FADE IN:
EXT. ROADSIDE DINER
– DAY
It’s early in the
morning; only a few cars are out front. A faded ‘OPEN’ sign
stares into the parking lot.
A Chevy Caprice
pulls into the lot. The door opens, and HARRY MURPHY climbs out,
dressed in a crisp blue suit. With a few uneven steps, he finds
his way to the front door.
INT. ROADSIDE DINER
– DAY
JO ANNE is standing
behind the lunch counter of the diner, filling a sugar bowl, and
talking with the other waitress, KATE.
JO ANNE
…yeah, well, I say, if you took
care
of your kids like you’re s’posed
to…
She notices Harry.
JO ANNE
…aw, Jesus…
KATE
What?
JO ANNE
That knife salesman.
She steps out from
behind the counter and walks to the door. As she approaches,
Harry passes her and sits at the counter.
Jo Anne returns
behind the counter with a menu and a pot of coffee. She pours
some into a mug.
JO ANNE
You need some time?
HARRY
Uh, Jo Anne? Could Kate
possibly —
JO ANNE
She’s busy. I’ll take your…
KATE
I’ll wait on him, Jo Anne.
Jo Anne glares at
Kate.
JO ANNE
Could you help me in the
back?
KATE
With what?
Jo Anne grabs Kate
by the elbow, and begins to pull her into the kitchen.
JO ANNE
It’s a surprise.
INT. DINER KITCHEN –
DAY
Jo Anne leads Kate
through the swinging door.
MORNING COOK
What’s all this?
JO ANNE
(to the
cook)
Stop burnin’ the damned
bacon.
The cook scowls as
he turns his attention to the grill.
JO ANNE
(to Kate)
Let me handle the deadbeat.
KATE
Deadbeat? You mean
Harry?
JO ANNE
Yeah, Harry.
KATE
Harry’s nice.
JO ANNE
Nice? Come on, Kate.
Guys like that
aren’t nice, not down deep.
KATE
Guys like who?
JO ANNE
Like Harry.
Kate chuckles.
KATE
I’m a grown-up, for cryin’ out loud.
I can make up my own mind and
everything.
JO ANNE
Kate, sweetie, I just –
KATE
- need to back off.
Please.
JO ANNE
(after a
moment)
Fine. Do whatever you
want.
Harry is still
sitting at the counter, his hands folded in front of himself, as Kate
approaches him from the other side of the counter.
KATE
Hi ya, Harry.
HARRY
(with a
big smile)
Hey, Kate. How’s it
going?
KATE
Same ol’, same ol’.
Whadda ya have?
HARRY
Same ol’, same ol’.
Kate laughs a
little, which raises Jo Anne’s ire a bit.
KATE
You sure you don’t want
something
different?
HARRY
Nah. No need to
change now.
Kate scribbles his
order on a notepad, and takes it to the counter.
HARRY
Uh, Kate, I’ve been wanting
to talk
to you –
She turns to face
him, and as she leans in and his lips begin to quiver, A RED-BEARDED
TRUCKER stomps into the place. He flops down next to Harry.
TRUCKER
How’s it goin’, Harry?
HARRY
Fine.
TRUCKER
Good. Katie, darlin’,
could you rustle
up a half-dozen eggs and a quarter-slab
of bacon for me?
KATE
Yeah, sure. You were
saying, Harry?
HARRY
I – I can wait.
Kate scurries off to
the kitchen. The trucker notices Harry’s clouding expression.
TRUCKER
I interrupt
something?
HARRY
No.
TRUCKER
Oh, man. You were
gonna tell her.
Seconds later, A
QUINTET OF WHITE-HAIRED LADIES, GOSSIPING LOUDLY, pour in to the room
and
take a booth.
JO ANNE
Kate, I need you!
Kate rushes out of
the kitchen, notepad ready.
TRUCKER
Get her attention. Jo
Anne can handle
them.
HARRY
Kate?! Can I talk to –
At that, A DOZEN
TOURISTS push into the diner. Kate rushes to help as many of them
as she can. Once in a while, she looks back at Harry’s sad face.
Soon she can’t find
Harry. Her eyes search the crowd for him, and then she finally
sees him through a window trudging to his car. She drops her
notepad to the floor and goes after him.
JO ANNE
Kate! Where the hell
are you going?
EXT. ROADSIDE DINER
– DAY
As the crowd clamors
inside, and Jo Anne shouts after her, Kate runs up to Harry.
KATE
Harry! Harry, wait!
HARRY
I’m sorry – you have to
work.
KATE
Harry, don’t leave – you wanted to
tell me
something?
