaves another heavy sigh. How will she ever get through the day?

After a moment she wakes. The clock still reads 8:45 AM. She has a few more minutes before the rest of the staff arrives. She picks up the present Agnes and the staff had given her for her birthday - the blue moon. A Blue Moon is rare, special - at least that is what the advertisers of Blue Moon shampoo would have you believe; but to Maddie it is a talisman - a lucky charm. She speaks these words aloud to herself as if she is praying or otherwise asking for guidance.

He is barely dressed - rumpled shirt tucked out, pants that look like they were pulled from the bottom of the hamper, no tie, coat over his shoulder, 3 day growth of beard, his hair - well that always looks messy and Ray Bans. His "lost" weekend has obviously not ended yet. It is like one from the old days. The staff is surprised to see him like that - not since he and Maddie got together has David lost a weekend.

Maddie: Is he strong enough to be my man? (Pause) Nothing's true and nothing's right. So I guess I'll be alone at night. Cause I can't change the way he is. He has a face he does not show. He makes the rules up as he goes. I tried to love him. He's shown me that he just doesn't care … when he's throwing punches in the air. (long pause) Well I'm broken down and I can't stand ….. Is he strong enough to be my man? … He'd lie to me - I'd believe. He'd lie to me and then he'd leave.

David storms into the bar and pulls up the first open stool he comes to. There are several of his "acquaintances" (aka Drinking Buddies) already at least 2 up on David. Keith, Hank, Shel (a guy) and Butch (a gal) - the people he spent Friday night with. This ain't no fern bar -- it is the kind that is busier in the morning - especially on Monday mornings. The bartender, Sam, nods to David and works his way down filling drinks, emptying ashtrays and refilling pretzel bowls (the only true breakfast food) as he goes.

Outside the clouds break and there is a huge clap of thunder followed by a downpour like Los Angeles only sees once in a decade. It jars Maddie out of her … stupor. She has been sitting there thinking about David and reminding herself about all the miserable things there are about him. Unfortunately, for Maddie, she cannot help thinking about how much she misses him … and will miss him now that he is not coming back. Now that she did not want him back. She rises and goes to the window.

Maddie: Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky. It's been stormy weather -- since my man and I ain't together. Will it keep raining all the time? My life is bare -- gloom and misery everywhere. Just can't get my poor old self together. I'm weary all the time … so weary all of the time. When he went away the blues walked in and met me. If he stays away, old rocking chair will get me. All I do is pray the lord above will let me walk in the sun once more. … Can't go on. … Everything I had is gone.

Agnes: How does it happen that two can be tender and one be the lender of loving devotion that covered the ocean of sadness that kept them together? (She shakes her head.) Love when it started was easy to measure each day was a pleasure, each night an adventure, each morning was something that had to be shared together. (She looks back at Maddie's door.) Love when it's growing is full of surprises as temperature rises from higher to higher that turns into fire that has to be shared together. Then came the sadness which follows the laughter when shortly thereafter the dream had exploded, a promise was broken now few words are spoken together.

Maddie smiles sadly and walks over to the desk. She takes the phone from Agnes and nods to her. Agnes nods back and leaves. Maddie sits down in her chair and tries to decided what to say. After a moment she dials his number. His answering machine picks up. She hangs up. She looks back toward the window and the afternoon light that is streaming in. She dials again and takes a deep breath before hitting the last number. The answering machine picks up again.

Maddie: David? David pick up if you are there. (Pause) Well, I can't forget this morning or your face as you were leaving but I guess that's just the way the story goes. You always smile but in your eyes your sorrow shows. Yes, it shows. No, I can't forget tomorrow when I think of all my sorrow when I had you here but then I let you go. And now it's only fair that I should let you know - what you should know. (Pause) I can't live if living is without you … I can't live, I can't give any more. I can't ---

David: Sun lights up the daytime. Moon lights up the night. I light up when she calls my name and you know I've treated her right. Now you've listened to my story here's the point that I have made. Cats were born to give chicks fever be it Fahrenheit or centigrade. They give you fever when you kiss them. Fever if you live and learn. Fever till you sizzle. But what a lovely way to burn.

Sam: Look - Addison. You may get weary. God knows women do get weary. It is part of life I guess. But to one who's weary try a little tenderness. She may be waiting just anticipating all of the things she may never possess. But while she's waiting try a little tenderness. I may be sentimental but I've had my grief and my cares. And just a good word … soft and gentle … makes it … it makes it so much easier to bear.

Jane: You must remember this a kiss is still a kiss … a sigh is just a sigh … the fundamental things apply as time goes by. And when two lovers woo they still say "I love you" on that you can rely. No matter what the future brings --- Moonlight and love songs are never out of date. Hearts filled with passion, jealousy and hate. But a woman needs a man and man must have his mate. That no one can deny.

Maddie has been home for almost an hour. She is restless and anxious. She has been dialing David's number every 10 minutes without leaving a message. She is just about to dial the number again when she hears the taxi pull up. She runs to the door and waits as David pays the driver and walks slowly toward her. He is still damp and looks as miserable as she feels. She steps back to let him into the house. He stands in the middle of the living room not wanting to sit for fear of ruining her new sofa.

Maddie: (to herself) Does he love me ... I wanna know. How can I tell if he loves me so? Is it in his eyes? Oh no, I'll be deceived. Is it in his sighs? Oh no, he'll make believe. If I wanna know if he loves me so … It's in his kiss. In his kiss? NO -- Is it in his face? Oh no, it's just his charm. In his warm embrace? Oh no, that's just his arms (but what arms they are). If I wanna know if he loves me so it's in his kiss. So … Kiss him and squeeze him tight and find out what I wanna know … and promise love if it really is. It's there in his kiss.

David: Imagine … me and you, I do. I think about you day and night, it's only right to think about the girl you love and hold her tight. So happy together. If I should call you up, invest a dime and you'd say you belong to me, I'd lose my mind. Imagine how the world could be so very fine. We're happy together. I can't see me lovin' nobody but you for all my life. When you're with me, baby the skies will be blue for all my life.

The morning light comes streaming in to Maddie's bedroom and she is pulled slowing into wakefulness. She's at a loss as to where she is and how she got there. She often feels that way after nights with David - but this time it's different. She is alone in bed. David is asleep in the chair. Her magazines are strewn around the floor at his feet - Cosmo, Glamour, Variety, Elle etc. He looks like hell - three-day growth of beard and clothes that he obviously has not changed in days.

Maddie takes a long hot shower. Her body is weak but the water revives her. Her head is full of the dream/fantasy/delirium - whatever it was. It was all so real -- but it is fading quickly - the fight, the make up and the proposal … and afterward. Where the heck did that all come from? It must have been this crazy mixed-up season. It is the first season of their couple-dom and they have had a lot of things to deal with: Sam, Annie and Tess all showing up again, the business, the pregnancy scare, the holidays, her 40th birthday, David's reunion. And then this last drama with the wedding and David's snide attitude toward marriage in general. It is enough to send anyone into a fevered pitch … for Maddie it was literally. She never did take time to really reflect on what she is feeling. She doesn't know what she feels now. She is torn. One side of her is thanking her lucky stars that it was all just some stupid plot device. Marriage? A lifetime of devotion? Starting today? Now? No, No, NO - in the cold light of day - thinking clearly - she is glad that there is no ring on her finger and there are no plans for a wedding. However - there is something very comforting - soothing - joyous that she felt - feels - and it is not fleeting like the dream. The feelings of love may have been exacerbated by the fevered experience, but it is still part of her consciousness. She loves David - wholly and completely. He is HER MAN. She knows that someday the question of marriage, kids, a lifetime together would need to be addressed - but not today and certainly not this season. They have time - and the time they have is precious. What a wonderful feeling to be in love and not want to change it - ruin it. They can let it grow and change at it's own pace and not pushed by some ridiculous manufactured fight and over the top reconciliation. They are good … nay great … just they way they are.

David turns the HOT on full blast and nearly steams the top two layers of skin off. He needs a little pain to SHOCK him back to reality. He hadn't realized how worried about Maddie he had been. He was keeping up a brave front more for himself than anyone else. But seeing her back to normal - he is able to truly experience the fear that he had been holding onto for the last 48 hours. David is not the kind of guy that does "sickness" in others very well. I am sure a team of psychiatrists can discuss his feelings about his mother and blah, blah, blah until they are blue in the face - but it all boils down to the fact that DAVID DOES NOT LIKE IT WHEN PEOPLE HE LOVES ARE REALLY SICK. And he loves no one more than he loves Maddie. He sat up with her - held a private vigil - listened to her lyrical ramblings and read through magazines that - well that he has never READ before - to be closer to her. He even took a few of those tests. It turns out that he is WINTER, he likes strong blonde women and he is thinking that he is more of a Pisces than a Sagittarius. And he is very grateful that he did not go into any sort of Medical profession. Agnes did most everything, but that is only because David refused to leave the room. And he did give her the alcohol rub and no he did not enjoy it. Through it all he had one thought in mind, "She had to be OK." It was a wish, a hope, a demand of who ever would listen. She HAD to be OK. Now that she was, he let the water wash all his fears down the drain, all that was left was the love.

To the Artists: Finally I need to acknowledge all the songwriters that I exploited for this episode. You people have more talent in your little finger than I could ever hope to aspire to. Your music, your lyrics and your willingness to put your feelings out there for the world to share is nothing less than inspirational. You make the world a better place - when times are great and especially when my individual world is not so hot. You are all truly gifted. Thank you for sharing.

And now for something completely different: The individual recognition for each of those artists is going to have to wait for a week or four. Because we (the VML staff) decided to hold a little contest. There are more than 90 song lyrics referenced in this episode (not including the TRACK/ACT titles). The contest is … anyone who can name at least 75 of the songs (by title not by writer or artist) that person will get a copy of all the songs (an MP3 Zip file on CD), a copy of the lyrics and the VML morphed version of the lyrics. (VOID WHERE PROHIBITED … this is for fun folks not financial gain… VML staff and their families are prohibited). The person who gets all (or the most) of the songs referenced will also get a copy of the FIFTH ELEMENT DVD (not Bruce's best but fun none the less). We figured you all had the Moonlighting DVD. Entries will not be taken after May 31st. Please comment on the forum and send your list to me at edarcy_2000@hotmail.com. The complete list will be posted along with the winners on June 2nd - THE VIRTUAL SEVENTH SEASON FINALE. Be sure to mark your calendars.