(CUTTO: Thomas’ office at CS Towers hours before PRIMETIME 500 is scheduled to begin. Thomas sits hunched over his desk disinterested in a stack of papers recklessly piled in front of him. Hortense, his wife of less than six months, comes strutting in from the office bathroom holding a Pink plus-size dress with yellow polka dots in her hands.)

H: Baby, look!

T: How long has it been since you’ve been able to fit in that?

H: Oh, hush! You know what it is?

T: There’s a wealth of answers here all begging to see the light of day.

H: The dress I wore at Fish Fund when the girls and I performed for the first time in CSWA history.

T: (puzzled) I thought that was lost in the fire...

H: I found it in the only corner of the Park that was left standing, untouched! Small miracle, but a miracle!

T: This company lost millions in that fire and you’re telling me the only thing that survived was a five dollar dress?

H: Sug, what’s wrong? Is it your IBS?

T: My bowels aren’t irritable!

H: Mmmm hmmm. I got a peaceful nights sleep that’ll beg to differ.

T: Why are you showing me this? We’re not doing a piece on Christmas miracles.

H: But...it’s a moment. The girls and I....

T: PRIMETIME moments...not Fish Fund Hortense.

H: Why you always gotta correct me?

(Thomas starts to get into it but stops.)

T: I’m sorry. I’m just a little stressed tonight.

H: If you’d have a doctor look at that...

T: Hortense...

H: We’ll talk about it when you’re ready.

T: (beat) I think it’s over. This company doesn’t have the money to run another show.

H: You can’t be serious.

T: Whatever came into this league went right back out. Merritt’s golden egg was production: spend well to look well. You’ve been here since the beginning baby, you’ve seen the expense reports.

H: Stephen, it can’t all be gone. Can it?

T: What I can get my hands on is. The good will between our business associates has expired. I had to tape a month’s worth of shows on a three-day cruise. I can’t pay anyone’s contract right now. The debts from how this company was run over the last two years have drained us. If I don’t shut it down there’s gonna be a hundred people lined up outside that oak door to sue my ass off.

H: You said...the money you could...

T: ...There is money. Merritt’s got it tied up in accounts I can’t get to. He was smarter than he looked. The CSWA can’t run without him.

H: Sug, call him and ask for help!

T: Right. Just pick up the phone to ring the man I had thrown out of the company.

H: Why not?

T: Merritt’s been dead to me since he set up my departure five years ago. I’ll let this business lie in its grave before turning to him. No, I’m afraid tonight’s the last night in the CSWA’s history.

(Hortense is in shock.)

T: Unless...

H: Unless what?

T: The right person jumps ship...