Mistress America Page #5

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INT. SALON. DAY

Brooke gets her hair blown out - Tracy sits beside her andlooks at Brooke in the mirror.

TRACY:

This air conditioning is making mefreezing.

EXT. MIDTOWN STREET. DAY

Brooke, in a conservative blouse and suit, pearl earrings,

heels, holding a briefcase walks with Tracy in her jeans.

She towers over her. (Midnight Cowboy shot.)

EXT/INT. MIDTOWN RESTAURANT. DAY

They stop outside the restaurant. Brooke is suddenly very

nervous. She smooths down her blouse, her hair.

BROOKE:

(pulling down the sides of

her skirt)

God, I’m packed into this pencilskirt. How do I look?

TRACY:

You look beautiful.

31.

BROOKE:

But do I look professional?

(pause)

I get really nervous with theinvestors. I’m usually fine withwealthy people, it’s just when Ineed something from them.

TRACY:

No, it’s the opposite - they needyou and your restaurant.

BROOKE:

Stavros usually does this stuff.

Maybe I shouldn’t do it. I’m not

good at it.

TRACY:

(sincerely)

I think you can do anything.

Everything.

Brooke nods.

BROOKE:

Right. Kind and fearless.

She goes inside.

CUT TO:
Tracy watches through the window. Brooke sits

amongst three men in suits and another powerful looking womanin a suit. She makes them laugh.

CUT TO:
Brooke meets Tracy outside. Brooke looks relieved.

BROOKE:

It’s amazing how much of businessis just stating the same thingsover and over again.

TRACY:

Your body language looked very self-

confident.

BROOKE:

Thanks. You make me feel really...

Smart.

Tracy beams.

BROOKE:

Wanna see it?

32.

INT. EMPTY RESTAURANT SPACE, BROOKLYN. DAY

Brooke shows Tracy the space. During the scene, Brooke ischanging out of her “lawyer outfit” into her “tutoringoutfit” - skinny jeans, T-shirt and Converse.

BROOKE:

(gesturing)

The front part would be like a shopduring the day - like a generalstore or a really nice bodega -

candy from Europe - on Monday westart demo and we open in April.

She knocks her head for “wood.” She leads Tracy through theback -

BROOKE:

We’d also have cooking classes.

Maybe cut hair. It would be like a

community center and restaurant andstore all in one. It would be the

place that you would, like, LOVE tobe. I wish I had something likethis when I was growing up.

TRACY:

Yeah, suburban New Jersey isn’tgreat with this kind of stuff.

BROOKE:

Each plate would be different. Let

me show you.

TRACY:

Can I be a waitress here?

Brooke opens a box.

BROOKE:

See! Look at all these plates!

TRACY:

(taking in the wholething)

Holy sh*t you have a lot of plates.

BROOKE:

I started collecting them so longago - I didn’t know why and now Ihave a why!

Tracy’s been touching all of them.

33.

TRACY:

This is going to be a great

restaurant.

BROOKE:

I know!

TRACY:

Are you going to cook, too?

BROOKE:

(shakes her head)

I’ll help create the menu and pitch

in when needed. I’m not trained,

but I’m an enthusiastic home cook.

I always used to cook with my Mom.

That’s the name of the restaurant.

Mom’s. Possessive.

TRACY:

(trying it out)

“Let’s go to Mom’s for dinner.”

Yeah, it totally works.

(tries again)

Can I be a waitress here?

BROOKE:

I want the whole deal - I want the

dead-on-my-feet-wake-up-and-I’m

forty. I’ve spent my whole life

chasing after things and knocking

at doors and I’m tired of running

towards people. I want to be the

place that people COME to. I want

to make a home for all the knockers

and runners - I’m good at that.

I’m happy with that. I keep the

hearth. That’s a word, right?

Hearth?

EXT. BROOKLYN APARTMENT. LATER

Brooke is going in to tutor. The final thing she does is puton her fake glasses.

BROOKE:

Don’t I look like a cute smart

graduate student?

TRACY:

Yeah!

34.

BROOKE:

I tutor junior high because Ididn’t get high enough SAT scoresto do SAT tutoring, but you makeway more money doing SAT. So, I’mtaking the SAT’s AGAIN so I canmake inroads into that racket.

TRACY:

I’ve always been a good test taker.

BROOKE:

None of this will be necessary whenthe restaurant is up and running,

but I’m good that way, curating myemployment.

Brooke is rifling through her purse.

TRACY:

So, um, should I - just wait here

or...

BROOKE:

Oh! I thought you had to go backto school.

TRACY:

Right. I should....

BROOKE:

Do you want to stay?

TRACY:

I mean, if you don’t mind...

BROOKE:

Yeah, I’d invite you in but Peggy’sMom just got institutionalized forbi-polar disorder and sh*t’s prettyreal upstairs. Tutoring is like60% middle school math and 40% I

know too much about them.

TRACY:

That’s okay, then, I’ll just go -

Brooke hands her keys, not listening to her.

BROOKE:

You remember where my apartment is,

go there.

35.

TRACY:

(thrilled)

Seriously?

BROOKE:

And pick up some pasta, I’ll cook.

TRACY:

What kind of-

But Brooke is ringing the bell.

INT. SUBWAY. DAY

Tracy excitedly looks at the keys in her hand, smiles.

TRACY (V.O.)

(into answering machine)

Mom - hey - are you there? SH*T.

INT. GROCERY STORE. DAY

Tracy stands in the pasta aisle, looking at all the differentbrands of pastas. She picks one up and then another. She’son the phone.

TRACY:

(leaving message)

I just wanted to know - what kindof pasta would you buy if youwanted to buy a nice pasta? - Likethe brand? If you get this can youcall me back right away?

She hangs ups.

CUT TO:
Tracy is on the phone with Tony, scanning the brands.

TRACY:

This one is like bowties? Get

that?

CUT TO:
Tony and Nicolette together in his bed. Nicolette is

angry.

TONY:

(on the phone)

Do they have regular spaghetti?

TRACY:

Is that pasta the same way as theothers?

36.

NICOLETTE:

(to Tony)

Is this some sex game?

TONY:

(covering the phone)

No! We’re actually talking aboutpasta.

TRACY:

Hello?

TONY:

Yes.

NICOLETTE:

(sullen)

Why don’t you just put pasta up herpussy?

TONY:

Nicolette! Seriously!

CUT TO:
Tracy still in the store.

TRACY:

I’ll get that and I’ll get the

bowties. And there’s shells-

INT. BROOKLYN APARTMENT. SAME TIME

Brooke is sitting with a thirteen year old girl, working on aset of pre-algebra problems.

BROOKE:

X can be anything, any number, thatis what’s CRAZY about X.

PEGGY:

Then why isn’t it just a number.

BROOKE:

Because X doesn’t roll like that,

because X can’t be pinned down! It

can be ANYTHING and we have to

figure out what it is - crazybastard.

Peggy giggles and starts writing.

PEGGY:

Maybe you could spend the night?

37.

BROOKE:

Oh, honey, I’m sorry. I’m math

only.

INT. BROOKE’S APARTMENT. LATE AFTERNOON

Tracy unpacks an enormous amount of pasta onto the counter.

TRACY (V.O.)

I remembered looking across theriver at the unblinking lights ofManhattan apartments, wondering wholived there.

She touches items, looks at things, takes notes. Takes a

tiny airplane and puts it in her pocket. Flips through someSAT prep books.

TRACY (V.O.)

I was part of it now, on the fifthfloor, in a temporary commercialapartment. There was our castle.

Our fortress. Yes! This is how I

imagined it would be: college, NewYork, my whole entire life.

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