HARRY
It doesn’t matter.
KATE
Just tell me.
INT. ROADSIDE DINER
– DAY
The crowd is pressed
against the windows, transfixed on the proceedings outside. Jo
Anne frowns and stomps to the door.
Just then, the
trucker grabs her arm. She turns and fires a scowl at him, but he
doesn't budge.
TRUCKER
(gently)
Jo Anne, have you heard about my
utility knife?
JO ANNE
Your utility knife?
Why, no!
(beat)
This is no
time to –
TRUCKER
(continuing)
Six months ago, Harry there’s
trying
to sell me some knives. I don’t need
‘em, I say,
but he didn’t quit. And
when I say he
didn't quit - well,
you've seen
him pitching.
JO ANNE
Typical salesman BS.
TRUCKER
That’s what I thought. But then
he
gives me this utility knife.
The trucker reaches into a hip pocket and withdraws a weathered blade.
Jo Anne snorts.
JO ANNE
Real
impressive.
TRUCKER
Actually, it is. See, when he gave it
to me,
it was all glossy and shiny,
like the
pictures in the catalogs he
was
passing around.
(beat)
I didn't
think it'd last a week in my
hands. Told him so,
too. Know what he
said?
Jo Anne is silent.
TRUCKER
He said
give it a chance.
Jo Anne keeps her focus on the pair outside. Most of it, anyway.
EXT. DINER – DAY
Harry gathers all
his courage, then:
HARRY
The company’s changing my route.
KATE
Oh. Where?
HARRY
The Midwest region. Mostly
Minnesota
and Iowa. Some Wisconsin.
Anyway, I
won’t be coming back to work
here.
KATE
Really.
HARRY
Yeah. I wouldn’t mind it so
much,
but...
His voice falls silent, his eyes try to drift away. But Kate
won't let them go.
KATE
...but...
Harry takes a breath.
HARRY
But I’m going
to miss you. I’m
going to miss seeing your face.
He notices that
she’s begun to blush, then notices he has too.
INT. DINER – DAY
Jo Anne is still
staring out the window, with the trucker right on her elbow.
JO ANNE
Goddammit.
TRUCKER
You didn't
like my story?
She whirls around to face him.
JO ANNE
So what? He sold you
a knife that didn't
break.
Call the book of records people.
She turns her attention to the window again.
TRUCKER
He’s an upstanding guy, Jo
Anne.
Why can’t you
see
that?
JO ANNE
I promised her that I’d
watch out
for her. I’m keeping my
word.
TRUCKER
What are you gonna do, send her
to
her room?
JO ANNE
You weren’t around for the last
year
and a half. Sleeping on her
couch,
worrying about
every phone call or
knock on the
door...
TRUCKER
Harry’s not her ex, Jo Anne.
He releases her arm
and heads back to the counter. She can't look away from the sight
out the window.
JO ANNE
He might as well be.
EXT. ROADSIDE DINER
– DAY
Kate smiles at
Harry.
KATE
(softly)
That's a
compliment, right?
HARRY
I certainly
hope so.
KATE
I don't get
those a lot.
HARRY
That's just - wrong.
Their faces
simultaneously fill with joy.
KATE
How much longer are you in
town?
HARRY
Until tomorrow at the
latest. Then
I have to hit the road.
Kate takes a spare
notepad from her apron.
KATE
I’m writing down my
address. I’ll
be home after six if you can drop
by.
His smile brightens
even more, which makes her smile grow.
HARRY
I’ll be there at
six-thirty. I promise.
INT. ROADSIDE DINER
– DAY
Jo Anne sees Harry
fold up the paper, a smile on his face. She turns to see the
trucker watching her. She shakes her head and goes back to work
as Kate walks back in to the diner. She goes after her older
friend.
KATE
Jo Anne?
Jo Anne turns. Her expression is cold.
Kate sees this, and leans toward her.
KATE
I have to know.
Jo Anne shakes her
head and disappears into the kitchen, leaving Kate alone with the
clamor
of the customers and the clatter of the bell from the pick-up window.
INT. SMALL HOUSE
– NIGHT
Kate holds her BABY
BOY on her lap, and her OLDER SON plays a NOISY VIDEOGAME. There
is a KNOCK. Cradling the baby, Kate walks to the door, and when
she opens it she sees...
KATE’S P.O.V.
...Harry in that
same suit from this morning, with a happy smile across his face,
carrying
a boxed Deluxe Butcher’s Block with a big red bow on it.
FADE OUT.
THE END.
All content (except where noted) copyrighted
2000-2003, by The Beaumont Group.