ACT TWO
FADE IN:
INT. AIRPORT CAFE - LATER
Sam, Carmen and Lily are sitting around a table.
SAM
All right—what's this about Josh?
LILY
I—it's just...I don't know. I
think something's going on.
SAM
(cautiously)
Going on?
LILY
I mean, okay, at first, everything
was fine. We talked every night,
for hours sometimes. Then...I
don't know, something changed.
SAM
Something...what?
LILY
I don't know exactly. I think...I
think he might be...involved with
someone.
CARMEN
(gasps)
You think he's CHEATING on you?
SAM
Lily, that's impossible.
LILY
I don't want to think it, but...
Look, he hardly ever calls
anymore, he's always "busy" when I
try to call him... Plus, I think
he bought a present for another
woman up there.
SAM
Whoa, wait...what?
LILY
One day, I called the place, and I
accidentally got a message from
Josh to deliver some jewelry to
some girl named Tina. I mean, I
don't know what to think.
SAM
Okay, I don't know exactly what's
going on, but I promise, it's not
what you think. Trust me.
CARMEN
I don't know, Sam. It seems
awfully suspicious.
SAM
(emphatically)
It's not. Believe me. Josh loves
you more than anything.
LILY
You know, I want to believe that,
but... Face it, Mary Cherry and
I could be roommates for a long
time.
SAM
THAT'S not going to happen. You
can trust me on that, too.
CUT TO:
EXT. AIRPORT TERMINAL
The girls emerge, luggage trailing behind. Carmen stops short
after a couple of steps.
CARMEN
Holy—! It wasn't this hot in
Mexico!
LILY
I know. I think about all the
pollutants millions of air
conditioners are spewing out,
and...ugh.
SAM
Listen, Lily, can you take Carmen
home? I need to—
LILY
(waving her off)
Go, be thy sister's keeper. Come
on, Carm.
Lily and Carmen trudge off through the heat.
SAM
I'll call you!
Sam ducks back inside, and pulls out her cell phone.
CUT TO:
EST. THE INSTITUTE
During a cool, ocean-breezy day.
CUT TO:
INT. THE LAB
Josh is hunched over his terminal, working (relatively) fast.
RODRIGUEZ (O.S.)
(calling)
Josh! Phone!
JOSH
I'm busy!
RODRIGUEZ (O.S.)
She says it's urgent!
JOSH
(sighing)
All right!
Josh gets up and walks over to the wall phone.
JOSH (CONT'D)
(into the phone)
Hello?
INTERCUT WITH:
INT. AIRPORT TERMINAL
SAM
Josh? It's Sam.
JOSH
(concerned)
Sam? What—is it Lily? What
happened?
SAM
No, Josh, nothing happened.
Except maybe to your marriage.
JOSH
What?
SAM
What's going on up there? One
minute I'm helping you get Lily a
ring, and the next you disappear
on her.
JOSH
Yeah, I got the ring, but— Sam,
things are just really busy here.
We're working eighteen-hour days,
and we still can't keep up. I
haven't even had time to call Lily
lately.
SAM
Okay, who's Tina?
JOSH
Tina—Dr. Bennett? She's kinda my
boss here. I got the ring from
this shop her uncle has—well,
he's not a real uncle, he's a
family friend—and she got me a
real bargain on it, too.
SAM
(rubbing her eyes)
All right... I'll hold things
together down here—but you HAVE
to find some time soon, Josh.
JOSH
I'll try, I promise—
RODRIGUEZ (O.S.)
Josh!
JOSH
I really—I gotta go.
Josh hangs up the phone and rushes back to his terminal.
Sam looks at her dead cell phone, sighs, and puts it away.
CUT TO:
INT. BROOKE'S HOSPITAL ROOM - LATER
George pokes his head through the door, and Brooke waves him
in. He steps inside cautiously, looking around.
BROOKE
Thanks for coming.
GEORGE
Hey, I said I would. Didn't
expect you to be alone, though—
not from what I've heard.
BROOKE
(shrugs)
What can I say? I had a sudden
urge to read the new Jackie
Collins book, and Harrison was
sweet enough to run down to the
bookstore and get it. And a few
other things...he'll be a while.
GEORGE
You sent him out in this heat,
just so we wouldn't run into each
other? Well...thanks for doing
that, Brooke.
BROOKE
Ah...don't thank me just yet.
GEORGE
What's that mean?
Before Brooke can answer, Sam comes whirling through the
doorway.
SAM
Okay, what's so—
She pulls up short at the sight of George; they glance at each
other uneasily—and then both turn and stare at Brooke
accusingly.
GEORGE
Brooke, you didn't...
Sam makes an exasperated sound at Brooke, turns and flees the
room. Brooke folds her arms and looks at George expectantly.
GEORGE (CONT'D)
Brooke—
In reply, she re-crosses her arms and fixes an even more
intent stare upon him. Finally he sighs, throws up his arms
and jogs out of the room.
CUT TO:
INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - CONTINUOUS
George jogs up behind Sam, who is walking briskly away.
GEORGE
Sam! Sam, wait!
She ignores him until he catches her elbow, spinning her
around.
SAM
(shaking free)
George...let's not do this, okay?
Look, I know how you feel—you've
made it painfully clear to me. I
just...I just don't think I can
take any more emotional
flagellation right now. Can't we
just drop it? Move on?
GEORGE
I don't think we can, Sam. Can we
just talk?
SAM
George...
GEORGE
Please?
