Elle Page #10

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RICHARD:

For Your Pleasure, red vinyl! ...Hey!

There’s a loud GLEEEECH of a needle lifting as Robertcommandeers the turntable, over Richard’s protest.

MICHELLE:

They should just take their cocksout and measure.

ANNA:

The way Robert loves to relive his

youth, it should worry me - we knowwhere that leads, don’t we?

Michelle smiles again but this one’s a bit tense. Anna sees

Vincent coming up the walk as Josie, the new baby (screaming)

in her arms, goes back to close the car door. Vincent entersthe kitchen, carrying a homemade pie.

VINCENT:

I’m gonna pop this in the fridge.

Josie made it. It’s apple. She used

a recipe but she added blueberriesto it. The recipe didn’t haveblueberries, she just added that.

Josie, carrying the screaming baby, snaps at Vincent from the

living room.

JOSIE:

What are you thinking?! You leftthe car door wide open!

VINCENT:

Well, is it closed now?

Josie stalks out of sight, shaking her head wearily. The

things she puts up with.

ANNA:

I swear I’m this close to callingsocial services on that b*tch.

Follow Vincent as he tracks Josie down in the living room.

Before he can apologize, she shoves the baby in his arms.

JOSIE:

He smells horrible.

54.

Josie leaves Vincent to start rummaging through a large

diaper bag for the necessary materials. The baby’s screamingis as loud as the Iggy Pop Robert’s put on.

RICHARD:

You’re trying to make my grandsondeaf with that sh*t?

IRENE (O.S.)

Hello, all!

Michelle’s mother is making her entrance, like a grand dame,

squired by her paramour, Rafe who wears a sports jacket overa shirt open to show off gold chains. The 75-year-old wears ashort, black skirt and inches of almost Baby Jane make-up.

This is what greets Michelle as she enters the living room,

holding a plate, Anna at her side.

MICHELLE:

Promise you’ll kill me. If I ever...

Anna smiles. Irene sees her daughter, comes her way.

MICHELLE (CONT’D)

At the very first sign, kill me.

Michelle exchanges kisses with her mother.

RAFE:

Sorry we're late. But I wanted tofind something special. This is adecent cabernet...

The DOORBELL rings. As Rafe expounds on his wine selection,

Michelle crosses down the entry hall to open the front door.

Bob finally turns down music to watch Michelle greet Patrickand his wife Rebecca. She's holding a trivia board game.

REBECCA:

Scrabble!

Michelle embraces her warmly. Patrick gives Michelle abrotherly kiss on the cheek.

PATRICK:

No more excitement the last coupleof days?

MICHELLE:

No. It seems the block’s been

fairly bogeyman free.

(re:
a curious Robertwandering over)

(MORE)

55.

MICHELLE (CONT'D)

Anyway, we’re all safe tonight.

Robert here has a black belt.

She places a hand on Robert’s arm as she moves on, leaving

Robert with Patrick and his wife.

PATRICK:

I just got my red belt in March. I

was doing Tai Kwan Do for years but

I switched to Shokatan...

ROBERT:

I’ve never done karate. She was

making a joke.

PATRICK:

Oh. Very funny.

Robert gives a fake smile, then he moves off, continuing to

follow Michelle. He catches up with her....

ROBERT:

You can’t avoid me all night.

MICHELLE:

I disagree.

71 INT. MICHELLE’S HOUSE - DINING ROOM -- LATER 71

Michelle places a shrimp appetizer in front of empty chair.

Anna and she are still putting the last plates on the table.

Pleasant conversation as everybody takes their seats...

JOSIE:

We finally put in the new carpeting

but there’s just no end to it!

Rebecca mms sympathetically. Patrick comes over to Michelle.

PATRICK:

Thanks for having us. We don’t get

out much, I have to admit.

The doorbell RINGS. Richard is up like a shot. Michellewatches Richard pass out of sight, almost apprehensively.

PATRICK (CONT’D)

It’s kind of unfortunate for

Rebecca. She’s a very social

person. And I guess I’m not.

56.

MICHELLE:

Well, I’m glad she dragged you overhere tonight.

PATRICK:

It’s no hardship.

Patrick surprises Michelle slightly by giving her wrist alittle squeeze. Michelle smiles - but only briefly as she nowsees Richard returning with his arm around H.l.ne.

H.L.NE

So sorry I couldn’t get hereearlier. I couldn’t get off work.

MICHELLE:

We’re just sitting down.

Michelle gives her a kiss. Anna watches Michelle’s reactionas H.l.ne sits down beside Richard. Amid the rumble of good

cheer, people dig in. Rebecca, smiling, speaks up-

REBECCA:

I’ll say grace, if everybody likes.

People look a little taken aback by her cheery offer. Michelleshoots a furtive, sidelong glance over at Patrick and sees hissmile tighten ever-so-slightly with embarrassment.

MICHELLE:

Please.

Rebecca, Patrick and Michelle’s mother close their eyes andfolds her hands. Rafe, seeing Irene doing it, follows suit.

Everybody else, slightly uncomfortably, just tries to sitthere respectfully.

REBECCA:

Jesus Christ, bless this food to

our use, and us to thy service.

Fill our hearts with gratefulpraise. Amen.

IRENE:

Amen.

ROBERT:

(too loud)

Amen!

Anna gives Robert a chastising look. People start eating. Wine

is being passed around. Michelle keeps looking over at Richardand H.l.ne, leaning together, whispering conspiratorially.

57.

ANNA:

So, Patrick, what do you do?

PATRICK:

Well, I work in banking but I pleadthe fifth.

ANNA:

Oh, why’s that?

PATRICK:

Oh, I was just joking but, youknow, not a very popular professionat the moment.

ROBERT:

(eyes on Michelle)

Or ever, really.

PATRICK:

Or ever.

Rebecca looks mildly scandalized as Josie casually begins to

breast-feed her baby at the table. Michelle raises her glass.

MICHELLE:

A toast to all of us and especiallythe newcomers to our table, H.l.ne,

Patrick, Rebecca...

She looks at Rafe, as if blanking on his name (playfully).

RAFE:

Rafe.

She nods, smiling, then focuses on H.l.ne.

MICHELLE:

God bless us one and all.

Everyone toasts. They go back to eating. H.l.ne takes a bite

of appetizer. She winces. Spits something into her palm. Ittakes her a moment to process what she’s looking at: a littlepiece of wood. She looks over at Michelle. Wondering.

Michelle does not look her way.

72 INT. MICHELLE’S HOUSE - DINING ROOM -- LATER 72

Vincent paces with the baby and Anna and Michelle take dirtyplates away as Richard, on a roll, holds court...

58.

RICHARD:

Originality, singularity - they useto be valued, now they’re aliability...

Michelle leans over- confidentially - to H.l.ne.

MICHELLE:

Richard is, first and foremost, a

theorist.

H.l.ne’s not sure what that means. It sounds like a dig.

RICHARD:

And I’m not talking about novelty-

we’ve got novelty coming out of our

ass...

ANNA:

That’s a delightful image for thedinner table.

Michelle settles back down in her chair. Slightly buzzed, shelooks over at Patrick who sits there swirling his wine glass,

looking bored. A mischievous smile appears on her face.

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