CHAPTER 8
EXT. NEWSSTAND – NIGHT Anthony serves a customer. Steph pulls up. Manny sees her first. Manny Hey, sexy senorita! Steph smiles. STEPH (to Anthony) Want a ride to rehearsal? Anthony (coldly) No thanks. I’ll get there, don’t worry. STEPH I wasn’t worried, I just was asking if you need a ride. Anthony I thought you’d be driving with Jimmy. Steph realizes Anthony is jealous. She plays along. STEPH Jimmy’s busy. Is Maxwell going to drive you and Jessica? Anthony We just went over our lines. STEPH Hey Manny, they just… (air quotes) “went over their lines.” Manny (holds up hands) I’ve gotta plead the fifth, Steph. I’ve been with him all day, and not a word. STEPH Sure. One lies and the other swears to it. Steph pulls away. As she leaves, Vito pulls up and walks over to Anthony. VITO Hey kid, how do I get to Alta Vista Street, my GPS took me over that canyon and now has me driving in circles. Anthony No problem, LA is a maze if you don’t know where you’re going. Vito looks at Anthony’s face for a long beat. Anthony (CONT’D) …then you make a right and you’ll run right into it. VITO Is Hollywood Motors there? Anthony Yeah, believe it or not, that’s my godfather’s place. Just tell them Anthony sent you and they’ll give you a nice deal. VITO Thanks, will do. Do you carry the Philadelphia Daily News? Anthony hands him a newspaper. Anthony Two bucks. VITO (hands him a $20 bill) Keep the change. Anthony Thanks! VITO I might be moving out here. You know of any nice apartment buildings? Anthony Sure, my building has a few units available. Let me give you the address. Anthony writes down the address. Anthony (CONT’D) It’s not far from here. You’ll like it. Brand new, swimming pool and all. VITO Sounds nice, I’ll have to check it out. Vito pulls away. Manny Who was that guy? Anthony I don’t know, he was from Philly. Seemed cool. Manny stares suspiciously down the street. INT. THEATER – NIGHT Actors rehearse on stage. Maria and Tony sit next to each other. Jimmy walks in and whispers in Tony’s ear. They walk back to the lobby. TONY What’s up? JIMMY Vito’s in town. He stopped by Suede’s lot earlier. TONY Did Johnny see him? JIMMY Yeah, but he told him he hasn’t seen us. Said we haven’t even called him. TONY Suede won’t tell him anything. JIMMY He said Vito tried to press him for information. TONY The Feds gotta be here with him. Anything else? JIMMY I took a two bedroom unit on the top floor of the apartment complex. TONY Who did you line up for the poker game? JIMMY Suede and his two suits. But don’t worry, we’ll have the seats filled by Saturday night. TONY Good, I can use some action to take my mind off of things. They walk back into the theater. EXT. MARIA’S DRIVEWAY – NIGHT Tony pulls the Escalade into the driveway, with Maria in the passenger seat. TONY Nice place. MARIA Thank you Tonesy. Wait until we get inside. INT. MARIA’S HOUSE – NIGHT Russian décor. Various awards are displayed throughout the home. An Oscar here, an Emmy there. Photographs of Maria with Hollywood celebrities cover the walls. MARIA What would you like to drink? TONY A vodka martini seems appropriate. MARIA Perfect, make yourself at home. She disappears into the kitchen. Tony looks at the pictures and awards. TONY You really know Meryl Streep? I love her. MARIA (from kitchen) Yes, Meryl is one of my most prized pupils. I helped her perfect her accent in Sophie’s Choice. Her first Oscar. Maria comes back with two martini glasses and a shaker. TONY How does somebody get all connected up out here? MARIA Why? Are you interested in movie business? TONY Who isn’t? MARIA You know what the biggest secret to success in Hollywood is? TONY What? MARIA Knowing whose ass to kiss. They laugh. MARIA (CONT’D) I’ll introduce you to Sid at the Showcase. He’s the biggest producer in Hollywood. He’ll love you, he loves tough guys. He wishes he was one himself. Now, pour the drinks. I’ll be right back. She pushes a button on the wall. The lights dim and soft Russian music fills the air. She goes into a bedroom. Tony pours two drinks. TONY I feel like Romania right before the Soviet invasion. He downs the whole martini. Maria reappears wearing lingerie. MARIA Tonesy, I have not felt this way in a long time. You have that animal magnetism that makes me melt. TONY I do, don’t I? But it is you, Maria, who has me in the palm of your hand. I am clay, make of me what you will. MARIA Then I will put you on my potter’s wheel and mold us for eternity! MARIA downs her drink and throws the empty glass into the fireplace, smashing it. She grabs Tony’s face and kisses him passionately. FADE OUT. |