Birthday Girl Page #14

INT. / EXT. MOVING ROVER - DAY

Alexei opens one of the cases and looks inside. He takes a

deep breath and swears in Russian.

He shows what is in the case to Nadia. Her eyes widen.

Alexei gently lowers the gag and kisses her on the mouth.

She returns the kiss hungrily.

John spots them in the mirror and nearly crashes the car.

He looks desperately across at Yuri. Yuri is now pointing

the big knife at John's ribs. The Russian shrugs almost

apologetically.

In the back seat Nadia has freed herself and is beginning to

pull at Alexei's clothes. They begin making out passionately.

John's eyes slowly lose focus. He turns grey, then white. He

drives and we watch the life seep out of him.

EXT. DUAL CARRIAGEWAY - NIGHT

Cars tear through the night along the carriage way, past a

Happy Eater. We pan round, across the motorway to a single

storey run-down Motel.

INT. MOTEL CHALET 17 - NIGHT

A crusty motel chalet. Yuri and Alexei are sitting on a double

bed counting the money. The T.V. is on in the corner with

the sound turned down and there are empty miniatures from

the mini-bar scattered around.

Nadia appears from the kitchenette area. They all seem more

relaxed, more themselves, as if what we've seen before was

an act. For the first time in the film their conversation

appears as English subtitles.

NADIA:

So?

Alexei says "SSShhh" He is counting in his head. He stops.

ALEXEI:

(to Yuri)

You first.

YURI:

Fifty thousand. Almost exactly.

NADIA:

Sixty four thousand, eight hundred.

ALEXEI:

There's over eighty thousand here.

They look at each other, absorbing the moment.

YURI:

Sweet Jesus...

He lies back on the bed and chuckles.

ALEXEI:

Put it in the cases. Split it up.

And don't forget you owe me £150.

YURI:

What for?

ALEXEI:

You know what for.

YURI:

No I don't.

ALEXEI:

I got you those trousers from Paul

Smith.

YURI:

I've been buying you stuff all week.

I've been buying him stuff all week.

ALEXEI:

Such as?

Nadia is smiling at them as they squabble.

YURI:

When we went to the Hard Rock Cafe.

Who paid? When we went to see 'Cats'.

Who paid?

ALEXEI:

Those aren't presents. That's normal

friendship stuff

YURI:

I paid for those guitar cases.

NADIA:

What was 'Cats' like?

YURI:

It was alright.

ALEXEI:

Yeah it was okay.

YURI:

Yeah. It was quite good actually.

Some bits I really liked.

ALEXEI:

The sets were good.

YURI:

The sets were excellent. Everything

was big, you know, all the rubbish,

coke cans, sweet wrappers, dustbins,

so when you were watching it you

felt cat size. It was really clever.

Yuri goes into the bathroom, leaving Nadia and Alexei alone

on the bed.

Alexei runs his hand across Nadia's cheek.

ALEXEI:

(softly)

So. How many times did you have to

f*** him?

INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT

Yuri in the bathroom, he undoes his flies pees. At the other

end of the bathroom, tied to the bidet, gagged, is John.

YURI:

How you doing?

John refuses to meet his eye. Yuri flushes and wipes his

hands.

YURI:

I'll show you something. It should

make all this easier I think.

From his back pocket, Yuri takes out an old envelope. He

opens it and removes a dozen or so Polaroids.

John looks down at the first Polaroid. Nadia, Alexei and a

man John doesn't recognise at a birthday party. There is a

cake with candles and everyone is smiling. The next picture

is the same. And the next.

Sometimes Germany, sometimes France, but otherwise the

pictures are the same, each 'fiancee' beaming with his arm

round Nadia, Alexei looking on.

John studies the faces of his fellow dupes and at last comes

to his own picture. Despite himself tears come to his eyes.

YURI:

Not all these bastards were like

you, believe me. You should not too

feel bad.

Yuri takes John's left hand and pulls off Nadia's ring. He

puts it in his pocket.

INT. MOTEL BEDROOM - NIGHT

Alexei smokes on the bed. Nadia is lying the other way. She

holds her hand out for his cigarette and he passes it. They

have the relaxed air of longtime lovers.

Subtitles again.

NADIA:

It's enough isn't it?

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