Uncut Gems Page #19

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HOWARD fishes out his phone and dials.

HOWARD (CONT’D)

I’m gonna call Kevin right now. Causeyou saw how badly he f***ing wants it.

He’ll give me the 175... Andeverything will be copacetic.

ARNO stares at him in a silent rage.

HOWARD (CONT’D)

(into phone)

KG! It’s Howard Ratner. I got greatnews for you-

ARNO grabs the phone out of his hand and puts it to his ear.

ARNO:

Hello?... Hello?.... There’s no one on

the phone!

ARNO throws the phone onto the street.

HOWARD:

Look, I can-

PHIL suddenly does a quick hand chop to HOWARD’s throat.

HOWARD falls to the ground, grasping his neck.

PHIL:

You’re lucky there’s people aroundhere.

(to ARNO)

Let’s go.

PHiL, NICO and ARNO take off down the street.

HOWARD scrambles for his phone and gets to his feet. Stillgasping, he runs after them.

122.

HOWARD:

(voice strained)

Arno! Don’t be silly. It’ll be sold by

the end of the day!

EXT. SIXTH AVENUE AND 49TH STREET - CONTINUOUS

HOWARD catches up to them near a giant public fountain in a

crowded pedestrian plaza.

HOWARD:

(to ARNO)

ARNO... STOP!... LISTEN TO ME

PLEASE!.... I CAN GET HIS NUMBER

THROUGH DEMANY, A BUSINESS PARTNER OF

MINE- YOU REMEMBER DEMANY, RIGHT??

ARNO:

(whipping around)

IT’S ENOUGH, HOWARD! IT’S F***ING

ENOUGH!

HOWARD:

WHY ARE YOU BEING SO THICKHEADED

PHIL suddenly turns around and punches HOWARD square in thenose, busting it open. Stunned, he falls to his knees, holdinghis nose. NICO and PHIL pick him up, toss him into thefountain and take off.

HOWARD, stunned, freezing, bleeding, scrambles to find theAdley’s box in the water. Onlookers stare. He finds it, thegem is safe still in tact, though his glasses are completely

gone.

HOWARD (CONT’D)

Where the f*** are my glasses!

HOWARD, soaking wet, climbs out of the fountain and walks off.

INT. KMH GEMS AND JEWELRY OFFICE - HALLWAY - AFTER

HOWARD exits the elevator and makes his way down the hall. Heis a dejected mess; his clothing wet, face swollen, nostrilscrammed with wads of bloody napkin.

He fishes a set of keys from his pocket and opens the KMH doormanually.

123.

INT. KMH GEMS AND JEWELRY OFFICE - SHOWROOM - CONTINUOUS

HOWARD enters the vestibule and quietly uses his key to enterthe showroom as inconspicuously as possible.

Two clothing salesman, JOSEPH and DAMIAN [both effeminate]

peddle stolen designer goods out of black garbage bags on theshowcase in front of them. JOANI, ELAN, DAVID (a neighboringJeweler) rifle through the clothing like raccoons. JULIAinspects a Versace tracksuit.

HOWARD covers his face with his hand and makes a beeline to

the backroom. JULIA looks up but only catches sight of hisback.

JOANI (O.S.)

Howard, Flawless keeps calling-

HOWARD enters the backroom and shuts the door.

INT. KMH GEMS AND JEWELRY OFFICE- BACKROOM - CONTINUOUS

HOWARD puts the wet Adley’s box down on his desk and slumpsinto his chair. He notices a glass of water with a dead fishin it on his desk. He looks over to the tank. A half-dozen

fish float on the surface of the red water.

HOWARD:

(into intercom)

Joani. Is there anything on the

schedule today?

JOANI (O.S.)

No, nothing. Why?

HOWARD:

I don’t feel good. I wanna closeearly. Let everyone know they can gohome. I don’t want to work.

JOANI (O.S.)

Ok. Feel better, honey.

