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TOBY:

No....No....No I'm seeing but I'm not

believin'...Stop the wedding. This can't

be. Hey! What are you doing with my girl?

Bobby says nothing, ignoring Toby.

TOBY:

I axed you a question.

JENNY:

Aw, Toby, we weren't doing nothing. We was

just talking.

TOBY:

You shut your mouth, girl, and get back

over to our table. (to Bobby) Now, I'm not

going to axe you again, Mister. What were

you doing with my girl?

BOBBY:

I wasn't doing anything.

TOBY:

That's not the way it looked to me. Looked

to me like you was trying to make time with

her.

BOBBY:

Make time? Is everybody in this town on

drugs?

JENNY:

Honest, Toby. I just axed him for a

quarter for the jukebox.

TOBY:

Stay out of this, Jenny. We got man's

business to take care of. I ain't never

taken no drugs, mister, and ...

BOBBY:

Then maybe you should've. Look, pal, I

wasn't making a play for your girl.

TOBY:

You expect me to believe that?

BOBBY:

I don't care what you believe as long as

you leave me alone.

TOBY:

Mister, I'm calling you out.

BOBBY:

What? You want to fight? Over her?

Bobby looks Jenny over.

FLO:

Toby, you go finish your soda and leave the

man alone.

TOBY (to Bobby)

You know who I am? Toby N. Tucker.

Everyone round here call me TNT. You know

why?

BOBBY:

Let's see...they're not very imaginative?

TOBY:

'Cause I'm just like dynamite. And when I

go off, somebody gets hurt.

BOBBY:

Fine. I was making time with your girl.

Now I'm scared to death and I learned my

lesson. Now can you go away?

TOBY:

Not before I settle with you, chickenshit!

BOBBY:

Christ, I don't believe this!

TOBY:

Stand up.

BOBBY:

I wasn't hitting on your girl!

TOBY:

Stand up, Mister, or I'll beat you where

you sit.

Bobby sits for a beat. he doesn't need a fight with Toby now

with his damaged hand nor does he need to be noticed either. He

sits there.

FLO:

Toby, you stop it now! Can't you see he's

got a hurt hand?

TOBY:

Don't you never mind, Flo. This is gonna

be over real quick.

Reluctantly Bobby rises, facing off against Toby, each clenching

their fist and waiting for the other to make the first move.

The tension builds. We see it on the faces of Jenny, Flo and

the regulars. Just then the record on the juke ends and the

needle scratches off. There is the crackle of a police radio as

the door to the diner opens and SHERIFF VIRGIL POTTER walks in.

The tension eases. Toby, mindful of the sheriff, steps closer to

Bobby and whispers menacingly into his ear.

TOBY:

You're lucky, Mister. Don't think it's

over. I called you out and I'm gonna see

this through. You hear me? (to Jenny)

Come on, girl. I got half a mind to make

you walk home.

Toby takes Jenny by the arm and pulls her out of the diner.

FLO:

My lord, that little baby of yours Virgil,

has gotten cuter'n a bunny's nose.

SHERIFF:

What was that all about?

FLO:

You know how that Toby is. Thinks every

man he sees is after his Jenny.

SHERIFF:

More like Jenny is after every man she

sees.

FLO (to Bobby)

You pay Toby no mind. He just likes to

show off for his girl. Give him a couple

of hours, he'll cool off. Still want that

beer?

BOBBY (tense, seeing the Sheriff)

I'll take it to go.

Bobby holds his hand to his face to cover the cut on his

forehead.

ED:

How's it with you, Sheriff?

SHERIFF:

Already started out bad. Couple of bikers

from out of town tried to knock over

Jamilla's grocery store this morning. It

was a real shootout.

BOYD:

What happened?

SHERIFF:

The old witch killed 'em both.

ED:

Holy sh*t!

FLO:

Poor thing. Is she all right?

SHERIFF:

Sure, when the sons of b*tches tried to

steal her wedding ring. That's when she

started shooting. Can't blame her. The

ring was all Carlos left her when he died.

