“Writer seeks traveling Companion for month long working vacation to Italy. Walk with me as I explore the cobblestone streets of Genoa, dine with me as I experience the best restaurants in Florence, My gift of flight and lodging seeks the gift of your company”
INT. LITTLE FRIDA’S COFFEE SHOP - DAY
The camera glides down the wall into the room, revealing HELEN alone at a table. JESSIE enters the frame and refills her coffee.
- HELEN (V.O.)
- When choosing the perfect vacation, it’s
important to know who you are and what
specifically interests you. For some,
it’s the thrill of exploration, moving swiftly
from the ruins of Chichen Itza to the nightclubs
of Cancun. For others, only the ease of a
a walk on the beach and a siesta in the sun
will do. Remember , a vacation is your time,
an investment in yourself....so choose wisely.
As Jessie refills the coffee, she rubs her hands.
- JESSIE (referring to her hands)
- Sorry, I’ve tried all morning and it won’t come off.
- HELEN
- Are you an Artist?
DIANE enters the frame behind her.
- JESSIE
- Mostly, I’m a mess.
- DIANE
- Helen?
- HELEN
- Diane.
- JESSIE
- Can I get you a cup of coffee?
- DIANE
- Tea with honey and lime, please.
ESTABLISHING SHOT: EXT. COFFEE SHOP
- DIANE
- You know I never read the personals,
but I was drawn in that day. Fate, purely.
Simply. Now that I’m sitting across from
you I sense your Je ne sais pas, our Joire de
Reeve.
Jessie returns with the tea and places it in front of Diane.
- DIANE
- Do you often take someone with you?
- HELEN
- Well, I did for many years. My partner
Kate died 2 years ago. Cancer.
Jessie hands Diane a napkin and Diane notices the splatter of paint on her hand and instantly grabs it.
- DIANE
- What a splash of color! Another sign
that I’m to see the splendor of Italia!
Helen reacts.
EXT. HELEN’S DECK OVERLOOKING LAUREL CANYON- DAY
Helen and her sister ANNIE sit side by side in lounge chairs.
- ANNIE
- I think all we’re really talking about is 28 days.
So subtracting weekends, that brings it down
to 20.
- HELEN
- Are you switching to the rhythm method?
- ANNIE
- No. I’m trying to go to Italy with you.
- HELEN
- I’m not taking you to Italy.
- ANNIE
- Why not?
- HELEN
- Because you drive me crazy.
Annie doesn’t argue the point or get offended. She knows it’s true.
- ANNIE
- The most romantic place on earth and you’re
going alone.
- HELEN
- So how would taking my sister be idyllic?
- ANNIE
- At least you wouldn’t be lonely.
- HELEN (a confession)
- I might not be alone. I took out a personal
ad for a traveling companion.
Annie looks horrified.
- HELEN
- What????
- ANNIE
- I don’t know what’s scarier - that you placed an
ad or that it said “looking for a traveling
companion”.
- HELEN
- So how would you phrase it?
- ANNIE
- Fuck buddy.
Annie grabs Helen’s arm and stares bullets at her wristwatch.
- ANNIE
- Oh my God. What time is it?
Kevin’s going to kill me.
She gathers up her things quickly, but not panicked. Annie is not someone who cares about consequences.
- ANNIE
- But we are not done talking about this.
INT. LITTLE FRIDA’S COFFEE SHOP - THE NEXT AFTERNOON
The restaurant is busy. Jessie drops the check on a two top of professional women. One chats on a cellular phone. Helen sits alone in a chair writing in her journal . She listens to the conversation next to her.
- WOMAN 1 (O.S.)
- (closes her cell phone)
Great, ok just tell him I called. Thanks.
Sorry about that. Where were we?
- WOMAN 2 (O.S.)
- Finished dinner. Staring at this beautiful
woman at the bar. Trying to get the
courage to go over and talk to her.
- WOMAN 1 (O.S.)
- That’s right, all right I’m up to speed now.
- WOMAN 2 (O.S.)
- So, my friend won’t let me leave without
talking to her.
Jessie crosses Helen’s path en route to a table. She leans over to wipe down the table and Helen lifts her eyes from the book and follows the path of Jessie’s movement, the reach of her arm as she wipes down the table, the bend of her back and pull of her jeans.
-
- WOMAN 2 (O.S.)
- I walk over, smile, hand her my business
card and say “I don’t know if you’re gay
and I hope you won’t be offended, but I’ve
been staring at you during my entire dinner
and I’d kick myself if I left here tonight
and didn’t at least tell you how beautiful
I think you are.
Jessie passes Helen on her way to the kitchen and they exchange a glance.
- WOMAN 2 (O.S.)
