This is the "cold open" for my new spec script for The Office (NBC, Thursday nights). This is the part that usually runs right before the opening credits.
COLD OPEN
FADE IN:
INT. THE OFFICE - PAM’S DESK AND FRONT DOOR - DAY
PAM sits at her desk, typing. MICHAEL walks in the door, takes two steps and stops, presenting himself to her. He is up to his ears with beaded necklaces. He looks at Pam and giggles.
PAM
Hi Michael. I like your necklaces.
MICHAEL
I bet you do. Well if you want one, you’re going to have to earn it.
She looks over at JIM, who was has the phone receiver in his hand getting ready to make a call. Once he sees Michael he aborts the phone call.
JIM
What did you do last night Michael?
MICHAEL
Wouldn’t you like to know?
MICHAEL TALKING HEAD
Michael in his office.
MICHAEL
I saw a DVD last night. Got it accidentally from Netflix. I ordered season one of The Gilmore Girls, instead I got this other one. Girls Gone--crazy, something. Anyway, you would not believe what some girls will do for beads. Beads! I think today is going to be a good day.
JIM TALKING HEAD
JIM
The Gilmore Girls. The Gil-more Girls.
INT. THE OFFICE - PAM’S DESK AND FRONT DOOR - D1
MICHAEL tugs on one of his beaded necklaces.
MICHAEL
Pam, you ready to earn one of these things?
PAM is appalled.
PAM
No Michael, I’m not.
MICHAEL
Are you sure? Because I really want to give you one.
Michael turns to JIM and throws him a necklace.
MICHAEL (CONT'D)
Think fast!
JIM
What’s this for?
MICHAEL
For prior services rendered. Basketball. Shirts and skins. You were a skin. And I thank you.
Pam and Jim exchange looks that say “Wow.” Michael walks over to MEREDITH’S desk. DWIGHT perks up at his desk. Meredith sighs and continues doing her work.
DWIGHT
Michael, what are you doing? Meredith, do not take your shirt off.
He places a necklace over her head. She looks up.
MICHAEL
(under his breath)
I’ve got pictures.
MEREDITH TALKING HEAD
MEREDITH
I have a lot of those necklaces already. I use them for Christmas decorations. My tree collapsed last year.
INT. THE OFFICE - ACCOUNTING AREA -MOMENTS LATER - D1
Michael approaches ANGELA’S desk. Angela writes ferociously on a balance sheet. KEVIN, wide-eyed with anticipation, stands up to look over the divider at Angela. OSCAR leans back and crosses his arms.
MICHAEL
Angela, I would like you to--
ANGELA
No Michael.
MICHAEL
(whispering)
Angela. The human body is a beautiful, wonderful--
ANGELA
No!
Kevin is crushed. Michael turns to PHYLLIS and STANLEY. DWIGHT jumps up from his desk.
DWIGHT
Michael, I want one.
Dwight begins to unbutton his shirt.
MICHAEL
(scolding)
No Dwight! No! These are for women only.
DWIGHT
But Jim got one.
MICHAEL
Jim is different. Than you.
DWIGHT
What about Phyllis? Does she get one? Please say no.
Michael takes off one of the necklaces and weighs it in his hand, looking at Phyllis and Stanley, debating. Phyllis is terrified of what could happen next.
MICHAEL
Blech. No. No. No.
(turns to Dwight)
Dwight, put your shirt back on. Okay, take one. Saw a nipple.
Michael throws a necklace to Dwight, who catches it and raises a hand in victory.
DWIGHT
YESSS!
ANDY has his shirt off at his desk.
ANDY
Hit me, Michael. Hit me.
INT. PHYLLIS’ BEDROOM - DAY
Phyllis opens a drawer in her dresser. It is filled to the top with beaded necklaces. She pulls out a photo of herself at a much younger age on Bourbon Street. Parts of the photo are blurred out.
PHYLLIS
I got all these in New Orleans on spring break in ‘88. That was a fun night.
(looks at full drawer)
Bob Vance calls me a pack rat.
She looks at the picture of herself.
PHYLLIS (CONT'D)
I was a hottie.
