Indiscretions

Disclaimer


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Isaac is sitting at his desk and is carefully looking over his paperwork. A knock on his door causes him to look up.

Isaac: Sam? What do you have?

Sam Donovan stands in the doorway and holds some papers.

Sam: I've got the latest results.

Isaac: How are they?

Sam enters the office.

Sam: It goes to prove that you can't lead with the Ryder Cup.

Isaac: Who's suggestion was it to lead with the Ryder Cup?

Sam: Someone other than me.

Sam hands the papers over to Isaac. Isaac quickly looks over them.

Isaac: Who's suggestion was it to lead with the Ryder Cup?

Sam: The network's.

Isaac: When?

Sam: In the notes they released two weeks ago.

Isaac throws the papers down on his desk. He gets up in a huff and walks over to his window. He peers out toward the skyline.

Isaac: Because we've got increased coverage of the event means we have to feature it at the top of the program.

Sam: Pretty much.

Isaac turns around.

Isaac: I used to remember all of this.

Sam: It's all right. There's a lot happening-

Isaac: It never used to be that way. You could mention something that happened four months ago, and I would remember the time of day you told me and the shirt you were wearing. Now, I can't even remember something that happened two weeks ago.

Sam: We all forget things. The other day, I was looking for my briefcase. I swore it was buried in the back of my closet. It turns out, I had given it away a couple of years ago.

Isaac laughs.

Isaac: Recent ratings are down?

Sam: All across the board. The 6:30, the 11, and the biggest dip is on the 2 A.M.

Isaac: Because we've led with golf the previous four nights.

Sam: We're leading with golf while the other networks are leading with college football, pro football, baseball's pennant races, and anything but golf.

Dana walks into the office.

Dana: Isaac... oh, hi Sam... Isaac. Bobbi's sick again.

Isaac: It's 8 o'clock.

Dana: I know.

Isaac: It's a little late to be calling out sick.

Dana: She didn't exactly call out. She's in a stall right now kinda' letting us know that she's sick. Really sick.

Isaac: Who do you have to help out?

Dana: I could ask Kenny or Craig to stick around for our show.

Isaac: Danny's off tonight?

Dana: Yeah.

Isaac: Do that then.

Dana: Okay.

Sam: What are you leading with?

Dana: Excuse me?

Sam: What's your top story?

Dana: Third-day coverage of the Ryder Cup.

Sam: The A.L. West is your top story.

Dana: I beg to differ.

Sam: We can't be beggars and choosers. And since you're begging, I'll choose. You're leading with the A's and Angels.

Dana: You need to sign off on it.

Sam: Sign off on what?

Dana: You need to sign off on it in case the network comes asking about it.

Sam: You need permission to make a change?

Dana: The network made it very clear on what they wanted. I don't want to jeopardize my job by committing an act of disobedience.

Sam: I'm not asking for a note from your mommy to allow you to change the lead. I'm telling you that when I turn on the show at 11 tonight, I better be seeing the pennant race. If the network comes asking about the change, tell them it's a ratings decision. They'll understand numbers.

Dana: Isaac?

Isaac: I'm in agreement with Sam.

Dana: Okay, then.

Dana turns and leaves the room.

Isaac: A note from your mommy?

Sam: Whatever works.

Isaac: You're a lunatic, you know that?

Sam: I've been called worse.

Sam starts to leave.

Isaac: One more thing, Sam.

Sam: What's that?

Isaac: You don't need to make up a story to make me feel better.

Sam: What story?

Isaac: The one about losing your briefcase.

Sam: People forget things.

Isaac: I don't need your sympathy.

Sam: Okay.

Isaac: But thank you.

Sam nods his head toward Isaac and then leaves the room.

-----

A basketball goal stands inside a gymnasium. The sounds of squeaking shoes and a dribbling basketball can he heard. Silence. A ball bounces off the backboard and rim. A pair of hands go up and grab the ball.

Casey brings the ball down and dribbles it out.

Casey: Your rut is now a canyon.

Dan: Shut up and play.

Casey dribbles and Dan falls for a fake move. Casey spins around and makes an easy layup.

Casey: 19-4.

Dan stands with his hands on his hips.

Casey: What's the matter with you?

Dan: Nothing. Gimme the ball.

Casey flips the ball to Dan.

Casey: Check.

Dan bounces the ball to Casey. Casey dribbles and changes direction. Dan guards him closely and just misses the ball as Casey shoots. The ball banks in for a score.

Casey: That's game!

Dan immediately starts walking off the court. Casey runs over and grabs the ball, his towel, and his water bottle. He catches up to Dan.

Dan: Nice game.

Casey: That's ten in a row.

Dan: Yeah.

Casey: Come on, man. You've had streaks and slumps before, but nothing like this.

Dan: You're just playing a lot better than me right now.

Casey: What's up?

Dan: Nothing.

Casey: You haven't won since... when was the last time you won?

Dan: The wedding.

Casey: Wait, that's right... you haven't won since... hold on there. Is there a correlation between your victory and the shot that Jo-

Dan: No, it has nothing to do with it. It's just a coincidence.

Casey starts pointing at Dan.

Casey: I think it has everything to do with it.

