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RON
(v.o.)
Straight As in Spanish for
the past three years, going on four.
Almost immediately after he leaves, Tina enters with
two small plastic buckets in hand. She
starts sorting silverware. Focus
briefly on the wooden-handled knives. A
waitress in her thirties, PAULA BOOTH, comes into the kitchen.
PAULA
Hi, Tina.
TINA
Hi, Paula.
TINA
(v.o.)
Paula Booth, Methodist,
married in college. Her husband is so
sweet. His name's Brett. She is so lucky. Too bad he's Jewish. Otherwise, he's really nice.
CUT
TO:
INT.
ROSA'S - LAUNDRY ROOM - NIGHT
The back door is cracked open a little, revealing a
starry night. Mike folds napkins as Ron
enters with a glass of Coke in his hand.
Mike glances back at him.
MIKE
Hal would freak if he knew
you were back here.
RON
Like he ever leaves the bar
and the office.
MIKE
OK, then Larry would freak,
too.
RON
I'll only be back here for a
second.
Ron reaches up onto a shelf and pulls out a brightly
colored magazine. It's a catalog of
many musical instruments.
RON
That's the one.
MIKE
Again?
RON
No, I'm really gonna do it
this time.
MIKE
Sure.
RON
Seriously. I have the money. I've picked out the guitar.
MIKE
Which you can't play.
RON
Minor detail.
MIKE
So how much is it?
RON
Four hundred.
MIKE
So why buy it?
RON
What do you mean?
MIKE
They have them at pawn shops
for, like, a hundred.
RON
Really? Cool.
MIKE
I think you'd...
RON
...better get back. Yeah.
Ron leaves again the way he came in.
Quick
montage of different bussers doing different things around the restaurant.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
ROSA'S - FRONT - NIGHT
Focus on the front door of Rosa's as Mike comes
out. Widen the shot to reveal Ron,
already out there, knee-jerk instinctively throwing a cigarette into a nearby
bush. He then sees that it was Mike,
and relaxes.
MIKE
Could you have been more
obvious?
RON
I'd like to see you try and
hide this.
MIKE
Sure. I've got an easy way.
RON
Say "Don't start"
and die.
MIKE
Well, I was going to say to
find cover smells, a smoky environment where you would legitimately be on a
regular basis, but that'll work too.
RON
Thanks. Wonderful.
Let me know if you find something I haven't. (under his breath)Damn
non-smokers...
He walks out into the parking lot.
MIKE
(under his breath)Damn
smokers...
He lets out the contented sigh of somebody who knows
their work is done for the day. TINA
comes out with two white envelopes in her hand.
TINA
Forgot this.(hands Mike an
envelope)
MIKE
Oh, hey, thanks. Brain's fried tonight.
TINA
Singed. Happens all the time. You were good tonight.
MIKE
Thanks. So were you.
TINA
Thank yoooooou...
MIKE
Ron did a good job, too.
TINA
I guess... Hey, did you know
you'll be training tomorrow night?
MIKE
Yeah, I saw that on the
schedule. Who's "I.M."?
TINA
Iris Maddox. She's kind of a friend of mine.
MIKE
What do you mean, kind of?
TINA
She's one of... you know...
those people.
MIKE
Those people? You turning out racist or somethin'?
TINA
No, no, it's not like
that. She's... without...
MIKE
What is it? She born with one lung? Spit it out.
TINA
Well, she hasn't found...
MIKE
Oh. Atheist.
Whatever.
TINA
You don't care about her
believing that?
MIKE
No, I don't.
TINA
I do.
MIKE
What does it matter? Who
knows. She could be right, you could be
right, Brett Goldstein could be right...
TINA
Well, I could... see that
attitude.
She glances quickly around the parking lot, as
though hoping that something, anything could get her out of this conversation.
TINA
Oh, look, there's my mom.
MIKE
Bye, Tina.
Tina walks briskly out of frame into the parking
lot. Kyle comes out of the door.
KYLE
You ready, brother?
MIKE
Sure, let's go.
Track
in front of them as they walk into the lot.
MIKE
Hey, you know anything about
this Iris girl?
KYLE
Not a lot. I think she's a friend of Tina's.
MIKE
She seem qualified?
KYLE
Come on. How much skill does it take?
MIKE
Good point.
Stop
the camera and let them walk out of frame.
CUT
TO:
EXT.
ROSA'S - PARKING LOT - DAY
The lot is empty save a few beat-up older cars. We half-expect a tumbleweed to blow by.
CUT
TO:
INT.
ROSA'S - LOBBY - DAY
Carol, standing at the reception desk, looks perky
yet still bored. She looks over the
reservation table. Five reservations,
ranging from 6:30 to 8:00. She glances
at the clock. Five to six. She sighs, looks around, and wanders off.
CUT
TO:
INT.