INT. THE OFFICE - PAM’S DESK AND FRONT DOOR - D1
MICHAEL stands in the doorway to his office.
MICHAEL
Pam, last chance. Free beads?
PAM
No Michael.
MICHAEL
Well fine Pam. Deprive us all. Thanks for being a team player.
JIM
She can just borrow mine if she needs to.
MICHAEL
(conflict happily resolved)
Oh, well, that works. Here, take one more. In case you need a backup. Can’t be too careful.
Michael hands Jim an extra necklace and goes into his office.
END OF COLD OPEN
Friday, October 3, 2008
Thursday, October 2, 2008
The Claymores Part 13
INT. SACRAMENTO CONVENTION CENTER DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT
Charlie and Carmen wheel the trunk into the corner of the room. Brock, Ezekiel and Karol all stand, waiting to see what’s in the trunk.
CHARLIE
You guys ready?
Charlie opens the trunk and pulls out a costume consisting of a traditional old world Scottish military dress uniform, complete with kilt and beret. Charlie loves it.
CHARLIE (CONT'D)
Eh? You like?
The others sit stone faced.
BROCK
What the hell is that?
CHARLIE
It’s our costume for the competition.
BROCK
Why?
CHARLIE
Because we have to dress alike. It’s part of the whole schtick of the show.
BROCK
Schtick? I don’t think we need a schtick.
CHARLIE
Look, it’s just a uniform, so we’re all dressed the same onstage.
KAROL
What are the swords for?
CHARLIE
Part of the costume. Scottish Claymores.
KAROL
Yeah, but . . . swords?
CHARLIE
We’re not going to use them. I just thought they looked cool.
EZEKIEL
Charlie, I’m not wearing that. Especially that skirt thing.
CHARLIE
That skirt thing is a kilt.
EZEKIEL
That skirt thing is a skirt, and I’m not wearing it.
CHARLIE
Guys, please. Just try them on. If you don’t like them, we won’t ever wear them again, okay?
EZEKIEL
Why would we ever wear them again anyway?
CHARLIE
Because we need them to get into the finals. We need to really nail this show. Like REALLY nail this show.
KAROL
Fine, you go first.
CHARLIE
What do you mean?
KAROL
I mean you go get dressed first and we’ll see what it looks like. If it isn’t totally ridiculous, I’ll think about it.
CHARLIE
All of you?
They look at each other and nod.
CHARLIE (CONT'D)
You’re on.
Charlie runs into the bathroom adjacent to the dressing room.
INT. SACRAMENTO CONVENTION CENTER DRESSING ROOM - LATER
Charlie walks tentatively out of the bathroom, dressed to the hilt in traditional Scottish garb. Kilt, sporran, beret, long socks, jacket and tie, claymore strapped to his side, the whole package. Carmen wolf whistles.
CARMEN
Nice.
Charlie does a quick dance step and ends with a flourish.
CHARLIE
Not bad, eh?
Karol gets up to take a closer look.
KAROL
Not bad. Not bad.
(to Brock and Ezekiel)
What do you think?
Deep thought.
BROCK
I can rock that.
EZEKIEL
Me too. Not as bad as I thought it would look.
There is a KNOCK at the door. A PAGE opens the door and sticks his head into the room.
PAGE
Claymores, this is your 30 minute call.
CHARLIE
Thanks.
The page leaves.
CARMEN
Game time fellas. Hurry and get dressed and let’s run the routine one last time before we hit it.
INT. SACRAMENTO CONVENTION CENTER AUDITORIUM - NIGHT
A barbershop quartet dressed in standard gear of black pants and striped shirts with suspenders leaves the stage. Anne walks onto the stage from the other side and takes the microphone.
ANNE
Let’s hear it for Sactown Synchrony. Give those guys a round of applause. And now, last but certainly not least, we have a group coming out of Las Vegas, The Claymores!
The lights dim.
INT. BACKSTAGE - NIGHT
Charlie, Brock, Ezekiel and Karol stand on the side of the stage, frozen with stage fright.
EZEKIEL
They’re going to know, man, they’re going to know.
BROCK
Know what?
EZEKIEL
We’re not wearing underwear, man! Who does that? Who goes onstage with a dress on and no underwear?