CUT TO:
INT. HOSPITAL CAFETERIA - LATER
George sets two cokes down on the little corner table where
Sam is sitting, and sits down across from her. Sam picks up
her glass and swirls it aimlessly for a moment.
SAM
(downcast)
Honestly, George, I don't know
what else I can say.
GEORGE
Honestly? I think you could start
with the truth.
SAM
What are you talking about?
GEORGE
Come on, Sam. You know what I'm
talking about. The truth. I
think you owe me that. Not to
mention yourself.
Sam shakes her head, refusing to look at him.
GEORGE (CONT'D)
(softly)
The truth is, it didn't start
after spring break, in the nurse's
office. The truth is...you knew.
You knew all along.
Sam looks around and upward, running her hand through her hair
nervously. When she does speak, she still looks anywhere but
at him.
SAM
When...when Harrison...when he
told me...how he felt...I...I...
GEORGE
You felt—
SAM
(breaking down sobbing)
I was...SO...scared... All I
could think was, what if...it
didn't work, and I...I...then it
would be over, and...
GEORGE
You were in love with him. You've
always been in love with him.
SAM
(nods tentatively)
I...never thought about it
before...but...
Finally she sweeps the hair out of her face and looks up at
him.
SAM (CONT'D)
When Harrison...asked me to
choose, I... You were the safe
choice. If I'd chosen Harrison, I
might have lost him completely...
I couldn't risk that. So...I
chose you.
(shaking her head)
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry...
He reaches out and lays his hand on hers.
GEORGE
I forgive you.
Suddenly she looks over his shoulder; he turns to see Harrison
standing near the cafeteria entrance, looking at them
strangely. George gets up, walks over, and silently claps
Harrison on the shoulder before walking out. Harrison goes
over to Sam and leans over her.
HARRISON
What—? Did he...?
SAM
(wiping her eyes)
No, it's all right. I think...I
think we're okay now.
(pause)
What are you doing here?
HARRISON
When I came back, Brooke said...
you might need someone.
SAM
(standing up)
Come on.
CUT TO:
INT. BROOKE'S HOSPITAL ROOM - LATER
Harrison and Sam walk in, and without saying a word, Sam goes
over and hugs Brooke.
BROOKE
Does this mean you worked things
out with George?
SAM
(shaking her head)
How did you do that?
BROOKE
(shrugs modestly)
It wasn't that hard to figure.
After all, you told me.
SAM
I did?
Brooke nods sagely. Sam reaches out and takes Harrison's
hand.
SAM (CONT'D)
(heartfelt)
Thank you.
CUT TO:
EXT. CITY STREET
Mary Cherry is walking forlornly down a crowded sidewalk,
looking in the windows of the boutiques that line the street.
She stops at one window, staring at a particularly dazzling
dress behind a loud sign proclaiming "SALE! 50% OFF!"
MARY CHERRY
(sighs)
Even if it was a hundred percent
off, I still couldn't afford it.
Suddenly her attention is attracted to a small, plain sign in
the corner of the window, which she bends down to read
closely.
INSERT: THE SIGN
which says simply: "MODELS WANTED"
MARY CHERRY (CONT'D)
A model?
(straightening up)
I could do that. I could be a
model...
DISSOLVE INTO:
FANTASY SEQUENCE
Scenes of Mary Cherry strutting down a runway, with flashbulbs
popping all around; doing a glamour photo shoot; standing on a
stage with a bouquet of flowers, blowing kisses and waving to
her admirers—
SHATTER CUT TO:
EXT. CITY STREET - CONTINUOUS
A rollerblader ducks under Mary Cherry's waving arms.
ROLLERBLADER
(calling back)
Hey, watch where you're swingin',
man!
Mary Cherry reorients herself.
MARY CHERRY
(determinedly)
I'm gonna be a model!
With that, she marches into the boutique.
CUT TO:
INT. BOUTIQUE MANAGER'S OFFICE - LATER
Mary Cherry is sitting before the manager's desk, while the
manager listens impassively.
MARY CHERRY
—I realize I don't have much
experience working—except for one
day at my high school cafeteria,
but anyway—I been preparin' for
this job my whole life! I read
every magazine there is, I watch
"E! Fashion Emergency"
religiously—
While she has been talking, the manager has gotten up, come
around her desk, and now grabs hold of Mary Cherry's chin,
turning her face this way and that.
MANAGER
(calling)
Fredrico!
Into the room strolls a tall, thin, balding man with a
distinctly snobbish air about him.
MANAGER (CONT'D)
What do you think?
Fredrico bends down to peer at Mary Cherry's face from several
angles, then straightens.
FREDRICO
(smacking his lips)
Magnifique! Window for this one.
MANAGER
Are you sure? She's new.
FREDRICO
(emphatically)
Window.
MANAGER
(sighs)
All right.
(to Mary Cherry)
Fredrico will get you outfitted.
Mary Cherry stands up, blinking.
MARY CHERRY
I'm—I'm hired? Oh, thank you!
Thank you!
She clasps the startled manager's hands and pumps them wildly.
MARY CHERRY (CONT'D)
Thank you from the bottom of my
newly-rejuvenated heart! Thank
you!
Fredrico takes her arm and leads her away.
MARY CHERRY (CONT'D)
(over her shoulder)
Thank you!
FLIP CUT TO:
EXT. THE BOUTIQUE - LATER
Mary Cherry is standing in the front window, wearing that
dazzling dress, frozen in a mannequin-like pose and with an
artificial grin plastered on her face.
BLACK OUT.
END OF ACT TWO