By the Sea Page #2

- It's all right. It's all right.

- No, I can't... It's just...

- Vanessa, enough.

- Please.

- Stop! Stop!

- No.

Stop it! Stop!

- Enough!

- Please.

I'm your husband.

I can't.

At some point

you're gonna stop acting like this.

(CONVERSING IN FRENCH)

ROLAND:
Merci.

ROLAND:
Are we ever gonna talk about it?

(VANESSA LAUGHING)

ROLAND:
Nessa?

Do you hate me? Do you hate me?

Stop!

Just stop!

You resist happiness.

Nessa?

Ness?

(SIGHS)

(DOOR CLOSES)

(EXHALES)

(CONVERSING IN FRENCH)

(BOTH LAUGHING)

(DOOR OPENS)

You're smiling.

(BREATHING SHAKILY)

Now my outsides match my insides.

(MOANS SADLY)

Stay.

Stay.

(DOOR CLOSES)

ROLAND:
Good morning.

We were out of coffee.

Why you looking at me like that?

Just looking.

(FRANOIS STRUMMING GUITAR)

(CONVERSING IN FRENCH)

(FRANOIS PLAYING ROCK MUSIC)

(CAMERA CLICKING)

(STOPS PLAYING)

(LEA LAUGHS)

- (HEART BEATING)

- (LEA MOANS)

(EXHALES)

Hello.

Hello.

Did you go on your trip?

Your wife said you went on a trip.

It was okay.

But I prefer to stay here.

I grew up in a place like this,

so I'm happy here.

Mmm.

We might have a big sailing day next week.

And we don't really have

any friends up here, so...

would you and your husband

consider coming?

- Sailing?

- Yes, sailing. Why not?

It can be fun.

And you can do the same thing

you're doing now,

- only on the sea.

- (CHUCKLES)

- I'll talk to my husband.

- Sure.

Good night.

Good night.

- VANESSA:
Hi.

- Hi.

Thought I'd bring dinner home tonight.

VANESSA:
I'll get some plates.

- Nessa?

- Yeah?

We okay?

We are... the same

as we've been for a long time.

No different.

Okay.

They asked if we wanted to go sailing.

How wonderful. And you said?

I said we hate boats and we hate people.

No, you didn't.

I didn't, but we do.

So we're not going, right?

Do you wanna go?

Why do I feel like

that's a trick question?

I just thought maybe an adventure

would be good for us.

Maybe, I don't know.

You realize how shocking that is

to hear you say that?

But, yes, I would love

something fun for us.

(POURING)

- (INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)

- (FRENCH MUSIC PLAYING)

(CONVERSING IN FRENCH)

(MAN CHATTERING IN FRENCH ON TV)

(LEA AND FRANOIS CONVERSING IN FRENCH)

(FRANOIS LAUGHS)

(DOOR OPENS)

(DOOR CLOSES)

ROLAND:
Were you watching them?

What were they doing?

I ask because I was here the other day

while you were on a walk,

and I noticed the hole,

and I watched them...

f***ing.

Does that bother you?

Will you watch with me?

(LEA MOANING)

(LEA SPEAKING FRENCH)

(LEA LAUGHING)

(LEA GIGGLING)

Do you wanna take a shower?

Yes.

- (VANESSA CRYING)

- (SHOWER RUNNING)

- ROLAND:
Good morning.

- VANESSA:
Morning.

We're out of milk.

Will you get some when you go to work?

You watch them in the morning?

Sometimes.

I think I might stay home today.

Is that all right? Do you wanna be alone?

No.

Are we perverse?

Would it bother you if we were?

No.

(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)

(FRENCH MUSIC PLAYING)

- Hey, neighbor.

- Morning.

It's our two-months anniversary.

I was thinking of berries and cream.

Maybe port? I don't know.

- I guess it's the thought.

- Yeah. When's yours?

Winter.

Winter? (CHUCKLES)

(DOOR CLOSES)

Were you with her?

She was at the store.

It's their anniversary.

Ah.

When's ours?

November. Uh... End of November.

Yeah.

What day?

ROLAND:
27, 20...

Can't remember.

Me neither.

- Ness?

- Mmm?

It doesn't mean anything.

It doesn't mean anything

that we can't remember.