Dan: And I suppose you're hiding your degree in human behavior in your back pocket.

Casey: You're a beaten man. You're letting it eat at you.

Dan: It was a shot. A stupid, ridiculous game. It was just a stupid shot.

Casey: A pretty good one as I recall.

Dan: What? Did she make it? Oh my gosh, she actually made the shot? I thought she had completely missed it. What are you? Mental?

Casey: It's just eating away at you.

Dan: If I give you twenty bucks, would you shut up about it?

Casey: Swish. Nothing but net.

Dan: Guess not.

Casey: Come on, Danny. It's not like you two have broken up. You're still in a committed relationship.

Dan: I want something more.

Casey: Danny, listen to me. Look at what you have right now. Take a good look because I don't think you understand what you have right now.

Dan: I understand, and don't tell me I should be content in my life.

Casey: Has she set a timetable for you two?

Dan: I'll be dead before I say "til death do us part."

Casey: Maybe she's trying to resolve some issues.

Dan: Maybe she has a secret husband, secret kids, and a secret house with a secret white picket fence. Maybe she has a secret past and her name isn't Jo. Her name is Babylon.

Casey: And you're accusing me of being mental.

Dan: It keeps life interesting.

-----

After the show, Natalie is standing at her desk. She is looking at her laptop screen.

Natalie: Jeremy, come here.

Jeremy walks over to Natalie's desk.

Jeremy: What is it?

Natalie: I think something is wrong with my computer.

Jeremy: What's happening?

Natalie: I'm not getting any e-mail.

Jeremy: Well, let me try to e-mail you something.

Jeremy takes a step, but Natalie grabs him by the arm.

Natalie: Wait!

Jeremy: What?

Natalie: Nothing.

Jeremy: Have you tried sending something out?

Natalie: Yeah.

Jeremy: And?

Natalie: I think it went through.

Jeremy: Then I'll check to see if your incoming mailbox is blocked or corrupted.

Natalie: How do you do that?

Jeremy: Well, you're going to have to let go of my arm so I can e-mail you something from my computer.

Natalie finally releases Jeremy's arm.

Natalie: You don't need to do that.

Jeremy: But why-

Natalie: Nuh! Nothing more. Never mind I asked you.

Jeremy: It will only take a second.

Jeremy starts walking toward his desk. Natalie purposely knocks her laptop off her desk. It crashes to the floor.

Natalie: Oops.

Jeremy hurries back to Natalie.

Jeremy: Why did you do that?

Natalie: It sort of fell off.

Jeremy: You just knocked it off your desk.

Natalie: I may have accidentally bumped it.

Jeremy bends over to pick it up. He checks out the outer case and looks at the screen.

Jeremy: Well, it's no worse for wear. I think you need-

Natalie reaches up and rips the battery out from the back of her laptop.

Natalie: I need to recharge my battery.

Jeremy: You don't need to recharge it. Hurry up and give me that battery or your backup.

Natalie tosses the battery inside her desk drawer.

Natalie: I don't know where it is.

Jeremy: Then give me your battery.

Natalie: It needs to be recharged.

Jeremy: Natalie.

Natalie: Let it go, Jeremy.

Natalie reaches over and takes her laptop from Jeremy. Jeremy stares at Natalie as she closes it up and sets it inside her desk drawer.

Jeremy: Don't ask me to help you out anymore.

Natalie: Everything will be fine tomorrow.

Jeremy shakes his head as he walks away.

-----

Dan is walking down the hallway toward JoAnne's apartment. As he reaches her door, he knocks a couple of times. He waits patiently and looks around the hallway. Dan checks his watch and shrugs. He fumbles around for his keys. Once they're found, he flips though a couple of them until he locates the correct one. He puts his head against the door and tries to listen through. Dan then unlocks the door.

Dan slowly opens the door.

Dan: Hello?

Dan steps inside, closes the door behind him, and puts his keys in his jacket. He hears a noise and looks over. The shower is running behind the closed bathroom door. Dan takes off his jacket and throws it on the couch.

While looking in the direction of the couch, he spots some clothing on the floor. He walks over and picks up a pink tank top and a bra. He smiles as he examines the clothing, and then looks toward the bathroom.

Dan starts walking toward the bathroom. He begins to hop as he takes off one shoe. He hops on the other leg as he takes off the remaining shoe. As he reaches the door, he lightly taps on it. Dan whips off his shirt and quietly opens the door.

Once inside the steamy bathroom, Dan can't help but think how clever he is. He unbuttons his jeans and decides to make his presence known.

Dan: Good evening. From New York City, I'm Dan Rydell.

His jeans drop to the floor.

A head pops out from behind the curtain.

"Hey Dan."

Dan: Ah!

Dan's jaw drops as he sees Connor, JoAnne's roommate. Dan immediately leans against the door and tries to quickly escape. He opens up the door and scurries out. While going out of the bathroom, Dan trips over his pants, which are still below his knees. He tumbles to the floor in total confusion.

JoAnne comes out of her bedroom. She is wrapped in a white terry cloth robe. She removes the headphones from her ears and busts out laughing as she sees Dan struggling on the floor.

Dan is bewildered as he looks at JoAnne and then looks back at the bathroom door.



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