Aftertaste Page #22

Season #1 Episode #1

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MELODY RAE:

I...do?

MISTER S:

Yes. Luca Marcello? He’s tall with

a dark complexion like me. He

brings his dog, Cappuccino, to your

grooming salon.

MELODY RAE makes the connection that this is the infamous MISTER S, the man who has periodically shown up over the years in her life at the most obscure times, and she begins to lose her balance. The wine bottles in the basket wake her from her dumbfounded daze as they start to tip over the edge. Mister S rushes forward, grabs the end of the handle and shoves the bottles down into the crate farther. Their arms touch ever so slightly.

MELODY RAE takes in a heavy whiff of his scent and begins to feel intoxicated by the fresh, clean bar soap, bringing back memories of her childhood days at Lake of the Woods campground in Oregon where she spent her summers as a little girl. Burdened since childhood with a heightened sense of smell: hyperosmia—an increased olfactory acuity, scents have a powerful effect on her equilibrium.

MELODY RAE:

I’m so sorry. I’m a complete klutz.

MELODY RAE scrambles to attempt to push the items even farther into the basket.

MISTER S:

I spill things all the time...

seriously!

MELODY RAE:

Same here.

MISTER S then notices MELODY RAE’S wine selection and offers a few alternative brands. And while he drones on and on, sounding like a professional sommelier, using words like nutty, fruity, fat, dirty, vanilla, cedar and acidic with a rich, long, and complex aftertaste, she is so distraught by their serendipitous encounter she zones out, replaying their past encounters wondering what it all means, not hearing anything he is saying. She is being his mouth and admiring his adorable dimples, standing frozen, with a ludicrous grin on her face, not hearing a word, until he mentions how his dog, Faith, is Cappuccino’s daughter, which abruptly wakes her out of her reverie.

MISTER S leans forward and brushes his hands across her bracelets.

MISTER S:

You must like to jingle.

Astonished, MELODY RAE pulls her hand back.

MELODY RAE:

(chuckling)

I do.

(beat)

I’m sorry, I’m super late. I have

to go.

MELODY RAE begins to walk away and then turns around.

MELODY RAE:

You know, I can tell that you’re

related to Luca. You two look

remarkably similar. I mean, it’s

obvious you have his genes.

MISTER S:

(pointing at his jeans)

No, I don’t. These are mine! That

is, unless he sold them to the

Shasta Outlet Store.

MELODY RAE:

(while walking away)

Very funny.

MELODY RAE scrambles into her jeep, closes the door and buckles the seat belt, closes her eyes, takes a long deep breath, exhales, and turns on the car radio to find a wave of pleasure come over her. The song she’d been craving to hear Wild Thing by Tone Loc was playing through the stereo speakers. She smiled and began to sing the lyrics loudly as she headed to Kat’s cottage.

EXT. MCCLOUD CALIFORNIA – EVENING - SUMMER

SUPERIMPOSE:
EVE OF FOURTH OF JULY 2011

INT. KAT’S COTTAGE

Kat pours each a hot mug of coffee, adding a splash of

hazelnut cream. Toasting their mugs, they both take a slow

steamy sip. It is approaching morning. They are both

sitting on the living room floor, leaning up against the couch, with their coffee mugs nestled to their chests. The

birthday book is open on the coffee table.

MELODY RAE:

(grabbing her notepad)

I was ready to head home and get some needed

rest, but I have to first sum up my debacle

with Kyle.

KAT:

Wait a minute. Was Kyle the last guy you

dated?

MELODY RAE nods.

KAT:

Have you seriously not had sex in almost

seven years?

MELODY RAE nods.

KAT:

Holy moly! You could be a nun. I don’t know

how you could be celibate for so long? Lord

knows, I couldn’t.

MELODY RAE wipes a tear from her face.

KAT:

(comforting her with a hug)

Aw, Melody R-a-a-ae! My bad, I am so sorry.

I so didn’t mean it. Damn my big mouth.

KAT hands her a tissue box. MELODY RAE wipes her face and blows her nose.

MELODY RAE:

No, no, no. It’s not your fault. You were

being honest. I know that you know, it’s not

like I planned my life to turn out like this.

I didn’t choose to be sexless. In all honesty,

I probably would settle for a guy who is

interested in pure sex, I just don’t

attract that type. You want to know the

type I attract. Needy control freaks who

want to suffocate my time and then take

all my money. . . seriously! I’m a total

leach magnet.

KAT gasps and then laughs.

MELODY RAE:

Oh, and to top it off, they’re usually

suffering from some sort of peculiar

malady, like schizophrenia.

KAT reaches for a pillow off the couch and throws it at her head and they both started laughing.

MELODY RAE:

But seriously Kat, the older I get, the

fewer choices I have.

KAT:

Well, now me? I do attract the horny

bastards. I can give you some numbers if...

MELODY RAE:

NO!

KAT:

Of course, I was kidding, which you know.

But on a serious note, Melody Rae, you will

meet somebody, someday. Timing just hasn’t

been right. You’re lovely, and it’s never

too late to meet mister wonderful.

MELODY RAE:

I know you’re right. You’re right. . .one

day. But it’s not a priority right now.

So, can we just get back to where we were

and end this madness?

KAT:

Yes, absolutely! Sum up Kyle. I’m ready.

Bring it on.

MELODY RAE looks down at the legal pad.

MELODY RAE:

Oh, that’s right, after Kyle I had trouble

choosing just one song. I had to write down

two. Our break-up was that unsettling. But

I selected the one that was most fitting.

Ready?

KAT:

Of course, read.

MELODY RAE:

The song that brings instant memories

of the nocturnal catfish, Kyle, is ‘I Can

Get Off on You’ by Waylon Jennings and

Willie Nelson. Little did I know that

when he sang that song to me at our

wedding, he was a recovering addict. The

lyrics explicitly say I can get off on

you, clearly suggesting I was his drug.

KAT:

Oh lord, ain’t that the truth. Yeah, he

really needed you. You know, it’s one of

my favorite songs. The lyrics are

emotionally powerful.

(singing)

Take back the weed, take back the cocaine

baby. Take back the pills, take back the

whiskey too. I don't need them now, your

love was all I was after. I'll make it now,

I can get off on you. I can get by on

little or nothing at all, I know. I can

get high just thinkin' about you, and so.

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