I Smile Back Page #13

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LANEY:

I don’t know Bruce. You know how

those things are. Everybody’s shitfaced

for three straight days.

BRUCE:

Not us. Nothing stronger than water

for me either. We can lay in bed.

Get a massage.

LANEY:

What about the kids?

BRUCE:

They can stay with my sister.

LANEY:

They’re having a hard enough time

as it is.

BRUCE:

They’ll be fine. Happy parents make

happy kids. We need this. Come on.

A road trip.

Laney glances up at the ceiling. She rolls over to face him.

His eyes are earnest. Warm.

LANEY:

What if I run into my dad?

Bruce is saddened by this.

BRUCE:

We don’t have to leave the hotel.

Pink (03/02/2014) 7474.

Bruce takes Laney into his arms, kisses her forehead.

BRUCE (CONT’D)

Just think about it. You look

tired.

He turns off the lamp, fluffs his pillow and rolls onto his

side. Laney stares at the ceiling. A moment passes.

LANEY:

I’ll go with you.

ON:
Bruce. A softness coming to his face.

He reaches around her waist and pulls her close into spooning

position, kisses the back of her head and closes his eyes.

BRUCE:

Thank you.

A moment passes.

LANEY:

God I hate upstate.

BRUCE:

You don’t hate upstate. You hate

your dad.

LANEY:

I think I hate both. Can’t I hate

both?

Bruce chuckles, holds her tight.

BRUCE:

Yes. You can hate both.

70 EXT. EXTERIOR SHOTS OF LAKE GEORGE HOTEL - DAY 70

71 INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY 71

Bruce is watching Laney sleep. He pushes a lock of hair from

her forehead, waking her.

BRUCE:

Rise and shine Beautiful.

Laney reluctantly wakes. She sees the room service cart.

BRUCE (CONT’D)

Pancakes and coffee.

Pink (03/02/2014) 7575.

Laney smiles.

LANEY:

Bacon?

BRUCE:

Of course!

Laney sits up. A tuxedo and a gown are hanging on a door.

LANEY:

I have to call housekeeping to get

those steamed.

She picks up the phone to dial and Bruce stops her.

BRUCE:

Wait a sec-

He hands her a cup of coffee and a small jewelry box.

LANEY:

Oh no. What did you do?

Bruce smiles. Inside the box is a beautiful diamond wedding

band. Laney is deeply touched.

LANEY (CONT’D)

Who would have thought you’d be

able to give me a ring like this?

Bruce kisses her forehead.

LANEY (CONT’D)

Tell me The Newsstand Story.

BRUCE:

The Newsstand Story? You don’t want

to hear the Newsstand Story.

LANEY:

I do. I want to hear The Newsstand

Story. Please? And I want a

massage.

BRUCE:

High maintenance. Okay, roll over.

Laney rolls over, a gentle smile on her face.

BRUCE (CONT’D)

Once upon a time there was this

incredibly good looking kid.

Pink (03/02/2014) 76.

LANEY:

Awkward.

BRUCE:

Oh yeah, different story. Once upon

a time there was this incredibly

awkward kid from Teaneck. He used

to make a couple bucks racking

magazines at a store around the

corner from his house. He was

usually bored out of his skull but

one day this knockout comes in.

Long black hair. Long thin legs.

And she even had nice...

Bruce holds his hands out in front of his chest, mimicking

giant b*obs.

BRUCE (CONT’D)

And there was something about her.

Her eyes, they seemed...sweet.

LANEY:

Seemed sweet or were sweet?

BRUCE:

Just let me tell the story. So he

started dressing up a little for

work-

LANEY:

Bullshit. He wore T-shirts

BRUCE:

If you knew how carefully he

selected them for fit and color--

Laney laughs.

BRUCE (CONT’D)

Point is, everyday, all he could

think about was the next time she’d

come back.

LANEY:

Awwww.

BRUCE:

Then one day she comes in and asks

the old man behind the counter to

get her a pack of smokes.

(MORE)

Pink (03/02/2014) 77.

BRUCE (CONT'D)

When he turned around, she boosted

a candy bar and stuck it down her

pants, paid for her cigarettes and

walked out. But before she left she

turned around and gave the kid this

big huge smile. Blew his mind. He

thought-- ”this chick is hot and

crazy.” So he followed her out of

the store thinking he was gonna get

the nerve to talk to her. But

then... then she did the thing that

just owned him. She went around the

corner and gave the candy bar to

the homeless guy who lived in the

alley. Kid was done. From that

moment she owned him. He wanted to

marry that girl.

LANEY:

And did he?

BRUCE:

Yes he did.

LANEY:

Even though she told him not to?

BRUCE:

Yep. Even though you told me not

to.

LANEY:

You know there’s something really

wrong with you, right?

Bruce runs his fingers through her hair and gives her a soft

kiss.

BRUCE:

I’d marry you a hundred times.

They share a loving moment in silence. Bruce glances at his

watch and starts to get off the bed.

BRUCE (CONT’D)

I’m gonna hop in the shower, don’t

want to be late.

Laney pulls him back into bed.

LANEY:

Let’s f*** first.

Pink (03/02/2014) 7878.

72 INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY - SAME 72

Bruce, in a casual suit, grins the grin of the satiated man.

BRUCE:

You sure you don’t want to go with

me?

LANEY:

As much as I love a good insurance

seminar...

BRUCE:

Very funny. I’ll be back by five to

shower. Cocktails at six. Awards

at seven.

LANEY:

I’ll be ready.

BRUCE:

I called the concierge. He said

there’s an AA meeting not far. Just

a cab ride. Think about it?

LANEY:

Of course.

She opens a prescription container, pops a pill and smiles

for Bruce’s benefit. Bruce gives Laney a kiss on the cheek

and she follows him to the door.

LANEY (CONT’D)

Have a good time.

Across the hall an elderly man struggles slightly to slide

the dirty room service tray out of his room and into the

hallway. Laney watches him intently. He smiles at her and

closes the door.

73 INT. TAXI - DAY - CONTINUOUS 73

Laney is in the backseat of a moving taxi. She takes a

cigarette out of her bag.

LANEY:

Mind if I smoke?

The driver responds by rolling down the windows. Laney lights

her cigarette.

Pink (03/02/2014) 7979.

They pass through a series of neighborhoods before they pull

up to a modest but charming ranch house. Laney gets out of

the cab and walks up the driveway.

74 EXT. LANEY’S FATHER’S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS 74

Laney rings the doorbell. DAISY (10) answers the door. Laney

glances at the number on the door to make sure she has the

right house.

LANEY:

Oh-hello, is -ah-

ROGER (O.S.)

Sweetheart you have to ask who it

is before you open the door.

Laney stares at Daisy for a moment before she turns her gaze

to Roger who is walking toward the door. Awkward silence. It

takes him second but then he realizes - takes a breath and

instinctively puts a protective arm around Daisy's shoulder-

the way one would do when confronted by a stranger.

ROGER (CONT’D)

Elaine?

Roger is silent, staring in amazement. Daisy looks up to him

in confusion.

LANEY:

Hi.

ROGER:

Uh-come in. What a surprise. Uh

Daisy-this is Elaine. She’s-

Laney reaches her hand out to shake Daisy’s.

LANEY:

I knew your dad a long time ago.

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