Girl Talk
From Rom Com
LOCATION: Eastern Accents
CHARACTERS: Aimee, Hallie, Kati, Dylan
This is a scene in which Kati and Hallie confer over what has just happened to Hallie (i.e., the seduction) and discuss her attraction to Nick. Aimee arrives eventually, and we also get a glimpse of Dylan, who probably goes off with Hallie or something. This takes place inside Eastern Accents.
INT. Eastern Accents. Day.
They are sitting at one of the tables by the window. It is arranged so that Hallie has her back directly to the window and Kati is facing her, so that an over-the-shoulder shot would capture the whole interior of the restaurant.
It was weird.
Kati stares at her.
I don't know! It was weird! (She is somewhat defensive. Kati has a way of making people feel as if she can see their thought processes.)
(delicately) He just...
(cuts her off)On the mouth. (Pause.) It was kind of nice, actually.
Why? (she is more put off than inquisitive.)
Oh, I don't know. He's just usually all talk and no...you know...
No...
Action. All talk and no action.
Ah.
Nice theoretically. You know. In actuality (she does something to effect a pause; perhaps applies chapstick or rubs her nose, but whatever...) odd. Unexpected. (Pause. Eagerly, almost desperately:) Do you think he likes me?
I don't think he likes anyone. And I wouldn't trust him.
(Sarcastically; it is as if she were about to say "No duh" right after the line) I don't trust Greg. God.
Do you trust me?
Yes.
And if I were to ask you a personal question, would you tell me the truth?
Suddenly Aimee breezes into the restaurant, causing the bell on the door to ring.
Hey guys, how's it going? (She shoots Kati with a tiny water pistol.) Hold on a minute; I hear a bowl of gazpacho (or whatever food.) calling my name.
What I mean is, if you, for instance, robbed a bank, and I were the federal agent on your tail, and I asked you directly if you'd done it, you'd confess, right? Because we're friends.
Yes. Um, unless I'd robbed the banks in my sleep. Then I wouldn't know about it.
Barring the impossible--
That's not impossible, actually. It really happens. I read about these people in NEWSWEEK who have sex in their sleep. It's a common occurence. Apparently one in ten otherwise innocuous sexual encounters involves one or both parties being asleep. Usually both. (Pause.) But you wanted to ask me something.
No, not really.
Aimee comes to the table and pulls up a chair next to Kati. She eats whatever food she is eating amusingly for a while. There is an awkward pause.
So.
What?
Nothing, I was just looking at you.
You seemed somehow...predatory.
I was not.
In fact, I anticipated you reaching out and biting a chunk out of my upper arm.
I see it too. Her eyes...they're like glowing coals.
Coals...
Aimee and Kati get steadily more intense. Suddenly Kati turns and fake-bites Aimee on the neck.
AUGH! (She shoots her water pistol in the air.) Oh god would you look at that geyser of blood. (Her phone rings.) Oh hold on. (Kati disengages herself from Aimee's neck. Aimee stands and picks up her phone.) Hi Greg. Hold on guys, it's Greg.
She goes off to a corner table.
How are you and Tobias?
All right. All right, you know.
Yeah?
Oh, he's...busy.
Mmm.
Yeah. (Sigh.)
But you like William.
What? No!...How did you figure that out?
Don't worry, I won't tell anybody.
Good. Don't. I'm in a relationship. A happy one. And even if I am attracted to somebody else...
Kati makes some slight gesture of affirmation.
Well, I just won't act on it, that's all.
(Sitting back down.) Greg says "Hi"! (Pause.) Actually he said something about "Tell those scabrous philistines that they will soon taste the bitterness of defeat", but I think that translates as "Hi". (Pause. To Hallie.) So tell me about your crush on William.
Is it that obvious?
To everyone except him.
At this point we see Dylan in the window behind Hallie. She does a long, improv'd monologue about how she doesn't want to break up with Tobias and is hoping that her crush on William goes away...giving him enough time to come in. Then he and she have a short segment of improv, eventually leading to their exit.
Previously: Alex/Hallie Seduction Next: Invitation