Store's a mess.

BOYD:

It's the desert. That's what it is. The

desert makes everybody crazy. Ain't that

right, Sheriff? People go crazy out here.

ED:

Come on, Boyd. I've got to make tracks.

That yogurt's got to make Santa Fe before

it spoils.

BOYD:

Dr. Pepper don't have that problem.

Ed and Boyd toss a few bills on the counter and exit. Flo

stands near the cash register with Bobby's beer.

FLO:

I can't open off-sale for you, sugar.

Bobby pays for the beer ($1.75). Flo opens the register.

FLO:

Let me get your change.

SHERIFF:

Flo, I'm just gonna help myself to a refill

on the coffee.

The Sheriff reaches around the counter for the pot.

FLO:

You be careful now, Virgil.

Just as the words leave Flo's mouth the Sheriff spills the pot.

It shatters against the floor spilling hot coffee everywhere.

Flo runs over to him.

SHERIFF:

Son of a b*tch!

FLO:

Virgil! Now look at what you done! Are

you all right?

SHERIFF:

I think I burned my gun hand!

As Flo bends to wipe the counter, Virgil touches her intimately.

SHERIFF (Cont'd)

How 'bout we put something soft on it

later? (a look)

FLO:

(quietly) I could put some butter on it,

hon'. (Her normal abrasive voice) It'd

serve you right, you a**hole. Put it under

some cold water. Joe, run get a mop and

clean this f***in' mess up.

While everyone is distracted Bobby notices that the register

drawer has been left open. He looks around to make sure he is

not being watched. Slowly he eases his hand towards the drawer.

It gets closer and closer. As he is about to grab the money

there, the cat - the same one he kicked away earlier - hisses

and claws at his hand. Bobby jumps back startled.

FLO:

Shasta! Now why'd you go and scare the

nice man like that? Sorry about that,

mister. Let's see, you want $3.25. (gives

it to him) You try to have a nice day now,

would you?

BOBBY:

Sure, I'll try.

With the Sheriff occupied, and the Mexican Jose mopping the

floor, Bobby exits.

EXT. PHONE BOOTH - STREET - DAY

BOBBY begs on the phone.

BOBBY:

Cici? Cici, it's Bobby...Bobby

Cooper...Yeah, look, I know it's been a

while, but I'm kind of in a

jam...yeah...One-hundred-fifty

dollars...That's a lie. I called you on

your birthday..Two years ago...I can't help

it if you didn't get the message. Cici,

honey, I don't want to argue. I need you to

wire me the money...Because they're f***ing

going to KILL ME! I didn't steal your

CD's...Yeah, well where's my Mr. Coffee.

Cici...Cici...

Bobby slams the phone.

BOBBY:

B*tch. C*nt.

JUMP CUT TO:

EXT. SAME PHONE BOOTH - STREET - DAY

BOBBY is on another call, circling a local sports page betting

line.

BOBBY:

73-11, this is Pluto. What's the line on

Dallas?

GAMBLER'S VOICE

Pluto. F***ing deadbeat. We head about

you. You owe "the commie" 13 dimes, why you

tryin' to get in my office? Lose this

f***in' number.

BOBBY:

Mike...Mike...you a**hole.

GAMBLER'S VOICE

Mike who?

(hangs up)

Bobby, frustrated, clicks off.

JUMP CUT TO:

INT. MR. ARKADY'S OFFICE - DAY

It is the kind of cheesy, temporary office one would expect to

find in a Las Vegas apartment building overlooking the DOWNTOWN

STRIP. MR. ARKADY, dressed in a silk suit with conspicuous

jewelry, sits behind his desk eating lunch and cleaning his

nails. SERGEI, his goon in a shiny polyester shirt, hovers over

his boss helping feed and manicure him. These are the TWO MEN

from Bobby's earlier FLASHBACK. They are dangerous in an

endearing way. Sergei answers the phone. In the background is a

very voluptuous female, obviously from the Middle East. SOFIA.

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