Scene XV

LATER

Mick awakens, nudges Roxanne.

MICK
Well, babe, shall we go back to the
grind?

ROXANNE
It’s pretty late but I got a line
on an after hours "Bottle Club"
where there’s supposed to be good
action.

INT. AN AFTER HOURS "BOTTLE CLUB" - NIGHT

Roxanne and Mick enter.

ROXANNE
(to Mick)
The houseman in the poolroom told
me about this place. A dump,
filled with coke-heads, but it’s
got bar pool tables, plenty of
gambling and we can play all night.

A waitress comes over to take their order.

ROXANNE
Give us a Seven-up and ice set-up.
(to Mick)
You’re supposed to bring your own
bottle. That’s how they skirt the
liquor laws. Challenge the table
and let’s get some action started.

MONTAGE OF THE ACTION

-- Roxanne’s edgy but relaxes once Mick starts playing.
-- Mick beats everyone mercilessly, with Roxanne making
side bets with a COKED-UP ON-LOOKER.
-- Many other people are snorting cocaine.
-- Roxanne sings along to the sounds of the jukebox.

BACK TO SCENE

Suddenly, the Coked-Up On-Looker, who has been betting with
Roxanne and losing, pulls out a gun and starts
shouting.

COKE-HEAD
You two think you’re so good? I’ll
show you something! Give me back
my money!

Roxanne is shocked, but still refuses to give up the money.
Infuriated, she swings her purse at him and tries to knock
the gun away.

He staggers, but still maintains the gun.
She dives on him and tries to wrestle the gun away, in the
tussle the gun goes off, shooting her in the ass.

Mick alerts to the situation, screams like a banshee and
fearlessly charges the coke-head, who runs out of the bar.

EXT. AFTER HOURS BOTTLE CLUB - STREET - NIGHT

The coke-head is running from Mick and wildly shooting back
at him.

With the coke-head too far in front of him, Mick stops, turns
and runs back to the bar and Roxanne.

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY

Roxanne is looking at herself and her wound, crying.

EXT. HOSPITAL ENTRANCE - DAY

Mick is alone, smoking a cigarette, reflecting.

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY

SUPER ON SCREEN - SEVERAL DAYS LATER

Roxanne, in a hospital bed, is just waking up. Mick walks in
with flowers.

MICK
How you feeling, Angel?

She nods her head and Mick strokes her forehead.

MICK
I’ll never forgive myself for what
happened. Why didn’t you just give
him the money?

ROXANNE
It's not your fault. It's my job
to make sure the place is secure,
yours to just play. I couldn’t
just let that creep take our money.

MICK
No, No, No. Never do that again
baby, the money is never that
important.

ROXANNE
The money is always important. I
learned that from Jesse and Freddy.
Those people were so wasted. I
hate that coke crap. Doesn’t
anyone just smoke pot anymore?

Roxanne tries to make the last line a joke.

MICK
So what’s next. Back on the road?

ROXANNE
What? -- Are you kidding? I almost
got us fucking killed, remember? I
should have spotted that trouble
before it happened. I’m no help to
you. I’m no backer. Just an
attention-starved "Jap" from the
Valley.

MICK
Don’t say you almost got us killed.
I'm your man -- I should be
watching out for you, protecting
you. I only want what we both
want, and that’s to start winning
big! I'm ready to jump forward if
you are.

Roxanne has a look of understanding in her eyes. She puts
her hand out to his and they squeeze.

ROXANNE
So you still want to be a top
player?

MICK
Heck yes. And I want you to be my
backer. You gotta be the prettiest
backer out there -- probably the
only girl.

ROXANNE
I am the only girl.

MICK
And I’d much rather share a hotel
room with you.

Roxanne hits Mick over the head with a pillow.

MICK
You already know a lot from hanging
with Jesse and his crew. What we
don’t know we can learn together.
Just keep putting me in games. I
have faith in you. I don’t know
why you chose this life, but I'm
sure glad you did.

ROXANNE
Thanks hon’. Let’s get out of the
South first. I’ve got a friend in
Chicago who’ll steer us -- find us
the right action.
(shakes her head)
He’ll never believe what has
happened to me since he left.