He removes the gem from the box and inspects it closely fordamages. Small reflected patterns of light move across hisdesk as he switches it from palm to palm.

On the security monitor, JULIA is seen walking towards thebackroom carrying the Versace tracksuit.

A knock at the door. JULIA enters holding a Versace tracksuit. HOWARD shifts his body so that she can’t see his face.

124.

JULIA:

Uh, sorry to be bother you-

HOWARD:

What is it?

JULIA:

I just wanted to see how the auction

went.

HOWARD:

Terrible. I don’t wanna talk about it.

JULIA:

Ah, ok...

JULIA stares at HOWARD awkwardly.

JULIA (CONT’D)

Well, Joesph and Damian are here andthey have this amazing Versace tracksuit that I think would look great on

you.

HOWARD:

Just leave me alone please.

JULIA:

(enough of this)

Come on, Howard.

A pause. JULIA moves a little closer until she can see aportion of HOWARD’s bruised face.

JULIA (CONT’D)

Oh my god.

HOWARD:

Don’t look at me.

JULIA walks over to him.

JULIA:

What the f*** happened to you?

HOWARD begins to blubber like a baby, wet and phlegmy. It’soff-putting.

HOWARD:

I said don’t look at me... Please...

JULIA caresses his neck. HOWARD covers his face with his

hands.

125.

HOWARD (CONT’D)

(guttural sobs)

I can’t.. I have no... I have no idea

what I’m doing... Nothing I do is evergoin’ right... I’m so sad... I’m sofucked up. I really don’t want to lookat you or anyone. PLEASE!

JULIA begins to cry too.

JULIA:

You know, I’m really upset, too. I’msorry if this has anything to do withme but I swear I really didn’t doanything.

HOWARD:

It wasn’t nice what you did to me.

You’re supposed to be nice to me. Ineed you to be there for me like that.

JULIA:

I try, but it’s really hard, Howie.

HOWARD:

I don’t know what to do, I don’t know

what to do, where to go. I don’t haveany place to go.

JULIA:

You do! You’re my home. You can come

to me.

HOWARD:

I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.

Everything I do is not going right.

Its like I can’t for the life- I don’t

want any more of this sh*t! I reallygotta figure this out.

JULIA lowers herself to get on HOWARD’s level, tries to makeeye contact wit him. HOWARD will not.

JULIA:

Here, I want to show you something.

But you can’t make fun of me.

HOWARD removes his head from his hands.

HOWARD:

What?

126.

JULIA:

God, it’s so stupid. But I thought itwould make you feel better.

JULIA turns around.

JULIA (CONT’D)

Unzip my skirt...

HOWARD:

I don’t want that right now. Please.

JULIA:

No, not like that. Just unzip it.

HOWARD doesn’t want to, but he’s now curious. He slowly unzipsher skirt, and exposes underneath her pantyhose a square patchof gauze taped to her ass. She pulls the pantyhose back andremoves the gauze, revealing a newly inked tattoo: “HOWIE” (

written in gaudy cursive writing).

HOWARD bursts out sobbing all over again.

HOWARD:

Why? Why would you do that? I’m notworth it, Julia. I’m not worth it!

JULIA:

Yes you are. I love you.

HOWARD:

You can’t even get buried next to me.

JULIA:

Oh shut up. You’re an idiot.

She sits down on his lap. BUZZZZ! HOWARD looks up at thesecurity monitor and see’s LARRY standing in the hallway.

HOWARD:

Oh god. This f***in’ guy!

(into intercom)

Do not let him in! Joani, ignore him!

LARRY buzzes again to no avail. JULIA sends little kisses upand down the bridge of HOWARD’s nose, then gently pulls thewadded-up a balls of tissue out of his nostrils.

JULIA:

Let’s clean you up, ok?

They stare deeply into each other’s eyes. JULIA gently wipesthe tears on his face away. HOWARD’s cell phone rings. It’s anunknown number.

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