Simpatico Read online

  SIMMS (smiling): Cash.

  CECILIA: That’s right. You did call him, didn’t you? You did make some kind of an—overture. I was right there when you called.

  SIMMS: You took a hot shower and shampoo; put on your crisp “Derby” dress; filled your purse with a “good deal of cash” and flew all the way out here, just to see me?

  CECILIA: Yes. That’s exactly right.

  SIMMS: That’s so sweet. It makes my skin tingle to think of you doing all that just for me.

  CECILIA: I don’t think you understand.

  SIMMS: You’re making me a proposition.

  CECILIA: Yes, but it’s got nothing to do with—

  SIMMS: How ’bout Vinnie? Mr Vinnie. Have you laid down with him?

  CECILIA: Do you want to sell the negatives or not, Mr Ames! Yes or no!

  SIMMS (chuckles): The “negatives”, the “negatives”. What are these mysterious negatives?

  CECILIA: You bought them, didn’t you! You know very well what they are.

  SIMMS: I heard they were of a libidinous nature. Is that true?

  CECILIA: I don’t know what that means.

  SIMMS: “Off-color”. “Lewd”. “Racy”. “Ruttish”.

  CECILIA: Yes. They are.

  SIMMS: How “ruttish”, Miss Cecilia?

  CECILIA: Look—I don’t have to explain to you—

  SIMMS: Did they arouse your prurient interest? Did you get excited when you first saw them? You have seen them, haven’t you?

  CECILIA: Yes! I’ve seen them.

  SIMMS: You’ve examined them closely?

  CECILIA: I’ve seen them!

  SIMMS: Well?

  CECILIA: I can only say that anyone who would allow themselves to be photographed in those positions—

  SIMMS: “Allowed”? Let me just explain something to you, Miss Pontz with a “z”, that these two bandits, Webb and Carter, may have neglected to tell you—

  CECILIA begins to move around very nervously, clutching at her chest and having difficulty breathing. Like a sudden asthma attack.

  CECILIA: Would you—Would you mind opening up a window? I’m suddenly—short of breath. I feel like I’m suffocating or something.

  SIMMS: Of course. (Goes to window and opens it.) Sure you wouldn’t like to have a drink? It helps sometimes in moments like this.

  CECILIA: No, I—I don’t know what it is. My chest—It’ll pass.

  SIMMS: Hot flashes?

  CECILIA: No!

  SIMMS: Do you live alone, Miss Pontz?

  CECILIA: WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN SELLING THE NEGATIVES, MR SIMMS! Or not. Please—just—I can’t take much more of this. I’m not cut out for this. I work in the Safeway!

  SIMMS: “Simms”? Is that what you called me?

  CECILIA: I mean—Ames. Mr Ames. You know who you are! I’ve seen you! I’ve seen who you are! Don’t pretend with me.

  SIMMS (moving back to desk): You’re a little mixed up, aren’t you, Cecilia? A little bit scrambled.

  CECILIA: I shouldn’t have come here at all. I didn’t want to be doing this. I’ve never done anything like this before in my life!

  SIMMS: But your pals talked you into it?

  CECILIA: They’re not my “pals”! I hardly even know them.

  SIMMS: They’re snakes, Cecilia. That’s exactly what they are. They crawl on their bellies.

  Pause.

  CECILIA: I just—All I really wanted to do was go to the Kentucky Derby. That’s all. And Mr Carter offered me free tickets. The Clubhouse. I don’t know.

  SIMMS: The Derby.

  CECILIA: Yes. It was foolish to get suckered in by something like that but—I love the Derby. I’ve always—I—I remember being in London. It rained all the time. Always raining. And I—I would stay in and watch the races. I remember watching that big red horse—That magnificent red horse. What was his name? He was on the news. Everybody knew his name.

  SIMMS: Secretariat.

  CECILIA: Yes! That’s the one. Secretariat. And he won by miles that day. Twenty lengths or something.

  SIMMS: Thirty-one.

  CECILIA: Yes. Thirty-one lengths. It was incredible. I’ve never seen an animal like that. As though he was flying.

  SIMMS: He was.

  CECILIA: He was like that winged horse they used to have on the gas stations, you know—That red, winged horse.

  SIMMS: Pegasus.

