CAPRICORN BEAUTY CENTER

Kristin Stubing entered the lobby of the Capricorn Beauty Center, smiling as her staff, Sandra McCoy and Ace Covington followed her. She was carrying a clipboard and waiting for the arrival of their new guest. "I want everything to be absolutely perfect."

"It will be, Kristin," Ace reassured her.

"Thank you for the vote of confidence, Ashley," Kristin said.

"My name is Ace," Ace corrected.

"Your parents named you Ashley," Sandra cut in, smirking.

"Which is why I hate them to this day and have therapy bills through the roof," Ace replied. "Now, who's this guest we're waiting on?"

"She was just released from Marquette Cove Memorial Hospital a few days ago," Kristin answered. "She's in some pain, she'll be in a wheelchair, but we're going to make this the best damned weekend of her life. It'll be so much more eventful than those drab events you used to have on that boat."

"Huh?" Ace asked.

"Nothing," Kristin snapped. "Let's just go over everything once more to make sure we're ready for Felicia to get here."

Alec Bale took control of the wheelchair that his mother, Felicia Bale, was seated in and pushed it toward the entrance of the Capricorn Beauty Center. He brushed a strand of hair out of his face and stopped once they reached the doors.

"This is it," Alec said.

"I'm not so sure about this," Felicia said. "I don't think I need a spa weekend to get me back on my feet."

"Mom, trust me," Alec said. "You'll love it."

"Honey, there's something I need to tell you —" Felicia began, attempting to find the strength to tell her son the truth about her hospital stay, and why she didn't want to spend a weekend at a spa. It certainly wouldn't make her forget the fact that she was Kevin Hanley's daughter, or that she was now barren due her fall down a flight of stairs at the Hanley mansion.

"Nope, not another word," Alec said. "Sara agrees with me, you need this weekend."

"Fine," Felicia said, resignedly. "But only for one night."

Felicia and Alec were interrupted as Kristin exited the building, her clipboard still in hand. She smiled at them and ran her fingers through her perky blonde hair before reading Felicia's name from the clipboard.

"Yep, that's her," Alec said. "And she's all ready."

"I'll take it from here, then," Kristin said. "Ashley!"

Ace exited the building, frowning at Kristin. He muttered something under his breath and wheeled Felicia into the building. Once she was inside, Alec received a call on his cell phone. He excused himself and answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Hey Alec, did your mom check into the center yet?" Akilah Moore asked, on the other end.

"Yes," Alec said. "Thank you so much for telling me about this place."

"It's the least I could do," Akilah said. "Your mom was great to me and Vince while my own mom was gone."

"You're like family," Alec replied.

Ignoring Alec's comment, Akilah asked him if he was going to be hanging out with Jessica Reyes that weekend, knowing that Jessica and Alec had broken up a week ago. Alec said that he wasn't, and offered to hang out with Akilah.

"Sounds like fun," Akilah said. "Talk to you soon."

"Later," Alec said, hanging up the phone. As he shoved the phone back into his jeans, Alec spotted his father, Robert Bale's, car pulling up to the parking lot. Robert stopped his car next to Alec and rolled down the window. "You're right on time, dad."

"Are you sure your mother knows about this?" Robert demanded.

"Yes," Alec said. "Mom is inside and waiting for a magical weekend with you. She wants to get back together."

"Alec…"

"It's the truth. Honest," Alec insisted. "Would I lie to you, dad?"

Either way, I'll be working my magic on both of them, Kristin thought, still beaming. If ever a whiz there was in love…

Sandra opened the door to Felicia's bedroom and carried in a fresh set of towels. She set the towels down on the bed and sat on the edge so she could speak with Felicia. "Hey there, Felicia."

"Um…hello," Felicia said, a little taken aback. She didn't know that the spa treatment involved deep conversations with the staff.

"How's it going, hon?" Sandra asked. "I can see that wheelchair is really getting you down."

"Not really," Felicia said. "I'm just getting away for the weekend at my son's request."

"It's mentioned in your report," Sandra said. "That you and your husband are currently going through a separation?"

"I have a file?" Felicia demanded. "How did that get in there?"

"That's not important," Sandra said. "What's important is that you are willing to work things out with your husband. Love is a many splendored thing. Love lifts us up where we belong, Felicia."

Felicia rolled her eyes at Sandra. "Are you on something, miss?"

"No, I'm not," Sandra insisted, rising to her feet. "I am only trying to get you to realize that your husband is willing and ready to take you back into his arms! Let him forgive you for sleeping with his worst enemy!"

"What the hell?" Felicia demanded. "How did you — what the hell is going on here?"

"Your husband was very eager to give us all the information on your marriage," Sandra explained. "We're only trying to help. That's what we do here at the Capricorn Beauty Center."

"Robert told you all of this?"

Sandra nodded. "He's speaking to Ace right now."

Felicia narrowed her eyes. "He's what?"

"This is…oddly comforting," Robert said, glancing up from the massage table he was lying on. Ace was standing above him, giving him a massage while trying to get to the bottom of the issues in Robert's marriage to Felicia.

"Of course it is," Ace said. "We only strive for the best at the Capricorn Beauty Center."

"Yeah…sure," Robert said. "Is there anything else you wanted to ask me?"

"Not really," Ace replied. "I mean, you told me all about you thinking your wife had an affair, and then you banging you law partner."

"It's not as crude as you make it seem," Robert insisted. "I'm in love with Melissa."

Ace laughed. "Really? You're in love with your mistress and trying to get back together with your wife? Is she loaded or something?"

"No!" Robert cried. "I'm in love with Felicia too. We have a son together."

"That's a great reason to stay in a marriage," Ace muttered. "Do it for the kids. That's very honorable."

"Well, that's the problem," Robert sighed. "Melissa is…"

"Melissa is what?"

"Oh, what the hell. Michael already knows and I'm sure he's taking out an ad in the Marquette Messenger already," Robert said. "Melissa is pregnant. She's going to have my child."

As Robert poured his slightly intoxicated heart out to Ace, neither man noticed the wheelchair sitting outside the massage room. Sandra had pushed Felicia to the room where her husband was so they could "talk out their issues," but instead Felicia was finding out for the first time that Melissa was pregnant.

"That son of a bitch," Felicia gasped.

"See?" Sandra asked. "He said he loves you!"

"Melissa is pregnant?!" Felicia cried.

Robert's head perked up as he heard Felicia's angry voice. He tried to climb off the massage table to see what was wrong, but Ace held him down. "Now, you stay right there until I'm out of the room…I don't want to become your third lover."

Ace quickly exited the room, running into Sandra and Felicia. Felicia wheeled herself into the massage room, while Sandra frowned at Ace.

"Is this how things were run on that boat of yours?" Sandra demanded.

"No," Ace snapped. "This is just…we have to find Kristin."

"She won't be happy," Sandra muttered.

"You think?" Ace replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Felicia…what are you doing here?" Robert asked, feigning shock as he stood up and wrapped a towel around his waist. "I was here enjoying a quiet weekend to myself…what a coincidence."

"Do I look stupid to you, Robert?" Felicia demanded.

"That depends…what response will constitute me seeing you as stupid?" Robert asked.

"Melissa is pregnant, Robert? When were you planning on telling me?"

Robert glared at Felicia. "Oh, I was going to wait a few years. You know, sort of how you waited to tell me that you were related to Michael Hanley."

"That is not the same thing, and you know it," Felicia said. "Kevin Hanley said he would —"

"Give me a break, Felicia," Robert snapped. "The man is lying in a bed in Fordham Bay barely breathing by himself. I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"That is not fair," Felicia insisted. "I was trying to protect my family."

"So am I."

"By not telling your son that he's going to be having a brother or a sister?" Felicia demanded. "How is that protecting him? The only thing you're protecting is your goddamn image."

"Like you not telling Alec he's a Hanley, Felicia?" Robert demanded. "You don't have a leg to stand on, Felicia."

"I'm not even standing, Robert," Felicia retorted. "Not since I got hit by a car after finding out about my husband's infidelity."

"Felicia, I came here to work things out with —"

"Go to hell, Robert," Felicia said. "Go straight to hell, and don't bother me ever again."

"You don't mean that," Robert said.

"Yes, I do!" Felicia cried. "I want a divorce! And I want you out of the house. You can go live with your whore."

Felicia grabbed Robert's towel and tore it from his waist. As he cried out, Felicia threw the towel out into the hallway and turned her wheelchair around to leave. Unfortunately, she was intercepted by Kristin.

"Mrs. Bale, you can't leave!" Kristin cried. "We have so much work to do in your marriage!"

"All I wanted was a goddamn spa weekend," Felicia said.

"Mrs. Bale, honestly —"

"So help me God, if I don't get a damn facial in the next hour, I'm going to set this building on fire!" Felicia snapped, rolling out of the room and pushing her wheelchair over Kristin's right foot.

Kristin screamed and swore under her breath, while Ace and Sandra looked on. They fought back the urge to crack smiles.

"I guess we need to screen our guest better," Ace suggested.

"Shut it, Ashley!" Kristin shouted.

She stormed out of the room, leaving Ace, Sandra, and Robert standing alone next to the massage table. Ace glanced over at Robert and frowned.

"Seriously, man," Ace complained. "Put on a towel. It's not that kind of center."