The Only Living Boy in New York Page #2

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Nobody reads fiction anymore.

And once a writer.

- So cynical, Ethan webb.

- -I know. -

if I were a writer, we'd be

having this conversation

in a two-bedroom in bushwick.

Oh, that's true.

- Bushwick is expensive now.

Yeah, exactly.

I'm serious.

I'm really serious.

I mean,

most novelists these days,

they don't earn enough money

to support themselves.

- True. -No matter

how talented they are.

That's why if Thomas came to me

with a desire to be a writer,

well... I'd talk him out of it.

So, you're still

tutoring, right?

Yeah. Just for some extra cash.

- He could be a Spanish teacher.

- Yes, he could.

I don't know if I could be

a Spanish teacher.

If he went back to college

for a year.

For some reason,

he refuses to do it.

He lives on the lower east side

without any direction.

The only thing missing

is an opium habit.

What about

doing a smartphone application?

This man moved in

across the hall from me.

I don't know what he does

or who he is, but...

He seems familiar to me.

He's my new friend.

- Aw.

- Yeah.

- He asked about you.

- Me?

- Mm-hmm.

- He knows me?

What's my father doing here?

Who's he with?

I don't know.

She's beautiful.

Do you have any idea

what this is gonna do

to my mother?

This doesn't mean

your father loves you any less.

- Sorry. That was bad.

- That was.

I know, like dispensing therapy

from an after-school special.

He doesn't care about me

to begin with, I know that.

This...

This is about my mother.

Yeah, but...

It's their problem.

You have your own problems.

Like what?

- Uh...

- Actually, don't.

Don't answer that. Not now.

Thomas.

Look at me.

Look, your parents,

their world

is nothing like ours.

I mean, maybe

it's their generation or...

I don't know... this island.

But you're kind.

And you're real.

Don't do that.

I mean, look, you're young,

and your defense mechanisms

are strong.

But I think that you want this.

- I really do.

- I think...

I think that you're confused

right now.

No, Mimi, I'm angry right now.

I'm angry.

Did you see that woman? Did

you see how beautiful she was?

I could never get a woman

like that.

But my father,

with his publishing house

and his-his good looks

and his-his cheating...

- F***ing hair.

- Wow.

So, what, you're gonna use

your father's affair

as a confirmation

of your own inadequacies?

No, Mimi.

I have you for that.

So, you call my office,

you say you want to have lunch.

You never want to have lunch.

I figured you had

a big surprise.

Maybe you've figured out

your life.

No. Definitely haven't

figured out my life.

- Mm. Bruce. -I wanted

to speak to you about...

- Thank you for the tickets.

- Good-good to see you.

- Well, of course. Any time.

- Oh, she enjoyed the show.

- Judith. Very much. -It was...

It was good, wasn't it?

- Yeah, it was great.

- Great. Say hi to Judith.

I will, indeed. All right.

I want you to move

from the lower east side.

Why do you insist on living

in the farthest corner

of Manhattan away from us?

I think it's intentional.

I think it's almost... hurtful.

Look...

I'm not asking for me.

I'm asking for your mother.

She wants you closer to home.

How is mom?

Better.

I guess.

Can't get her to quit smoking.

Well, she's fragile.

Anything, even

the smallest thing, could...

Create another... incident.

I'll pay the difference

in rent.

Hmm?

Will you think about it?

- Dad...

- Also, I set up an appointment

with a career counselor

for you.

My office will e-mail you

the info.

Dad, I know you're...

I- i know...

You know I'm what, Thomas?

I know you're just

trying to help.

Don't blow it off, okay?

- I had to call in a favor

for her to see you. -All right.

She actually has

a waiting list.

Are you gonna confront

your father?

No. Trouble talking to him.

Why?

I don't think

he likes me that much.

What, uh...

What exactly is wrong

with your mother?

I don't know.

She's depressed, bipolar.

She's a depressive bipolar.

She came from

a broken home, so...

Whenever anything threatens

our perfect family,

she completely unravels.

I can't tell her.

She'll be destroyed.

Why don't you furnish

this place, hmm?

I live in Brooklyn.

You have two apartments?

I'm rich.

I'm a f***ing Duke.

Or maybe he's...

Been faithful all these years.

Maybe she came on to him.

I've seen her.

- She's irresistible. I mean...

- Uh, stop.

What do you want?

- I want my father to stop

seeing this woman. -No, no, no.

No, in life.

In your life.

You want more money?

You want more respect?

You know?

What is it that you want?

Think about it.

Really think about it.

I want to be better.

- Better?

- Mm.

Than what?

Than them.

In the '80s,

Ethan was intoxicated

by literary New York.

But when he accepted

that he lacked the talent

to create a fictional family,

he thought at least

he could create a real one.

Young Thomas loved to write.

Ethan ignored this,

wary of nurturing a life

of rejections and evictions,

and Thomas learned to keep

his stories to himself.

The intensity of Judith's bond

with her son

left Ethan feeling like

a stranger in his own home.

He sought refuge in work,

until publishing began

its slow decline.

Then... came Johanna.

You know, private detectives

get paid by the hour.

To just-just wait.

To do exactly what we're doing

right now.

I mean, what is the difficulty

in a stakeout?

I really got to go to class.

No, just wait, all right?

He'll be out in a minute.

I have to see

if he's gonna meet her again.

Please, just wait.

Okay.

Oh, my god, that's her.

The other woman.

I'll call you later.

Wait, are we waiting

for your dad?

I'll call you later.

What is it, exactly,

that you want to accomplish?

I want to meet her.

And tell her

to stop seeing my father.

She could kill my mother.

Well, so do it.

I haven't built up

the courage yet.

Mm.

So you stalk her, huh?

I shouldn't be dealing

with this at all.

I should be on a beach...

With Mimi...

Naked...

In Croatia.

We should be together together.

"Should" is a dangerous word.

I'm serious, man.

If it wasn't for my mother,

i wouldn't be here.

I don't buy it.

You don't buy what?

I don't buy that this is just

about your mother's health.

You want something more here.

Something more what?

Provocative.

Excuse me.

- Excuse me.

- -Yes.

Y- you don't know who I am.

Yes, I do.

You do?

You're the boy who follows me.

Yeah, well,

i have a good reason.

You're also Ethan's son.

He keeps a picture of you

on his desk.

Are you hungry, Thomas?

Following someone in this city

has got to be very difficult.

It's so easy

to be anonymous here.

Why didn't you say anything

when I was following you?

Why didn't you say anything?

Because I didn't know

what I was gonna do.

- And do you now?

- Yes.

Is it good?

- Johanna.

- Johanna?

Yeah, I'm Johanna.

Okay, Johanna, how long

you been f***ing my father?

Is that kind of vulgarity

entirely necessary here?

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