"Here we go, ladies and gentlemen, the world table-cup playoffs." "It's all right." "The action is fast, he's moving, he's grooving." " Flag on that play." " Thank you very much." "Come on, come on." "Ladies and gentlemen, is this world-class action or what?" " Shut up, rabbit, shut up." " One of our contestants is nervous." "It's young Sanders from Beverly Hills, obviously outclassed by the world champion." " Hey, hey, hey." "Yes, yes!" " Ladies and gentlemen:" " The cup!" " The cup!" "Why don't you and your fans stomp on my dishes next time?" "That way they'll be sure to get broken." "Sorry, Nat." "The action just got a little fast and furious, that's all." "I'm glad someone's keeping busy around here." "Can we start cleaning up this place, or do I have to do everything myself?" "The Peach Pit." "L.A.'s newest fun spot." "He's been like this for the last two weeks." " Oh, hey, excuse me, Willie." " Excuse me, bro." "Nat, before I forget, we're almost out of mustard." "What happened to that last shipment that was delivered?" "Came in about two months ago." "You know how many jars we go through a week." "No, Brandon, I haven't a clue how to run this place." "I've just been doing it for the last 20 years." "Look, Nat, if you want to fire me, go ahead, okay?" "Just stop biting my head off every time I open my mouth." "Hey, come on back." "Come on." "It's not you, believe me." "I'm just going through a little rough patch." "Really?" "I hadn't noticed." "It's what I get for remodelling this place just in time for the recession." "Nat, should I start looking for another job?" "Nah, you're okay." "You're part time." "I can be flexible with your hours." "It's Willie I'm worried about." " Why, what's wrong with Willie?" " He wants a raise." "I can't blame him." "He's worked here for five years." "He's got a family to support, another on the way, but I'm practically carrying the guys in the kitchen as it is now." " You're not gonna fire him, are you?" " l don't want to." "But I'm not made of money." "Something's gotta give." " Hi, Mom." " Well, hello there." " Aren't you forgetting something?" " Like what?" "Like the preliminary meeting of the Teen Advisory Board." "First part is sort of like a demographic." "You're gonna need to ask people, their age, their sex, their interests." "You think Dad would mind if I let this become Brenda's thing?" "Nice try." "Mom, I just can't get psyched about being a teen consultant for a shopping mall." "Brandon, you promised your father you'd help." "Now, this is a very important client." "He's counting on you." "Let me get the questionnaires, you'll see what I'm talking about." "Excuse me." "Hello, who's that?" "Well, why don't you go in and find out?" "Besides, your father just saw you." "Brandon, why don't you join us?" " So this is the prodigal son." " Yeah, about 45 minutes later." " Hey, I got held up at work, okay?" " Oh, that's a likely story." "You'd better be nice to me or you're gonna lose your token male." "Does that mean you're gonna help pass out questionnaires?" "Do I have a choice?" " No." " Yes." "Well, I'm glad that's cleared up." " Sandwich?" " No, thanks." "No, thank you." "Well, I must say, this is no ordinary shopping mall." "Well, nothing my father does is ordinary." " Your father is Dickson St. Claire?" " Yeah." " Well, I guess it isn't what you know." " And don't you ever forget it." "If those two ever get together, we could retire." "Oh, Jim." "Dad, are they actually gonna put a real lake in the middle of this thing?" "What the plans call for." "If we get a variance from the zoning board." "Well, that's what we're here for." "You got yourself a heavyweight client, Dad." "Very impressive." "Glad you approve." "Your father's really a great guy, but I guess you already know that." "He's okay, for a dad." "I just wanna know one thing." "How come your dad cares what teenagers think he should put in his mall?" "Because I asked him to." " l like Marcie, she's very dynamic." " Yes, and she's hitting on my brother." "Oh, Brenda, forget it." "Marcie St. Claire goes to college for God's sakes." "She is the president of her sorority." "Kelly, all sorts of girls have been throwing themselves at Brandon ever since we turned 1 2 years old." "You begin to be able to recognise the signs after