The Open Road Page #2

I'm here with my friend Lucy.

When you're done with this,

maybe you could just, I don't know,

meet us at the bar or something after.

All right, this dog and pony show

will be over around 8:00.

I'll see about swinging by after.

How's that?

- Thanks.

- Hey, buddy. What you got there?

Lonestar, sir, I have to say

it is an honor to meet you.

Maybe you should

just call his room.

Let's just give him 20 minutes.

- If he's not down here in 20 minutes...

- A whole lot can happen in 20 minutes.

You must be Lucy.

- Yeah.

- Oh, I swear,

Garrett must've been born

under a lucky star.

You're prettier than a spotted heifer

in a pansy patch.

Well, thank you.

I got to apologize to y'all.

They got me acting like

a little circus bear around here.

Had to have drinks

with the programmers up there.

You know, cocktails up

in my room and they just...

well, they just kept

going on and on ad infinitim.

And now they got me

going to this damn dinner.

Didn't even know about it.

Didn't tell me about it.

But I sure would love

to have you join me.

Would you mind doing that?

And then we could go over

the private matter?

It's really kind

of serious, Dad.

Yeah, well, I know, son,

but hey, if you'd

given me a heads-up...

if you'd let me know

you were coming,

I would've made time.

I would've canceled

this whole deal.

Mom's dying.

- What?

- The thing with her heart,

the defect,

it finally got worse

and now they have to operate.

And she wants to see you.

What are you talking about?

She wants to see you

before she goes into the operating room.

That's what she asked for.

That's what we came to tell you.

Well...

you know,

I'd love to come,

but I'm, uh...

I'm under contract

here with this thing.

I don't know if I can just

drop everything and fly off.

Uh...

- when's the operation?

- They want to do it as soon as possible.

Hmm.

Well, you caught me

a little off guard here,

but sure.

Yeah.

Of course.

So you'll fly down?

Well, I'm not gonna walk.

Of course I'm gonna fly down.

When I check into this party,

this dinner deal,

and I'll tell 'em the situation.

I'll look into flights in the morning.

Okay?

We're on the 10:
00 tomorrow,

so we could all go together.

As long as I can sit next to you.

Okay then.

Well, I wish the circumstances

had been better,

- but it sure is good to meet you.

- You too.

- See you in the morning.

- Okay.

- Call your room.

- Thank you.

All right.

- That seemed to go pretty well.

- You're a total liar.

What are you talking about?

Mom's dying?

If she doesn't get

the operation, she will.

Look, what are you

trying to do, okay?

He said he would go.

- Can we not just be happy about that?

- Hmm.

You're the one who blushed

when he called you a heifer.

That's a cow.

- I know what a heifer is.

- Well well.

Here you go, pardner.

Lonestar, I appreciate it.

#11 in your program;

#1 in your heart.

- He doesn't stop.

- All right.

- Good morning.

- Good morning.

All right then.

Let's go to Houston.

- Hi.

- Hey.

- Where are you?

- I'm at the airport in Columbus.

Are you...

how you feeling?

I'm fine.

Have you talked to your dad?

Yeah yeah, I'm looking

at him right now.

He's getting his ticket.

We should be in tonight.

Mom?

Yeah.

I didn't know if he would come.

Well, he's coming.

I'm bringing him

just like you asked.

What'd he say?

He said that if you wanted

him there, he was there.

And now we're at the airport.

Tell him I said thank you.

I will and I'll call you

when we get in, okay?

Thanks, baby.

You're welcome, Mom.

Now get some rest.

I'll call you in a few hours, okay?

Okay.

Hey.

Who's he talking to?

Homeland Security.

He lost his wallet,

so he doesn't have an ID.

I completely understand

your predicament, Tom.

- Good.

- And believe me,

I thank God that you boys

are down here doing your jobs

- which isn't an easy one.

- Thank you.

It's not like you don't know

who I am.

Right?

I mean, uh,

the Lonestar

ain't exactly no Arab.

Mr. Garrett,

believe me, if there's

anything I could do,

I would do it.

If I don't scan something,

- I'll lose my job.

- You believe this?

May I talk to you for a minute?

With the new security laws,

they won't let you on a private flight...

I appreciate it.

I appreciate it.

Well, pal, I really don't know

what happened to it.

I don't know.

See, I had a few drinks last night.

Maybe we could

check the hotel.

Please tell me

you're not gonna do this.

- Do what?

- I just got off the phone with her.

She's counting on you.

Well, what do you

want me to do, kiddo?

Haven't you ever lost

your wallet?

Couldn't you have someone

overnight your passport?

It expired. Besides, there's nobody

to overnight it anyway.

You know, I think the Lonestar

is being a pretty good guy here.

I mean, you show up

out of the blue,

I haven't seen you

for five years,

- here I am trying to get on a plane.

- No you're not.

And it's been four.

Let me try and explain

something here, okay?

Now she asked

for you to be there,

not for you to try

to get on a plane,

- but for you to be there.

- Looks like I'm at the airport to me.

- Without your wallet!

- What do you want me to do?!

Huh.

Sorry.

Was that me?

Yeah.

What were you gonna say?

No, nothing. I was just trying

to internally ponder something,

but the internal thing

didn't really work out.

You go on, sweetheart.

Something tells me if you've got

something to say, it's probably good.

- What is it?

- Well,

I was just thinking...

this is entirely up to y'all,

but you could always

just drive.

You'd think a car this size

would have some leg room.

Jesus God.

This is the most uncomfortable seat.

I don't understand this.

You asked for the biggest thing

they had. This was it.

- I asked for a Lincoln.

- They didn't have a Lincoln.

You know,

when I was a kid,

what we called

"a hummer"

was something

entirely different.

It was a kid in the choir

who couldn't sing.

Barbara Big Legs...

she was the one in ours.

Sang like a goat.

- You okay back there?

- Yeah, I'm okay.

- How about you?

- So I guess you two

have known each other

for quite a while now.

Yeah, about five years.

Hmm.

We met at a book reading.

- Oh really? Is that right?

- Mm-hmm.

I try to read to myself

every now and then,

but my lips get tired.

Carlton's actually been

doing some writing...

some short stories and stuff.

Eventually, he's gonna

write a book.

- You're kidding me.

- Hm-mm.

Huh.

He must get that

from his mother's side.

I remember he used

to talk about you,

you know, back when.

- Really?

- No, good stuff.

Good stuff.

I remember thinking

his voice would always

kind of sound different

whenever he'd say your name.

It always brought

a smile to my face.

How do you mean different?

Oh, you know, like someone

who's happy, I guess.

In love.

Well...

I think I'm gonna go in there

and get some booze,

get drunk.

You want anything?

No, I'm good.

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