Love of Her Life (4 page)

MIKE

Is she turning?

BARTENDER

It's possible.  She's a wild one,

experimental.  It wouldn't shock me. 

MIKE

Happy birthday.  Wow.  That's hot. 

BARTENDER

Sizzling.  I couldn't sleep. 

MIKE

What do you want me to do?

BARTENDER

Be yourself.  She's fair game. 

MIKE

You want her?

BARTENDER

Sure.  But I doubt she'll go for me. 

She's caught up in a fantasy. 

MIKE

What's your next move?

INT.  DELTA QUEEN RESTAURANT - DAY

Harmonia and Chieko have lunch together.  The Bartender enters.  He approaches their table. 

BARTENDER

Ladies, do you mind if I join you?

HARMONIA

Please do. 

He looks surprised. 

CHIEKO

Chieko. 

BARTENDER

I remember.  And you're Harmonia. 

HARMONIA

And you're Davis. 

BARTENDER

You noticed.  I'm flattered you

bothered to remember. 

HARMONIA

I always look at name tags and try

to remember. 

BARTENDER

So it's nothing personal, then. 

Just a common courtesy. 

HARMONIA

Ouch.  Does it hurt?

BARTENDER

My ego's been battered enough it's

callous, can't be bruised. 

CHIEKO

Poor fellow.  The world is cruel. 

BARTENDER

That's one way of putting it. 

HARMONIA

What's another?

BARTENDER

I haven't solved the puzzle--

HARMONIA

A woman is an enigma. 

BARTENDER

--Yet. 

HARMONIA

Someone you're trying to figure out? 

Chieko is a great advisor. 

CHIEKO

Years of practice in the art of people

pleasing. 

BARTENDER

I don't want to pour my woes out on

you ladies.  You're far too interesting. 

Harmonia's smile lights up her whole face.  Chieko gives him a suspicious look. 

LATER

Harmonia strolls on the deck with the Bartender.  She is positively aglow in the moonlight. 

BARTENDER

It sounds to me as if the man is a

fraud.  Why would you put up with

that?

HARMONIA

No.  He's a dream weaver.  He knows

I want him to spin a web around me. 

BARTENDER

Does a guy like me have a chance?

Harmonia smiles at him. 

HARMONIA

You're charming, Davis, but you see,

I've made my choice.  I will see how

it plays out. 

BARTENDER

To the bitter end. 

HARMONIA

Don't say that!

She shudders.  He laughs. 

BARTENDER

I call it the way I see it. 

HARMONIA

Not bitter! To the ends of the Earth. 

Friends forever. 

BARTENDER

Friends?  Who are you fooling?  You

want the whole real deal, sister. 

HARMONIA

Friendship is the best kind of love. 

Mix it with some Eros from time to

time, you've got yourself a bonus. 

Friendship is rare and delicious. 

BARTENDER

The prime rib of relationships. 

She leans against the railing, looking out. 

He stands behind her and makes a subtle move to brush up against her.  She closes her eyes.  He does it again. 

HARMONIA

Please stop. 

He steps to the side. 

BARTENDER

Not your type, huh?

HARMONIA

It isn't that. 

BARTENDER

Yes it is.  Be straight with yourself. 

You don't owe that guy a thing.  He

didn't ask for your loyalty. 

HARMONIA

You know what it is, mind reader. 

Don't try the sympathy ploy.  My

days doing mercy jobs are over. 

BARTENDER

You haven't even met the man.  What

if you don't like the way he kisses?

HARMONIA

What if I don't like the way you

kiss?  Then I have to be uncomfortable 

the next four days around you. 

BARTENDER

What if you do?

She sighs. 

HARMONIA

Indeed.  It's always a struggle, to

stay committed. 

BARTENDER

You ought to be committed, giving

your heart over to a fantasy. 

HARMONIA

He's not a fantasy.  Orion is the

genuine article.  Besides, it's about

being true to myself. 

BARTENDER

The pictures you've seen might not

be him. 

HARMONIA

He isn't like that.  He's a straight

shooter.  I have no doubt. 

BARTENDER

What if you're wrong?

HARMONIA

I'm not. 

BARTENDER

Have you ever misjudged a man?

HARMONIA

Ouch.  Terribly. 

She turns about and leans back on the railing. 

HARMONIA

But I don't think I'm wrong about Ri. 

He would have told me by now. 

The Bartender stands in front of her.  He pulls her into him and kisses her.  She pushes away, but he holds her hard against him and keeps kissing.  She melts into it.  He lets her go. 

BARTENDER

Got yourself a real pickle now,

haven't you?

She closes her eyes. 

HARMONIA

Damn.  I wish you wouldn't have done

that.  And I'm glad you did.  Damn. 

He kisses her lightly on the lips and walks away. 

BARTENDER

You've been wrong before. 

INT.  BARTENDER'S CABIN - MOMENTS LATER

He enters his cabin and falls onto the bed. 

BARTENDER

I did it.  Oh god, she liked it. 

INT.  HARMONIA'S CABIN G319 - NIGHT

Harmonia enters and falls onto the bed. 

HARMONIA

Oh god. 

She hugs a pillow. 

HARMONIA

Ri, I've tried so hard. 

She kisses the pillow. 

HARMONIA

Where are you now?  What are you

doing?

HARMONIA'S FANTASY:

ORION enters her cabin.  He's six feet tall, wearing jeans and a short-sleeved shirt, hairy arms. 

She sits on the edge of the bed. 

HARMONIA

Oh thank god, you're here. 

He takes her hands and pulls her to her feet in front of him, close. 

FANTASY ORION

Of course I'm here. 

HARMONIA

What kept you?  How did you--never

mind.  You're here.  That's all that

matters now. 

She unbuttons his shirt and kisses his furry chest and inhales with delirious satisfaction. 

HARMONIA

Oh god, you're here.  For real. 

END FANTASY

BACK TO HARMONIA'S CABIN G319

The door knob jiggles.  Harmonia throws the pillow aside and sits up as Mike enters. 

HARMONIA

Go to Chieko's cabin.  You're not

staying here. 

MIKE

Seriously?

Harmonia leaps out of bed, grabs a toothbrush from a counter, and hands it to him. 

HARMONIA

Tell her I need some space.  And be

a gentleman.  She'll let you in.  If

she doesn't, don't come back here. 

It's at the end, G339. 

Mike backs out of the room. 

Harmonia flops back into bed and giggles and grabs the pillow.

HARMONIA

Where were we?

FANTASY RESUMES:

Harmonia kisses Orion's furry chest over and over.  She buries her face in it, inhales, rubs his hairy arms. 

HARMONIA

Oh my god, Ri.  Kiss me. 

He kisses her.  She melts and closes her eyes. 

Suddenly it's the Bartender in Orion's place, kissing her.  She's totally into it. 

She opens her eyes...

EXT.  WOODS - DAY

They lie naked on a bed of Autumn leaves.  She looks up at sunlight glistening through gold and red. 

The Bartender gets on top of her. 

She stares at the dirty river. 

She hears a twig snap and looks back to the forest, where she glimpses a mountain lion.  She stares at it.  Its gaze

pierces her soul. 

She closes her eyes.  A tear streams out. 

The Bartender pulls back, deliberate.  He holds there.