Okay?

They had fresh pastries.

(VANESSA AND FRANOIS

SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)

What did he want?

- VANESSA:
Who?

- Franois.

He wanted to know

if we still wanted to go sailing.

You're lying.

He asked me for a cigarette.

I started smoking when we got here,

and you were here, so I said I was out.

I know you started smoking.

Did you?

Yeah. I know you.

(LEA AND FRANOIS CONVERSING IN FRENCH)

(LEA GASPS)

(BOTH LAUGHING)

(BOTH CONTINUE CONVERSING IN FRENCH)

(FRANCOIS CHUCKLING)

(LEA GASPING)

(MOANING)

(BOTH MOANING)

VANESSA:
Do you see that fisherman?

He goes out every day,

comes back every night.

Hardly catches any fish.

What keeps him from going insane?

From being so tired of it all?

What is it we don't know?

Let's go to the caf for a drink.

Mmm...

No.

How about we invite our neighbors?

Get them liquored up, and see

what they do when they're plastered.

- (JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING)

- (INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)

(ALL CONVERSING IN FRENCH)

What would you like?

- I heard pastis is good.

- Pastis. Pastis.

(CLINK)

- Hey!

- Hello.

ALL:
Bonsoir.

Hello.

ROLAND:
This is Vanessa's

first encounter with pastis.

- (ALL EXCLAIMING)

- Really?

- And?

- VANESSA:
And I've had two.

- Yeah?

- Mmm-hmm.

What did you think?

I think you should have two.

- LEA:
(CHUCKLES) Oh.

- FRANOIS:
I'm not so sure.

- ROLAND:
Just takes a little practice.

- Yeah?

FRANOIS:
I have some memories.

(LAUGHING)

So, Roland,

Vanessa tells us you're a writer.

- Uh, some days.

- It's great. I wish I could write.

Mmm. Well, I do, too, lately.

- Hmm.

- WAITER:
Voil.

- LEA:
Oh-la-la.

- (ALL LAUGHING)

- What do you do, Franois?

- Mmm, I just opened an art gallery in Paris.

- ROLAND:
Mmm.

- It's your own gallery?

FRANOIS:
Yes. I was a dealer first.

Art dealer, and then I opened a gallery.

And hopefully, I have the help

of my nice little wife.

- So we work together.

- (FRANOIS AND LEA LAUGHING)

- Cheers.

- Okay, cheers, everyone.

LEA:
Cheers.

Mmm.

- Mmm.

- That's strong.

- What do you do, Vanessa?

- Me?

- Absolutely nothing.

- (BOTH GASP)

LEA:
You're a wife, like me.

VANESSA:
Mmm... Technically, yes.

- But I'm not very good at that either.

- That's not true.

She's a fantastic wife.

She's the best little homemaker

in the world.

Not funny?

I used to be a dancer.

- LEA:
Oh.

- Mmm.

That's great.

Why did you stop?

Because I got old.

- FRANOIS:
But very beautiful.

- (LEA CHUCKLES)

(CONVERSING IN FRENCH)

Yes, yes.

- I know this thing by heart.

- VANESSA:
New Yorkers do not eat pigeon.

- We eat escargot, too.

- FRANOIS:
I think I want another drink.

- We are strange.

- VANESSA:
You are strange.

- All right. Four more pastis.

- (ALL TOASTING)

(GLASSES CLINKING)

ROLAND:
Dear Lord, that was painful.

VANESSA:
Let's hope it pays off.

(DOOR CLOSES)

(GROANS)

(FRANOIS SPEAKING FRENCH)

(CONVERSING IN FRENCH)

(POURING)

(STRUMS GUITAR)

Well, now we know.

They're miserable drunks.

(SIGHS)

(FRENCH MUSIC PLAYING)

Isn't this just everything?

- My first time.

- Really? Well, you're a natural.

(INDISTINCT)

Can you hold it for me?

(INDISTINCT)

(LEA LAUGHING)

(ALL LAUGHING)

You look beautiful laying there.

Maybe I don't say that enough.

It's difficult, because it makes me

wanna be with you.

And I know how hard it is

for you to be with me.

Only, don't begin to think

he sees you any differently than I do.

Of course he does.

He doesn't know me.

Is that what you want?

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