CHARLIE
It’s not a dress, it’s a KILT.
EZEKIEL
You got any underwear on?
CHARLIE
Well, no.
KAROL
So we’re freeballing in front of all these people. That’s not right. It’s not right to freeball in front of grandmothers. There are grandmothers out there!
BROCK
I freeball all the time, what’s the big deal?
EZEKIEL
You gonna freeball in front of Nana?
BROCK
It’s not like she’s never seen balls before. She was married to Poppy for like 50 years, she did have kids. I’m sure she juggled some balls in her lifetime.
EZEKIEL
Okay now you’re crossing the line. You are CROSSING THE LINE! My Nana did not juggle Poppy’s balls!
INT. SACRAMENTO CONVENTION CENTER AUDITORIUM - SAME
“My Nana did not juggle Poppy’s balls!” resonates through the silent crowd. Shocked faces abound, with a few sultry looks from some grandmothers in the audience.
INT. BACKSTAGE - SAME
Ezekiel has Brock by the lapel, threatening to choke him while Charlie and Karol try to separate them. The page comes up behind them.
PAGE
Claymores. You’re on! Go!
Ezekiel releases Brock. Karol smooths out Brock’s outfit.
ANNE(O.S.)
Ladies and gentlemen, The Claymores!
PAGEGo! Go! Go!
The four of them take a deep breath, and then--
INT. SACRAMENTO CONVENTION CENTER AUDITORIUM - SAME
A barking military cadence from O.S. Charlie leads The Claymores on stage in a military-style jogging cadence, followed by Karol, then Brock and Ezekiel in the same cadence. They stop with several feet between them, covering the entire stage.
Charlie draws his sword. The others follow suit. They break into a rendition of “Citizen Soldier” made popular by the band 3 Doors Down. During the singing of the song, they engage in a very complex set of choreography involving the swords. They sound pretty good. The choreography is good, the boys stumble a few times, but the overall performance is very entertaining.
When they finish, the crowd sits stunned for a beat. Then, a STANDING OVATION. The Claymores run giddily off the stage.
INT. BACKSTAGE - SAME
The Claymores give each other high fives and celebrate their performance. Carmen gives each one a hug.
ANNE(O.S.)Well, that didn’t take long. Ladies and gentlemen, it looks like the judges have made a decision. The winner of this year’s West Coast Barbershop Quartet competition, moving on to the national finals in two weeks in Las Vegas, Nevada, is . . . The Claymores!
The audience erupts. The Claymores are dumbfounded.
CHARLIEWe won?
CARMEN
Get out there! Go!
KAROL
We won!
They run, jubilantly back onto the stage.
INT. SACRAMENTO CONVENTION CENTER PERFORMANCE STAGE - SAME
Anne holds out a trophy to The Claymores as they run to the center of the stage. Brock and Ezekiel try to elbow each other out of the way to accept the trophy. Karol outmaneuvers both of them to take it from Anne. Charlie grabs the microphone.
CHARLIE
You like us! You really, really like us!
Movement in the audience catches Charlie’s eye. A couple in middle aisle seats gets up and hurriedly runs from the theater. It is Tabitha and Darwin DeCloud.
CHARLIE (CONT'D)
Hey, is that Tabi--?
He drops the microphone, runs and jumps off the front of the stage. Unfortunately, there is an orchestra pit and Charlie tumbles from sight with a great CRASH.
KAROL
Where the hell did Charlie go?
He looks over the edge, Charlie is tangled in a heap of chairs on his back at the bottom of the orchestra pit.
KAROL (CONT'D)
What are you doing?
CHARLIE
Go catch that girl. That’s Shamus’ girlfriend.
KAROL
What girl?
CHARLIE
The one leaving down the center aisle with that guy. Hurry!
Karol turns for a second and quickly talks to Brock and Ezekiel. He turns and leaps easily over the orchestra pit, chasing Tabitha.
CUT TO:
INT. ORCHESTRA PIT - SAME
Charlie looks up as Karol sails over the orchestra pit, sans underwear.
CHARLIE Could’ve done without that visual.
Charlie extricates himself from the chairs and climbs out of the orchestra pit.
