You'd Be So Nice to Come Home to

Veronica was young, beautiful, rich, and well educated. And although she is working on her third Master’s degree, she still has no idea of what she wants to do. In addition, she has just broken up with her long-time All-American boyfriend Nick for the um-teenth time. Rather than staying at Harvard for the summer, she decides to return home for the summer. So, without warning, Ronni shows up at her mother Martha’s beautiful Southhampton home on Long Island. Martha, like her daughter, is also winsome, and wealthy, but a widow. Unfortunately, after her father’s death, whom Ronni adored, she and her mother have become somewhat estranged. Upon her return she learns in a very surprising and rather jolting way that her mother is involved in a new, intimate relationship with George, an Associate Professor at the local junior college. Having never even heard of George and knowing nothing about him, she is convinced that is a gold digger, merely after her mother’s money. Deciding that Martha needs be protected, she determines to do her best to break them up. On the other hand, Martha is convinced that Ronni’s objections to George are actually rooted in Ronni’s devotion to her late father. But Martha knowing that Ronni and George have so much in common, including a love of Cole Porter and of SCUBA diving, is sure that were they to get to know each other, they would get along very well. Hence, Martha schemes to do whatever she can to force the two together. As for Ronni’s situation, Nick has become the youngest VP in his company. Along with his new promotion, he has been transferred from the Boston office to the company’s headquarters in Manhattan. As the breakup was not his idea, he wants to get back together, and unbeknownst to Ronni, he contacts Martha, who is certain that the break up must be her Ronni’s fault. The two of them plot together to get Nick and Ronni back together. Without Ronni’s knowledge, she invites Nick to a party at her Southampton home. Also unbeknownst to Ronni is that the party is to announce her engagement to George. At the party, before Nick arrives, Ronni and the rest of Martha’s family learn that George not only dives, but is a treasure hunter. They all want to know more. He explains that he and some diving buddies go diving to find sunken ships. This so fascinates everyone that it is decided that they will all learn to dive, and join him on one of his trips. Seeing an opportunity to put them together, Martha suggests that Ronni, who gave up diving after her father’s death, help George, a certified instructor, teach everyone to dive. Martha’s scheming eventually works. Ronni learns that her mother is right, George is a great guy. She also comes to realize that he is definitely not after her mother’s money, and just as importantly, she finds herself attracted to him. She doesn’t want to interfere with her mother’s happiness, so even though she’s still not convinced that getting back together is the right thing, she decides to get back together with Nick anyway and even moves in with him. After moving in with Nick, who would like Ronni to just stay home be the little woman, she realizes that domestication is not her thing. She confides this to her her Aunt Sharon, who is already aware of Ronni’s feelings towards George. Ronni bemoans the fact that unlike George, who is passionate about teaching, she lacks a singular passion. Sharon, who has observed Ronni help with the classes, tells her she is wrong. It is apparent to Sharon that Ronni beams when she is in or around diving. This revelation causes Ronni to contact her old instructor Skip, who owns a small dive shop on the Island. She tells Nick of her idea to open a 1st class dive shop. Nick, who is a great teacher, but not so much a businessman, agrees. To open the new giant shop, she begins spending time with him. This causes Nick to become suspicious, and when he sees them having lunch together, become very jealous. Knowing that George and Ronni have become friends, he asks George if he knows anything about the man that he recently saw Ronni with. George tells Nick that Skip is her business partner, and that they are opening a new dive shop. However, Nick doesn’t believe him. George, who is having issues of his own, tells Nick that Ronni is getting on with her life, and that Nick should do the same. Nick ignores this advice and on the night of the the Gala Grand Opening, Nick crashes the party and barges in. He accuses Ronni of cheating on him. After she tells Nick he is crazy, he is more livid and threatens Skip, who is much smaller. And even though George is also smaller than Nick, intervenes and gets between them. Ronni then blurts out that if he is going to be jealous of anybody, it shouldn’t be Skip, but Geor… This surprises everyone, including Martha and George. Nick turns his anger to George, and takes a swing. However, George, as it turns out, learned to dive in the Navy as a part of the UDT, the precursors to the Navy Seals, in WWII. He deftly blocks Nick’s punch and lowers him to the ground. As Nick continues to struggle, Ronni grabs a speargun and convinces Nick that he too ought to get on with his life. As he leaves it becomes apparent that things have changed. In the end, Ronni and George each decide “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home to”,,, with Martha’s approval of course.