BARBARA has
just entered PAUL’S office where she sees he is talking to a man she can’t
see. He turns around and she realizes he
has been talking with BENNY.
BARBARA
Oh,
sorry. Margie said to go right in. I didn’t mean to interrupt.
PAUL
You’re not
interrupting, Barbara. I was just
talking to an old friend of yours.
BARABARA
Huh?
Benny turns
around and faces Barbara.
BENNY
Hello Barbie.
PAUL
Benny here
has been filling me in on quite a few things I didn’t know about you, Barbara.
BARBARA
Paul, I can
explain!
PAUL
Explain?
BENNY
Ah, Barbie,
no need to be alarmed. I didn’t give
away too many of your deep, dark secrets.
Paul’s phone
rings.
PAUL
Excuse me.
Paul answers
the call.
PAUL
Yes,
Margie? Sure, I’ll be right there.
Paul hangs
up.
PAUL
I’m afraid I
need to step out for just a minute to say goodbye to a client who is doing a
site visit. I’ll be right back.
BENNY
We’ll be
here!
Paul walks
out of the office.
BENNY
Barbie,
you’re lookin’ good.
BARBARA
For
the love of God, Benny. What the hell are you doing here? I told you to stay out of my life. What did you tell, Paul?
BENNY
Oh, keep your
skirt on, Red. I just told him that you
and I used to work together.
BARBARA
Work together
doing what? What’s this about deep, dark
secrets? If you told him anything about
our life back then, Benny, I swear…
BENNY
(interrupting)
Just relax,
will ya? I
told him that you and I worked at Romano’s in the city together and that you
were always breaking dishes and spilling food on customers.
BARBARA
You told him
I was a waitress?
BENNY
I sort of
implied it.
BARBARA
What else?
BENNY
That’s
it. So far. (beat) Of course, I could tell him what you and I
were REALLY doing at Romano’s. And how you broke poor, old man Romano’s heart.
BARBARA
Why did you
come here? Are you toying with me
now? Why can’t you just let me be,
Benny?
BENNY
Because,
Barbie, from what I can tell, you are pulling off the scam to end all scams
here, and I got to thinking that, you need Benny’s help. I mean, come on, I was the brains behind our
little operation, now wasn’t I?
BARBARA
(laughs)
Brains?
You were just along for the ride.
I didn’t need you then and I don’t need you now.
BENNY
That’s not
what you used to say when we steaming up my little apartment in the
Paul walks
back in.
PAUL
Sorry about
that. I see you two are catching
up. Barbara, Benny was telling me that
he’s run into a string of bad luck lately and that you thought it would be a
good idea if he talked to me about a job here at L&R.
BARBARA
Oh
really? That’s what he said?
BENNY
And I
completely understand if you don’t feel I’m qualified or can’t find a spot for
me. But I’m a little desperate, you
know?
PAUL
Hey, I like
to see Barbara happy, so if finding you a job here is going to do that, then
consider it done.
CAROLINE is
working at her desk when her newest construction worker, LAURENCE JAMESON,
walks in
LAURENCE
Hello, Ms.
Hart.
CAROLINE
Laurence,
have a seat.
LAURENCE
Look, if
you’re going to fire me, I think I’d rather be standing.
CAROLINE
Fire
you? Why would you think that?
LAURENCE
Well, you are
one of the big wigs around here and I’m still pretty new, so I just assumed.
CAROLINE
Well, don’t
assume anything. I’m not here to fire
you. Quite the
opposite actually. I called you
into my office to tell you that I’ve heard some good things about you. I know we hired you on a probationary period
and I was talking to your direct manager and we both feel it’s time to take you
off the probation and put you on the full-time payroll here.
LAURENCE
What? Are you serious?
CAROLINE
Yes, I
am. And I wanted to be the one to tell
you myself so that you understood how committed Rockland Construction is to
hiring and keeping people from
LAURENCE
Wow. I don’t know what to say. I guess I’m just used to assuming the worst,
you know? Things haven’t been easy for
me in a long time, and then I lost my son.
CAROLINE
Your son
died?
LAURENCE
In the
subway explosion in
CAROLINE
Laurence, I
know you’ve had a colorful past. But
like I said, we want to give back to this area by working with various
community programs, and success stories like yours make it all worthwhile.
LAURENCE
I wouldn’t
call myself a success story just yet. I
walked out of my son’s funeral and went to my first A.A. meeting. And I haven’t had a drink since. But it hasn’t been easy. I go to a meeting every night after
work.
CAROLINE
From what I
understand, alcoholism is a disease. You
should be proud of yourself for taking these steps.
LAURENCE
I just wish I
had done this before it was too late for my son. But I owe it to him to be the man he always
wanted me to be. I don’t know if I ever
will be, but I’m going to try.
CAROLINE
That’s good
to hear. (beat)
Now, congratulations again, and welcome about to Rockland Construction.
LAURENCE
Thank you,
Ms. Hart. I won’t ever forget this
chance you took on me.
MIRANDA is
talking with her son, ELIJAH PHILLIPS, in the living room
ELIJAH
What’s up,
Mom? You look like you’re in pain or
something. Why the grimace?
MIRANDA
Oh, I’m
fine. Just a little
back ache. It’ll go away.
ELIJAH
It’s from
cleaning this place from top to bottom every freakin’
day of your life.