Charlie and Carmen wheel the trunk into the corner of the room. Brock, Ezekiel and Karol all stand, waiting to see what’s in the trunk.
CHARLIE
You guys ready?
Charlie opens the trunk and pulls out a costume consisting of a traditional old world Scottish military dress uniform, complete with kilt and beret. Charlie loves it.
CHARLIE (CONT'D)
Eh? You like?
The others sit stone faced.
BROCK
What the hell is that?
CHARLIE
It’s our costume for the competition.
BROCK
Why?
CHARLIE
Because we have to dress alike. It’s part of the whole schtick of the show.
BROCK
Schtick? I don’t think we need a schtick.
CHARLIE
Look, it’s just a uniform, so we’re all dressed the same onstage.
KAROL
What are the swords for?
CHARLIE
Part of the costume. Scottish Claymores.
KAROL
Yeah, but . . . swords?
CHARLIE
We’re not going to use them. I just thought they looked cool.
EZEKIEL
Charlie, I’m not wearing that. Especially that skirt thing.
CHARLIE
That skirt thing is a kilt.
EZEKIEL
That skirt thing is a skirt, and I’m not wearing it.
CHARLIE
Guys, please. Just try them on. If you don’t like them, we won’t ever wear them again, okay?
EZEKIEL
Why would we ever wear them again anyway?
CHARLIE
Because we need them to get into the finals. We need to really nail this show. Like REALLY nail this show.
KAROL
Fine, you go first.
CHARLIE
What do you mean?
KAROL
I mean you go get dressed first and we’ll see what it looks like. If it isn’t totally ridiculous, I’ll think about it.
CHARLIE
All of you?
They look at each other and nod.
CHARLIE (CONT'D)
You’re on.
Charlie runs into the bathroom adjacent to the dressing room.
INT. SACRAMENTO CONVENTION CENTER DRESSING ROOM - LATER
Charlie walks tentatively out of the bathroom, dressed to the hilt in traditional Scottish garb. Kilt, sporran, beret, long socks, jacket and tie, claymore strapped to his side, the whole package. Carmen wolf whistles.
CARMEN
Nice.
Charlie does a quick dance step and ends with a flourish.
CHARLIE
Not bad, eh?
Karol gets up to take a closer look.
KAROL
Not bad. Not bad.
(to Brock and Ezekiel)
What do you think?
Deep thought.
BROCK
I can rock that.
EZEKIEL
Me too. Not as bad as I thought it would look.
There is a KNOCK at the door. A PAGE opens the door and sticks his head into the room.
PAGE
Claymores, this is your 30 minute call.
CHARLIE
Thanks.
The page leaves.
CARMEN
Game time fellas. Hurry and get dressed and let’s run the routine one last time before we hit it.
INT. SACRAMENTO CONVENTION CENTER AUDITORIUM - NIGHT
A barbershop quartet dressed in standard gear of black pants and striped shirts with suspenders leaves the stage. Anne walks onto the stage from the other side and takes the microphone.
ANNE
Let’s hear it for Sactown Synchrony. Give those guys a round of applause. And now, last but certainly not least, we have a group coming out of Las Vegas, The Claymores!
The lights dim.
INT. BACKSTAGE - NIGHT
Charlie, Brock, Ezekiel and Karol stand on the side of the stage, frozen with stage fright.
EZEKIEL
They’re going to know, man, they’re going to know.
BROCK
Know what?
EZEKIEL
We’re not wearing underwear, man! Who does that? Who goes onstage with a dress on and no underwear?
CHARLIE
It’s not a dress, it’s a KILT.
EZEKIEL
You got any underwear on?
CHARLIE
Well, no.
KAROL
So we’re freeballing in front of all these people. That’s not right. It’s not right to freeball in front of grandmothers. There are grandmothers out there!
BROCK
I freeball all the time, what’s the big deal?
EZEKIEL
You gonna freeball in front of Nana?
BROCK
It’s not like she’s never seen balls before. She was married to Poppy for like 50 years, she did have kids. I’m sure she juggled some balls in her lifetime.
EZEKIEL
Okay now you’re crossing the line. You are CROSSING THE LINE! My Nana did not juggle Poppy’s balls!
