Afterglow Page #2

But you tried.

Yeah, maybe once or twice a long time

ago in the navy.

Something happened between my brain

and my fingers.

Guess my hands were made for other

things.

You're a good listener, Mrs. Byron.

I appreciate when people communicate

with each other.

Yeah.

I want to know exactly.

- I've looked at the X-rays.

- You know?

I did a part a once where I had

X-ray eyes.

Come in handy, wouldn't it?

God, I did some daft parts.

In

In "The Curse of Count Falco".

That was going to be my last bad part,

I had a good one all lined up but...

...the curse got the real me, too.

Spooky, how that happens.

I played a young widow who was

two months pregnant...

Phyllis, you have a few minor common

conditions.

But I'm afraid there's nothing

really wrong with you.

But um... Oh, well...

Life goes on then, doesn't it?

- Is this, 3,500 square feet?

- 3,500. Exactly!

- And you've got a pool.

- Never used it.

I was thinking of making this a

child's room. What do you think?

A child's room? This is nice.

This is really big.

- Are these, yours?

- Just a silly little hobby.

Pretty damn good. You should put them

on the walls.

No. Jeffrey hates them.

They're not very accomplished.

Well you could have fooled me.

I don't know what I like,

but I know what art is.

- Is the bedroom behind here?

- Yes.

I was thinking.

You could build a door right here

so you keep an eye on him.

- That's always important with a child.

- That would be great.

I've got some pictures here of

a little girl's room I did.

Let's see. That's a gat I did.

Here's Buffoni's. Whatever that is.

Here's this little girl's room.

- Here's the wallpaper that goes.

- I love the moons and stars.

- Yeah, that's great, ain't it?

- I love them!

- What do you think?

- Nice. You got a painter's eye.

- I like that. Let's do that.

- Let me get some measurements.

- Are you married, Lucky?

- 24 years to the same gal.

Used to be an actress in California.

Phyllis Hart.

She's on the tube every now and then,

in some old movie.

- Any children?

- No.

- Can I ask why not?

- It just didn't work out.

Phyl's a hell of a gal just for

putting up with me.

I can't imagine you'd be difficult

to live with.

I never got past having fund and

not feeling crappy about what I did.

That's all right, though.

She lets me do it, no questions asked.

She sounds like a very

secure woman.

I envy that.

Yeah.

Cassie...

Cassie?

Cass... Cass...

Cassie?

Cassie it's me!

Cassie! Cassie!

Cassie... Cassie... Cassie...

Cassie! Cassie!

Baby I'm so sorry.

I'm so sorry, baby.

Oh, my Cass.

I'm so sorry.

Be coming around at 9 in the morning

if that's okay.

- I might make some noise.

- I'll look forward to it.

- "See you later."

- "Yes."

See you!

I'll look forward to it.

"See you later."

- Busy?

- Just doing my nails.

Ornay sure plays cut-throat.

Glad we're on the same side.

- Watch it with that.

- Cut-throat.

- That's not funny.

- Excuse me, Mr. Byron.

Mr. Ornay's executive assistant

just called.

You look extremely nice again today,

Helene.

- Thank you, sir.

- Ditto, Helene.

You should come in here more often.

Mr. Ornay would like to re-schedule

your meeting to this weekend...

...at Chateau Lenore.

Rent me a car, and book everything,

me plus one.

Yes, sir.

Ever wonder about women being like

fine wine?

Sort of like kissing your aunt.

Kissing, Donald?

What are you doing?

Impossibilities, Donald.

I'm excited about the impossibilities

of things.

- Hey, Lucky.

- Hey, Judy.

- Would you get me a beer?

- Coming right up.

Hi, babe.

We can't escape the game.

I won't even glace at it if you're

going to say something.

No, go ahead. It's nice to see

them whack the little ball.

Better than whacking

the little woman.

Maybe you better go a little easy

on the sauce, babe.

Saying something like that?

I haven't touched the sauce.

I've been on the gin. And I never said

you whacked me, Luchy.

Not on the outside.

What is it with you, Phyl?

I come in here to have a nice dinner

and already you're firing shots.

What's that?

Okay, alright.

What did the doctor say?

What's that about?

He said very little indeed.

I seemed to do most of the talking.

- What's wrong with you?

- Nothing's wrong with me, Lucky.

- I'm just taking it as I see it.

- And you see plenty, babe.

Yeah, from behind my veils...

Like, what's her name, the belly dancer?

Like her.

Phyllis and the Seven Veils.

- Dopey, Grumpy, Sleepy...

- Happy.

Happy.

You know the hardest part of all,

Lucky...

...is finding out...

too late, that none of it lasts.

Bulb's got to blow out sooner or later,

babe.

Yes, it's lights out sooner or later.

But you know, the good stuff's still

hiding in the dark.

In the afterglow.

I saw Cassie today.

At the Parc des Ecluses. I know it was

her. My body knew it was her.

Would you like to order now?

Red sauce, right?

Tomato, yes.

And a little more sauce in here,

please.

It's so much fun seeing you guys.

It's been a while.

- Lucky, you still fixing things?

- Still fixing things?

The game.

What happened today?

- I didn't see her face.

- Jesus, Phyl. Just let it go.

It won't let me go. Or you.

She ran away from both of us.

She ran away from both of us and

since she isn't coming back, let it go.

It wasn't her today.

I didn't for a minute think

she'd be returning to us...

...a couple of selfish fools like us,

but I don't know, after 8 years...

...and we're still here, maybe she

thought it would be safe.

I mean, sometimes I think she'll just

appear.

Maybe she thinks we've become more...

Ioving?

She was nice, this girl today.

She held herself well.

She was carrying a shopping bag.

- Am I just making it all up?

- Sometimes you lose things, Phyl.

And sometimes you find them.

Just let it be, what it is.

It's lost, I know that.

I just want to feel happy or unhappy,

just something.

You still at the same number, Lucky?

I'll call you.

- Yeah, same number.

- Be right bacvk with the bread.

You still feel lots of things.

Lucky Mann, you great big old octopus...

- All your tentacles waving about.

- What do you want me to say, Phyl?

Just what the hell do you want me

to say?

You want me to say that I'm not eager

to dry up and live in the past?

- Not an octopus. An alley-cat.

- Lf you don't like the way things are...

...you can change it.

- It's house rules. You set them.

- I wasn't complaining.

Don't think I was complaining.

I don't.

I just sometimes feel a little pang

when you're out prowling the Ritz.

But what you and your little kittens do

in the privacy of their own basket...

...is none of my business.

Always been an alley-cat,

ain't changing now.

Ain't that how we did it?

Me curling up in your lap two or three

times a day at somebody's private pad.

Remember? Chocolate cream pies,

six pack of beer, and our song.

Sometimes, I'm tempted to find a nice

dark corner at the Ritz...

...and watch you in action.

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