House of Cards Page #6

INT. ZOE’S APARTMENT - NIGHT.

The sound of keys, the bolt unlocking. The door opens and

Zoe enters. Tosses her purse on the bed (just a mattress on

the floor, no bed frame) and slips off her heels.

Goes to the fridge. It’s pretty empty - just yogurt, some old

take-out containers, an empty Britta. She grabs a yogurt.

Fishes a power bar out of a drawer. Heads over to her

computer - a laptop amidst of a sea of papers and notes. Her

desk is just a plywood board perched on cinder blocks.

She dips the power bar directly into the yogurt (no spoon) as

the computer screen jumps to life. Her fingers fly over the

keyboard. New window. Email. Password. Inbox. Mostly

work stuff. But there’s a new message at the very top:

FROM:
Photogangsta@WashingtonHerald.com SUBJECT: Frank

Underwood ASS-WHIPPED.

She clicks on the message. A photo fills the screen: Francis

checking out Zoe’s ass when she passed him on the steps of

the Kennedy Center.

There’s text beneath the photo: If you want em to take you

seriously, maybe wear more than G-string?

Command N. New window. Keys punched at lightning speed.

Google Search. “Frank Underwood.” Wikipedia comes up.

Click. The words “House Majority Whip” stick out. Zoe

considers this for a moment. Clicks back to the other

screen. Looks at the photo. Hits reply. Types quickly:

32.

He looks pretty serious to me.

Send. Boom. Done.

INT. UNDERWOOD’S (INNER) OFFICE - MORNING

Underwood is working at his desk. Stamper knocks and peeks

his head in the door.

STAMPER:

She’s here.

FRANCIS:

Show her in.

Stamper disappears. Francis turns to the camera.

FRANCIS (CONT’D)

Quite rare for a President’s Chief-

of-Staff to climb up the Hill. A

gesture of respect, no doubt -

which I appreciate, even if it

comes at a cost. Let’s see if I

was right about Harold Blythe.

He cranes his head to see her approaching down the hall.

FRANCIS (CONT’D)

Here she comes - my lesser but

necessary half.

Vasquez enters carrying a folder. Francis stands.

FRANCIS (CONT’D)

Good morning Linda. I appreciate

you making the trip over.

VASQUEZ:

Of course. My pleasure.

FRANCIS:

I assume we’re discussing

Education?

VASQUEZ:

First things first...

She places the folder on his desk and opens it.

VASQUEZ (CONT’D)

The seating chart for the

Inauguration.

(MORE)

33.

VASQUEZ (CONT’D)

(points)

Do these work for you and Claire?

FRANCIS:

Wow.

VASQUEZ:

Which comes with a complimentary

set of tickets to the Red and White

Ball.

FRANCIS:

Claire will be over the moon.

VASQUEZ:

Good, I’m glad.

(closes the folder)

So - Education. We have Harry

Blythe drafting the legislation.

Francis tosses us a quick glance. His guess was correct.

VASQUEZ (CONT’D)

You can imagine the bind that puts

us in.

FRANCIS:

The bill’s going to be too be two

steps to the left of Karl Marx.

VASQUEZ:

Education’s been his baby for

twenty years. We have to let him

take the lead.

FRANCIS:

It’ll be hard to drum up much

confidence.

VASQUEZ:

Which is why I’m here.

FRANCIS:

You want me to advise him. Bring

him toward the middle.

VASQUEZ:

(relieved he gets it)

We need to this bill to pass

smoothly.

FRANCIS:

Consider it done, Linda.

34.

VASQUEZ:

I know it’s a lot to put on your

plate...

FRANCIS:

You’ve got 100 days before the

honeymoon is over. Anything you

want to put on my plate, feel free.

INT. UNDERWOOD’S (OUTER) OFFICE - FRONT DOOR - DAY

Francis opens the door for Vasquez. As she’s leaving -

VASQUEZ:

Keep me posted?

FRANCIS:

Let me talk to Blythe. I’ll check

in with you later this week.

VASQUEZ:

Terrific.

Vasquez leaves. Francis watches her go. He speaks to us --

FRANCIS:

She’s wary. I can see it in her

eyes.

(and now to the camera)

Walker’s political capital rises or

falls with the success of this

Bill. And I need to be at the

center of it.

He closes the door, walks back toward his inner office.

FRANCIS (CONT’D)

Vasquez might not trust me as far

as she can throw me. But she

doesn’t have to. If I prove myself

indispensable, she can’t afford to

throw me very far.

He pops his head into Nancy Kaufberger’s office.

FRANCIS (CONT’D)

Nancy, set up a call with Harold

Blythe.

Continues toward his office.

35.

FRANCIS (CONT’D)

(calls out)

Doug?

Stamper pops out from his.

FRANCIS (CONT’D)

You have a list for me?

STAMPER:

Just finished.

FRANCIS:

My office.

INT. FRANCIS’S OFFICE - AFTERNOON

Francis and Stamper are having a brainstorming session.

STAMPER:

Ferguson?

FRANCIS:

Too old.

STAMPER:

Willis?

FRANCIS:

Too stupid.

STAMPER:

Boyd?

FRANCIS:

Queer.

STAMPER:

Really?

Francis gives him a look.

STAMPER (CONT’D)

He’s married with two kids.

FRANCIS:

Come on.

STAMPER:

What about Catherine Durant?

A beat. Francis leans back in his chair.

36.

FRANCIS:

Interesting. Catherine Durant.

INT. CWA OFFICE - CLAIRE’S OFFICE - DAY

Claire at her desk. Evelyn sits across from her. Claire

peruses a document.

CLAIRE:

Can we do any better?

EVELYN:

Not without totally crippling our

day to day. And we might have to

pull out of some of our impact

studies.

CLAIRE:

(hands back the document)

Okay, we’ll go with this.

EVELYN:

We’re losing some very good people.

Folks who have been with us from

the beginning...

CLAIRE:

This is a charity, but not for our

employees. I can’t keep people on

just because they’ve been with us a

long time.

EVELYN:

Do you mind if I ask what we’re

going to use the money for?

CLAIRE:

An organization I want to bring in -

World Water Initiative. They’ve

done nice work overseas - Big

projects. Very little budget.

EVELYN:

Do we need to bring in a new

organization? If you want to

expand overseas can’t we just

CLAIRE:

Evelyn - you’re the office manager.

EVELYN:

I know.

37.

CLAIRE:

And you’re an excellent one. But I

need you trust that I know what I’m

doing here.

EVELYN:

I do. I think.

CLAIRE:

You have friends - I understand.

People you’ve spent years working

with. It’s hard to see them go.

Evelyn nods.

CLAIRE (CONT’D)

Should I bring somebody else in

handle this?

EVELYN:

No. I’m good. I can do it.

Evelyn offers a resigned smile.

EXT. UNDERWOOD RESIDENCE - FRONT DOOR

TIGHT on a finger pushing the door bell. A moment later the

door opens, revealing Francis. We CUT TO Zoe standing

opposite, Steve right beside her.

STEVE:

Sir, I’m sorry to bother you. This

woman said you were expecting her.

FRANCIS:

Who are you?

ZOE:

My name is Zoe Barnes. I’m a

reporter at the Washington Herald.

FRANCIS:

It’s almost ten at night. This is

my home. I don’t

ZOE:

We’re part of a mutual appreciation

club.

She holds out her phone. We can’t see what’s on it, but

Francis can. He smiles.

38.

FRANCIS:

You’re a fan of the opera.

ZOE:

More for the people watching than

the music. Same as you.

Francis is impressed by her brassiness.

Rate this script:4.3 / 8 votes