The Bronx Bull Page #7

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I don't date guys like you.

I could marry a girl like you.

[LAUGHING]

Really?

Mm-hmm.

You want me to order that food now?

Yeah, sure.

Come on, sit down.

I'm not gonna bite you.

You seem a little nervous.

What's wrong?

No.

I don't want you to take this

the wrong way, Jake.

It...

it's just...

it's hard to imagine

you're this world-champion boxer

and you're living in a place like this.

Yeah, I know what you mean.

Sometimes I feel

like I'm just floating around,

you know, looking for something.

You know,

looking for something real.

You're so beautiful.

I wanna be your man.

[BOTH LAUGH]

You're sweet.

WOMAN:
Debbie tells me

that you are a professional...

boxer?

Yes, ma'am.

I was middleweight champ.

Oh. And is that

your current profession?

No, Mom.

He doesn't fight anymore.

That was a long time ago.

Oh. Oh, I see.

And what line of work are you in now?

Well, actually, right now, I was, uh,

kind of in the middle of, um...

Jake and me are partners now.

- Well, fabulous.

- JAKE:
Mm-hmm.

You know, Lily, I gotta tell you...

Uh, thank you.

I really love all your artwork

you got going on here.

LILIAN:

Oh, thank you.

And, uh, tell me something.

Is that a Harry Winston thing

you got going on there?

It... It really is.

How perceptive you are.

[LAUGHS]

RICK:

Well, that used to be a business

I was involved in before.

- LILIAN:
You have a good eye.

- Ray.

What?

So, um...

I imagine all of this stuff

is pretty well-insured, right?

Oh, of course.

You know, my husband...

Well, my late husband...

Insured everything.

Everything.

That would be a hell of a way

to make a little extra cash.

[COUGHS]

- Excuse me?

- RICK:
Well, I mean, you know,

if we pulled a friendly little caper,

you can make some pretty good bucks.

I'm afraid I... I...

I do not understand.

Well, say Debbie here

took off for Florida with Jake,

and you're all having

this really nice vacation

where you accidentally leave

the keys to your place with me.

Therefore, when you come back,

the first thing you notice

is the place has been robbed.

Yeah, yeah, but they didn't

really rob it, see, Lilian.

I stashed the stuff.

So then you report it,

we split the insurance dough,

and then I give you all your sh*t back.

[LILIAN COUGHS AND LAUGHS]

[LAUGHING]

I could never do that. No.

No. It wouldn't be right.

Besides, I'm a very poor liar.

No, no, you're being much

too hard on yourself, Lilian.

You are just a very rich liar.

[BOTH LAUGH]

That's true.

Anyway, it was just a suggestion.

I just thought it would be a way

for you to make a little extra dough,

and you could buy yourself

some more jewels.

You know what I'm saying?

Oh, what the hell.

Rick, don't you have somewhere to be?

Yeah, Rick, it's time to go.

LILIAN:
Oh.

He's late for an appointment.

- Yeah, we gotta run.

- All right.

Well, we gotta run.

Oh.

Nice meeting the both of youse.

Well, nice meeting the both of youse.

- Good night, Lilian.

- Good night, dear.

The f*** is wrong with you?

How could you say those things?

I was only looking out for your ass!

Screw these uptown b*tches.

Come on, let's go get laid.

No, screw you, Rick.

I told you this girl

meant something to me.

That I wanted to make an impression.

How could you do this?

It's got nothing to do with you.

Just blame it on me.

Every time she thinks of me,

she's gonna think of you.

The scumbag that tried to rob her.

I never proposed that.

I was talking about

an agreement between all of us

so we could all make some nice,

easy cash.

You're supposed to be my friend, Rick.

Instead, you make me look

like I'm some kind of lowlife

in front of her mother.

Then why don't you watch your own ass?

Because I am tired

of being a wet nurse for you.

A wet nurse?

F*** you, Rick!

You've been riding my coattail

for years.

You're dragging me from one

f***ing party to the other.

"Meet the champ,

meet the champ."

You treat me like some kinda

f***ing organ grinder's monkey.

Get the f*** outta here,

you punching bag.

Hey, hey!

I'll tell you something.

You're right, Rick.

You're right.

I haven't punched in a while.

Right now, I feel like punching

your f***ing head right off.

I care about her, Rick.

You know?

Tell you what, f*** you.

I don't give a f*** what you are.

I'm gonna marry her.

F*** you, Rick.

Yeah, that's right.

Why have a girlfriend

when you can have a wife?

Go ahead, marry her, you dumb f***!

Marry them all!

MAN:
All right, you go out there

and you do it! You do it!

Go on, Jake! Get him!

You got him, buddy!

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

[BELL DINGS]

[GROANING AND GRUNTING]

[SCREAMS]

Jake? Are you okay?

[GROANING]

[SHOUTS]

Jake, what's wrong?

All my life...

I've had to fight for everything.

I know you...

you don't think much of me.

Nobody else does anymore.

People on the street, I'm just a...

bum.

But I'm not a bum.

What are you doing?

Where you going?

[SOBBING]

[MELLOW JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING]

MAN:

Jake, you okay?

Yeah, I'm okay.

MAN:

You sure?

I said I'm okay.

Can I, uh...

buy you a drink, champ?

Yeah, sounds like a good idea.

Sit down, pal.

Since you're so generous...

here, let me buy you one first.

Here's mud in your eye.

It's good.

You know, Jake,

I want you to know

that if it wasn't for you...

I don't think I would've made it.

You reminded me to keep fighting.

Never give up.

[SCOFFS]

What's your name, pal?

Aaron Levi.

Nice to meet you, Aaron.

Can't tell you

what an honor this is, champ.

Thank you.

I know you from somewhere.

Yeah, you could say that.

How do I know you?

We fought once.

Let me tell you something, pal.

I remember every guy that I ever fought.

I see them in here.

All the time.

And if I fought you...

then I'm a f***ing Mona Lisa.

[LAUGHS]

We sort of fought once.

Right, right.

You're a f***ing heckler.

A**hole.

No, I'm the kid from Riverdale.

The Jewish kid...

everyone left for dead in the alley.

[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]

It's all right.

[JAKE CRYING]

It's okay, champ.

Debra?

Hmm? Mm.

Debra.

Yeah.

Something crazy just...

It was like a...

a ghost visited me from the past.

And I'd thought he'd died.

There was a part of me,

you know, that died with him.

I mean, not just in my fighting,

but it affected everything.

I never trusted anyone, Debra.

I never let anyone love me.

He didn't die...

I didn't kill him.

I love you so much.

Oh...

Get out, Jake.

Jesus Christ, you stink.

Get away from me.

[SIGHS]

You were always so full of life.

I never thought you'd die before me.

You were a good friend to me, Rick.

You always had class.

I don't even know where you got it from,

but you always had it.

Style, yeah.

Hell, you even went out in style.

Your way, baby. Ha.

Right out there on the casino floor,

heart attack

right in front of everybody.

Doing what you do best, huh?

Being a big shot, high roller.

Not a Joe from Kokomo till the end, huh?

Well, I guess I'll be seeing you.

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