ROSA'S - LAUNDRY ROOM - DAY
Mike and Ron are here, not attempting to feign
business. Ron leafs through the music
catalog again. Mike is fiddling with an
old radio, but all it does is emit bursts of static. Annoyed, he turns it off and leans against a washing machine.
RON
I did it.
MIKE
Hmm?
RON
I bought the guitar.
MIKE
Cool. How much did it set you back?
RON
130.
MIKE
Awesome.
RON
Then the amp was another 50,
cord was 10, picks were 5, and...
MIKE
And?
RON
(beat)No, I think that was
it.
MIKE
Wow. I thought you could spot a ripoff job.
RON
It's not that bad.
CUT
TO:
INT.
ROSA'S - LOBBY - DAY
Carol returns with a glass of iced tea. She takes a sip and checks the time
again. 6:05.
CUT
TO:
INT.
ROSA'S - LAUNDRY ROOM - DAY
MIKE
Next week!?
RON
Yeah, Thursday.
MIKE
Shit, I thought it was the
28th.
RON
21st, man.
MIKE
Alright, I'll only have to
change things a little bit then.
RON
Come on. Like you'd have a date that night or
something. Anyway, Frank's gonna be
pissed if you don't show.
MIKE
I don't blame him. Remember his last birthday bash?
RON
Say what you want, but I
still find that situation hilarious.
"Sure guys, bring whoever you want!"
MIKE
Your buddies don't show and
you throw a party for a bunch of people you don't know. Tons of fun.
RON
Life has its own sense of
humor.
CUT
TO:
INT.
ROSA'S - LOBBY - DAY
Carol's tea is on its last leg. The door opens and she looks up
hopefully. In steps a 17-year old girl
with straight black hair in a ponytail, dressed in street clothing and looking
fabulous in it. Meet IRIS MADDOX.
CAROL
Hi, welcome to Rosa's. Would you like smoking or non-smoking?
IRIS
Oh, I'm not here to
eat. Umm...
Her eyes wander around the room for a few seconds,
then she extends a hand to Carol.
IRIS
Iris Maddox. I'm training today.
They shake hands.
CAROL
Nice to meet you, Iris. Follow me.
She does and so does the camera, through a nearly
empty Rosa's.
IRIS
Is Tina here?
CAROL
No. I sent her home. As you can see, it's very busy tonight.
IRIS
Mmm. Then who do I train with?
CAROL
Mike. Who knows?
You look nice, maybe you two could hit it off.
CUT
TO:
INT.
ROSA'S - LAUNDRY ROOM - DAY
Mike is drumming on the table as Ron sings.
RON
(singing)
Keeping my mind on a better
life
When happiness is only a
heartbeat away
Paradise - can it be all I
heard it was
I close my eyes and maybe
I'm already there
(Mike makes a guitar-wailing
sound)
MIKE
Long nights, impossible odds
RON
Keeping my back to the wall
MIKE
If it takes all that to be
just what I am
RON
I'm gonna be a blue collar
man
MIKE applauds.
RON
Thank you, thank you.
Iris enters.
MIKE
Oh, hey, what's up? Iris?
IRIS
Yeah, that's me. (they shake
hands)
MIKE
Sorry Tina couldn't be here
too, but sched-
IRIS
Oh, it's alright.
MIKE
OK. Well, uh, let's get started.
IRIS
Great. We'll let your buddy go through his grand
illusion.
Mike laughs at this as he and Iris leave.
RON
(sigh)I've just got too much
time on my hands.
He follows into
RESTAURANT
and passes a table.
Focus on a man at this table, medium height and with blonde hair, in his
mid-to-late thirties. He is speaking
with an unseen customer across from him, and is apparently well into making a
point.
RON
(v.o.)
That's Brandon Shepard. Regular here. Bisexual, and always brings his date. Never shows affection in public, though. He doesn't want to offend. The waiters sometimes bet on what sex he'll
bring in next. It's just like Vegas.
Pan
the shot over to reveal a man in the other seat.
RON
(v.o.)
A straight bet rarely pays
off.
CUT
TO:
INT.
ROSA'S - RECEPTION - DAY
This time, Carol is gone. Ron plods in, stands next to where she would be and waits,
looking very bored. Carol zips in, puts
two menus on a shelf behind Ron, and leaves the opposite direction just as
quickly.
CUT
TO:
INT.
ROSA'S - STATION
Mike enters with Iris trailing close behind. He gestures at equipment during the
following. Iris gives an occasional nod
or "Uh huh."
MIKE
The glasses go here. You get them from racks in the kitchen. Coffee is brewed here. Red carafe for regular, green for decaf. Got that?
IRIS
Green carafe, decaf.
MIKE
Right. You get the brew packs from these
basins. Decaf has two green stripes
running along the bag, OK?