Birthday Girl Page #3

NADIA:

Yes.

John turns to face the road ahead.

JOHN:

(to himself)

Oh Jesus.

He drives in silence.

JOHN:

Oh Jesus.

Suddenly she winds the window down and vomits out of the

speeding car. John panics and swerves onto the hard shoulder

amidst loud horn blasts.

EXT. HARD SHOULDER - DAY

John navigates his way round the Rover in the rain to find

her kneeling on the verge, throwing up. He puts a hand on

her shoulder, but she stands up quickly, maintaining an icy

dignity considering what has just happened.

EXT. JOHN'S CLOSE - DAY

It has stopped raining and a group of young boys are playing

cricket in the road. They clear as a Yellow Rover pulls into

the Close, and into the drive of the little house at the

end.

As John climbs out of his car he eyes the boys. The boys eye

him, and his new friend.

INT. JOHN'S HOUSE - DAY

The front door closes behind them. John and Nadia stand in

the silence of his hallway. There is a small banner hanging

there:
"Welcome Nadia". They study the banner together,

gravely.

Eventually he opens a door.

JOHN:

(quietly)

Lounge.

She peers round him and looks inside. He leads her down

towards the kitchen.

JOHN:

Kitchen.

She glances around it. Then back at John. He nods to himself,

looking tense and pale.

INT. JOHN'S UPSTAIRS LANDING - DAY

He puts her suitcase down on the landing, and opens a door.

Without looking inside:

JOHN:

Bathroom.

He closes it.

INT. MAIN BEDROOM - DAY

Standing in the doorway of John's bedroom.

JOHN:

Bedroom.

There it is. The Double Bed. John frowns gravely.

Without warning, he marches out. She comes out onto the

landing to catch John plus suitcase kicking open another

door and vanishing inside.

INT. SPARE BEDROOM - DAY

Nadia peers around the door to find John standing next to a

narrow monk-like single bed.

JOHN:

The uh... the other bedroom...

She looks at it, then up at John. She turns and walks out.

Now she's back, with her camouflaged hold-all, dumps it onto

the floor, heaves the suitcase onto the bed and smoking no-

hands, starts unpacking. John plugs in the lamp by the bed.

To show Nadia how it works he switches it on, off, on, off,

and then feels stupid.

JOHN:

I'll get an ashtray.

With John gone, Nadia stops unpacking. She walks to the window

and stares out over the rooftops of the estate.

CUT TO:

INT. LOUNGE - DAY

John on the phone.

ANSWER MACHINE:

You have reached From Russia with

Love. Our office reopens on Monday.

If you are interested in our

services...

(etc. etc.)

Thank You.

JOHN:

This is John Buckingham from St

Albans. I need to speak to you

urgently. There's a critical problem.

It's... Call me back as soon as

possible. It's critical.

INT. STAIRS / LANDING - DAY

John climbs the stairs holding a saucer for an ashtray. He

knocks lightly on the spare room door.

INT. SPARE ROOM / LANDING - DAY

Nadia is lying asleep on the bed in only her black underwear.

We duck straight back out.

John composes himself. He puts his head back round the door

as if there's a real chance it will be shot off. She's facing

away, arms folded, still holding the cigarette. It has burnt

out, leaving a long curl of ash on her bare hip.

He approaches the bed with immense trepidation, eases the

cigarette from between her fingers and drops it in the bin.

He stares at her bare hip, with the ash on it. Holding the

saucer under the ash, he blows on it gently. It takes three

careful breaths before it drops in the saucer. Unseen by

John, her eyes are wide open as he steals out onto the

landing. We stay with her a moment.

CUT TO:

A pot of stew, bubbling on the hob.

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

John is stirring a pot on the hob. By his expression he might

be defusing a bomb.

His head c*cks, he stiffens. Nadia walks right into the

kitchen. She's changed, jeans and a tee shirt. Nadia takes

the spoon from him, says something in Russian, gestures for

him to sit.

She tastes the stew. Now she stirs the pot. He watches her.

CUT TO:

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

John and Nadia sit opposite each other. She takes a mouthful.

They catch one another's eye. And again.

On the wall across, six ants careen in crazy circles. John

can see them, but doesn't move.

He puts his fork down.

JOHN:

I don't know what to say. Your letters

were in English. Good English. You

said you'd studied English.

Nadia reaches down into her bag and pulls out a small box

wrapped in brown paper. She places it in front of him.

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