EXT. MICK’S CAR (MOVING) - NIGHT

Car enters an Italian- American neighborhood in Chicago.
Car pulls up to a corner restaurant/bar.
EXT./INT. JOJO’S RESTAURANT - NIGHT

The couple enter.
There is a table of old Italian men. They turn around when
the door opens -- their card game has been interrupted.

Roxanne and Mick timidly walk up to the bar.

ROXANNE
Hi. I'm a friend of The Beard’s
He told me I could find him here.

BARMAN
The Beard?

ROXANNE
Freddy.

BARMAN
Freddy? My nephew. He’s upstairs
by my sister, eating dinner.

Barman points to TEENAGE BOY reading the paper.

BARMAN
Pino! Take these two upstairs.

STAIRWAY

PINO takes them up the back stairs.

PINO
Smells like braciole. Aunt Kate!
Ummm. Aunt Kate!

Pino opens the door to --

INT. SMALL APARTMENT

There’s a large table filled with people eating. Many
generations. Steam hits their faces when they walk through
the door. Freddy’s mother, KATE, is in an apron stirring
sauce over the stove, smoking a cigarette.

FREDDY’S MOTHER
You gonna eat or what, Pino? Who
are these two?

PINO
Friends of Freddy.

FREDDY’S MOTHER
Well, he’s over there next to your
uncle. I got about three braciole
left -- you’re lucky.

Pino finds a plate and moves to fill it. Freddy is eating,
dressed in a Captain America T-shirt and purple bell bottom
pants.

FREDDY’S MOTHER
Frederick -- your friends are here.

Freddy looks up.

FREDDY’S MOTHER
Find ‘em a chair!

FREDDY
Roxanne!

ROXANNE
You told me I could stop by any
time. Mick -- Freddy.

FREDDY
(quizzically)
Mick?

ROXANNE
Jesse’s fille.

FREDDY
(petulantly jealous)
I see.

ROXANNE
Sorry to interrupt your dinner.

Roxanne and Mick sit at the small kiddie table and start to
eat with Freddy.

FREDDY
You got to be married to sit at the
big table.

Later, coffee and cake is served.

FREDDY
Well, if you are up for some
action... I’ve got a spot to go to
tonight. Chance to get you guys
some side action if you want it.

MICK
You bet.

FREDDY
We better get out of here.

Freddy, Roxanne and Mick bring their plates into the kitchen
and Freddy’s mother stops them.

FREDDY’S MOTHER
Where do you think you’re going?

FREDDY
Out.

FREDDY’S MOTHER
What about your aunts? Who’s
gonna take them home?

Three innocent-looking old ladies -- RORO, CARM and ANNIE --
are sitting on the couch by the window.

EXT. JOJO’S RESTAURANT - NIGHT

Freddy begins to load up the backseat of Mick’s car. Each
old lady slides through one door and then slides out the
other until all three are standing on the sidewalk again.

FREDDY
Aunts -- what’s the problem? I
gotta be somewhere in thirty
minutes.

RORO
Oh, I’m not going with her.

RoRo points to one of her sisters.

RORO
You can take her home and just come
back and get me.

FREDDY
What? No, no!

Freddy is carrying food for them to take home. Carm slaps
Freddy’s hand with the tupperware in it.

CARM
Don’t mix the macaroni with the
salad.

Freddy’s other aunt, Annie, chimes in.

ANNIE
You’re not going with me? I won’t
go with her! She’s gonna smoke in
my face.

RORO
I’ll smoke all I want. Your fat
ass ain’t gonna fit in the back
anyway. You’re too cheap to smoke.

ANNIE
I’m cheap? What about the twenty
you’ve owed me for three months
from Elsie’s poker game?

RORO
What’re you worrying about? You
got about fifty thousand in cash
under your mattress.

ANNIE
At least I didn’t have to get
married to my husband.

CARM
-- My glasses! I left my glasses
upstairs!

Freddy is exasperated. Roxanne and Mick just kind of laugh.
Men standing in the street in front of JoJo’s watching, are
laughing too.

FREDDY
Shut up! Shut up! Get in the F’n
car! I have to be in the pool room
in less than a half hour. I’ll
give you each a fin if you just get
in the car.

A moment of silence. The sisters look to one another for a
nod.

CARM
Make it ten and you got a deal.
Drop us off at Bingo.

The old ladies all crawl in. Roxanne sits on Mick’s lap up
front. RoRo slaps Carm’s hand.

ANNIE
(to herself)
Works every time.
Continued...