Elle Page #19

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103.

RICHARD:

I’m not sparing your feelings.

She’s not with me because that’s

over.

MICHELLE:

(sincerely concerned)

What happened?

He dies again in the game. This time he stops playing.

RICHARD:

We were laying in bed and I askedher which of my books was herfavorite.

MICHELLE:

Richard, why?

RICHARD:

She said “Scent of Poplar.”

Michelle draws a blank. Richard smiles grimly.

RICHARD (CONT’D)

“Scent of Poplar” is a novelwritten by a Robert Casamayou.

MICHELLE:

I didn’t even know there was

another Jansen.

RICHARD:

Apparently, he’s pretty good.

MICHELLE:

(with sympathy)

Richard.

RICHARD:

Poor Richard.

They share smiles and walk away from the console. Michelleplaces a hand on Kevin’s shoulder in passing. He stiffens as

if he were under arrest.

MICHELLE:

You should circulate.

KEVIN:

I will!

He breathes again as Michelle smiles and moves on, bringingRichard to their table.

104.

As she takes the seat next to him, Patrick is looking towardthe bar where Vincent seems to be having heated words withthe bartender.

MICHELLE:

He’s a project in the early stages

of development.

134 INT. AV OFFICES - TABLE -- LATER 134

Anna is proposing a toast...

ANNA:

It looks like somehow, despite all

our determined efforts, we have a

success on our hands. There’s no

explanation for it, except for the

talent, brilliance and extreme

dedication of everyone in this

room. So all I can say is thank

you... and, I guess, cheers.

Everybody drinks. Then people look at Michelle, excepting herto say something. Someone from the techies’ table shouts“speech.” Michelle rises with her glass.

MICHELLE:

Ditto.

Laughter, drinking. Sitting back down, Michelle observes thebody language of Anna with Robert: He’s holding court across

the table, she’s trying not to be amused but he whispers inher ear and gets a smile out of her. The sight disturbsMichelle.

Vincent circles the table, juggling a tray of glasses of redwine, placing them in front of people, like a clumsy waiter.

135 INT. AV OFFICES -- LATER 135

People are dancing now. The music is LOUD. Patrick looksmortified by the idea of but he lets Michelle drag him out ofhis chair. He takes her in his arms and attempting to move tothe music, but he dances as if he were constipated.

MICHELLE:

It’s ok. It’s alright.

Patrick tries to loosen up his posture. Resting against herdance partner, Michelle sees Robert watching them. Seething.

Like a pouting baby, Robert stalks over to one of the

consoles and picks up a game controller.

105.

Michelle looks the other way and sees Anna dutifully,

joylessly playing hostess. To Patrick-

MICHELLE (CONT’D)

Excuse me.

Michelle goes over to Anna. Anna looks up, cheerfully.

Michelle doesn’t give her a chance to say anything.

MICHELLE (CONT’D)

It’s me. I’m the one Robert’s been

f***ing. I ended it but it happened.

Anna remains hard to read. There are no fireworks.

ANNA:

How long?

MICHELLE:

Half a year... Eight months.

Anna has tears in her eyes. She nods.

ANNA:

Oh? That’s great. I really didn’thave a clue.

MICHELLE:

I know.

Anna finds she has nothing to say. Before she can cry or doanything embarrassing, she walks away. Michelle feels atremor. She looks toward Patrick. He motions: “let’s get outof here.” She raises a finger: “one moment,” then walks inthe opposite direction.

She passes Robert sitting there with the game controller in

his hands. He witnessed Anna walking away upset.

ROBERT:

What did you do?

MICHELLE:

I stopped lying.

Michelle keeps going. She tracks down Vincent who is smokingby a window with his tie loosened, looking down. She handsVincent her car keys. He doesn’t understand.

MICHELLE (CONT’D)

You can have the car. Patrick’s

giving me a ride home.

106.

VINCENT:

People are leaving already?

MICHELLE:

Vincent, everything’s gonebeautifully. You can relax now. Gotalk to Kevin, he’ll show you a

demo of the new Western game he’sworking on.

VINCENT:

Is that cool?

Michelle nods. Of course.

136 INT. PATRICK’S CAR -- NIGHT 136

Michelle and Patrick drive in ominous silence. Michelle looks

over at him, looks away. He seems to sense her glance andlooks at her. More silence. Finally, ahead, Michelle sees herhouse come into view.

MICHELLE:

It’s sick.

Patrick looks at her, not sure he heard her right.

PATRICK:

What?

MICHELLE:

It’s sick and wrong - what’s goneon between us. It’s diseased.

Patrick looks very uncomfortable with this conversation.

MICHELLE (CONT’D)

I was in some kind of weird denial

or... I don’t know what. But I’m

seeing clearly now.

PATRICK:

What are you seeing?

MICHELLE:

You can’t possibly expect to getaway with what you’ve done. Can you?

Patrick looks at her. Sizing her up.

MICHELLE (CONT’D)

I’m going to do what I should havedone the first day.

107.

PATRICK:

What do you mean?

MICHELLE:

It’s not just me I have to think

about. It’s your wife... Other

women, possibly. God knows...

PATRICK:

What do you mean, exactly?

MICHELLE:

How many others are there? That

you’ve done the same thing too?

The working of his jaw is the only sign of whatever’s goingon inside Patrick.

MICHELLE (CONT’D)

I’m going to the police. I won’t

spare myself. I’m going to tell

them everything.

He stops the car, right in the middle of the street. He looksat her, working his jaw. She looks him in the eyes, then shehits her door and gets out.

137 EXT. STREET -- NIGHT 137

Michelle walks toward her house, in the middle of the street,

lit by the headlights of his loudly idling car. As if daringhim to run her over. Only when she reaches her front walkdoes Michelle turn back, toward those sinister headlights.

She gives him a look. A silent: “well...?”

Patrick kills his motor. Now Michelle proceeds inside.

138 INT. MICHELLE’S HOUSE -- CONTINUOUS 138

Michelle leaves the door unlocked behind her. She walks to

the middle of the room, lets her jacket drop to the floor andstands there, waiting for him.

She watches the front door, excitement edging into impatience.

Patrick, however, appears out of the back hallway. Wearinghis black ski-mask.

For a moment, they just stand there like that. Looking.

108.

Then Michelle breaks for the door and Patrick rushes to

intercept her. She shoves an ottoman at him. It hits his legsbut only slows him down by a couple of seconds. Patrick grabsher before she gets to the door. Grabs her by the arm, twistsher around and thumps her good, right in the face, sendingher sprawling to the floor.

Michelle starts screaming- loudly- as Patrick falls on her,

tearing at her clothes. He fumbles with his zipper. For asecond, he has trouble. She sees this and, for just thatmoment, stops fighting back. Like a time-out. But a momentlater, they’re back at it.

She fights back, tooth and nail. She sinks her teeth into theflesh above his wrist. He howls and hits her again. He ripsaway her cheap panties with one good yank.

She screams louder and louder as Patrick slides in between

her legs... only stopping abruptly as she sees Vincentstanding behind Patrick.

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