a while." " l don't know exactly" " Yeah." "No, but this is..." "Just two minutes." "You have to fill out this questionnaire." " Okay." " St. Claire Development Company is conducting a survey on the west side to determine" "Brandon, why do we need another mall?" " lt's not just another mall." " Oh, I can see that." "It's a "total environmental experience." Who put you up to this?" "Donna, this isn't a quiz. I mean there are no right or wrong answers." "Yeah, it's not that hard." "Yeah, they just wanna know what your favourite stores are." "Well, I like the ones that take credit cards." "I suppose I shouldn't even ask you to fill out one of these?" "No." "Andrea, I don't know if they've done an environmental impact survey." "If they didn't care about the community, they wouldn't bother with this questionnaire." "What about noise abatement?" "Traffic control?" "Are you gonna fill it out or what?" "Okay, let me see, David wants a music store and a coffee house." "Donna wants high fashion at discount house prices and a coffee house." "Okay, Steve wants a Ferrari dealership, a bowling alley, a batting cage, an Imax theatre, and a virtual reality amusement arcade." "What is that?" "I don't know." "But he also wants a coffee bar." " Well, Bren, you sure called this one." " What?" "I see she works fast." "College girl." "Her clock's ticking." " Hi." " Hi." " Hi, so you making the rounds?" " Oh, yeah, yeah." "I've been to Beverly, Crossroads, Palisades, Santa Monica." " Big day." " Yeah." "Well, Brenda and I are done." "Wow, thanks." "So, how about Brandon?" "How's he doing?" "He's over there with Andrea." "And that could take hours." "Look, Andrea, they're waiting for me." "If you've got any problem with this, talk to her." "She's in charge." "Maybe I will." "Give me a break, would you?" "My father hardly ever asks me to do anything for him." "Do we have to bring journalistic ethics and professional integrity into everything we do?" "I don't know, Brandon." "She looks awfully professional to me." "Look, I don't know if you guys are interested, but there's a party at school next week." "It's sort of a joint fraternity/sorority type thing." "Sure, I'll pass." "No, it's not a formal." "It's a lot of kids hanging out." " We'd love to come, wouldn't we, Kel?" " Definitely." " What sorority are you in, anyway?" " Tri Gams." " Well, the best in the West." " Yeah, yeah, they're a good group." "Oh, and the theme of the party is "Am I Blue."" " So use your imagination." " Great." "Just promise me you'll introduce me to the cutest guy there." " No problem." " So should I bring Brandon?" "No, I'm bringing Brandon." " How's it going?" " lt's going pretty good." "How's it feel to be back in high school?" "Good. I love the architecture of Southern California." "All these open plazas." "Back in Minnesota, all we had was a big brick building." " And a lot of snow." " Same here." " Where'd you go to school?" " Switzerland." "So architecture's your thing, huh?" "Yeah, my dream is to design great buildings and then build them with my father." " Going into the family business, then." " That's the plan." " Hey, Willie." " Hey, my number man." " Here on time for a change." " Yeah, thanks." " Don't look at me like that." " Just couldn't do it, could you?" "What can I tell you?" "It's a Peach Pit tradition." "Our motto is, "Who needs to make a profit?"" " You're a good man, Nat." " No, you wanna know a good guy?" " See that picture up there?" " Yeah." "That's my dad, Salvadore Bussichio." " The one next to Steve McQueen?" " Yup, Sallie fed him." "Carried him for two years." "I was 1 0 years old." "Those were the days." "Who else did you know?" "I knew them all." "Nothing lasts forever." "Balanced." "Innovative." "Dynamic." "High Point Centre combines commerce and leisure for an urban community on the edge of the next millennium." "I can't believe they put my ice rink in there." "That was my idea." " You and a few other people." " There's your coffee house, Bren." "Guys, these are fantastic." " Did you try the spinach souffle?" " Not yet." "Too bad my mom's not here." "She's been craving spinach for a week." " Her mother's pregnant." " Really?" "Second marriage?" "No, not really." "See, it's a long story." "It is the A-list in town." "And the response to