INT. SACRAMENTO CONVENTION CENTER AUDITORIUM - SAME
“My Nana did not juggle Poppy’s balls!” resonates through the silent crowd. Shocked faces abound, with a few sultry looks from some grandmothers in the audience.
INT. BACKSTAGE - SAME
Ezekiel has Brock by the lapel, threatening to choke him while Charlie and Karol try to separate them. The page comes up behind them.
PAGE
Claymores. You’re on! Go!
Ezekiel releases Brock. Karol smooths out Brock’s outfit.
ANNE(O.S.)
Ladies and gentlemen, The Claymores!
PAGEGo! Go! Go!
The four of them take a deep breath, and then--
INT. SACRAMENTO CONVENTION CENTER AUDITORIUM - SAME
A barking military cadence from O.S. Charlie leads The Claymores on stage in a military-style jogging cadence, followed by Karol, then Brock and Ezekiel in the same cadence. They stop with several feet between them, covering the entire stage.
Charlie draws his sword. The others follow suit. They break into a rendition of “Citizen Soldier” made popular by the band 3 Doors Down. During the singing of the song, they engage in a very complex set of choreography involving the swords. They sound pretty good. The choreography is good, the boys stumble a few times, but the overall performance is very entertaining.
When they finish, the crowd sits stunned for a beat. Then, a STANDING OVATION. The Claymores run giddily off the stage.
INT. BACKSTAGE - SAME
The Claymores give each other high fives and celebrate their performance. Carmen gives each one a hug.
ANNE(O.S.)Well, that didn’t take long. Ladies and gentlemen, it looks like the judges have made a decision. The winner of this year’s West Coast Barbershop Quartet competition, moving on to the national finals in two weeks in Las Vegas, Nevada, is . . . The Claymores!
The audience erupts. The Claymores are dumbfounded.
CHARLIEWe won?
CARMEN
Get out there! Go!
KAROL
We won!
They run, jubilantly back onto the stage.
INT. SACRAMENTO CONVENTION CENTER PERFORMANCE STAGE - SAME
Anne holds out a trophy to The Claymores as they run to the center of the stage. Brock and Ezekiel try to elbow each other out of the way to accept the trophy. Karol outmaneuvers both of them to take it from Anne. Charlie grabs the microphone.
CHARLIE
You like us! You really, really like us!
Movement in the audience catches Charlie’s eye. A couple in middle aisle seats gets up and hurriedly runs from the theater. It is Tabitha and Darwin DeCloud.
CHARLIE (CONT'D)
Hey, is that Tabi--?
He drops the microphone, runs and jumps off the front of the stage. Unfortunately, there is an orchestra pit and Charlie tumbles from sight with a great CRASH.
KAROL
Where the hell did Charlie go?
He looks over the edge, Charlie is tangled in a heap of chairs on his back at the bottom of the orchestra pit.
KAROL (CONT'D)
What are you doing?
CHARLIE
Go catch that girl. That’s Shamus’ girlfriend.
KAROL
What girl?
CHARLIE
The one leaving down the center aisle with that guy. Hurry!
Karol turns for a second and quickly talks to Brock and Ezekiel. He turns and leaps easily over the orchestra pit, chasing Tabitha.
CUT TO:
INT. ORCHESTRA PIT - SAME
Charlie looks up as Karol sails over the orchestra pit, sans underwear.
CHARLIE Could’ve done without that visual.
Charlie extricates himself from the chairs and climbs out of the orchestra pit.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Sharing Life Treatment
"Sharing Life"by Patrick May
In a cubicle at the end of the day we meet RONNIE, an average-looking accountant fresh out of college in Phoenix, AZ. He watches the clock, waiting for the day to end. He is invited to a party, the same party he’s been attending since college started. He attends, but just like the rest of his life, he is bored with it. His sole means of excitement consists of going onto travel websites, picking out expansive travel plans and then canceling the plans before he has to pay for them.
Ronnie attends a nationwide corporate training session in Dallas. He knows no one there and spends his first night alone watching travel shows on TV in his hotel room in a nice airport hotel.
