Before Midnight Page #12

JESSE:

(a beat)

Last night I had this dream where I

was reading a book. It was a lost

classic, "The Rovers".

CELINE:

"The Rovers"?

JESSE:

Yeah, like roving around, you know,

wandering? It was all these young

people.

CELINE:

Okay. Is that a real book?

JESSE:

No, no, no.

79.

CELINE:

No?

JESSE:

But it was really great.

CELINE:

Okay.

JESSE:

It was fresh, funny, experimental,

it had all this energy...

CELINE:

I love that you read books in your

dreams.

JESSE:

I know, and they're always really

good.

CELINE:

I have major action hero dreams,

like I'm flying around like a

superhero, breaking through walls.

And at the end, I have an orgasm.

JESSE:

(Laughs)

Well, I'm gonna try to make your

dreams come true, babe.

They arrive at the waterfront. The sun is now setting over

the ocean.

EXT. CAFE - EVENING

They are now sitting at an outdoor table with a couple of

glasses of wine, staring at the last bit of the fireball,

quickly disappearing.

CELINE:

Still there. Still there. ... Still

there. Still there. ... Gone.

They sit in silence. Eventually, Jesse looks over at Celine

and notices she's moved. He just takes her hand. The sun

is now gone.

INT. HOTEL LOBBY - NIGHT

As they are checking into the hotel, Jesse is signing various

paperwork.

80.

HOTEL CLERK #1

I need your credit card.

JESSE:

Oh, I think the room is paid for.

HOTEL CLERK #1

Yes it is, but the credit card is

for

(Speaks Greek)

CELINE:

Incidentals.

JESSE:

Right, of course.

Another HOTEL CLERK (#2) emerges from office with his two

books.

SOFIA:

Mr. Wallace?

JESSE:

Yeah?

SOFIA:

I am such a fan of these two books.

My husband gave me your book on our

first date and then when your second

book came out, we read it out loud

together.

JESSE:

Oh, wow.

SOFIA:

Would you please sign them to us?

JESSE:

Yeah, of course, of course.

SOFIA:

Thank you.

JESSE:

I love the art work on these Greek

editions, it's really nice. Uh,

what do you need?

SOFIA:

Make it to Sofia and Pavlos.

JESSE:

Okay. How's the Greek translation?

81.

As Jesse signs the books, the Hotel Clerk starts paying

attention to Celine.

SOFIA:

Well, it's called "Afti ti Fora,

Ekini ti Fora"

JESSE:

"Ekini ti Fora."

SOFIA:

But I'm not sure it's a great one.

JESSE:

Well, that's because you never read

it in English, right?

SOFIA:

Exactly. ... That's great. Could

you sign them too?

CELINE:

Me?

SOFIA:

Yes. You're the real Madeline, right?

CELINE:

Madeline? Not really. People assume

it's me but it's - it's not me at

all. He's got a big imagination.

SOFIA:

Would you be so kind? It would mean

so much to my husband.

The book is passed to Celine.

CELINE:

I can't sign a book I didn't write.

It doesn't make

Jesse passes the books to Celine.

JESSE:

She'd be happy to.

SOFIA:

Okay. Thank you.

CELINE:

I'm happy to.

She begins to sign.

82.

JESSE:

Efharisto.

CELINE:

Okay. Thank you.

SOFIA:

Great. Thank you so much.

INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Celine and Jesse enter the room.

JESSE:

Check it out!

CELINE:

Wow, this is nice!

JESSE:

Yeah.

CELINE:

Clean... air conditioning... I love

it! Oh my god.

JESSE:

It's great.

CELINE:

Wow, oh wow, that bath tub.

Jesse goes over to the table to examine what's on it.

JESSE:

Hey, check this out. Stefanos and

Ariadni got us a bottle of wine and

a couple's massage.

CELINE:

They are so nice, we have to get

them a present before we leave.

JESSE:

I know, we should remember to get

something for the kids, too.

CELINE:

Yeah, I know. For sure. Wow. I

miss the girls.

Jesse seductively touches her.

JESSE:

Mmm, I don't.

83.

Then kisses her. She eventually looks out the window.

CELINE:

This is such a nice view. Look.

JESSE:

The only view that I am interested

in...

CELINE:

What?

JESSE:

... Is right... here. Here. Let's

see this.

He slowly undoes her top, revealing her still-perfect breasts.

They kiss passionately.

JESSE (CONT'D)

(Whispering)

What?

CELINE:

(touches his chin)

It's funny. I never noticed until

today but... all the red in your

beard is gone. It used to be one of

the things that made me fall for

you, it's crazy.

JESSE:

Well, it's not gone, it's just white.

You're not gonna tell me that your

love is dependent on pigment, are

you? No?

CELINE:

No, but you know, I see the red in

our girls' eyelashes. I look at

them and it makes me think of when

we met.

JESSE:

You know what I'm looking forward

to?

CELINE:

Yeah? What?

JESSE:

After uh...

CELINE:

After?

84.

JESSE:

Yeah.

(Laughing)

CELINE:

What?

JESSE:

Is waking up next to you alone.

CELINE:

You mean without Nina and Ella jumping

on our heads.

JESSE:

Exactly. I haven't heard you think

in years now.

CELINE:

Think?

JESSE:

I used to wake up to that sound of

your eyes opening and closing, and

that brain of yours going two million

miles an hour. I miss it, hearing

you think.

CELINE:

When you said you could hear me think,

I really thought you could. But it

was just my eyelids. How dumb and

romantic of me.

JESSE:

It's my favorite thing.

CELINE:

I miss thinking, too. No more

thinking in the morning, no more

morning sex.

JESSE:

Tomorrow...

CELINE:

I'm looking forward to it so much, I

don't think I will sleep.

JESSE:

I'm looking forward to right now.

CELINE:

Okay, then stop talking, so we can

f***.

85.

They kiss until Celine's cell phone rings.

CELINE (CONT'D)

(Laughs)

Oh, sh*t, who is it?

JESSE:

The kids.

Celine crawls out of bed and heads across the room toward

her bag.

CELINE:

I said they could call in case of

emergency only. Hope the girls are

okay. Okay. Oh, it's Henry. Okay.

Celine picks up.

CELINE (CONT'D)

Hi sweetie - are you okay? Are you

in London? Oh! Oh, already?

(listens)

Oh, no, we found it. Uh, we'll mail

it tomorrow morning.

(listens)

Yeah. Ohh, they miss you, too.

I'll kiss them for you. Okay, I'll

tell him. Good luck with your mom I

love you too. Bye.

Celine hangs up. Jesse gestures for the phone are again

ignored.

CELINE (CONT'D)

He's fine. He says he'll call you

from Chicago when he lands.

JESSE:

Why can't I talk to him? That's

twice you've done that. C'mon, you

could have just handed me the phone.

You know I want to talk to him.

CELINE:

Well, he didn't have time to talk he

said they were boarding.

JESSE:

And what'd he forget? What was that?

Jesse glares.

86.

CELINE:

His science project. But we'll mail

it tomorrow. It'll be fine.

JESSE:

You shouldn't have said that about

his mom.

CELINE:

What? What did I say?

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