the presentation has been superb." " You done good, Pops." " Well, we're getting there." "So, Jim, how does it feel to be on the ground floor of something so big?" "Terrific." "Brandon, I want you to meet Art Peters." "He's project manager for St. Claire." "Hey, how you doing?" " Can I talk to you for a second?" " Can it wait a minute?" " l want Art to meet your mother." " No, it really can't." " Excuse us." " Excuse us." "What's wrong?" "High Point Centre crosses Olympic to Larrabee." "Yeah." "That's the corner the Peach Pit is on." "We'll talk about it at home." "They're gonna tear it down, aren't they?" "Brandon, we'll talk about it at home." "You made your point." "If there's nothing more to say," " there's nothing more to say." " Brandon, you're not being fair." "Fair?" "You tear down The Peach Pit, you might as well rip out Nat's heart." "This has got nothing to do with fair." "You're getting a little carried away here." "How could you not tell me about this?" "I only found out about it a half hour before you did." " The address is all over those plans." " l never put it together." "Brandon, how's Dad supposed to know the address to the Peach Pit?" "Thank you." "At least one of my children is willing to give me the benefit of the doubt." "How can I give you the benefit of the doubt when you put a gag order on me?" "That's not what I said." "What I said is, do not discuss this with Nat until I had a chance to talk to Art Peters first." "I have to sell Nat out so you can cover your butt." "Brandon!" "You apologise to your father right now." "I'm sorry." "You know, I do have some influence with these people, but it's not gonna do any good if they find out my son gave confidential information to someone they may be in negotiations with." "Dad, you're talking like I'm some kind of industrial spy." "Brandon, millions of dollars are riding on this." "Not to mention my reputation." " But, Dad, we're talking about Nat" " This is not a request, Brandon." "Fine." "Good night." "Forget it, Bren." "I don't wanna talk about it." "Brandon." "You're asking me to choose between Nat and Dad." "As far as I'm concerned, there is no choice." "Yeah, I hear what you're saying." "But let me tell you what kind of guy Nat is." "The other day he tells me he can't afford to keep the Pit open unless he lets Willie the cook go." "Well, I show up the next day, and Willie is still there." "Look, I'm sure they'll give Nat a lot of money for the place." "Money's not the issue, Bren." "Nat's family built that place." "It's his life." "Haven't you heard him talk about the old days?" "Brandon, I know." "I like Nat, too. I mean he even named a milkshake after me." "But we're talking about Dad here." "Yeah, well, I don't want anything to do with the DSC Development Company or the Teen Advisory Board, or any other part of it." " including Marcie?" " Yeah." " What about the party Friday night?" " How can I look Marcie in the eye after I know everything that's going on?" "Brandon, I thought you liked this girl." "And she sure likes you." "I can't do it, Bren." "There's more involved here." "Brandon, come on." "We may wind up going to this school." "I don't know about you, but I wouldn't mind meeting new people." "Then go." "Fine, I will." "And so will Kelly and Steve, Donna and Dylan." "And anybody else who's not so wrapped up in their own principles that they've forgotten how to have a good time." "Fine, I'll go." "Brandon, don't do me any favours." "I mean, if you're gonna be a jerk, stay home." "Hi, guys." "Hello, come on in. I'm Mike." "Are you friends of the bride or the groom?" "Me?" " l'm dying." " Dylan." "So, where's the keg?" "Sorry, but we're still on suspension for our last blowout." "Why do you think we're all feeling so blue?" "Hey, you guys, don't listen to Mike." "He's a lush." "We have a great coffee bar, there's cappuccino, there's espresso." "I love what you've done with the decor." "Yeah, even the painting's blue." "Who did that?" "Donna, it's Picasso." "During his blue period." "I guess Donna won't be majoring in Art History." " Brandon." " Hey, baby." "I think you've got the wrong party." "Well, I figured there'd be enough blue bloods here as it was." "Mooch, no, this is Brandon Walsh, he's okay." " How you doing, man?" " Good." " l should've