Wakefield Page #3

- Well done.

I didn't bet you $5 on that.

There was nothing

dirk couldn't turn

into a competition.

F***, yeah!

- What else you got?

- I can't hear ya.

Thank you very much.

And I'm not defending

my own actions

but dirk's competitiveness

brought out a certain

quality in me.

So before your very eyes..

...I'm gonna make this widget

leave this bottle

without touching the bottle

or the widget in any way.

Should we stand back?

- Whoa!

- Oh, ow!

Oh, sh*t.

I had never had a thing

for dancers myself

but somehow dirk's

intense interest in Diana

gave me ideas of my own.

- Hi.

- Oh, hi.

- Diana.

- Oh, yes, of course. Hi.

- Hi.

- How are you?

At first, she wouldn't

go out with me.

I'm seeing

a good friend of yours.

Dirk morrison.

I'm -- I'm dating dirk.

The thing to remember is

I'm a litigator

by profession.

I have a talent

for persuasion.

Not that she ran to dirk

with the news.

I had just been made

a senior partner

at the firm.

Dirk was grinding away

at wall street.

So busy people, right?

It took a while

for dirk to find out.

Howard, you are jokin'

right now?

No, no, she..

She wanted to get out

and I thought great.

So we went for a bike ride

in central park.

It was nice.

Little lunch

at the -- at the boat house.

- That is total bullshit.

- Here. Here's your light beer.

Cheers.

I mean, let's be serious,

it's not as if

anything is happening

with you.

That's bollocks.

Howard, we have a thing.

We -- we have

an understanding.

- An understanding?

- Yeah.

Dirk, I mean,

you're not even f***ing her.

Last week, you told me

not to rouse her.

- That means.. Jesus.

- Yes.

A woman like Diana

cannot be pushed.

You need to gain her trust.

Wait, did you -- did you

tell Diana

that I gave you permission

to ask her out?

- What?

- Just tell me.

Jesus.

No.

Come on, dirk.

She was just not happy.

She didn't wanna tell you

what really happened.

She's protecting you.

Honest.

I lied, of course.

Diana was torn between us.

The drama went on for,

god, for weeks at least.

It's okay.

Why she'd never gone to bed

with dirk

was I had made my move early

on in time to hit it off.

But in those early weeks

she wasn't

sleeping with me either.

It's okay.

Till I made a genius

and I mean

genius strategic move.

I mean,

whatever she's telling you

she is certainly

not asking me to back up.

I don't know.

What she says is that

she really cares about me.

What?

That is Diana

the queen

of mixed signals, huh?

Hey, maybe she's playing

us both.

You know, in bed last night

she started talking about

moving in with me

and I went seriously?

I'm thinking,

i really like you

but aren't we moving

a little too fast with this?

Wait, wait, wait, wait.

She -- she's not..

She's -- she's not

sleeping with you?

Yeah, of course.

What? She didn't say

anything to you?

Oh, my god.

Diana.

Genius, right?

I knew dirk would do

something stupid.

Wait, wait, no. Stop.

Stop it.

Within hours,

it had all played out.

Hey, how are you?

- Oh.

- How is it? Is it bad?

- Oh.

- Yeah, I know.

I'm so sorry.

Ooh.

- No, no, no.

- I'm sorry.

That feels better.

Just leave it there a second.

I have never seen

this side of him before.

This violence.

Ah, I'm not so surprised.

I've known this guy

a long time.

Has the swelling gone down?

- No.

- Oh.

Oh, poor baby.

Hmm. That's better.

That's even more better.

And thank you, dirk morrison.

Would I have wanted her

if she weren't

my best friend's girl?

Was I just jacked up

by the competition?

Yeah, well..

...it did occur to me

about a year

into the marriage.

But by then,

your wife is pregnant.

She's carrying your child.

And god, I don't know.

She was just so beautiful.

All over again.

It makes you go

a little crazy and stuff.

Oh, that gorgeous

round belly.

It awakens this

whole other level of..

...well, fear, I guess.

You wanna capture

her somehow.

You see,

this is how they get you.

They maneuver things

to that point

where you feel like

everything in your life

is suddenly precious.

And -- and simultaneously,

totally precarious.

It just slams you.

The realization

that everything

with any meaning,

anything you love

could just be taken away

in some random event.

Anything could happen, right?

Anything.

If I had left her

in the conventional sense

if I had divorced her

no one would blame my wife

if she began entertaining

hoards of men.

But by simply vanishing,

I placed Diana

in a, let's say,

a distant category.

Till it's known

what's become of her husband

Mrs. Wakefield remains

not quite available.

A power move.

Am I intentionally

frustrating her?

Not at all, my love.

I'm sure

you have vivid memories

of what you're missing.

I know I do.

I just want you to want me

as much as I want you.

When people are leaving

for summer vacation

they put out more trash.

Cleaning up the fridge

never fails.

Ah, the tell-tale signs.

There's always ice cream.

Every two weeks,

residents here

put out the good stuff.

Whatever

isn't strictly garbage.

By 2:
00 A.M.,

anything usable is gone.

Gleaners.

Russians from the south end

of town.

Bottom feeders.

I'm not being a baby.

I'm just not going up there.

- Yes, you are.

- Duh.

I'm saying you have to.

Well, you know what,

i don't have to listen to you.

Yes, you do.

No, come on.

Mommy said you have to.

I need your help.

No way, there's spiders up

there. Can you just --

- I don't have on shoes.

- Neither do I.

I'm gonna get splinters.

And I won't?

Do you see..

- Okay, we'll both go.

- Okay.

No!

I blame myself

for getting lulled

into the domestic routine.

Day after day,

so much is the same.

Diana, neighbors..

...tradesmen.

Week after week.

And one day,

routine goes to hell.

Exhibit a.

Diana couldn't be

taking the girls

on our usual summer trip

to the cape.

How could she possibly

afford it this year?

Diana had very little

coming in these days.

Would she really

damage our savings

just to loll around

on the beach

in her very small bikini?

God, the three of them.

I'm trying to track

the exact moment

those three became

the opposing team.

How do you do?

How was, uh, how was school?

Okay. Right.

The many times I've listened

under the windows

of this house,

have I heard my name

spoken even once?

So, why am I still concerned

about their

financial situation?

I'm the one

who's impoverished,

goddammit.

Scrounging every meal.

It's hot as blazes

in this attic.

It's glaringly obvious

that my wife herself

will come up here tonight

to carry away those

essential vacation items

that Howard Wakefield,

devoted husband

had so obediently opened

his wallet to provide.

A prisoner.

That's what

I've made of myself.

A fuckwit prisoner

of all time.

Here we go.

Ugh.

Ah!

Oh! Ugh, ugh!

Oh!

Son of a b*tch!

Oh!

Ah!

Look, oh, dear.

It's a shame.

She isn't back. She's getting

stuff into the car.

How many bags? Hold up.

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