MIRANDA
Oh, Elijah,
please don’t start with me today. I have
done the best I can for us, and as long as we have a roof over our heads, we
shouldn’t complain.
ELIJAH
Well, that
might be YOUR philosophy but it certainly isn’t mine. I’m never going to be scrubbing floors for
someone who doesn’t appreciate it and breaking my back. Some day I’m going to own a
house just like this one. Only bigger.
MIRANDA
It’s good to
dream big, son, but you can’t have your head in the clouds forever. You’re going to be twenty-one next week and
it’s time for you to start thinking about life in the real world.
ELIJAH
Mom, I am in
the real word. Do you have any idea how
much debt I’m in from my student loans?
By the time I get finished with college, I’ll be so far in debt, it will take me years to get out. It just burns me up that Dante Ramos can go
to any school in the world he wants to but prefers to just live off his
father’s money and be a complete bum.
MIRANDA
You hush
about Dante. He’s a good boy.
ELIJAH
He’s lazy and
ungrateful. If I had the opportunities
he’s had, I wouldn’t toss them away so quickly.
MIRANDA
Well,
unfortunately you haven’t. And I’m sorry
your life hasn’t been everything you wanted, but I did my best.
ELIJAH
I know you
did, Mom. It’s not your fault that you
had to raise me on your own and work so hard.
When I make it someday, I’m going to take care of you, like you’ve taken
care of me.
MIRANDA
That’s sweet,
Elijah, but I’ve been living for “some days” for way too long now. I’ve pretty much given up on my dreams.
ELIJAH
Why doesn’t
Paul Ramos do more for you, Mom? You’ve
been loyal to him for all these years.
MIRANDA
He
appreciates what I do around here.
ELIJAH
You really
think so? ‘Cause
I don’t see it. I’ll never understand
your loyalty to that man.
MIRANDA
He’s been
good to you too, son. Stop nitpicking
every bad thing in your life. Appreciate
what you have and be happy with it.
ELIJAH
Sorry, but
what I “appreciate” is the good life.
And “some day”, I’m going to have it.
ANGELA is
talking with KAREN and DAMIEN.
ANGELA
So I told
Manny to stop sending me flowers and stop writing me anonymous love letters.
DAMIEN
Ang, that doesn’t sound like Manny.
ANGELA
Damien, I
know you liked the guy, but who else would be doing something like that. He ran out of town as fast as he could go
five years ago, and now he’s back. And
suddenly I have a secret admirer?
There’s no way that’s just a coincidence.
KAREN
I agree with
Angela. Now, I was never the big Manny
fan that you were, Damien, but he came back with the intention of getting
Angela back and this is his twisted way to do that.
ANGELA
Well, it’s
not happening. I’ve moved on.
DAMIEN
You mean
moved on to this Brian guy? What do you
know about him anyway?
ANGELA
I know enough
to know that he’s much better for me than Manny Ramos. He’s a doctor. He has a sister, Arden. And he’s gorgeous.
DAMIEN
ANGELA
Oh, didn’t he
tell you? It’s the same girl. Brian’s sister is Dante’s most recent female
interest.
DAMIEN
No, he
didn’t. He probably doesn’t know that
you know her brother. How weird is that?
KAREN
You guys talk
about Dante like he’s some playboy or something.
DAMIEN
Let’s just
say, he has done his share of getting around the past few years.
KAREN
Angela, maybe
you should let Brian know that his sister may get her heart broken.
DAMIEN
No, no. This time things are different. Dante is quite smitten with this girl.
Cyrus walks
in.
CYRUS
Oh, sorry,
Dr. Givens. Dr. Heller asked me to tell
you that he needs to see you before you leave today. He’s in his office.
ANGELA
Alright.
Thanks, Cyrus.
CYRUS
No problem.
Cyrus leaves.
DAMIEN
Angela,
what’s up with this Cyrus cat?
ANGELA
What do you
mean?
DAMIEN
He was in
Sutter’s Mill one night and I was talking to him. I think you have quite an admirer there.
ANGELA
Cyrus?
KAREN
Admirer?!!!
As in “secret admirer”?
DAMIEN
Hey! I didn’t even think about that. Ang, what if this
intern guy is the one who wrote you that note and sent the flowers?
KAREN
AND
followed you in the parking garage.
ANGELA
Oh, come on,
you guys. Cyrus? No way.
It was Manny Ramos, I’m sure of it.
LAURENCE has
just stood up at the AA meeting. GARRETT
MATHERS is leading a group of eight people.
LAURENCE
My name is
Laurence Jameson. And I’m an alcoholic.
ALL
Hi
Laurence.
LAURENCE
I got some
good news today. I’m going to be staying
on at Rockland Construction on a permanent basis. I guess with all the bad things that have
happened in my life, I just expected to lose that job. I mean, it’s hard
being around all those guys because they all go out for drinks after work. But I’m staying strong and I’m really
starting to believe I can beat this disease.
GARRETT
Thanks,
Laurence. One day at a time.
Laurence sits
down.
GARRETT
Now how about
you? I don’t think we’ve met
before. Do you want to introduce
yourself to the group?
Manny stands
up.
MANNY
Sure. Hi. My
name is Manny Ramos. And I’m an
alcoholic.
ALL
Hi Manny.