known you were a rebel." " Yeah, that's my brother." "Always swimming upstream." "Are we gonna go dance?" "So, I guess you're gonna want to dance, too, huh?" "No, let's not and say we did." "I mean, I'm not like a wallflower or anything, but some people just weren't meant to boogie." "Know what I mean?" "I think I'm in love." "Steve, remember, I'm not your date tonight." "Shut up and dance." "You know, I can definitely see myself going out with one of these frat boys." "Really?" "I could definitely see myself in this frat." " Oh, really?" " Yeah." "I'm exactly the kind of guy they're looking for." "I guess you do have what it takes." " All except for one thing." " What's that?" "The grades." "This campus is so beautiful. lt's like a park, right in the middle of the city." "Yeah, except I wish there were more trees and less people." " What, you think they're snobs?" " Not exactly." "There's just this attitude that goes with joining a fraternity." "Like they're all junior members of the Masters of the Universe Club." "Yeah, when really they're just a bunch of geeks." "If I ever go to college, remind me not to join a fraternity." " lf?" " l don't wanna go." "Come on, of course you do." "No, I don't." "And if I ever do go, I'm definitely not going here." "Why are you so down on this place?" "Remember that big modern building we walked passed on the way in?" " Yeah, it's the Student Centre, right?" " lt's the McKay Student Centre." " Your father went here?" " No, my dad never went to college." "But when he cut them a cheque, they gave him a degree." "Well, at least some of his money went for something good." "He thought that the endowment would buy him some respectability." "You don't know how lucky you are, Bren." "You and Brandon, I mean your dad, he's a straight shooter." "You can trust him." "You can trust his motives." "There are no strings attached." "I think Donna's made some new friends." "Yeah, yeah, well, Mooch is a goofball, but he's okay." "Actually, his parents own half of Orange County." " lt's not what you know, right?" " That's right." "And you know me." "Come on, I wanna show you something." " Where are we going?" " You'll see." " What's this?" " Wait a second." "It's not like I have a choice." "I can't see anything." "Most girls get dollhouses to play with when they're little." "My daddy gave me these instead." "This was his very first solo project." "He basically took a dying waterfront and brought it back to life." "And he won an award for this one." "Well, actually, he won an award for almost everything in this room." "But as an architecture major, this one is my favourite, by far." "It's strong, but it's graceful." "And you stand right here in this spot and you feel so tiny, but so empowered." "You know what I mean?" "Yeah, I do." "My dad is gonna like you." "Does that matter?" " What?" " Whether or not your dad likes me?" " Well, I guess that depends." " On what?" "On what matters to you." "Brandon, as soon as High Point gets approval, things are gonna move very fast." "You'll be right in on the ground floor." "Are you offering me a job?" "Well, I don't have the authority to do that." "But it just so happens my father's coming into town tomorrow." "For the planning commission hearing." "Right." "is it really that easy?" "I just meet Dickson St. Claire, and I'm set up for life?" "It's a little more involved than that." "But I think you can handle it." "You're used to getting everything you want anytime you want it, aren't you?" "Yeah." "You're right." "I'm coming on a little strong, aren't I?" "I guess that's sort of the downfall of being an only child." "You feel like you have to be in control of every situation so you don't get disappointed." "Well, I can't say I'm not impressed by all this." "And flattered." "Really." "Why don't we go some place and celebrate?" "I know just the place." "All right, so you got your bun." "You got your burger." "You got your other patty." "A slice of Swiss and American." "You got your tomato, you got your lettuce, you want Bermuda onions?" " Only if you are." " Yeah, well, you only live once, sure." "Here we go." "Got the top." "Thank you, Willie." "And voila, The Peach Pit Mega-burger." "That is wonderful." "You know who used to like her burgers like that?" "Marilyn