Traveler Page #2

TAYLOR:

Definitely pleasure.

PORTER:

You on a road trip?

Jay looks surprised by the question.

PORTER (cont'd)

I could tell by the bags. Like to

guess where folks are heading based

on the luggage.

7.

JAY:

Cool trick.

Jay starts to pull out a five dollar bill. Taylor comes over

holding a fifty dollar bill.

TAYLOR:

Yeah. And we plan on kicking this

road trip off with a bang. If you

could arrange a limo for us, we'd

greatly appreciate it.

Taylor hands the Porter the fifty.

PORTER:

Of course, sir. The concierge will

have a car waiting when you call.

The Porter exits. Jay walks to the window. He takes in the

enormity of Central Park stretched before him.

JAY:

What does a view like this cost?

TAYLOR:

Don't even worry about it.

JAY:

You don't have to pay for

everything, Taylor.

TAYLOR:

It's not my money.

JAY:

It doesn't matter.

TAYLOR:

Look, we said Will would plan this

trip. I'd cover major costs. And

you'd keep us out of trouble.

POP! Taylor opens the complimentary champagne. He crosses to

Jay and takes a swig straight from the bottle.

TAYLOR (cont'd)

Of the three, I'd say you have the

hardest.

FADE TO:

8.

INT. MARQUEE CLUB - NIGHT

A glass chandelier changes color in sync to the pounding

pulse of HOUSE MUSIC.

Jay and Will sit at a private banquette off the dance floor.

A bottle of Grey Goose vodka sits on the table. Jay drinks a

beer. Will films the scene with a small DV camcorder.

JAY:

You gonna take that thing

everywhere on this trip?

WILL:

You'll thank me for it someday.

Taylor comes off the dance floor. He checks his hair in the

mirrored walls and then sits.

TAYLOR:

Ladies, we did not come to the

hottest club in Manhattan for you

to play wallflower. I've got three

coeds waiting for dance partners

out there.

JAY:

Hey, some of us have girlfriends.

TAYLOR:

No. You my friend have a

girlfriend. But if you take

advantage of your time with me

tonight, we might just make that

girlfriends.

Jay's phone starts to vibrate on the table. Taylor looks at

it. TIGHT ON:
the phone display "Call from Kim."

TAYLOR (cont'd)

Speak of the devil!!

Jay opens the phone, but Taylor grabs it.

TAYLOR (cont'd)

(into phone)

Kim, hon, he's gotta call you

back... in two months.

He closes the phone. Jay is fuming.

TAYLOR (cont'd)

Sorry. But I need backup out there.

WILL:

(diffusing the tension)

We'll be there in a second, Taylor.

Taylor pops an Altoid and heads back to the dance floor.

WILL (cont'd)

She's called three times tonight.

Doesn't want you to go, does she?

JAY:

She's not the only one having

second thoughts.

WILL:

You've got to see the world before

you can change it, Jay.

JAY:

Yeah, I've also got to pay off

eighty thousand in loans.

WILL:

I'm sure Taylor would be happy to

help.

JAY:

Don't even start with that.

r Will puts an arm around Jay's shoulder.

WILL:

Look, you're doing the right thing.

We all need this trip. Adventures

like this, when you take time to

step off the track and see what

really makes this country tick...

They change your life.

Will pats Jay on the back. Then he downs a vodka/tonic and

heads out to join Taylor on the dancefloor.

EXT. UPPER EAST SIDE STREETS - THE NEXT MORNING

The sunrise peeks through the concrete canyons of the Upper

East Side.

INT. ESSEX HOUSE HOTEL - EXECUTIVE SUITE - SAME

Taylor sleeps on the couch. The room is a mess. Three empty

magnums of champagne litter the floor. Two pizza boxes sit

open on the coffee table. The flatscreen plays SPORTSCENTER

on mute. Will enters and interrupts the silence.

10.

WILL:

Wake up call! Come on, Taylor.

Everybody up!

TAYLOR:

I do not rise before noon, my

friend.

Will keeps going and enters

THE SECOND BEDROOM

Where Jay is doing push ups next to his bed. Will watches.

WILL:

You're the only guy I know who

cures a hangover with push-ups.

JAY:

Twenty per beer. Burchell family

secret.

WILL:

Well, if you're done. I've got an

unforgettable way to start our

trip.

Taylor enters looking haggard.

TAYLOR:

Good. Cause I can't remember a

thing from last night.

EXT. CENTRAL PARK - ENGINEER'S GATE - MORNING

Our guys now stand next to the Central Park Reservoir. They

look across Fifth Avenue at the iconic Guggenheim.

WILL:

It's like an homage to L.A. STORY.

Steve Martin roller-skating through

the museum. Only better.

Jay wears the hooded green sweatshirt from the opening.

Taylor has on his collared shirt, not yet wrinkled. Will

wears a blue Adidas track suit. All three carry daypacks.

TAYLOR:

Will, can I just say how proud of

you I am right now. This is genius.

WILL:

Jay?

11.

JAY:

I think we should go back to the

hotel.

TAYLOR:

Oh, here we go. Mr. Play it Safe—

JAY:

Hey, you said my job is to keep us

out of trouble.

TAYLOR:

What trouble? It's a prank. Worst

we get is a slap on the wrist.

Jay still looks doubtful.

TAYLOR (cont'd)

(imploring)

Jay, in two months a law firm will

run your life. I'll be spending

hundred hour weeks at Fog

industries. And Will will be locked

in a research lab. This trip is our

last chance to have a little fun.

To actually do something memorable

in our lives.

The exchange reveals the tension that rests beneath their

friendship. Will plays the peacekeeper.

WILL:

Relax, Taylor. If we do this. We do

it together. We said that from day

one about this trip.

JAY:

So it's on me now?

WILL:

If you're out, we all are.

INT. THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM - CIRCULAR LOBBY - MORNING

Taylor, Will, and Jay enter the art museum's first-floor

lobby. Jay looks up at the six story circular walkway. A

SECURITY GUARD takes their tickets.

THE ELEVATOR - MOMENTS LATER

The doors open. A few PATRONS file out. Jay, Taylor, and Will

head inside. Two OLDER WOMEN are about to follow.

12.

TAYLOR:

Ladies, I'd wait for the next one.

(points to Jay)

My friend's having a bit of a

flatulence problem.

INT. ELEVATOR - CONT.

The doors close. As soon as they're alone, the guys drop

their packs and pull rollerblades frpm their bags. They

crouch on the elevator floor and clip in.

WILL:

Okay. When we get to the top. You

guys head down first. I'll be right

behind taping the whole thing.

JAY:

What if we get split up?

WILL:

We'll meet in the park. At the

reservoir gate house.

Jay pulls up his hoody. Will puts on a pair of shades.

TAYLOR:

Anything else?

Will looks like he wants to say something. DING. The elevator

arrives at the top floor. The doors slide open. It's go time.

INT. THE GUGGENHEIM RAMP - CONT.

Taylor pushes out first, followed closely by Jay. They head

down the spiraling walkway, picking up speed on the top two

levels. They carve S-turns past gawking PATRONS.

Taylor lets out a SCREAM of joy. This is a serious rush. An

OLDER COUPLE points at them and laughs.

Even Jay can't help but smile. The sensation of living beyond

the rules fills him. He waves to the couple as he passes.

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