Hardcore Page #22

JAKE:

Yeah.

(looks away)

I'm her father.

NIKI:

(more disappointment

than shock)

Jesus.

JAKE:

Her name is Kristen. She disappeared

a couple of months ago.

NIKI:

And your wife? Where's she?

JAKE:

She's dead.

NIKI:

Hey, don't worry about it. Your

daughter's around. We'll find her in

a couple days.

CUT TO:

EXT. SAN DIEGO - DOWNTOWN - DAY

Jake's car drives through San Diego's "downtown," four square

blocks of adult bookstores, peep show and flop houses south

of San Diego's center. Uniformed soldiers from Camp Pendleton

and the Miramar Naval Station occasionally cross the wide

streets.

The Singapore Club, Lux Adult Movies, the Princess Rap Parlor,

Curious Books Shop, Sexciting Movies...

CUT TO:

EXT. THE OKINAWA BAR - DAY

Jake and Niki walk toward the Okinawa, a hangout for working

girls, players and street people.

Niki, tugging up her jeans, walks next to Jake. She wears

her Rorer T-shirt; Jake a blue dress shirt.

NIKI:

(putting her arm on

Jake)

Jim Rucker runs this place. He knows

where everybody is. It's a nice place.

Hires a lot of girls, but they don't

pay sh*t.

CUT TO:

INT. OKINAWA BAR - DAY

Jake holds the door open for Niki as they enter.

The Okinawa is a credit to its namesake. A BLACK PLAYER,

sitting at the bar, stares absently at two girls playing

pool.

Niki, in her element, steps up to the bar.

NIKI:

(to Counter Girl)

Is Rucker here?

BAR MAID:

He'll be back in a couple hours.

NIKI:

Tell him Louise was here. I'll come

back later.

They turn to exit.

EXT. SAN DIEGO BEACH - DAY

Jake and Niki sit at a ramshackle picnic table at a park

overlooking the ocean. Several children play in the distance.

Niki finishes her Big Mac, crumbles the bag and throws it

away. She unwraps a Milky Way and she finishes her fries.

Jake watches with astonishment as she chomps her way through

a second candy bar.

JAKE:

You really shouldn't eat like that.

All that sugar. It's not good for

you.

NIKI:

At least I'm a growing person.

JAKE:

You won't keep growing at this rate.

NIKI:

What rate?

JAKE:

You know what I'm talking about.

NIKI:

(snotty)

You never met a working girl before,

have you? You think I like sucking

off guys all night? Maybe I do. So

what?

(a beat)

You can't even say it, can you?

JAKE:

Say what?

NIKI:

'Sucking off.'

JAKE:

Okay. Sucking off. Now does that

make me as good as you?

NIKI:

You don't understand sh*t.

JAKE:

Okay, tell me. Why do you live like

you do?

NIKI:

Did you ever live in a room with six

people and you didn't have any money,

any food, any furniture? Have your

brother come out, his car break down,

he can't get a job? Your friends

stealing food, going through trash

behind a supermarket?

JAKE:

(sympathetic)

Is that the way it was with you?

NIKI:

No. But does it make any difference?

(a beat)

How did you get to be the way you

are?

Jake doesn't answer.

NIKI:

(continuing)

Don't knock it. A girl can save up a

lot money doing this -- big money.

Then you're free. You can go off to

Europe, meet somebody, get married.

My girlfriend's going to buy her own

beauty parlor. Not me. I'm gonna

travel. 'Keep movin' that's my motto.

(a beat)

Would you rather work at Copper Penny

at a dollar-eighty an hour, having

every two-bit cocksucker able to

yell at you? I can make more money

suc... doing what I do for five

minutes than I can all week at another

job.

JAKE:

You used to work at Copper Penny?

NIKI:

No.

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