Monroe." " You're kidding." " Yeah." "She's the one who thought to add the Swiss." "Go on, tell her, Nat." "Well, she used to come in here all the time." "And I could always tell when she was starting a picture because she would always switch from fries to cottage cheese." "This place has like real history in it." "Okay, who else used to come in here?" "Montgomery Clift." "And Natalie Wood." " Sal Mineo." " Steve McQueen." "Yeah, they're all gone, now." " They all used to eat right here, huh?" " Yeah." "Now we get the occasional celebrity stopping by, but business isn't what it used to be." "Hey, Ruben, take these, please." "I'm very proud of you, you're moving up in the world." " Thanks." " Well, the food's still incredible." " Enjoy it while you can." " What do you mean?" " They're tearing this place down." " Why?" "To make room for High Point Centre." " Wow, I had no idea." " That's okay, neither does Nat." "According to my father, that's the way DSC Development wants it." "So you basically brought me here just to make me feel bad, is that it?" "No, I thought maybe if you, you know, got a feeling for the place, you could... I could what, I could talk to my father?" "Yeah, something like that." "Exactly what do you expect him to do?" "Stop two years of research and development dead in its tracks?" "Better yet, have him call the bank and tell them he's called the whole thing off because he's tasted the world's greatest cheeseburger?" "I'm sorry, but the real world doesn't work that way." "Why don't you tell me the way the real world does work then?" "I thought I already did." "Good night, Brandon." " Hey, Willie." " Hey, Bran." " Nat, is that you?" " Hi, pal." "Nice threads, who died?" "Come to think of it, last time I wore this I put my old man in the ground." "Still fits, though." "But no." "Nobody died." "Not yet, anyway." "What are you talking about?" "Well, I was gonna have to tell you sooner or later." "I guess this is as good a time as any." "A developer's got big deal plans for this neighbourhood." "They're talking about putting in some ferkockteh shopping centre, with a lake in the middle." "I don't know." "Anyway, there's a meeting tonight." "And I figured I'd better show up." "Nat... I knew." " What?" " My dad's company is involved in it." "It's called High Point Centre." "I should have told you sooner, I'm sorry, but my dad put his foot down." "I understand, Brandon." "Business is business." "Talk about coinkydinks." "Listen, you gotta have a lease on this place, right?" "That's the rub." "When I remodelled this joint, I agreed to some changes in the fine print." "Things aren't as ironclad as I thought they were." "You gotta fight them on this." "I can't fight them, Brandon." "They're bigger than me." "They're richer than me." "God knows they got better lawyers than me." "Well, they gotta give you something." "You can take the money and start over." "It doesn't work that way, Brandon." "They're gonna squeeze me until I don't have a pot to cook in." "And at my age..." "What am I gonna do?" "Get a job at McDonald's?" "Nat." "I'm not even gonna go to this meeting tonight." "I mean, why the hell should I?" "There's nothing anyone can do." "Let's face it, after tonight's meeting, the Peach Pit is history." "Mr. St. Claire is going to say a few words, and then he'll toss it to me." "Sounds like you've got all your ducks in a row." "Isn't that one of your ducklings?" "Brandon, what are you doing here, son?" "What, are you kidding?" "Miss out on a chance to meet Dickson St. Claire?" "It's not what you know, Dad." "This may not be the best time, Brandon." "Looks like a perfect time to me." " Brandon." " Marcie." "Daddy, this is my friend, Brandon Walsh." " He's Jim Walsh's son." " Dickson St. Claire." " How are you?" " Your father's been a big help." "Brandon was actually my point man on the Teen Board, Daddy." " That was a very fine idea." " l found it very educational, sir." "Marcie tells me that you share some of her interests in architecture and urban planning." "Yeah, I do." "Although I think my favourite subject is history." "Well, I was a history major at Stanford." "You come talk to me when you're applying to schools." " Maybe I can help." " That's very generous." "Thank you." "Daddy, I think they're ready for us." " A