  CECILIA: Yes! Just like Pegasus. Ever since then I’ve dreamed of going to the Derby.

  SIMMS: That wasn’t the Derby you were watching. That was the Belmont.

  CECILIA: Oh. It was?

  SIMMS: Yes. It was. New York: 1973. He smashed the world record for a mile and a half. Demolished it.

  CECILIA: He did? I don’t know. I just remember him, flying. He was on the news.

  SIMMS: There’ll never be another one like him. Do you know what his heart weighed, Miss Pontz?

  CECILIA: His heart? They weighed his heart? How horrible.

  SIMMS: Twenty-two pounds.

  CECILIA: They actually weighed his heart?

  SIMMS: Twenty-two pounds. Do you know what the weight of an average thoroughbred’s heart is? Just an average, run-of-the-mill, thoroughbred horse that can’t pay his own feed bill?

  CECILIA: I don’t know a thing about horses.

  SIMMS: Eight pounds.

  CECILIA: I can’t believe they weighed his heart. That means they—cut him open? Dug inside?

  SIMMS: That’s a difference of fourteen pounds.

  CECILIA: How could they do that to such a wonderful animal? Cut his heart out.

  SIMMS: Treachery, Miss Pontz. Pure and simple, treachery.

  Pause.

  CECILIA: Well—

  SIMMS: Sure you won’t have a drink?

  CECILIA: I should be going. I don’t know what ever made me think I could go through with something like this. I’m from the Mid-West.

  SIMMS: Why don’t you have a drink? Just a smidgeon.

  Pause.

  CECILIA: All right. That might be—

  SIMMS: There ya go! Are you breathing easier now?

  SIMMS moves to liquor cabinet and fixes her a bourbon.

  CECILIA: What?

  SIMMS: You said you were suffocating.

  CECILIA: Oh—Yes—I don’t know what happened. It just suddenly came over me. A panic of some kind. I’ve had it before but—not for a long time. A pressure on the chest.

  SIMMS: And it suddenly returned?

  CECILIA: I guess so. Has that ever happened to you? As though you’ve lost track of everything. I was standing there and all of a sudden, I didn’t recognize myself at all. I had no idea what I was doing here. This dress—

  SIMMS: You’re so unbelievably beautiful, it makes my mouth dry.

  CECILIA: Why do you—Why do you keep saying things like that? Are you trying to—

  SIMMS (crosses to her with drink): Seduce you? No. I’m past that, Miss Pontz. Way past that. This dog can’t hunt anymore but he still gets “birdie”. Bourbon?

  Pause. He holds drink out to her. She takes it.

  CECILIA: Thank you.

  SIMMS: My pleasure.

  Pause. She sips.

  CECILIA: How could you—have done something like that?

  SIMMS: Like what?

  CECILIA: Like what you did in those pictures. You don’t seem like the kind of man—

  SIMMS: Well, some of us get caught with our pants down and some don’t. I was one of the lucky ones.

  CECILIA: Lucky?

  SIMMS: I got over it.

  CECILIA: But you must have—suffered.

  SIMMS: It’s all in the past. Now it’s their turn.

  CECILIA: They—set you up, then?

  SIMMS: Bingo!

  CECILIA: The two of them? I can’t believe it. I feel so foolish.

  He clicks glasses with hers and drinks.

  SIMMS: At least you got a new dress outa the deal.

  Pause.

  CECILIA: Well, I should get back. I shou
ld take this money back to him.

  SIMMS: How much money is there, in your—purse, Miss Pontz?

  CECILIA: What? Oh—I don’t really know. I never counted it.

  SIMMS: A great deal.

  CECILIA: Yes. I suppose. I’ve never seen so much money in my whole life, in fact. Last night—last night I did a funny thing. I was in my motel room. I was alone in there and—I was naked. And—I don’t know why, but I laid all the money out on the bed. All of it. I covered the whole bed with it. And I—laid down on top of it and—fell asleep. It was funny. I’ve never done anything like that before. When I woke up I thought I was laying on leaves. Wet leaves.

  SIMMS: Well, we all do strange things in the face of sudden fortune.

  CECILIA: I should really get going. Thanks for the drink.

  She moves to his desk and sets the glass of bourbon down on it, then turns to leave.

