第7章 PART 7

MAGGIE (shouts over the music) Listen, Gill -- Theres this reporter whos ben making my life a living hell ... If he comes by here, dont talk to him. And whatever yo do.... (crosses to Gill) ... Dont show him that picture of me at the concert in San Francisco -- Suddenly, a loud CHUCKLING emanates from the car overhead.

MAGGIE (contd) What was that? Maggie stops Gill from playing. She shoots her ex an angry glare and moves a lever on the shop wall. With a HUM, the car descends. GILL We went to San Francisco twice. Remember one time we had a flat tire... Which picture? As the hydraulic lift slows, the car is lowered, revealing Ike

sitting in the drivers seat. He has been enjoying the photograph hes holding. IKE (feigning shock) Imagine! Maggie Carpenter topless in a public arena. (checks photo again) And I see there was a chill in the air. Maggie swipes for the photo, but Ike is faster at pulling it away. MAGGIE

Give me that! IKE But the most interesting thing here is that I dont see the rose tattoo that Ive heard about on your back. Gill takes off his guitar and sets it down. GILL Ike bet me fifty bucks you dont still have it, Mags. I said "Youre on, man! Maggie loved that thing!" And I could

really use fifty bucks. Maggie is conspicuously silent. GILL (contd) (looking worried) Mags? MAGGIE Im not gonna show you guys anything. I am a soon-to-be-married woman. Now give me that photograph. Maggie seethes. IKE Sure, I would love to give this to you. Just give us one quick gander at that

rose, and, Ill gladly hand it over. She tries to grab the photo again. Ike pulls it away. MAGGIE Fine. Here. Maggie quickly turns around and pulls down the back of her shirt, revealing the top of her back and a pristine expanse of skin. No tattoo. MAGGIE (contd) (turning back around)

Satisfied? IKE Completely. Gill is still trying to grasp the meaning of this. GILL Maggie? You got it removed? IKE Gill, Ill go ya double or nothing if was a stick-on. GILL (dismayed) Maggie? MAGGIE (admitting) Im really, really afraid of needles... It doesnt make me a bad person.

Ike laughs. Maggie looks at him with rage. Gill dramatically pulls down the front of his t-shirt. GILL Look. There it is on Gills chest: the rose tattoo. Maggie sighs, pained. Gill shows it to Ike. Ike looks at the tattoo. He shakes his head at Maggie. IKE (sincerely) Look, look, man. I think the man is

heartbroken. MAGGIE He is not! Maggie moves the lever on the wall again, sending Ike back up to the ceiling in the car. She grabs the photo from Ike and exits. GILL I think I am. Gill grabs his guitar and sits. GILL (contd) Hey, Ike, what would Jerry do? The hydraulic lift stops moving. Ike leans out.

IKE Jerry. Hed play. Hed play... Jerry would play his heart out. Ike sings and taps along in tempo on the side of the car as Gill sings and plays "Ripple". CUT TO: EXT. HOTEL PORCH - NEXT DAY, SATURDAY MORNING As Maggie drives into town with Peggy, they see Ike on porch with