pleasure to meet you." " Thanks." " Good luck, sir." " Thank you." "Ladies and gentlemen, you have been very patient with me and I don't want to take up any more of your time, but I'd like to thank my daughter Marcie who coordinated the Teen Advisory Board." "Her research provided many of the innovative aspects which our plans now include." "In fact, Marcie, correct me if I'm wrong, I don't think you found one teenager who had a negative response to our project." "No, not really." "Well, there may have been one, sir." "Excuse me?" "Look, I know I'm out of order." "But I worked on the Student Advisory Board, and I'm starting to have second thoughts about it." "Excuse me, young man, but the community will have ample opportunity to enter their thoughts into the public record." "That's good." "Somebody should take the time to listen to what the little guy has to say before you let the bulldozers roll in." "I've only lived in L.A. for a year, but I've been here long enough to see that somebody better make some kind of effort to save what little history this town has left." "I don't know what's going on here, Walsh, but control your son." "What kind of stunt do you think you were pulling in there?" "Somebody had to stick up for Nat." "For heaven's sake, Nat is a grown man." " lf he was so concerned, where is he?" " l'll tell you where." "He's at the Peach Pit, trying to figure out what the hell to do with the rest of his life." "You were gonna talk to them, you were gonna take care of Nat." " l did." " Obviously you weren't very effective." "Brandon, you don't know a thing about business." "Now, I did what I could." "Art Peters said they'll pay him a fair price for his lease." "When High Point's built, they'll offer him a prime location." "What's wrong with that?" "That could take years." "What's he do in the meantime?" "Brandon, would you get off your soapbox?" "Do you have any idea what you're doing to me?" "I'm sorry, Dad. I'm sorry you got caught in the middle, but you know and I know that this hearing in here is just a formality." "These people have the juice to railroad this right through, no matter what I say, no matter what anybody says." "Now you told me to keep my mouth shut." "Said you had everything under control." "Well, I did and you don't." "It's a free country and I'm not gonna keep my mouth shut anymore." "Brandon, I respect your passion and I respect your friendship with Nat." "But you've got to choose your battles in life, son." "I did." "Yeah, I guess you did." "You guys, that looks great." "What's going on here?" "You don't have to fight this all alone, Ace." "Andrea told us what you did last night. I'm proud of you." "If I would've known they'd tear down the Pit, I never would've signed up for the Teen Board." "I been going to the Pit since I started Little League." "I remember Nat's father." "Oh, me, too." "Sal used to sneak me homemade cookies when I was little." "You know, B, I'm not much for joining things, but we can't let this place go." "Andrea, everything's set." "I'm gonna broadcast live from the Peach Pit this afternoon." "And I'm only gonna be playing music from Nat's jukebox." " Cool." " Very cool." "I talked to my friend at the Times, she said the Feature desk might be able to free someone up to come down." "You guys." "Brandon." " Can I talk to you for a minute?" " Yeah." "Look, it's bad enough that we don't see eye-to-eye on this, but did you have to get our friends involved?" "I didn't ask them, Bren." "They want to help Nat." "Well, what about Dad, Brandon?" "I heard him and Mom talking." "They really chewed him out after the hearing." "I guess he's really had it with me, huh?" "You'd think so, wouldn't you?" "As angry as he was with you, do you know what I heard him tell Mom?" "That you reminded him of Grandpa." " How's this?" " That looks great, Donna." "Andrea, I'm gonna have to meet you guys down there after school." " What's wrong?" " Nothing." "It's just something I gotta take care of." "Bye, guys." " Bye." " Bye." " Brandon, what are you doing here?" " l came to see Art Peters." "I don't understand you." "Where are your loyalties?" "Marcie, this has nothing to do with loyalty." "It has to do with money and politics." "Two subjects I think you're quite familiar with." "Fine, fine. lf you