  SIMMS: Miss Pontz—

  She stops and turns to him.

  CECILIA: What?

  SIMMS: I was just wondering—since you’ve got the new dress and everything—if maybe you’d consider going to the Derby with me?

  CECILIA: The Derby?

  SIMMS: Yes.

  CECILIA: That’s in May, isn’t it?

  SIMMS: Yes. It is.

  CECILIA: But we’re in October.

  SIMMS: That’s right.

  CECILIA: There’s all those months in between.

  SIMMS: We could—There’s all that cash.

  Pause.

  CECILIA: No, I couldn’t do that. That’s not right.

  SIMMS: We could travel.

  CECILIA: No. I’ve got to get back.

  SIMMS: We could take a ship.

  CECILIA (smiles): No. Thanks anyway.

  Pause.

  SIMMS: If you change your mind—I’ll meet you at the Clubhouse Turn.

  CECILIA: That’s in May?

  SIMMS: Yes. First Saturday.

  Lights dim. Cross-fade to Scene Three.

  SCENE THREE

  Cucamonga. Split-stage right—VINNIE’s room. CARTER is lying in VINNIE’s bed in T-shirt, boxer shorts, socks on, wrapped up tightly in blankets with the shakes. His teeth are chattering and he rolls slightly from side to side. His clothes are tossed in a heap on the foot of the bed. His cellular phone is on the floor in the briefcase. VINNIE is slowly perusing the room, checking out the sink and the absence of his dirty laundry. Pause as CARTER softly moans and rocks himself in the blankets.

  VINNIE: Somebody, uh—did the laundry, I guess, huh? Dishes?

  CARTER: Yeah.

  VINNIE: You—hired somebody? I told you I didn’t want that.

  CARTER: No. Your girl. You know—Cecilia.

  VINNIE: She did the laundry?

  CARTER: Yeah.

  VINNIE: She shouldn’t of done that. Why’d you let her do that?

  CARTER: She—wanted to.

  VINNIE: So you brought her over here, I guess.

  CARTER: Yeah. That was the plan. That’s what you asked me to do. Remember?

  VINNIE: We had a plan?

  CARTER: You said you needed to talk to her! You were desperate.

  VINNIE: That’s right. I was. Desperate.

  CARTER: What happened? Where were you?

  VINNIE: I was—called away on business.

  CARTER: Right.

  Pause. VINNIE moves over to him and stops.

  VINNIE: Why are you shaking, Carter? What’s the deal? What is the problem here. Why are you in my bed?

  CARTER: I’m—I don’t know. At first I thought it was—the booze. You know—The—general shock to the system. I mean I’m not used to straight bourbon I guess, after all those years of nothing but cocktails.

  VINNIE: You drank all my bourbon?

  VINNIE checks under bed, finds bourbon gone.

  CARTER: I’ll get you another bottle.

  VINNIE: Where? They don’t carry Black Bush down at the 7-11, Carter. Where are you going to get me another bottle of Black Bush?

  VINNIE stands over CARTER.

  CARTER: Where did you get it?

  VINNIE: I’ll have to go a long way now. A long way out of my way.

  CARTER: I’ll find it for you. Don’t worry.

  VINNIE: I’ll have to go on foot.

  CARTER: I’ll find it, all right! Don’t worry about that!

  Pause. VINNIE moves around the space.

  VINNIE: You were messing with my stuff, too, weren’t you?

  CARTER: What stuff?

  VINNIE: My boxes. They’ve been moved around. I can tell by the dust marks.

  CARTER: No.

  VINNIE: I can tell, Carter. (Pause.) Were you looking for something?

  CARTER: No.

  Pause.

  VINNIE: So, where’s Cecilia now? Where’s she gone to?

  CARTER: She—left. I don’t know.

  VINNIE: She came and left.

  CARTER: Yeah.

  VINNIE: She washed the dishes, did the laundry and left?

  CARTER: Yeah.

  VINNIE: What a gal.

  CARTER: We waited for you. We waited for hours and then—

  VINNIE: Drinking my bourbon.

  CARTER: Well, she doesn’t drink, you know—

  VINNIE: Yes! I know that. I’m well aware of that!

  CARTER: She wouldn’t touch it.

  VINNIE: Did you try to get her to?

  CARTER: What?

