Little Pink House

1

[MUSIC PLAYS]

[SIREN WAILING]

[MUSIC PLAYS]

[PAULETTE] We were watching TV

and then I looked over at her,

and she was just

sort of slumped over.

And when was the last time

that she had something

to eat or drink?

[PAULETTE]

About an hour ago, she had...

she was drinking some tea.

She had a couple cookies.

[MAN] Has she had any

fainting spells recently?

No. Never.

[MAN]

How you doing, Agnes?

You getting better?

Hey, I still need

to try that famous

Bolognese of yours.

How'd you know

about Mom's Bolognese?

[MAN]

Who doesn't?

Good.

Much better. Yeah.

Your blood pressure's up.

I think you just

needed some fluids.

- Do you feel better?

- [PAULETTE] Is she gonna be okay?

[SUSETTE]

Yeah, her color is coming back

and her heart rate is down.

You just got kind of

wiped out there, huh?

[AGNES]

Mm-hm.

Wait a minute.

Are you, um... Susette?

- It's Paulette.

- I knew it was you.

Oh, my God.

Mama, it's Susette.

- Remember her from school?

- [SUSETTE] I remember you

because you were one of the...

I guess the only parent

who would let me call you

by your first name.

I thought you were so cool.

[CRICKETS CHIRPING]

[HORN HONKS]

[SUSETTE]

Paulette!

Look at you!

It's so good to see you

- back in the old neighborhood.

- [SUSETTE] I know.

- Hi.

- [SUSETTE] I was just leaving you

- a note with my number.

- [PAULETTE] Oh, great.

I'm just running

to the hospital

because Mom wants

some of her stuff.

[SUSETTE]

All right. Here you go, and...

it was so great to see you.

- I am calling.

- [SUSETTE] Great.

- Bye.

- [PAULETTE] Bye.

[ENGINE STARTS]

[MUSIC PLAYS]

[WOMAN ON RADIO]

Good morning, New London.

Sports and weather

at the bottom of the hour,

and now our top story.

A new jobs report tells us

what you already knew.

The regional economy

isn't getting any better.

This according to economists

from the University

of Connecticut.

Now, they're saying

jobs are scarce,

and that there's no indication

that's going to change

any time soon.

Of course, unemployment has

been a big concern for years,

many finding it difficult

to secure even part-time work.

So, what should we do

about the lousy economy?

Our lines are wide open

right now,

so call us and tell us

what you think...

[MUSIC PLAYS]

[SUSETTE]

Holy sh*t.

[MUSIC PLAYS]

[MUSIC PLAYS]

[SCREAMS]

Oh, my God.

[CHUCKLES]

Sh*t.

[MUSIC PLAYS]

[ROCK MUSIC ON RADIO]

[BILLY] Well, I'd heard somebody

finally bought this place.

I had to meet the person

ballsy enough to paint it pink.

Well, it's not pink.

It's "Odessa Rose".

- If you say so.

- [SUSETTE] [LAUGHS]

Hi. I'm Billy.

- Billy Von Winkle.

- Oh, sorry. Susette Kelo.

Nice to meet you,

Susette Kelo.

[BILLY]

Welcome to the neighborhood.

Thank you.

So, how do you like it?

Well, the view sucks.

Other than that, it's nice.

- It's fantastic.

- Yeah.

- [SUSETTE] Do you live nearby?

- I own the deli on the corner,

and a couple other buildings

that I rent out.

Cool. I've been

meaning to come by.

It's great to have a deli.

- How about now?

- I can't. Thank you, but...

Come on. I'll let you

buy me a cup of coffee.

I just have a lot

of work to do, so...

Come on, Red.

We need the business.

All right. You know,

let me just wash up

and I'll meet you over there.

Welcome to the neighborhood.

- I'll see you there.

- Okay.

- [BILLY] So what's your story?

- [SUSETTE] What?

- You married? What?

- [SUSETTE] Oh. Twice.

Yeah. One ex-husband

and one soon to be.

Yeah? Which one

pays the mortgage?

- This one.

- [BILLY] Good for you.

So, what do you do? Huh?

How do you make a living?

[LAUGHS]

I'm a paramedic.

- No kidding, huh?

- [SUSETTE] Nope.

Well, you'll do good business

in this town.

Half the neighborhood's

on its last legs.

[SUSETTE]

Oh, yeah, I noticed.

[BILLY]

Wow.

Man, does it always...

is it like this all the time?

Because it stinks.

You'd think the pastrami

would kind of cover

- the smell of the sewage plant.

- Well, not quite.

[BILLY] I mean, we've been

complaining as far back

as anybody can remember.

What are you gonna do?

It's like talking

to a rock, right?

Which is why I spearheaded

Operation Caca de Pollo.

What? Did you say "Caca"?

I got a couple of big containers

- of chicken sh*t.

- [SUSETTE] No!

[BILLY] I brought it to City

Hall, basically, dumped it,

and everyone was gagging

and dry heaving.

It took 'em weeks

to clean it up.

[BILLY] Yeah. But, spent an

afternoon in jail for it

but it was worth it.

It was worth it.

- And I got on Leno.

- [SUSETTE] You did?

- [BILLY] Jay Leno.

- Was he... was he nice?

- Very nice.

- Yeah.

Very, very nice man.

[PETER]

Your numbers are still strong.

Hell, you've even got

some Democrats who like you.

That is why

you're on my payroll.

You do work miracles.

But I do need one more.

I want you to get me New London.

What the hell's in New London?

Absolutely nothing.

I do like the concept.

I just don't know

who could pull that off.

[PETER]

We need somebody with clout,

integrity, popularity,

not tied to any party.

- Riding in on a unicorn.

- [PETER] I know someone.

- [GOVERNOR] What's his name?

- Her name...

is Charlotte Wells.

[MUSIC PLAYS]

[PETER] She's president

of Walthrop College...

with a Rolodex to kill for.

PhD in French literature.

Brains, relentless ambition.

And a real charmer,

if you know what I mean.

Even her own husband

has never seen her unkempt,

shall we say.

[CHARLOTTE]

Those of us who are blessed

with gifts must design

a better world for the poor.

- But first...

- [WOMAN ON PA] Mr. Governor.

Charlotte Wells

here to see you.

Send her in.

- Charlotte.

- [CHARLOTTE] Peter.

Thanks for coming

on such short notice.

[CHARLOTTE]

Always lovely to see you.

Mr. Governor.

Strong handshake.

- [CHUCKLES]

- [GOVERNOR] Please.

[PETER] We take this

blighted plot of land

by the sewage treatment plant

and we redevelop it.

We lure a world-class company

to build some high-tech facility

and boom.

Add jobs, tax revenue,

economic miracle.

[GOVERNOR] It'll certainly

compliment the work

you've already been doing.

We rescue a struggling

blue-collar city,

- and everyone wins.

- Well, Mr. Governor...

I've been in the trenches,

and it is a tall task

trying to pull off

something like this

in a town that takes

five years to approve

a stop sign.

All we need is the land.

Land under jurisdiction

of a mayor

who would give zero support.

The State of Connecticut

will make sure that you succeed.

N-L-D-C.

New London

Development Corporation.

It sounds familiar.

NLDC was established in 1978

with the goal of assisting

with economic development.

Oh, that's right.

[GOVERNOR]

It's been gathering dust

ever since, so,

we simply dust it off

and give it to you.

How generous.

Now, why would you do that?

[PETER]

You lead the NLDC,

but the city officials

are familiar with it,

so, they're comfortable.

The NLDC finds a worthy project,

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