Written by
Robert Aldrich
INT. APARTMENT ON FRANKLIN AVE. -EARLY MORNING
It is a small second-floor bachelor apartment overlooking a
busy street. There is a couch near the windows, someone is in
a sleeping bag on it. In the background is the a clock radio
giving traffic conditions, and the sound of a shower running.
On the coffee table nearby are some clothes, a pair of blue
jeans and a black frilly blouse. There is also a purse and
some other personal belongings, and on the floor, a suitcase
with clothes strewn all around it.
JAY, thirties, dressed only in shorts, comes from the
bathroom to the living room, drying his hair with a towel. He
stands near the couch, looks out the window at busy Franklin
street. He then moves to the kitchen, starts coffee. The
person in the sleeping bag quietly stirs, peeks out, but
doesn't get up. We can't see who it is.
Jay makes breakfast, drinks his coffee, looks over at the
sleeping figure occasionally. He looks a little pissed off.
INT. APARTMENT -LATER
Jay, coming from the bathroom, is tying his tie. He is
dressed in a business suit. Looking over at the sleeping
person, he stuffs some papers into a briefcase, readying to
go to work. One last time he looks over at the sleeping bag,
then grabs a notepad and writes a note, places it on the
blouse and jeans, turns and goes out the door, slamming it
loudly.
The person in the sleeping bag gives a small jump at the
slam.
Waiting till the sounds of footsteps recede, a hand snakes
out of the sleeping bag and grabs the note, pulls it up to
the opening for a moment. Then the person sits up, reading
the note. It is a ROBIN, a gorgeous girl, even in nothing but
bra (or t-shirt) and panties, no makeup, etc.
INSERT ON NOTE: Robin, you know and I know...it's been over
for two months. I want you out of here before the end of the
week! -Jay.
She looks at the door with a disgusted look, gets out of the
sleeping bag, yawns, tears up the note. She wriggles into the
blue-jeans.
Barefoot, she crosses the room and looks in the refrigerator,
which is nearly empty. On the stove is a pan with a little
cold oatmeal left, looks on the counter, and shakes an empty
oatmeal box.
She sits down to eat the rest of the oatmeal out of the pan,
pouring the last of a carton of milk on it, drinking the
dregs of Jay's coffee, then slumps back in the chair with a
disgusted look.
INT. BATHROOM -LATER
Robin, now with the black frilly blouse on, is making herself
up in the mirror. She stops to look at herself in
frustration...she is aging and can't stop it. She tries to
cover tiny crow's feet by her eyes but gives up. Still, she
looks pretty good for those who haven't seen her before. She
exits the bathroom.
INT. LIVING ROOM -SAME
Robin goes to the front door, peeks outside first, then
closes and double-locks and chains it. She turns and heads
for Jay's bedroom.
INT. JAY'S BEDROOM -SAME
She enters the bedroom, and in a practiced move, goes right
to a closet shelf, reaches in under some clothes, pulls out a
wad of cash rolled up and rubber-banded inside several credit
cards. She takes twenty dollars out of the middle, then looks
at it undecidedly. She then pulls out a hundred dollar bill
also, rolls the roll up again and puts it back and places
some clothes on the shelf carefully as they were before.
EXT. APARTMENT -LATER
Robin is sitting on the steps to the building, smoking a
cigarette. A resident of the apartment building, an older
Latina lady, comes down the steps around her, looks at her
with disdain. Robin looks up at her disinterestedly.
WOMAN
You're not supposed to smoke on the
stairs! It goes inside!
ROBIN
Fuck off!
WOMAN
(louder)
You're not even supposed to be
living here!
ROBIN
Go fuck yourself, you fat pig!
WOMAN
You little bitch! I'm going to
report you to the manager!
ROBIN
Go ahead, see what I care!
Woman exits scene huffily.
Robin looks after her with a stony look. When the woman has
gone, she buries her head in her hands.
EXT. APARTMENT -LATER
Robin carelessly stubs out the cigarette on the steps, gets
up tiredly and walks to the corner, where the light is red.
She stands there a moment, surveying the world around her.
Looking down the street, she sees a man in front of a big
house preparing to wash his Mercedes.
Brightening up, she ducks behind the light pole, thinking.
With a small smile, she loosens a couple of the top buttons
of her blouse, and walks across the street as the light turns
green. Several male drivers look at her appreciatively as she
does so.