Croupier Page #7

MARION:

Of course they will. You just have

to be patient. I'm betting on you.

She raises the glass of wine, drinks.

JACK:

I'm not much of a bet.

He drains his glass.

MARION:

You are to me.

She takes her scarf, puts it round his neck, pulls him

seductively towards the bedroom door.

MARION:

Come into my world.

She winds the black scarf across his face, covering his

eyes.

MARION:

(whispering)

You're my prisoner.

JACK:

I've got something to tell you.

MARION:

I want to hear it.

JACK:

I've got a job.

MARION:

(startled)

What job?

MARION pulls the scarf from his eyes. She wants to look at

him.

JACK:

In a casino. As a croupier. A

dealer.

MARION:

How did you land that?

JACK:

It came my way. 450 a week.

MARION:

(sits up)

450? What did you do, just walked

in and said I want to be a croupier?

Don't you need training?

JACK:

I had training. In the Republic.

MARION:

You were a croupier there? You

never told me that. I thought you

just knew some gamblers.

JACK:

I start Monday week.

From the street comes the whining sound of a car alarm.

MARION:

450 a week. I've never earned that

in my life. You're an enigma, you

are. A f***ing enigma.

JACK'S VOICE

Not an enigma, just a contradiction.

MARION looks deeply into his eyes.

MARION:

You sold the car. You got a job.

What's the third thing? Tell me.

JACK:

There's no third thing. Don't be

superstitious.

MARION:

I love you Jack, you know that.

JACK'S VOICE

And he half-loved Marion. And she

knew that too.

Outside, the car alarm stops. JACK takes MARION'S head in

his hands. She reaches for one of them, examines it.

JACK:

Are you trying to read my palm?

MARION:

You've got such beautiful hands.

JACK'S VOICE

The hands of a conjuror, a woman

had told him once. Or a card sharp.

Their hands interlock. She leads him into the bedroom.

INT. NAIL STUDIO - DAY

JACK'S hands are being worked on by a woman MANICURIST.

MANICURIST:

What line of work are you in?

JACK:

I'm an undertaker.

MANICURIST:

Really?

The MANICURIST stops for a moment, looks at him with

curiosity.

INT. BARBER SHOP - DAY

A BARBER is cutting JACK'S hair. He goes up JACK'S neck

with electric clippers. Jack's hair is now black.

BARBER:

Do you work round here?

JACK:

My office is in Shanghai.

BARBER:

(surprised)

What do you do?

JACK:

I'm an arms dealer.

The BARBER stops for a moment, nonplussed.

INT. CASINO - CHANGING ROOM - DAY

In front of the mirror JACK buttons a white shirt and

skillfully ties a black bow tie. His short hair is lacquered

back. He reaches down for his black jacket... puts it on.

The transformation is complete.

As he scrubs his nails, JACK sees a WOMAN in the mirror.

She is changing her clothes. She pulls off her Indian cotton

dress. She's wearing pants but no bra. Quite

unselfconsciously, not looking Jack's way, she dresses in

her casino clothes.

JACK dries his hands. He turns. The WOMAN smiles at him.

BELLA:

I'm Bella.

JACK:

Jack Manfred.

BELLA:

Hi, Jack.

(fits herself into

the uplift bra)

Welcome to the cesspit.

JACK:

Is it that bad?

BELLA:

(starts to do up

her top)

How do I look?

JACK'S VOICE

Like trouble, Bella. You look fine.

BELLA:

The punters love it. Tits in

uniform.

She laughs.

INT. CASINO - ROULETTE TABLE - NIGHT

JACK appears at the head of the table. The PUNTERS look at

him, not recognising him.

JACK'S VOICE

The usual bunch. They didn't know

Jack, but he knew them.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote