Max:  (bends down to Al)  Hey hotshot, come here and give me a kiss. (kisses him and picks him up)  Mmmmm, I missed you.

Gabrielle:  That’s right, give Daddy a kiss bye-bye

Max:  (pointedly) Give Mommy a kiss bye bye

Gabrielle:  (sing soft not to upset Al) Don’t confuse him, Max.

Max:  (to Al, also in Gabby’s placating manner) Kelly’s taking you to the amusement park for an ice cream cone, but only one. OK?

Gabrielle:  (gently touching Al's arm) Al is going  in the car with me..

Max:  No, change of plans.  But you can visit with Mommy real soon.

Gabrielle:  (upset but trying not to let Al see, goes to him)  Sweetheart, I want you to do what Daddy tells you to do, OK? (kisses him)  be good, cause I love you.

Max:  Here you go. (let’s Al down) You have a good time (reaches in his pocket for cash, hands it to Kelly)  Here you go Kelly...take your time. (Al and Kelly leave)

Gabrielle:  (arms crossed, upset, holding back the tears, back to Max)  Great timing as usual with you.

Max:  (also arms crossed, intense)  Kelly gave me a call at the studio and said you were on your way over.  I figured you’d try something.

Gabrielle:  (turns to him, ticked)  You must be so proud of yourself.  You’ve done it again.  Just racking up those times you keep me from being with my son, even when it’s  special occasion he should share in.  But then again, you don’t care about Al, all you want to do is make me miserable. (goes to leave, sweeps past him, he stops and grabs her)

Max:  (holding onto her arms) Woah...woah...

Gabrielle: (tries to break his grip) Let go, you’ve got what you want.

Max:   Why did you come over here for Al?

Gabrielle: (smiling and defiant)  Max, because this time, I’m going to win.

Max:  (let’s go of her, questioning)  I didn’t realize this was a competition.

Gabrielle:  (still defiant, shaking her head)  We have been in competition since the day you deserted me in Buenos Aires.  But not now, not any more, because (big triumphant smile), I’m going to get married to Michael tonight. (gleeful pant as she turns her back on Max and starts to strut off....)

Max:  (reaches out, pulls her back, this time holds her close as he leans over her)  No you’re not!  You’re not marrying Michael, not tonight, not ever! (fade out on face to face profile of them both rather heated and shocked)
 

Scene II:  Max still holding Gabrielle close and tight.

Gabrielle:  (laughing)  You always were a sore loser but I guess this time you have more to lose.

Max:  I won't be losing, you will.

Gabrielle: (deadly serious now)  Wrong.  After I'm happily married I'm going to make your life as unbearable as you've made mine.  When I get back from my honeymoon, I'm going to reopen that custody case so you better line up your lawyers because you're going to need them.

Max: (pleading) Gabrielle, don't you do this.

Gabrielle:  (mockingly)  Oh, I remember saying that to you, but you just ignored me.

Max:  This isn't about custody of Al.

Gabrielle:  You're right, it's about my happiness  and how you can't stand it

Max:  (looking sincere)  That is not true.  I do care about you 

Gabrielle:  (disbelieving) You care about me so much that when Brenda came accusing me of things you couldn't wait to go after me.

Max: (insistent)   That wasn't to hurt you.  That was to get you to realize your mistakes.  I knew you switched the babies, Brenda knows it and you know it.

Gabrielle:  (deadly serious again)  I don't care what you believe - I am through defending myself to you.  When I get back, Michael and I are going to do everything we can to keep Brenda away from Garrick so if you want to help her I suggest you take her to a psychiatrist. Now for the last time, let go of me because my fiancé is waiting!. (Tries to break free of his grip)

Max:  (gets a tighter grip on her)  NO! (leans into her more, imploringly)  If you marry Michael, you'll be destroying three lives: Brenda's, the baby's and yours.

Gabrielle:  (edge in her voice) I don't know about Brenda and I don't care.  I know about Garrick's and I know about mine and we're going to be just fine because (voice becoming softer and more mocking)  you want to know something Max, Michael is so different from you.  (now more impassioned)  He's warm, he's caring, he's generous and he loves ME, and I'm going to spend the rest of my life with him.

Max:  I find it very funny you keep telling me how much he loves you.   You never say anything about loving him.

Gabrielle:  I thought it was apparent.  You want to hear it.  Fine.  (makes voice breathy and adoring) I love Michael.

Max:  (shakes her angrily) No you don't.  And even if you could live with that lie, which I doubt, I know you couldn't live with a man you don't love.

Gabrielle:   (Tearing herself away from his hold - trying to leave yet again) I'm not listening to this! 

Max:  (grabs her again - her hair flying.  Their  music starts playing in the background - that slow instrumental with the Spanish flavor)  Yes you are! Admit it! (pulls her in tighter, more insistent) You love me.

Gabrielle:  (indignant)  Oh GOD, I could never love a man who walked out on me - had a good time and said it was over!

Max:  (pulls her even tighter, more empassioned)  It isn't over!  It will never be over. (face to face, almost touching)  There is a bond between us and you know I care about you and I want to make up for the pain I caused you.

Gabrielle:  (softly)  Michael made up for that pain.  He opened his heart to me.  He made me happy.

Max:  (grabs her head and kisses her, demanding, passionate, punishing -  like he was trying to make her eat those words)  I am the only man that can make you happy.  (Max fiercely holding her head, she’s  fighting him, he's holding on tight, he kisses her...hair flying.... )
 

Scene III:  Still entwined and struggling.

Max:  Say it!  Say you love me.

Gabrielle:  (resisting but breathing heavily)  No, I love Michael 

Max:  I know everything you feel just like you know everything I feel.  You can't hide anything from me so there's no use trying. (all the while - he's kissing her)

Gabrielle:  (breathless)  Oh I gotta get away from here.

Max:  (still holding on tight, kissing her throat)  You're staying here with me, always. (he's going for the blouse)  You know how good we are together. (breathless now)  It's been too long... much too long. (almost pleading ...buttons are flying)

Gabrielle:  (trying in vain to stay in control, pleading half heartedly)  You gotta stop

Max:  (even more insistent, still kissing her)  It's not what you want.  You want me.  You know you want me as much as I want you. (She tries to turn her back to him, he holds her from behind, kissing her....)

Gabrielle: (breathless, barely resisting utters a soft plaintive...)   No...

Max:  (grabs her tighter, if possible, kisses her neck urgently)  Say it, say you love me.  Say you want me...

Gabrielle: (kisses him back passionately..cries out)  I do, I love you.... I love you....

(Their song begins - Michael Bolton's Baby That's What Love Is All About.  Max stops kissing her and look into her eyes, shocked at his own feelings.  The game is over the next kisses are real.  The kisses change...deep, passionate and longing.  Clothes are loosened.  She's pulling at his shirt, kissing his neck.  He lifts her in the air and she wraps her legs around him as he kisses her chest.  He tosses a chair away, they never break contact as he carries to one of the booths...he lays her down, they’re still kissing.... they're going for it...bar door opens....IT'S MICHAEL!....fade to black)