His first day of corporate instruction he is introduced to CHARLIE, a twenty-something corporate accountant with an intriguing beauty and manner. Ronnie tries, unsuccessfully, to gain access to her world. She is not quite indifferent to him, but does not go out of her way to let him in.
Ronnie gets his chance when he sees Charlie doing homework from the training session with others from class in the hotel lobby. He runs to his hotel room to get his homework and in his rush he gets in an altercation with an OLD MAN and his WIFE. The altercation is resolved by hotel security, but by the time Ronnie gets back to the lobby, Charlie is gone. The next day Ronnie finally catches Charlie’s eye in the training session. They flirt non-verbally, but every time Ronnie gets a chance to talk to her something or someone interrupts one of them.
That night, Ronnie makes sure to bring his homework with him everywhere he goes on the off chance he can meet with Charlie. Finally luck is on his side. She invites him into her homework group in a way only she can. After the homework is done, she uses Ronnie to fend off the painful advances of BILL, a member of her group. After Bill leaves, Charlie tells Ronnie to walk her back to her room so he will “know where to pick me up tomorrow morning.”
The next morning Ronnie shows up and drives her to the conference center. He brings her breakfast. She makes fun of him good-naturedly. There is instant chemistry between them. Outside of the conference center she goes to her normal set of friends, leaving Ronnie to fend for himself. At lunchtime, she again uses Ronnie to fend off a pick-up attempt from Bill. They go to lunch together. Charlie receives a phone call that she hides from Ronnie. Bill follows them and shows up as they are leaving the restaurant.
Bill talks to Charlie alone. Ronnie minds his business but ends up making some smart-aleck remarks that cause Bill to want to fight. Charlie defuses the situation, but Ronnie has a new enemy. Ronnie drives Charlie back to the conference center and asks her to dinner. She agrees.
At dinner Charlie marvels at how Ronnie eats the same meals at the same times every day. She cuts his dinner short, interrupting his predictable life. “You’re taking me bowling.”
Ronnie and Charlie bowl. Ronnie loses badly the first game. Another mysterious phone call for Charlie. They place a wager on the second game, if Ronnie wins he gets a kiss, if he loses he does her homework. They battle evenly, but before the game is over Bill shows up, looking for a fight. Ronnie and Charlie both throw punches but decide to flee the bowling alley before the fight gets out of hand. They decide they want to get some beer and go back to the hotel to talk.
The quest for beer in a dry Texas county turns into an epic journey through several counties. They finally score a 12-pack and head back to the hotel. They stand on a balcony overlooking the airport and drink their hard-earned beer. Ronnie waxes poetic on the airport, “Every time a plane takes off or lands, someone’s life changes.” It hits both of them that this night is their last night together as the seminar ends tomorrow.
Ronnie talks of tragedy while Charlie wants to live in the moment. They dance together in the hotel room. She teaches him how to find the moment. He has never ‘felt’ a moment before. Now he understands.
Bill has managed to track them back to Ronnie’s hotel room. Just as Ronnie and Charlie are leaning in for their first kiss, Bill knocks. Ronnie takes out all of his aggression on Bill with a nice assist from Charlie. The ‘felt’ moment is ruined. Charlie goes back to her room, alone, due to another mysterious phone call.
The next day the seminar ends. Charlie asks Ronnie to take her to the airport. They decide to get one last drink before her plane takes off. While getting the drink, Ronnie tries to tell Charlie how he feels about her. In the middle of the conversation Charlie gets a call . . . from her boyfriend. Ronnie is crushed. Charlie makes him promise to try to find that moment he ‘felt’ the night before again. Charlie says, “Thank you for sharing your life with me, even if it was only for a couple of days.” Ronnie agrees, “I guess that’s better than nothing, right?”
Charlie goes her way, Ronnie goes his. When he gets home the first thing he does is get online to a travel site. He picks out the best vacation. When it comes time to book it, instead of hitting the ‘back’ button, he books it.
In a cubicle at the end of the day we meet RONNIE, an average-looking accountant fresh out of college in Phoenix, AZ. He watches the clock, waiting for the day to end. He is invited to a party, the same party he’s been attending since college started. He attends, but just like the rest of his life, he is bored with it. His sole means of excitement consists of going onto travel websites, picking out expansive travel plans and then canceling the plans before he has to pay for them.