- She doesn’t say anything. Finally, after
what seemed like an eternity, her friend
says “she doesn’t speak any English, but
I’ll tell her what you said”
- WOMAN 1 (O.S.)
- How embarrassing! I love it.
A voice calls out to Helen.
-
- OLDER WOMAN
- Helen?
CUT TO:
Helen and the older woman are sitting together. Helen is riveted, as the older woman reveals her story.
- OLDER WOMAN
- We moved to Tibet in 1978. I couldn’t believe
the poverty we saw. Heartbreaking. I’d like to say
it was the spirituality of the place, or the good I
was doing for those people is the reason I stayed,
but the truth is....I stayed for that woman.
CUT TO:
Jessie is on the phone. She looks over to Helen and the older woman, intrigued.
- JESSIE
- No..no, dad you’re gonna screw it up.
Why can’t you wait until I fly home?
I’ll help you. Anyway, stop stalling
how was your date?
Cut back to Helen and the older woman.
- OLDER WOMAN
- The morning of her funeral, I
packed my bags and moved back
to California.
- HELEN
- You had a great love.
- OLDER WOMAN
- Yes, I had a great love. Lara and I were
together 28 years, but you know..she
would want me to get on with my life.
EXT. BACK YARD - DAY
Jessie, the waitress steps away from a sculpture and sits with a cigarette. She then reaches in her bag and pulls out a Yahrzeit candle (the Jewish memorial candle) and holds it, unable to light it. Helen’s voice - over, a reading from one of her travelogues is heard.
- HELEN (V.O)
- Perhaps the most valuable gift you’ll take away from
your travels is a shared experience. As one who has
traveled with the same person for many years and now
travels alone, what I miss most is grabbing their hand
during a particularly brilliant sunset or struggling together
to speak a foreign language. That loss of sharing all that
is glorious and absurd in this world.
INT. LITTLE FRIDA’S - THE NEXT DAY.
The camera moves up the legs of a stunning woman settling on a glistering glass of lemonade. A pair of beautifully manicured hands opens a Sweet and Low packet and stirs the crystals into the drink with the tip of her finger. She then lifts it to her mouth and licks off the excess sugar revealing an amazingly attractive woman, CARLY, sitting across from Helen.
They smile shyly at each other.
- HELEN
- Carly, are you straight?
- CARLY
- I really want to see Italy.
INT. LITTLE FRIDA’S - LATER
Jessie moves to the two top where Helen and Carly were sitting. She starts to clear the plates, notices a book and opens the cover. Engrossed, she sits and begins to read an entry.
- HELEN (V.O.)
- Plato once said that on the lost island of Atlantis,
they possessed true and in every way great spirits,
uniting gentleness with wisdom.
EXT. HELEN’S DECK - DAY
Alone, Helen sleeps in the sun. A shadow moves across her body.
- HELEN (V.O.)
- In a single day and night of misfortune an entire
civilization sank into the earth and disappeared in
the depths of the sea. The myth of Atlantis was most
certainly the lost civilization of Minoan Crete.
INT. LITTLE FRIDA’S - CONTINUOUS
- HELEN
- Shall you discover the mystery of the past
with an excursion to Thera, an island off shore
of Crete? Here, you’ll find excavation on an
island that was buried in 1650 B.C. with all
it’s contents intact.
Jessie lifts her eyes from the journal and notices Helen’s empty coffee mug.
EXT. DECK - CONTINUOUS
As Helen sleeps, the colors on the deck have become more vibrant. The shadow reveals itself entering the frame to be Jessie, blue jeans and T-shirt - completely wet as if she emerged from the ocean herself. She bends her body close, her face, lips moving towards Helen’s sleeping, sunglassed face. A gentle kiss which grows more passionate and finally bright sunlight, as Helen stirs awake and alone, leaving us wondering...whose dream was this - Helen’s or Jessie’s.
- HELEN (V.O.)
- This antecedent culture once was home to
every plant ravishing to the eye and full of
sustenance for the body. In the center of the
island there stood a volcanic peak. It’s long
quiet sleep had lasted for tens of thousands
of years and might have lasted for tens of
thousands more...but not forever, nothing
lasts forever.
INT. HELEN’S APARTMENT - EARLY MORNING
Helen walks up the stairs with plane tickets in her hands, and stops to look at herself in the mirror. She then stares at herself in its reflection and begins to trace the structure of her face with her hands, eventually moving one hand down her neck and across her collar bone. The sense is of a sexual awakening, as Helen sees herself for the first time in a long time as a desirable woman.
EXT. LITTLE FRIDA’S PARKING LOT - AFTERNOON
Jessie moves from the parking lot towards the back door. Blocking the door is an over-full garbage bag, so she picks it up and moves towards the dumpster. In negotiating the bag into the receptacle, most of it misses and hits the ground. She stares down at the mess fascinated by it’s brilliance of color. Nature’s spontaneous creation of a deep green avocado, yellow egg yolk and red tomato canvas. She moves to look at it from another angle. Then she grabs a popsicle stick from the ground and rearranges the images.