SHERIFF, POLICE CHIEF and MAIL MAN, all playing instruments as a blues band. Ike is not bad on slide guitar. They all like Ike. Maggie "CHUFFAS" with Peggy and moves on. EXT. SOFTBALL FIELD - LATER THAT DAY CLOSE ON: The slow, loopy pitch of a softball. A bat connects. NEW ANGLE: A big wholesome man, CORY, runs for first base. He just beats out the throw. Bob, acting as umpire, yells, "Safe!" Happy, Cory turns to the stands and waves. ANGLE ON: Maggie and Peggy, cheering loudly. Peggy tries to whoop harder than Maggie, but that would be tough. From firs base, Cory waves back to them. The two women sit back down and Maggie takes back up with their conversation. Maggie is still al steamed up. MAGGIE Okay, hes on base. Can we talk about my life now? -- Ikes going to turn that tattoo stuff into a big deal -- that I was never serious about Gill, blah blah. Hes totally out to get me. PEGGY For what reason? Some personal satisfaction? MAGGIE Thats what he says, but if he thinks that I dont realize hes writing another article, then hes an idiot. PEGGY Its probably because you got him fired. MAGGIE (sarcastic) Ya think? PEGGY Not that he doesnt deserve to get fired... Look! Corys going for second!... Sneaky! ANGLE ON: Cory as he runs for second base and with a slide beats the throw for the force out. The women jump and cheer -- Maggie, again, the most boisterous. ANGLE ON: Dennis recognizes Ike as he walks up. Dennis tells Ike that he is going to marry Maggie some day and shows Ike where Maggie is sitting. ANGLE ON: Maggie spots Ike as they sit back down. She groans. MAGGIE There he is. Snoop Doggy-Dogg. PEGGY Where? MAGGIE Over there. Ten oclock. Hes talking to our little Dennis. Dennis will turn into one of those "sources say" things. PEGGY He looks better with that stuff out of his hair. Hes an attractive man. Ike finds Maggie in the crowd and leaves Dennis. MAGGIE Id say youve been in the sun too long. You handle him, okay? I could use five minutes off from that creep. Before Peggy can protest, Maggie climbs down off the bleachers and goes and stands near the dugout near the rest of Corys team. PEGGY Okay, thats fine. I can do that. Ike comes up to Peggy. IKE Hello, Peggy Phleming, "not the ice-skater". Ike indicates the seat next to Peggy. PEGGY (protesting weakly) Thats Maggies seat... Ike sits down comfortably. IKE ... And this is Maggies beer. He starts drinking it. ON THE FIELD, Cory is getting ready to steal third. IKE (contd) That your husband out there? Cory Phleming, a local radio announcer. PEGGY Have you listened to his morning show, "Wake up with ballplayer"? IKE Not yet. I had a phlemless morning. I hear hes a pretty good ballplayer. PEGGY This game is pretty important to him. He made all-stars in high school, you know. IKE That must have made you proud. Peggy takes a small sip off her soda. PEGGY He was going with Maggie back then. (quickly) He was never one of her... I mean, they were never going to get... They just dated for a while. Cory dives in for third and makes it. The crowd goes wild. Peggy yells and jumps in. PEGGY (contd) Good job, honey! But Maggies whoop sails out above it all. Cory waves. But not at Peggy. He directs his delight at Maggie, who jumps up and down by the dugout. Ike looks between Cory, Maggie and finally, Peggy. Peggy jerks her waving hand back down to her side and sits down. Ike pretends not to have noticed. The two watch as Maggie and Cory smile at each other. IKE Its nice that theyre still friends. PEGGY (looking at Maggie and Cory) Oh, sure. That was a long time ago. See, shes not a man-hater at all. Shes very supportive of men... Next BATTER hits one to deep left field and it lands in the grave yard. Cory scores, greeted by Maggie. Ike and Peggy watch as Cory and Maggie belly-bump and high-five each other in celebration of Corys play. No looks at Peggy. Ike keeps an empathetic silence, seeing that Peggy is truly hurt. PEGGY (contd) Ill be back in a second. Suddenly, Peggy stands, pushes past him and runs down the steps. Maggie looks up just in time to catch Peggys exit. Ike pulls his tape recorder out of his pocket and starts speaking into it. Maggie shoots Ike an accusing look, walks up to him in the bleachers and sits next to him. MAGGIE Youve been here for three minutes. What did you do to her? IKE You can turn that finger around. Ike does an on-the-button imitation of Maggie jumping excitedly at Cory. Now Maggie sees what hes getting at. MAGGIE (defensive) You misinterpret everything. Weve all been friends our whole lives. But thats the types of relationship you wouldnt understand. IKE Obviously, Im not the only one who doesnt understand it. The USS Maggie leaves quite a wake... Excuse me. Ike walks away. Alone, Maggie tries to seem enthused. MAGGIE See, I cheer good. What is he, a cheer critic? EXT./INT. STREET/BAR - LATER - DUSK Sitting in front of Inn Hale Bar, we see the BARTENDER pantomiming holding the reins of a wildly galloping horse. Weve seen something like this before. Maggies wild ride away from her last wedding. Ike laughs with Bartender just as Maggie drives by the bar and sees this. MAGGIE (to herself) This guy never stops. INT. ATLANTIC HOTEL - NIGHT Maggie walks up to the front desk of the hotel, where Lee is sleeping with his feet up. She knocks his feet off the counter. MAGGIE Lee, hey, wake up. Give me the key to the reporters room. I want to snoop around. LEE (handing her the key) Okay. Second floor. MAGGIE Thanks. LEE Dont take anything big. Maggie moves up the stairs towards Ikes room