Lost in America Page #3

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PAUL:

(his hand out-

stretched)

Hello, David. How are you?

DAVID:

I'm fine. I'm excited.

PAUL:

Me too.

DAVID:

That's wonderful.

PAUL:

David, I'd like you to meet Brad

Tooley.

DAVID:

Brad, it's a pleasure.

David and Brad shake hands.

PAUL:

Brad has recently joined the agency

in New York. He was one of the best

men at Doyle, Dane and Bernbach.

We were lucky to get him.

DAVID:

Well, that's exciting.

They all sit down again. David doesn't know quite what

to make of the fact that Brad is in this meeting. He

just assumes this is part of the ceremony of being made

vice president.

PAUL:

David, I don't have to tell you

what I think of you. You know I

feel you're one of the most

creative people in this company.

I was telling Brad earlier the

accounts you've been responsible

for.

BRAD:

Very impressive. The Knudsen

Orange Juice campaign was one of

the best I've ever seen. Ever.

DAVID:

(he smiles; he's

in his glory)

Well, thank you.

PAUL:

Brad has joined this company for

a very special reason. David,

we're going to get Ford.

David, now thinking of himself as the vice president,

realizes that Ford is an account of such proportion,

that the profit participation could be enormous. His

eyes widen.

DAVID:

Oh, my God! That's wonderful!

PAUL:

Well, it finally puts us at the

top of the heap.

DAVID:

I'm stunned. When did this happen?

PAUL:

Just in the last few days. You're

really the first to know out here.

We didn't want to say anything until

it was final.

DAVID:

That's wonderful. Just wonderful.

God, what a week. What a week for

all of us.

PAUL:

It certainly is. Now, David...

DAVID:

(interrupts)

Paul, you don't have to say

anything. As the new vice president,

I know what this means to the

company. I'm here twenty-four

hours a day.

PAUL:

David, you're too valuable to

become vice president. I'd like

you to move to New York and work

under Brad. You two are going

to be in charge of Ford. You're

going to have to hurry, though.

You start in three weeks.

David is not quite sure what he's just heard. He thinks

maybe he's heard a compliment. He's heard a name of a

city, a car, some weeks, but he hasn't put it together.

He needs to hear it again.

DAVID:

Wait a second. You gave me too

much information. I'm valuable

and I'm vice president?

PAUL:

No, David. I've hired Paul

Shubano as vice president.

DAVID:

What?

BRAD:

He's giving you quite a compliment,

David. I asked him for the best

man he had and he didn't hesitate

for a moment.

DAVID:

He didn't? Well, I don't want to

move to New York.

PAUL:

What?

DAVID:

I want to be the vice president.

I want to be a stockholder in this

company. It was promised to me.

I don't mind working on Ford.

Don't get me wrong. I think it

would be a joy to work on but I'll

work on it as vice president. I've

been here eight years, Paul. I

don't want to be transferred to

just another account.

PAUL:

This is not "just another" account,

David.

BRAD:

It's Ford.

DAVID:

Brad, I know it's Ford. I've owned

Fords, okay? Now, Paul, I feel it's

only fair to keep your promise.

PAUL:

I didn't promise you anything.

DAVID:

Wait a minute. What about these

lunches that we've been having

for the last four years? I believe

we talked about grooming me for

vice president. Phil Shubano's

been here only three years. Why?

PAUL:

Well, first of all, quite frankly,

he's not as clever as you. He's

more of an executive type.

DAVID:

Oh, great. I think that's wonderful.

So, by being extra clever, I get

thrown out of the town that I live

in, with no promotion, no nothing,

and just shifted to another account.

He, on the other hand, because of

his low intelligence and short time

with the company stays here, gets

a large amount of stock and becomes

vice president. Well, that makes

sense!

PAUL:

You keep referring to this as

"another account." It's not.

It's Ford.

DAVID:

Why don't you stop saying that?

You sound like Dinah Shore. Now,

damn it, look, this isn't fair.

(stops for a minute;

begins to laugh)

Paul, if I'm working myself up and

this is a joke, I'll kill you.

Are they going to burst in here

and say, "Surprise!"? Goddamnit.

You almost had me fooled!

PAUL:

No one's bursting in here, David.

I'm offering you something very big.

DAVID:

No one's bursting in here?

PAUL:

No.

DAVID:

No? Oh God. But, wait a minute,

I'm vice president, right?

PAUL:

No.

DAVID:

Yes!

PAUL:

No.

DAVID:

Stop saying no! Just a minute.

I can't go to New York. This is

my home. My wife and I live here.

I just bought a four-hundred

thousand dollar house. I'm

picking tile out at this very

moment. What am I going to do?

Burn it down?

PAUL:

Don't worry about that, please?

You won't lose a penny on the house.

We'll take care of it. I think

Ford is more important than a

single family dwelling, anyway.

We'll get you more than you paid

for it. The important thing is

that you and Brad get along.

DAVID:

Me and Brad get along? Are you

crazy?

I've worked here eight years, for

what? For me and Brad to get

along? I was born in this city.

All my friends are here. I like

it. We're joking, aren't we?

This is a joke.

PAUL:

What do you mean, a joke?

DAVID:

What do you mean, a joke?

PAUL:

I didn't say a joke.

DAVID:

I'm going to New York City?

PAUL:

I'd like you there in three weeks.

DAVID:

Oh, you would?

PAUL:

This can be a stepping stone to

something bigger, David.

DAVID:

What's bigger than being vice

president? That's all I want.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I think I've

already stepped on every stone

we have here, haven't I?

PAUL:

Well, someday you might be vice

president.

DAVID:

Someday? What do you mean? It's

today. I've got it!

PAUL:

You don't have it.

DAVID:

Who has it?

PAUL:

David, I can't say this again.

Phil Shubano.

DAVID:

Well, obviously, I'm blocking this

man's name, aren't I?

BRAD:

David, I don't know all of your

work, but I do know you've got to

be the best here or you wouldn't

be working with me on this account.

DAVID:

Brad, shut up! Don't talk! This

is my day. Paul, look what you're

doing. I've been with this company

a very, very long time. I'm one of

the oldest employees on this coast,

aren't I? Now, I must get what I

deserve. I will be made vice

president and I will get the stock

and I will participate in the

ownership of the company and that's

that.

PAUL:

My God, I thought you'd be thrilled.

DAVID:

You thought I'd be thrilled? I

can't believe it. Why the hell

don't you go to New York? If it's

so thrilling, come on, I'll take

you to the airport. I'll put you

on a plane right now.

PAUL:

Don't talk to me like that. I

came from New York.

DAVID:

Yeah, that's right and you don't

want to go back because as soon

as you land at the airport,

people steal everything you've got.

BRAD:

I resent that. That's a clich�.

New York's the greatest city there

is.

DAVID:

Sit down. Just sit down and shut

up.

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