Tanya, her co-worker pops her head out of the back door, takes in Jessie’s strange behavior and then shrugs it off.
- TANYA
- Jess, I gotta go.
INT. LITTLE FRIDA’S - CONTINUOUS
Jessie enters through the back door as Tanya finishes up her count at the cash register.
- TANYA
- Sorry to rush you out of the garbage!,
huge drama going on with me and Bridget.
Only one table - she’s been here
forever. One black coffee, didn’t
even start a check yet.
Tanya shuts the register, throws her apron behind the counter and grabs her motorcycle helmet and keys as she moves towards the back door.
- TANYA
- Oh shit...today’s your last day. Honey.
She rushes back into the main space and gives Jessie a big hug.
- TANYA
- Have a safe flight, you’ll be totally
missed. I can’t believe you’re leaving
me for the whole summer. Where the
hell am I going to crash when Brig has
one of her “I’m not really gay” breakdowns.
- JESSIE
- Probably in the arms of someone really gay.
- TANYA
- Stop it. I’ve been good. Now, call me when
you get in. I’m weird, I worry. Is
your mom picking you up at the airport?
Tanya stops abruptly. Horrified.
- TANYA
- Fuck.
- JESSIE
- It’s all right. I forget sometimes, too.
I’ll call you. I promise. Now, go deal with
your not gay girlfriend.
Jessie gives her another hug and shoves her towards the door. She then shifts her attention to Helen who is sitting alone in the restaurant and moves toward her.
.
- JESSIE
- You know, I think I have something
of yours.
Jessie sits at the table behind Helen and begins to dig in her bag. She takes a text book out and on to the table as she searches for the journal.
- HELEN
- Artist and student.
- JESSIE
- Don’t forget waiter.
- HELEN
- No, sorry...I’m afraid I’m the
only professional “wait”er here.
The bad joke is not lost on either of them. Jessie finds the journal and hands it to Helen.
- JESSIE
- Are you a writer?
- HELEN
- Oh, God..I didn’t even realize it was
missing. Thank you. Yes. Sort of.
I write travel books. Do you read?
I mean..of course you read..I meant -
- JESSIE
- It’s fine..I know what you meant.
Jessie takes a thin paperback out of her apron and turns to a dog eared page.
- JESSIE
- “Where’er I roam, whatever realms to see,
My heart untravell’d fondly turns to thee”
Oliver Goldsmith. I read.
Helen remains silent. Frankly, it’s safer. Jessie continues.
- JESSIE
- I love the way you write.
Helen looks ashen.
- JESSIE
- I’m sorry. I had to open the book to see
who it belonged to.
- HELEN
- Oh no.. Of course, thank you
again. I don’t know why I’m having
such a problem communicating today.
- JESSIE
- I think it’s good for women to be
comfortable with few words. I have
a friend who recently started dating
women after years of being with men.
I asked her what she missed most about
dating men and she said “the silence”.
They regard each other for a moment until Helen’s embarrassment at the energy between them causes her to look away. Jessie studies her for a moment and then gently reaches over and sets right the collar that is stuck in Helen’s shirt . There is a silence between them until the front door opens and ANNIE enters with a dog in tow.
- ANNIE
- Sorry I’m late.
Helen straightens up, as Jessie restores her book bag. Annie joins the table.
- HELEN
- This is the absolute last time
I wait over an hour in a restaurant
for you. Got it?
Jessie stands up.
- JESSIE
- Can I get you anything?
- ANNIE
- Could you write my sister
a note excusing my tardiness?
- HELEN
- You’re such a brat. She’ll
have a diet whatever.
Jessie cracks a shy smile, nods and walks off.
- HELEN
- Whose dog is that?
TWO YOUNG WOMEN enter the cafe and sit down at the table behind them.
- ANNIE
- Interesting thing. I was in this pet
shop trying to decide between buying
“IAMS” or “Science Diet” when
this guy comes up to me and asks if I
want this dog.
- HELEN
- Why were you buying dog
food? You don’t have a dog.
- ANNIE
- I know! What a crazy connected
thing. For some reason I find
myself shopping for dog food and
then - blamo- someone gives me
a dog.
- HELEN
- What does Kevin think about this?
- ANNIE
- He doesn’t know, it just happened.
I don’t know what his stand is on dogs.
Jessie brings the diet coke to the table and then shifts her attention to the other table.
- ANNIE
- We never discussed it. Isn’t that scary?
I’m married to the man and I have no idea
how he feels about dogs.
Jessie is leaving the other table and pointedly checks in before she leaves.