Ronnie attends a nationwide corporate training session in Dallas. He knows no one there and spends his first night alone watching travel shows on TV in his hotel room in a nice airport hotel.
His first day of corporate instruction he is introduced to CHARLIE, a twenty-something corporate accountant with an intriguing beauty and manner. Ronnie tries, unsuccessfully, to gain access to her world. She is not quite indifferent to him, but does not go out of her way to let him in.
Ronnie gets his chance when he sees Charlie doing homework from the training session with others from class in the hotel lobby. He runs to his hotel room to get his homework and in his rush he gets in an altercation with an OLD MAN and his WIFE. The altercation is resolved by hotel security, but by the time Ronnie gets back to the lobby, Charlie is gone. The next day Ronnie finally catches Charlie’s eye in the training session. They flirt non-verbally, but every time Ronnie gets a chance to talk to her something or someone interrupts one of them.
That night, Ronnie makes sure to bring his homework with him everywhere he goes on the off chance he can meet with Charlie. Finally luck is on his side. She invites him into her homework group in a way only she can. After the homework is done, she uses Ronnie to fend off the painful advances of BILL, a member of her group. After Bill leaves, Charlie tells Ronnie to walk her back to her room so he will “know where to pick me up tomorrow morning.”
The next morning Ronnie shows up and drives her to the conference center. He brings her breakfast. She makes fun of him good-naturedly. There is instant chemistry between them. Outside of the conference center she goes to her normal set of friends, leaving Ronnie to fend for himself. At lunchtime, she again uses Ronnie to fend off a pick-up attempt from Bill. They go to lunch together. Charlie receives a phone call that she hides from Ronnie. Bill follows them and shows up as they are leaving the restaurant.
Bill talks to Charlie alone. Ronnie minds his business but ends up making some smart-aleck remarks that cause Bill to want to fight. Charlie defuses the situation, but Ronnie has a new enemy. Ronnie drives Charlie back to the conference center and asks her to dinner. She agrees.
At dinner Charlie marvels at how Ronnie eats the same meals at the same times every day. She cuts his dinner short, interrupting his predictable life. “You’re taking me bowling.”
Ronnie and Charlie bowl. Ronnie loses badly the first game. Another mysterious phone call for Charlie. They place a wager on the second game, if Ronnie wins he gets a kiss, if he loses he does her homework. They battle evenly, but before the game is over Bill shows up, looking for a fight. Ronnie and Charlie both throw punches but decide to flee the bowling alley before the fight gets out of hand. They decide they want to get some beer and go back to the hotel to talk.
The quest for beer in a dry Texas county turns into an epic journey through several counties. They finally score a 12-pack and head back to the hotel. They stand on a balcony overlooking the airport and drink their hard-earned beer. Ronnie waxes poetic on the airport, “Every time a plane takes off or lands, someone’s life changes.” It hits both of them that this night is their last night together as the seminar ends tomorrow.
Ronnie talks of tragedy while Charlie wants to live in the moment. They dance together in the hotel room. She teaches him how to find the moment. He has never ‘felt’ a moment before. Now he understands.
Bill has managed to track them back to Ronnie’s hotel room. Just as Ronnie and Charlie are leaning in for their first kiss, Bill knocks. Ronnie takes out all of his aggression on Bill with a nice assist from Charlie. The ‘felt’ moment is ruined. Charlie goes back to her room, alone, due to another mysterious phone call.
The next day the seminar ends. Charlie asks Ronnie to take her to the airport. They decide to get one last drink before her plane takes off. While getting the drink, Ronnie tries to tell Charlie how he feels about her. In the middle of the conversation Charlie gets a call . . . from her boyfriend. Ronnie is crushed. Charlie makes him promise to try to find that moment he ‘felt’ the night before again. Charlie says, “Thank you for sharing your life with me, even if it was only for a couple of days.” Ronnie agrees, “I guess that’s better than nothing, right?”
Charlie goes her way, Ronnie goes his. When he gets home the first thing he does is get online to a travel site. He picks out the best vacation. When it comes time to book it, instead of hitting the ‘back’ button, he books it.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