wanna be a knee-jerk bleeding-heart, go ahead." "But don't you for one minute think you're a threat to my father." "What is it with you and your father?" "You're so hung up being daddy's little girl, you're afraid to be your own woman." " Why did you come here anyway?" " To apologise to Art Peters." "To tell him my father had nothing to do with what I did last night." "Now look who's hung up on his father." "It's not the same, Marcie." "And you know that." "Hey, Nat." "Where is everybody?" "We're supposed to have a press conference in 1 5 minutes." " l sent them home." " Why?" " Sit down. I'll get you a piece of pie" " Hey, hold on, tell me what's going on." "They made me an offer I couldn't refuse." "You know, business is business." "So, what about everything you said?" "What about the Pit?" "It was a fair offer." "I mean they could have stiffed me." "That's it, they offer you a lot of money and you're out?" "I know what you were trying to do for me and I love you for it." "But things have a strange way of working out sometimes." "So, what's everybody gonna do?" "I'll take care of Willie, Ruben and the girls." " Give them a little severance." " What about you?" "I'll manage." "Maybe I'll buy a boat, sail away." "Yeah, ever since I got out of the Navy l've always wanted to see the world." "Maybe when you get out of high school, you can be my first mate, if you want." "You let me down, Nat." "I thought we were fighting for something important." "Something bigger than you and me." "But guess I was wrong." "It's not the first time." "That bacon smells great." "How about making me one of those things?" "Here, why don't you just take this one." "I'm not real hungry anyway." "Brandon, how long are you planning to shut me out?" "You said your piece last night." "Let it go." " lt's over and done with." " Yeah, I guess it is." " Congratulations." " For what?" "Come on, Dad." "We both know what happened." "St. Claire went and threw so much money at Nat" " that it turned his head around." " Brandon, your life is based on so many false assumptions, it's staggering." "Please, do we have to go through all this again?" "Yes, because I'm fed up with Brandon accusing me of being the villain here." "First of all, this may come as a surprise to you." "But Art Peters and Dickson St. Claire actually make decisions without consulting me." "Second of all, Nat made a deal." "What is wrong with that?" "So it's all about the bottom line, huh?" "You, Nat, St. Claire, you're all the same." "That's right." "We are all the same." "We all have responsibilities." "We all have to worry about boring things like mortgages and meeting payrolls and putting food on the table." "Brandon, think about it." "If High Point Centre goes through, it'll create hundreds, maybe thousands of jobs." "That's a lot of bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches." "Gee, thanks for explaining that to me, Dad." "Otherwise, I may have never figured it out." "Poor Brandon." "Poor Brandon?" "What about me?" "In the past 24 hours, I've been accused of being Simon Legree, Ivan Boesky, and the Sheriff of Nottingham all rolled up into one." "Oh, Jim. it can't compare." "I mean, he's lost a hero today." "Yeah, he thinks I let him down." "Jim, I was talking about Nat." "You're right. I've been replaced." "So, Nat took the deal?" "Yeah, I wonder what they gave him." "Probably a lot." " That property is worth a fortune." " Great." " You know, I'm gonna miss that place." " Yeah." "Well, not half as much as Brandon will." "Hey, Jim." "Cindy called." " l got your pie." "Let me box it for you." " Thanks." " Here we are." " Great." " Pretty good crowd tonight." " Yeah, just my luck." "Business is picking up as we're closing down." " Put it away, it's on the house." " Thanks, Nat." "I'm just thankful that some of the Walshes are still talking to me." "Yeah, Brandon's pretty bitter about this." "I can't blame him." "He fought for me and I crumbled." "Don't beat yourself up." "You did what you had to do." "Yeah, but I never thought I'd feel lousy about being lucky." " Say, would you do me a favour?" " Sure." "Anything, you name it." "Well, I got these papers from the St. Claire people." "I gave them to my attorney." "But I was just wondering if you could take a look at them, if..." "Let