Meet Joe Black Page #3

PARRISH (cont'd)

Just talking to myself again. You

know me --

The elevator door opens.

PARRISH:

Well, here we are --

Parrish leads the group out.

EXT. 34TH STREET, NEW YORK CITY - DAY

They exit the building.

SUSAN:

(to Parrish)

Are you okay?

PARRISH:

A-Okay. Got my gloves on, my ears

pricked. I'm ready for action.

SUSAN:

Well, go get 'em, Pops.

PARRISH:

Yer damn right.

Parrish, followed by Drew, steps into a waiting limousine,

Quince looks longingly after them. Susan, blowing a kiss

goodbye to her father, steps out into the street to hustle a

cab.

INT. LOBBY, BONTECOU WORLD HEADQUARTERS - DAY

DREW:

...Tomorrow we sign off -- photo

opportunity, you and Big John, it'll

lead network news. Okay so far?

PARRISH:

Sounds good.

DREW:

It's going to be great --

PARRISH:

Do you think I need a haircut?

DREW:

Bill, after this deal, you'll be

able to afford one.

Parrish smiles, they step into the elevator.

INT. BONTECOU EXECUTIVE OFFICES - DAY

Parrish and Drew emerge from the elevator, Parrish observing

the overkill decor.

DREW:

Their PR guy asked me, what did I

think Parrish Communications stood

for, that's principle and ethics-

wise? I came up with something, but

then it occurred to me, why don't I

ask Bill? What do you think?

A moment, Parrish shrugs.

PARRISH:

Our first annual report, must be

thirty-five years ago now, I owned

two stations, I wrote down a state-

ment of purpose, that one day you

would wake up to a Parrish radio

station, read a Parrish paper at

breakfast, catch our news on tele-

vision during the day, and go to bed

with one of our books or magazines

and you would always be told the

truth and in the bargain, have a

good time.

DREW:

That's great! Wait 'til I show it

to Bontecou.

Drew opens a door, a conference room, a circle of top exec-

utives, now stepping out from the group is a huge, white-

haired man, JOHN BONTECOU, 55.

BONTECOU:

Bill, thanks for coming over...

(to Drew)

And how're you doing today, Drew?

(to Parrish)

You've got a firecracker here, the

kid's really set the table.

PARRISH:

Good, good. Glad to hear it.

BONTECOU:

We've met before, y'know, that White

House function, the President had

you on his right and you know where

I was?

PARRISH:

I'm sorry, I don't recall --

BONTECOU:

Left field somewhere. Well, Bill, I

want to come in from the outfield,

bat cleanup like you have, learn the

plush ropes --

PARRISH:

I thought you were buying my company.

BONTECOU:

Oh, Mr. Parrish, I could never buy

Parrish Communications. I could pay

for it, of course, but it would

always have your imprint.

Silence. Parrish looks around at the circle of 'suits',

Bontecou holding away.

PARRISH:

Well, that's very nice to hear.

Drew nods excitedly.

EXT. NEW YORK HOSPITAL CORNELL MEDICAL CENTER - DAY

The busy medical community at 68th Street and New York Avenue.

INT. CORINTH COFFEE SHOP, NEW YORK AVENUE - DAY

A thriving eatery diagonally across from the hospital's

entrance, customers cheek-by-jowl as a pair of waiters

juggle breakfasts served to a noisy throng of doctors,

residents and interns.

Susan has squeezed into a seat in the corner. A counterman,

with a smile and a greeting, places a cup of coffee in front

of her. A sense this is a daily ritual, arming herself for

the day; immediately she becomes aware of a man behind her

speaking into the pay phone.

An attractive YOUNG MAN, early 30's, a pair of suitcase at

his feet, a raincoat slung over his shoulder.

YOUNG MAN:

...Honey, you've got to go on...

there's a time to sow and a time to

reap, you sow now and forget about

him... yeah, I liked him, I don't

like him anymore... because you're

my honey and anybody messes with you

messes with me -- I'm on a plane in

a minute... as soon as I get my

phone in, you're my first call,

that's a promise... where you going

now?... good, hit the books, get that

degree, one day we'll hang out a

shingle together... you bet, honey...

later.

The Young Man hangs up, turns around and sits down to an

overflowing plate of eggs and meat, potatoes and toast, the

counterman refills his cup and the Young Man ties into the

breakfast, eating it with such relish that Susan can't take

her eyes off him. He senses her eyes, glances over, his

cheeks filled with a mouthful of food, swallows embarrassedly.

YOUNG MAN:

Good morning, I was talking kind of

loud there, sorry.

SUSAN:

Not at all. It was fascinating.

YOUNG MAN:

Oh yeah? What was 'fascinating'

about it?

SUSAN:

You and 'Honey'?

YOUNG MAN:

My kid sister. She just broke up

with her boyfriend and she's

thinking about dropping out of

law school.

SUSAN:

I'm sorry --

YOUNG MAN:

Nothing to be sorry about. That's

the way with men and women, isn't

it?

SUSAN:

What's the way?

YOUNG MAN:

Nothing lasts.

SUSAN:

I agree --

YOUNG MAN:

Why?

SUSAN:

I was just being agreeable, now I've

got to explain why?

YOUNG MAN:

I'm not trying to sharpshoot you,

but that 'nothing lasts' stuff,

that's what was the trouble with

Honey's guy. He was fooling around

and Honey caught him at it. One

girlfriend wasn't enough for him.

SUSAN:

So you're a one-girl guy?

YOUNG MAN:

Damn right. Looking for her right

now. Who knows? You might be her.

Susan laughs.

YOUNG MAN (cont'd)

Well, don't laugh. I just arrived

in town, got a new job -- I'm trying

to get into this apartment. You a

doctor?

SUSAN:

How'd you know?

YOUNG MAN:

Everybody's a doctor around here.

This apartment house is all green

pajamas and slippers. The guy I'm

waiting for to vacate is a doctor.

What kind of doctor?

SUSAN:

Me? Internal medicine.

The Young Man smiles.

YOUNG MAN:

So if I needed a doctor, you could

be it?

SUSAN:

I could be her.

YOUNG MAN:

'Her'.

A moment.

SUSAN:

Yes, I could.

(a moment)

I have an office in the hospital.

YOUNG MAN:

-- This is my lucky day. I arrive

in this big bad city and I not only

find a doctor, a beautiful woman as

well.

Susan looks into her coffee.

YOUNG MAN (cont'd)

I'm sorry, you mind my saying that?

SUSAN:

Not at all.

YOUNG MAN:

How 'bout another cup of coffee?

SUSAN:

I've got patients coming in --

YOUNG MAN:

And I want to get into my apartment

and go to work. Please, what do you

say, another cup of coffee?

Two pots are warming behind the counter, he reaches over and

refills her cup and his. Pushes a container and pitcher to-

wards her.

YOUNG MAN (cont'd)

I see you use lots of sugar and

cream. Me, too...

They smile at each other, fix up their coffee.

EXT. PARRISH COMMUNICATIONS, NEW YORK CITY - DAY

A magnificent granite building, a monument to good taste in

the midtown sea of glass and aluminum.

INT. OUTER LOBBY, PARRISH COMMUNICATIONS - DAY

Parrish and Drew enter, no particular fanfare but an aware-

ness the 'Chief' has arrived, everyone giving Parrish the

appropriate wide berth, Drew right beside him.

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