- JESSIE
- You want me to warm up that coffee?
- HELEN
- Yes, thank you.
Jessie leaves and Helen continues to puzzle over the conversation and what happened between her and Jessie.
- HELEN
- Why were you buying dog food?
- ANNIE
- I wasn’t exactly buying...I was just
browsing in the store.
Helen suddenly gets it and becomes immediately concerned.
- HELEN
- Annie?
- ANNIE
- What???
She remains incredulous for a few more beats and then spills it.
- ANNIE
- His names Scott and he owns the pet store and
I haven’t done anything yet, but we’ve talked
about it and I think I want to and yes, I’m
feeling guilty and I’m conflicted but Kevin’s
been really shut down lately and I’ve been feeling
really alone and unattractive and Gary says he
really cares about me and that things with his
wife are really bad and she doesn’t listen to him
and sexually they are totally incompatible -
Jessie comes back with the coffee and the conversation stops as she refills Helen’s cup.
- HELEN
- Thank you.
Jessie moves over to the next table and the camera goes with her. One of the girls is clearly into her menu, the other one is clearly into Jessie.
- JESSIE
- Have you guys decided?
- GIRL 1
- Do you like the Apple pie ?
- JESSIE
- It’s really good.
Still wracked with indecision, she buries her head back into the menu.
- GIRL 2
- Are you an actress?
- JESSIE
- Grad student. Fine Art.
- GIRL 2
- If you ever need a live model-
- GIRL 1
- (looking up, annoyed)
I’ll have the baked apple.
CUT BACK TO HELEN AND ANNIE:
Helen leans back to catch Jessie before she leaves the other table.
- HELEN
- Could we get the check?
- JESSIE
- Sure. (to the girls) I’ll give you a
couple more minutes.
Jessie moves to the counter.
- ANNIE
- All right, well I can see that you
are totally concerned. What time
do we have to pick her up?
Behind Helen, you can clearly see the two girls at the next table silently arguing.
- HELEN
- She’s meeting us here. You
were late, so I called her.
- ANNIE (matter of factly)
- I’m always late. Are you sure
that was a good idea?
- HELEN
- She’ll be fine.
- ANNIE
- I don’t understand you.
- HELEN
- Are we taking “Fido” to the
airport?
- ANNIE
- Don’t change the subject.
- HELEN
- I don’t think I know what
the subject is.
The indecisive woman at the next table suddenly gets up and storms out of the restaurant. The other one begins to follow, but pauses at Helen and Annie’s table.
- GIRL 2
- Do ya gotta a pen?
Helen rummages through her bag and produces a pen. The girl quickly scrawls her phone number and a brief message on a crumpled up receipt and leaves it on the couch.
- GIRL 2
- Thanks.
The girl tosses the pen back on Annie and Helen’s table and runs in pursuit of her girlfriend.
- ANNIE
- I just think that you should
keep your heart open. You never
know...the woman of your dreams
could be just a heartbeat away.
Jessie returns, leans over Helen’s shoulder and places the check on the table next to her hand.
- JESSIE
- Can I get you anything else?
Helen turns and looks at Jessie’s hand, her arm, her shoulder, her neck, her face and into her eyes.
- HELEN
- No, thank you. I have a plane to catch.
Jessie returns the gaze.
- JESSIE
- Me too.
- HELEN
- Don’t tell me you’re on your way to Italy.
- JESSIE
- Does Little Italy count?
The front door opens and the Older woman, steps inside. She is dressed for travel. Annie notices the energy between Helen and Jessie and lets the dog’s leash go, which leads him to investigate the new person. Annie follows in pursuit.
- ANNIE
- Sorry, he’s friendly. Hi. I’m Annie,
Helen’s sister. Why don’t we get
your bags in the car.
Annie ushers the older woman out of the restaurant.
- HELEN
- Thank you.
Helen turns to leave.
- JESSIE
- You made a great choice...in
a traveling companion.
There is an electric awkwardness occurring. The delicious kind. Helen eventually turns back towards Jessie.
- HELEN
- Would you be interested in a cup of
coffee sometime?
- JESSIE
- I love coffee.
The camera pulls back as Jessie moves towards Helen and we can no longer hear their conversation. Instead sounds of the coffee shop fill the room and finally Helen’s last journal entry.
- HELEN (V.O.)
- Of all the places I have traveled, none
has affected me as much as a gentle, new
grass patch of land not two miles from my
home. You must walk past my alabaster pool,
down the concrete steps, cross the tar of the
street. You must trudge up a hill and walk
through a wrought iron gate. In this patch of
land, this resting place for the living - this burial
ground, sits a stone made of lime and this
inscription.... “We have loved the stars too
fondly to be fearful of the night”
- THE END