me see them." "This is what they offered you?" "I asked for a favour on this one, Art, and what do you do?" "You lowball him." "Your friend Bussichio accepted our first offer." "What was I supposed to do?" "Tell him that he should be asking for more?" "Besides, it might be a moot point anyway." "What are you talking about?" "Haven't you checked your voicemail?" "Not since I left the office." "You better come in, Jim." "We have a lot to talk about." "Where did you go?" "I rode my bike down San Vicente to the beach." "Had to clear my head." "What's going on?" "Brandon the money for the High Point Centre fell through." "You gotta be kidding me." "That's great." "Yeah, well, he doesn't share your same enthusiasm." "I'd grim up before I went in there if I were you." "And, Brandon, I just want to say one thing." "I love Dad a lot." "And I wanted this project to happen for him." "But I'm really glad the Peach Pit is still gonna be there." "Yeah, me too." "I want you to know one thing, you were right to stand by Dad." "Thanks." "We told DSC that the deal could fall through and nobody took us seriously." "When I tried to tell Art Peters about this, you know what he told me, Brandon?" "He said I wasn't a team player." "Do you know how that made me feel?" "I think I'm starting to get an idea." "What did I expect?" "They never listen to the bean counters." "All they want us to do is crunch the numbers and make them look good." "Are you gonna come out of this okay?" "You mean am I gonna get fired?" "No, probably not." "But even if I did, you don't have to worry about your old man." "I may never make the big bucks, but I've learned to play the game." "And from what I've seen this past week I'd say you're a chip off the old block." "Thanks." "Don't let it go to your head, you're still wet behind the ears." " Guess I went a little overboard, huh?" " Yeah, you did." "But your grandpa wouldn't have wanted it any other way." " Does Nat know about this yet?" " Not yet." "Brandon, what are you doing here?" "I thought I'd come by and help you clean the place out." "Thanks, pal. I didn't think I'd get to see you here again." "What, are you kidding?" "And miss the fire sale?" "Did you call the restaurant supply company?" "You could probably get 50 cents on the dollar for most of this stuff." "That's not a bad idea." "Hey, you know this may be a real collectable item someday." " Mind if I keep one of these, Nat?" " Yeah, sure." "Help yourself." "Brandon, you know, I never put this place up for sale." " They came to me." " l know." "Everybody hopes for that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but I never asked for this, you gotta know that." "You know what you ought to do, Nat, you ought to have an auction." "Get an auctioneer, you could probably sell most of this stuff." "Probably get top dollar for it too." "You're getting a good head for business." "I know what you should do with these pictures on the wall." "You should donate them to the county museum, that way you get a huge tax break." "Especially for the autographed one of Steve McQueen." "What's gotten into you?" "You can't put a price on something like that." "Oh, come on, Nat, everything has its price." "I guess I deserved that one, huh?" " Nat-- - lt's okay." "I've been a heel. I mean, I sold you kids out for short money." "You must think I'm disgusting, I don't blame you." " Nat" " Let me get it off my chest, okay?" " l really hate myself for what l" " Nat!" "The deal fell through." "They aren't building the High Point Centre." " What?" " You heard, no High Point Centre." " You're kidding." " No." "The Peach Pit is open for business, pal." "That's the best news I've ever heard in my life, and I'm never gonna forget who I heard it from." "Nothing could possibly make me happier." "You wanna bet?" "Hey, guys, come on in." "It's showtime." " All right!" " Yeah." "Nat, I'm so glad things worked out for you." "All right, hey, give him some loving." " Great, great." " Thank you." " Thanks, thanks." " Oh, Nat." "Congratulations, Nat." " Couldn't get rid of you." " Thanks, Jim." "Paisan, what do I gotta do to get a little service around here, huh?" "Willie, fire up the grill." " All right." " You got it." "Music to my ears." "Hi, thanks." "Hi." "Thank you." "Excuse me, thanks."