I Smile Back Page #12

---

DONNY:

Like a million bucks.

LANEY:

Thanks.

Laney glances at her reflection in the club's window. She

pushes her hair behind her ear.

DONNY:

You know, I was going to call you

but then I thought I'd done enough,

you know. Caused enough damage.

LANEY:

It wasn’t your fault, Donny. You

could have been any man.

DONNY:

(insulted)

Really?

LANEY:

I didn’t mean it like that. I just

meant that I was looking for

something - guess I'm still

looking. Of course, it makes it

harder that I don't know what I'm

looking for.

Laney’s amused.

LANEY (CONT’D)

You were there and willing, and I

thought- well it doesn't matter.

Don't worry. You didn't drive me

to rehab.

Donny is perversely disappointed.

DONNY:

I took your advice. Susan and I -

we've been working it out.

LANEY:

I saw.

DONNY:

I didn’t know. When we had our

thing-- I didn’t know she was

pregnant.

LANEY:

Our thing?

Pink (03/02/2014) 6868.

DONNY:

I want to make sure you know I had

no idea.

LANEY:

I don’t know what you’re talking

about.

Donny waits a beat. He is, in spite of his wounded ego,

appreciative.

DONNY:

Thanks. I’m here for you, you

know. If you ever need anything.

Call me.

LANEY:

Yeah. Thanks.

Donny opens the door to return to the party, stops a beat and

then...

DONNY:

I mean. Not my house. Call my

office. You need anything you talk

to Janine. Okay? Anything.

Laney smirks, acutely aware of his audacity. Donny digs his

cigarette into the concrete with his shoe and makes his way

back into the restaurant. Laney dials a number on her cell

phone and holds it against her ear.

ELI (O.S.)

Hello?

LANEY:

It’s mommy. How are you?

ELI (O.S.)

Okay.

LANEY:

You sure?

ELI (O.S.)

I’m sure.

LANEY:

That’s good. Your sister sleeping?

ELI (O.S.)

She’s sleeping.

Pink (03/02/2014) 69.

LANEY:

Eli?

ELI (O.S.)

Yeah?

LANEY:

You know I love you right?

ELI (O.S.)

Yeah.

LANEY:

Nah. Not really. Not how much.

Laney can hear him breathing.

LANEY (CONT’D)

I want you to promise me E. Promise

me that you'll always remember that

I love you. That I really really

love you.

ELI (O.S.)

Okay, I promise.

Laney takes her forefinger and wipes under each of her eyes.

ELI (O.S.) (CONT’D)

Mom, can I go now? I’m gonna miss

the rest of the game.

LANEY:

Of course. Go. Good night

Sweetheart.

68 INT. PRIVATE PARTY - NIGHT - SAME 68

Bruce and Laney are sitting at a table near the dance floor

with DAVID BLACKMAN (mid-fifties) and his trophy wife KATRINA

(mid-twenties). David is a slick looking garmento, Katrina

has quite the jewelry wardrobe. The table is rife with

alcohol.

BRUCE:

I cover all of that in the book but

to answer your question, there

really is no such thing as having

too much life insurance. Especially

if you’re planning on having more

kids.

(MORE)

Pink (03/02/2014) 70.

BRUCE (CONT'D)

And no offense David because you

look like you’re in great shape,

but I’m guessing Katrina is going

to outlive you.

Bruce is playfully ribbing him while expertly navigating the

waters of business and personal. David laughs, he obviously

finds Bruce charming.

DAVID:

That’s my plan. Plucked this one

straight out of high school.

Katrina elbows him and smiles.

KATRINA:

I was almost out of college.

BRUCE:

Well, the book covers lots of

unique scenarios. I see it like

this David. There’s a bible for the

afterlife. I wrote the bible for

the here and now.

DAVID:

Well it sounds brilliant. The whole

notion of hedging your bet against

God.

A WAITER arrives with a tray of cocktails. Laney pulls a

lollipop out of her purse and starts sucking on it.

KATRINA:

You know, I’ve always dreamed of

writing a book. How did you do it,

Bruce? Did you just sit down and

type what you were thinking into a

computer or did you pay someone to

help you?

BRUCE:

It's sentence by sentence. Anyone

can do it. Call me anytime. I'd be

happy to help you.

Bruce takes his business card out of his wallet, passes it

across the table. He is a professional.

LANEY:

What do you want to write a book

about?

Pink (03/02/2014) 71.

KATRINA:

Like, maybe a children’s book or

something. I’m not sure yet.

Laney feigns interest in her.

LANEY:

You know Katrina, I'm thinking of

writing a book too.

KATRINA:

Really, on what?

LANEY:

On prostitution.

BRUCE:

(embarrassed)

Prostitution? Honey what do you

know about prostitution?

LANEY:

Well I’ve been thinking about it.

Prostitution is the perfect example

of hypocrisy. It's illegal to sell

your body. But when you're rich

it's perfectly acceptable. We just

call it being a wife.

Bruce looks at her with hardened eyes. Laney smiles, returns

the stare.

LANEY (CONT’D)

What do you think Katrina?

Katrina doesn’t know how to respond. Across the room Donny

taps a spoon against a champagne glass. The guests quiet.

DONNY:

I’d like to make a toast to my

beautiful wife.

Susan's right up next to him, beaming.

DONNY (CONT’D)

I know you guys are here to dance

and have fun so I'm going to make

this short. Suze, I just want you

to know, when I drive away to work

each morning and see you there

waving to me, Henry by your side,

all I'm thinking is how fast can I

get back to you. Thank you for

putting up with me.

(MORE)

Pink (03/02/2014) 72.

DONNY (CONT’D)

I know I can be a real pain-in-theass

sometimes. Happy Birthday

Honey.

The room quiets for a collective awwwww. Donny puts his hand

on Susan’s pregnant belly.

DONNY (CONT’D)

And thank you for this.

He turns to the audience.

DONNY (CONT’D)

Can you believe it? Another baby

this woman’s having with me. She’s

a saint.

Donny draws Susan close and begins kissing her. Laney smiles

and claps in synchronicity with the guests.

69 INT. LANEY AND BRUCE’S BEDROOM - NIGHT - SAME 69

Laney is stretched out on the bed. She watches Bruce as he

undoes his tie, unbuttons his shirt.

LANEY:

When are you gonna to talk to me?

BRUCE:

Why would you do that? Say you're

going to check on the kids and then

you come back babbling about

prostitution? I was this close to

getting David Blackman as a client.

LANEY:

I know.

BRUCE:

Do you? Do you have any idea how

hard I work to keep it all going?

Because you act like it's all some

big joke. Like what I do for a

living is beneath you somehow.

LANEY:

I said I’m sorry. I really am. And

I do know how hard you work. I

don’t know what I was thinking.

Come here.

Pink (03/02/2014) 7373.

Laney pats the side of the bed with her hand. Bruce relaxes

and sits down next to her. Laney takes his hand and looks at

him sweetly. He smiles at her, understanding.

LANEY (CONT’D)

I really am sorry. It was out of

line. She was just such a-

BRUCE:

Prostitute?

They laugh, real and true. Finally a joke not at their own

expense. A silent moment passes while Bruce changes his tune.

BRUCE (CONT’D)

Come with me to the conference this

weekend.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes