Meet Joe Black Page #16

Parrish takes Drew aside.

DREW (cont'd)

The Board's real unhappy, Pappy --

they felt you dealt with them pre-

emptorily, you never gave them a

chance to speak --

PARRISH:

What is there to say? They know

what John Bontecou is -- and if they

didn't, they know now.

DREW:

Yes, you made your feeling abun-

dantly clear. Now they want to do

the same with theirs.

PARRISH:

What are their feelings?

DREW:

If I read this Board right now, they

want you to accept Bontecou's offer.

PARRISH:

Over my dead body.

Parrish's burgeoning anger has now gotten the attention of

Joe, Susan, Quince and Allison.

DREW:

What do you think the Board is going

to say when I tell them that?

PARRISH:

I don't care.

DREW:

With all due respect, you damn well

better care because if you try to

stonewall them again, there'll be

blood on the floor.

Silence, Parrish carefully calibrating Drew's remark.

PARRISH:

Whose?

DREW:

Yours.

PARRISH:

I'm feeling real uncomfortable right

now because the guy who reports to

me is threatening me.

DREW:

I'm just giving you the truth. There

was a time when William Parrish liked

the truth.

Joe, although across the room, is all attention.

PARRISH:

I think it's time you went home,

Drew.

DREW:

Certainly. Goodnight.

Drew goes, everybody is in shock, Susan pursues him out into

the hallway.

SUSAN:

Drew!

He stops.

SUSAN (cont'd)

Never talk to my father like that

again.

DREW:

Don't worry about it. There's a

beginning and a middle and an end

to everything. And I think I've

come to the end of my chapter with

the Parrishes.

Joe has followed them into the hallway.

DREW (cont'd)

And the end began with this guy.

Drew looks down towards Joe.

DREW (cont'd)

Mr. Black --? We ran a check on you

and you know what we came up with?

JOE:

No, I don't --

DREW:

Not good, not bad, you know what we

got? Nothing. No credit, no cars,

no mortgages -- no wives. Nothing.

Joe waits.

DREW (cont'd)

All of a sudden a guy appears on the

scene with the Chairman of one of

the greatest communications corpora-

tions of the world, the boss makes

him privy to all the company's

secrets, he attends the Board meet-

ings, and us working stiffs with

MBA's up the ass and years and years

and years of experience, we're left

outside with our noses pressed

against the window.

Joe doesn't respond.

DREW (cont'd)

This is a big-time operation, deal-

ing in big-time issues, demanding

big-time executives who make big-

time decisions. So, Joe, why don't

you tell me exactly what it is

that's big time about you?

After a moment.

JOE:

You first.

SUSAN:

(to Drew)

Why don't you get off his case?

DREW:

Oh, you're the great Joe's attorney

now? Are we going to go to court?

Or are we going to go to bed? And I

don't mean you and me. I mean you

and him.

SUSAN:

That's it. It's over. Get out.

DREW:

So I guess a blowj*b's out of the

question?

Joe clears his throat.

DREW (cont'd)

Did you say something?

Joe considers him evenly.

JOE:

Almost.

SUSAN:

(to Drew)

I said get out.

Now Drew wheels, heads right for the front door and exits with

a SLAM.

JOE:

What an angry fellow.

A moment passes before Susan realizes she and Joe are alone,

and Joe does as well.

SUSAN:

I'm sorry about --

JOE:

Please. We don't need to talk about

Drew.

She regards Joe.

SUSAN:

No. We don't.

They drift, osmotically, into the library in awkward silence.

SUSAN (cont'd)

Brave you had a chance to look at

Dad's rare books? Jefferson's

Parliamentary Manual, a first

edition Bleak House --

Joe comes closer, takes a deep breath.

JOE:

I love your smell.

SUSAN:

-- I guess you haven't.

Now Susan, close to Joe, leans closer, her nose in Joe's

neck. Joe holds himself very still.

SUSAN (cont'd)

I like your smell, too.

JOE:

Thank you.

SUSAN:

It was everything.

Silence, the TICKING of the clock.

SUSAN (cont'd)

When I was little, my mother used to

say, "Darling, you could set your

heart by this clock".

JOE:

-- Could you?

SUSAN:

Never tried, 'til now.

(suddenly)

Joe, may I kiss you?

JOE:

Why, yes. Thank you.

A moment.

SUSAN:

You're welcome.

Susan reaches out for Joe, they kiss, he is awkward but his

very awkwardness endearing. Susan pulls him closer, they

linger now, mouths on each other's, then separate.

SUSAN (cont'd)

Thank you.

JOE:

You're welcome.

The clock TICKS on. A sense of foreboding falls over Joe's

face, his fear that he is passing through some barrier, a

point of no return.

SUSAN:

Joe?

The apprehensive expression on Joe's face fades away.

JOE:

Yes?

SUSAN:

I don't know who you are.

JOE:

Well...I'm -- uh, Joe. And you're

Susan. And I - uh - have this weak

feeling in my knees --

SUSAN:

And is your heart beating strangely?

JOE:

Faster. And I want the scent from

underneath your ears and the taste

of your lips and the touch of your

tongue to stay with me -- forever.

An intake of breath. She is about to speak.

JOE (cont'd)

And you don't even have to say a

word.

Their faces inches from each other's.

SUSAN:

I have to go home.

But neither Susan nor Joe moves.

SUSAN (cont'd)

Don't I?

Her question makes Joe, almost involuntarily, smile. Susan

takes the opportunity to step back from him. The SOUND of

someone at the door, it is Parrish, Susan turns, comprehends

immediately how the situation will appear to him.

SUSAN:

Goodnight, Daddy.

She drifts right past him, exits. Joe and Parrish are left

alone now, eyes on each other's.

JOE:

Hello, Bill.

PARRISH:

(carefully)

Hello. Would you like to join me,

Quince and Allison for a nightcap?

JOE:

Um -- not right now.

An awkward moment.

PARRISH:

Okay. Goodnight.

JOE:

Goodnight.

Parrish turns and exits, Joe's head inclines, he breathes in

the scent of his collar.

CUT TO:

INT. EXECUTIVE SUITE, PARRISH COMMUNICATIONS - NEXT DAY

Parrish, followed by Joe, emerges from his private elevator,

is greeted as usual:

JENNIFER:

Good morning, Mr. Parrish.

PARRISH:

Good morning, Jennifer.

JENNIFER:

The Board is waiting.

PARRISH:

What?

JENNIFER:

Didn't you call a Board meeting?

Jennifer sees Parrish is trying to right his balance, she

knows better than to press the point.

JENNIFER (cont'd)

Yes, the members are waiting. They

are in the Board room now.

Jennifer nods respectfully as Parrish doesn't cast a flicker

of any further surprise, heads straight for the Board room,

Joe right beside him.

INT. BOARD ROOM, PARRISH COMMUNICATIONS - DAY

Parrish and Joe enter, the entire Board is assembled, includ-

ing Drew, Quince and Sloane.

PARRISH:

Good morning.

An odd mixture of responses, the Board sheepish and at the

same time looking their most dutiful at this odd meeting,

its sudden convening clearly a problem for Parrish, a prob-

lem which he does not attempt to hide, only control.

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