  VINNIE: Touch it?

  CARTER: Look—

  VINNIE: Get out of my bed, Carter.

  CARTER: I’m—not sure I can.

  VINNIE: Have you tried? Have you made a stab at it?

  CARTER: My legs gave out.

  VINNIE crosses to him. Stops at bed.

  VINNIE: What’s going on with you?

  CARTER: I don’t know—I keep breaking out in cold sweats. My spine—

  VINNIE: Your spine?

  CARTER: My whole back gets frozen.

  VINNIE: You want some uh—Alka-Seltzer Plus maybe? I’ve got some of that. Advil?

  CARTER: No.

  VINNIE: Tylenol? Extra-Strength.

  CARTER: No.

  VINNIE: Well, what, exactly, do you need, Carter? An ambulance?

  CARTER: You went to Simms! Didn’t you? You sold the stuff to Simms. Am I right? He called me, you know. Trying to deal behind your back. He told me the whole story.

  Pause.

  VINNIE: I am exhausted. Every part of me is wiped out. I need my bed. Do you understand that? I need my bed now! This is my bed!

  CARTER: And then you went to see Rosie. Didn’t you? I know you did. I know you, Vinnie.

  Pause.

  VINNIE: Are you going to get out of my bed or am I going to have to get ugly?

  Pause.

  CARTER: I’ll give it a try.

  VINNIE: Ata boy! What a trooper.

  CARTER sits up slowly, shaking. He makes a great effort to swing his legs over the side and stand. VINNIE just watches him but makes no attempt to help.

  CARTER (as he struggles): What’d she say when she saw you! That must’ve been something, huh? Quite a little shock. Did she recognize you?

  VINNIE: Yeah. She did.

  CARTER: After all these years?

  VINNIE: She knew, right off the bat.

  CARTER: Just like old times, huh?

  VINNIE: Nothing’s changed.

  CARTER: She’s—still looking pretty good, isn’t she? For a woman her age.

  VINNIE: In the pink.

  CARTER (struggling to stand): And she—She was glad to see you, I guess.

  VINNIE: She was thrilled.

  CARTER (shaky, trying to remain standing): Did she—throw her arms around you?

  VINNIE: Yes. She did.

  CARTER: Squeeze you?

  VINNIE: She couldn’t get enough of me.

  CARTER (still standing): But you didn’t—I mean, the kids were there. The nanny.

  VINNIE: The kids were in school.

  CARTER: But the nanny—Kelly.
>
  VINNIE: She was there.

  CARTER: So you didn’t—I mean you just hugged, right? You and Rosie—You just—

  CARTER collapses back into the bed. VINNIE stands over him.

  VINNIE: Are you going to get out of my bed or not?

  CARTER: I can’t.

  Pause. VINNIE suddenly grabs CARTER by the ankles and jerks him off the bed, onto the floor. CARTER just lies there in a heap. Pause. VINNIE takes his coat off and lies down on the bed. He stretches and clasps his hands behind his head, stares at the ceiling. Pause. CARTER is shivering.

  CARTER (from floor): Could I—have a blanket?

  VINNIE: No!

  CARTER: I’m freezing.

  VINNIE: You’re pathetic.

  CARTER: I don’t know what it is—

  VINNIE: You shouldn’t fool with bourbon, Carter. It needs respect. You’ve got no respect.

  CARTER: It’s not that. It’s not just that.

  VINNIE: Oh. What is it then? Are you having a breakdown? A general crack-up? Is that it?

  CARTER: I’m freezing.

  VINNIE snatches up one of the blankets and tosses it to CARTER. CARTER wraps himself up tightly in it and begins to roll slowly from side to side, lying on the floor.

  CARTER: Thanks.

  Pause. CARTER continues to rock slowly. VINNIE stares at the ceiling.

  VINNIE: How long do you expect these symptoms to continue?

  CARTER: I don’t know. It’s never happened to me before. If I—should suddenly die, Vinnie—

  VINNIE: You’re not gonna die.

  CARTER: I’m just saying—if I do.

  VINNIE: You’re not gonna suddenly die! You’re not gonna get out of it that easy.

  CARTER: No. I’m just saying—It happens all the time. Out of the blue. People—keel over with no prior indications. No symptoms whatsoever. It just—happens.