LUKE'S - NIGHT

(Luke and Lane are cleaning the diner, after having just closed. Lane is particularly quiet and avoiding Luke at all costs. She looks over at Luke behind the counter. She slowly walks up to him.)

LANE: Hey..uh..Luke?

LUKE: (snippy) Yeah?

LANE: (winces) Oh. Uh, everything's all clean over here (gestures towards the tables). Chairs are wiped off. Napkin holders are all full. And I have band practice. So..um..

LUKE: (abruptly) Lane, what is it you want?

LANE: I was just wondering if it would be okay to leave now?

LUKE: (softening his tone) Oh. Oh yeah. Sure, sure.

LANE: Are you sure, because if you need help..

LUKE: It's fine. Go ahead. You've already put up with a lot today. (feeling a bit like an idiot for how he acted earlier) I'm sorry about all of that today. Ya know, customers sometimes. They just hit a nerve and..(looks at Lane who is giving him a sympathetic look.) Anyway, thanks for stickin it out.

LANE: Hey, no problem. If I was strong enough I'd probably have thrown a few out by now too.

(Luke gives an awkward chuckle and continues to wipe things down and put the ketchup bottles away. Lane gets her things from behind the counter.)

LANE: (walking towards the door, she stops and turns around) Hey, Luke?

LUKE: Yeah?

LANE: (pauses briefly and awkwardly shifts on her feet) It's going to work out. She really misses you. (She pauses again, looks at Luke, and walks out.)

(Luke stands frozen for a moment staring at the door as it closes and even for a moment after it has. Glancing to his right and through the window he sees the boat sitting silently glowing under the street lights. An evil reminder of everything horrible that has gone wrong in the past two weeks. Sighing, he throws down his rag, and bows his head, his hands pressed against the counter allowing him to lean against it. After a long minute of staring at the floor he looks back up and adjusts his hat. A new energy now running through his body. He walks over to the donut case and puts a danish in one of the diner's paper bags. Next he turns to the coffee pot and poors some coffee into a to go cup. While his back is still turned from the diners front door, it opens. He looks up to the sound of a voice he was not expecting to hear. A voice he never wanted to hear again.)

EMILY: Hello, Luke.

LUKE: (turning and facing Emily) You have got to be kidding me.

FADE OUT