Transcripttwo

                    Rodi's July 1994 after their first meeting

(Todd sitting at the bar drinking. In walks Blair. She doesn't notice Todd sitting in the "shadows")

Rocky (Rodi's Bartender): What will it be, beautiful?

Blair: I don't know Rocky. I, uh, I'm staying over at the Waterside Inn and I've been out on a walk for about an hour, down along the river, across the park.

(Entire time Blair is talking to Rocky, Todd is checking her out)

Rocky: Long walk?

Blair: Yeah, um, I'll have a scotch and soda, please.

Rocky: You've got it, babe.

(Todd finishes his drink. He moves to the barstool next to Blair invading her "personal space")

Todd: Hey.

Blair: You.

Todd: Don't you know that it's dangerous for a woman to walk alone by the river after dark?

Blair: Thanks for the advice.

Todd: What would you wanna do that for anyway? You looking for some married jerk whose home you wanna wreck?

Blair (leans into Todd's personal space): And what are you looking for, huh?

Todd: Whatcha got? I live here. You wanna go upstairs?

Blair: Charming.

Todd: Now what are you looking at me like that for? That married jerk go back to his wife, leave you all by your lonesome?

Blair: Why you seem all outta sorts tonight, Mr. Manning. Now don't tell me that you're still mooning over that girl you told me about. The one that threw you over for that little preppy guy, hmm?

Todd: I hope I never see the two of them again as long as I live.

Blair: Well then I hope so, too.

Rocky: Hey, Manning. You said you were working nights this week? It's way after 11:00.

(Todd takes one last drink, hands Rocky money for the drink. Before he leaves he spits a piece of ice on the bar)

************************************************************

Rocky: What is a lady like you doing camped out on a barstool at 3:00 a.m.?

Blair: I like the crowd.

Rocky: Bull. You should be out with people, having conversations, few laughs, whatever. Who knows, you might even find a nice guy and go home with him.

Blair: You got somebody in mind for me, Rocky?

Rocky: As a matter of fact, you're looking at him.

(Blair gives a mild laugh)

Rocky: It's not that funny.

Blair: No, you don't understand, you are way too good for me.

Rocky: Let me be the judge of that. From what you said you seem to have that Holden guy out of your system. Why not give me a shot?

Blair: No, that's the problem with listening to me. See, I only tell half the truth. Max may be out of my life, but I don't think he will ever be out of my system.

Rocky: You know how I gave up cigarettes?

Blair: How?

Rocky (places a bowl of pistachios in front of Blair): Pistachios.

Blair: Pistachios.

Rocky: Mm hmm. Think of me as a pistachio.

Blair: Well thank you, Rocky. But I think Max is a habit that may take the rest of my life to break.

(Blair opens a pistachio and it is empty)

Blair: Great, typical. I pick an empty one.

(Blair is startled as a hand reaches in the pistachio bowl)

Blair: Hey, what...Todd.

Todd: What's the matter, Blair? Did I scare you?

*********************************************************

(Apparently "last call" at the bar has been made and Todd is irritated)

Todd: I'll buy her one. Hell, I'll even buy you one.

Rocky: I told you Manning, I gave last call an hour ago. Now I'm closing in five. Sweet dreams.

Todd: Fine. You know what? From now on, I'm taking my business to the Palace Hotel.

Blair: They won't let you in.

Todd: Why not? They let you in.

Blair: You know, I don't even need this. If you came here to make my life miserable. Somebody got ahead of you, alright?

Todd: What's the matter, Blair? You still mooning over that married guy who went back to his wife? Don't you know? There's nothing more boring that unrequited love.

Blair (moves into Todd's "personal space"): Oh yeah, and you ought to know.

Todd (moves in even closer): Buzz off.

Blair (moves back): Yeah, buzz off. What are you doing back here, Todd?

Todd: I live upstairs, remember?

Blair: Yes, I remember, you told me that earlier. But I also remember that you left to go to work at the hospital.

Todd: I have a confession to make. Todd's been a very, very naughty boy.

*************************************************************

Blair: Whatcha do, Todd?

Todd: Alright, you promise not to tell?

Blair (moves into Todd's "personal space" ): Cross my heart and hope to die.

Todd (in return moves in ready to kiss Blair): I went to work with booze on my breath. They sent me home with a note from teacher.

Blair (moves back): Well that was really smart. I thought your pardon depended on your job working out at the hospital?

Todd: Yeah, well let me tell you something about this pardon, alright? It makes all the bleeding hearts feel good, but it doesn't change anything. Nobody changes. You?re born bad, you stay bad.

Blair: Come on, Todd, it doesn't have to be that way, you know that.

Todd: It is that way. People talk about change all the time, but nobody believes it. They give you a name. They call you evil, they call you bad, whatever and then you've got to live with it no matter what. No matter how lonely you get, nobody believes you can change. Even people that you care about, people that you know care about you. They still tell you get lost, stay out of my life.

Blair: And they mean so much to you.

Todd: And when you start to realize that you are going to live the rest of your life...like this, you know, alone, forever. Things start to build up inside of you. They build up until you feel like you're going to explode, you know. What am I telling you this for? Like, you're gonna understand.

Blair: Believe me, Todd. I know exactly how you feel.

Todd: No way, babe. You can't even begin to know how I feel. Nobody can.

(Todd gets up to go upstairs to his bedroom, leaving Blair at the bar alone)




                        ***Transcribed by quen***