Chapter 9 Part 9

EXT. MAGGIES HOUSE - DAY Ike jogs alongside of Maggie on her bike. Maggie parks her bike and they go inside her door to the house. INT. MAGGIES FOYER AND STAIRS - DAY Maggie leads Ike upstairs to her workroom. MAGGIE Pardon the mess. I havent cleaned since the fifth grade. INT. MAGGIES WORKROOM - LATER Insert on a cappuccino machine. We PULL BACK and see Maggie and Ike standing at her work table. An automatic cappuccino maker stands on the table. Its base is made from a used paint mixing machine. It looks very shiny and futuristic. Maggies logo "MAG" is on the side. The machine shakes as it steams the

cappuccino. Ike notices another homemade machine on the table. IKE (contd) What's this over here? MAGGIE Its a birthday present for my cousin. Put your finger in. IKE Cindy the manicurist. He puts his finger in the wrong hole of the machine. MAGGIE No, the other one. He puts his finger in the correct hole. She turns it on. The brushes rotate. IKE (laughing) This is wonderful. You reconfigure all these industrial parts and you do something amazing with it. He looks around and spots some gadgets and lamps on another table. He walks to them. IKE (contd)

Amazing. Found industrial stuff. Willow lamp... Rasta lamp... He picks up one of the many logos on the counter. Each boasts a "MAG" logo. IKE (contd) Is this your preferred logo? MAGGIE I think so. IKE I like it. This whole thing is pretty incredible. (studying a lamp) I think you could probably sell this lamp idea in New York. MAGGIE Maybe someday. IKE You afraid to try? MAGGIE (stares at him) No, Im not afraid. Just... Maybe someday. IKE Well, Im impressed. Absolutely incredible. (sitting) I didnt expect pink and lacy, but this

isn't exactly a woman's room. MAGGIE What an incredible chauvinistic observation. INT. MAGGIES LIVING ROOM - A BIT LATER THAT DAY Maggies showing Ike engagement rings. MAGGIE Thats Brians. He took me ut canoeing on the lake and gave me the ring in a velvet box. Ike snores. Maggie hits him. MAGGIE (contd) (defensive) It was classic. Maggie hands Ike another ring. This one is in the shape of a Grateful Dead rose. MAGGIE (contd) Gill. Of course. He proposed at the tie-dye t-shirt stand at a Dead concert. It was very sweet until he hallucinated that the drum set was a blood-sucking

space alien. IKE Always a mood killer. MAGGIE Still sweet. Maggie hands Ike a third ring. Its in the shape of a butterfly and studded with multi-color gems. MAGGIE (contd) George. He proposed at a butterfly farm in St. Thomas. The ring was inside a cocoon. IKE (grimacing) Its a little "Silence of the Lambs" for me. I cant believe you waited for the wedding to run. MAGGIE He's an entomologist! I thought it was very unique. Now Maggie shows Ike the ring on her hand. Its a gold "#1" with a diamond set into the number. MAGGIE (contd)

And here we are at Bob. He proposed during the seventh inning stretch... Ike touches her hand to examine the ring more closely. Her surprise at his touch shows on her face as she finishes her sentence. MAGGIE (contd) ... At an Orioles game. She takes her hand down. Ike steps away. IKE Wait. Dont tell me. The scoreboard lit up with "Mary me, Maggie." Ike picks up his cup of cappuccino and moves behind the couch. MAGGIE It was one of the most wonderful moments of my life. Cal Ripken even applauded. IKE (stopping) Highly suspect. MAGGIE What do you mean? It was incredibly

romantic! IKE Maybe its just me, but -- if you got to dress it up, it doesnt ring true. Ike moves back to the couch. IKE (contd) I think the most anybody can honestly say is, "Look..." (sits on the arm of the couch) "I guarantee that well have tough times. I guarantee that at some point one or both of us will want to get out of this thing. But I also guarantee that if I don't ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for the rest of my life. Because I know in my heart -- youre the only one for me" Maggie stars at Ike for a beat. His words have taken a little

bit of her breath away. She covers. MAGGIE I like it. She moves from the fireplace to a chair and sits. MAGGIE (contd) Id like it better on a scoreboard. (lightly) Is that how you proposed when you asked your wife to marry you? Ike is taken aback. MAGGIE (contd) Don't look so surprised, you've got divorce written all over you. IKE Im a work in progress. MAGGIE So? Is that what you said to her? IKE No. I think I said something eloquent like, "So, uh -- maybe we should, ya know. What do you think?" MAGGIE Now thats romantic. A proposal like

that and you didnt find eternal bliss? What went wrong? Ike takes a swallow of cappuccino. IKE I dont know. MAGGIE You don't know. IKE No. MAGGIE Maybe you should ask her some time. Ever thought of that? Ike is restless. He stands up. IKE Call me crazy, but I believe that check I gave you entitles me to ask the questions for a while. Ike puts down his cup of coffee, gets his tape recorder and sits close to Maggie. MAGGIE Fair enough. (thinks a beat) Actually... Maggie move to TV. She picks up Ikes stolen post-it notes and her wedding video on top of the TV, and goes to the front door.

MAGGIE (contd) I'll just need one more day to make sure your check clears. IKE Oh! DISSOLVE TO: EXT. HALE STREET - THE NEXT DAY Ike and Maggie drive in Maggies truck. They pull up in front of a Bridal Shop. A spectacular dress fills the small window. Its beautiful, romantic, sexy. Maggie and Ike can be seen in the reflection. MAGGIE Even with everything that's happened Ive still never been married and I still deserve a beautiful dress. IKE Agreed. Maggie gives Ike a smile that lights up the sky. They go inside. INT. BRIDAL SHOP - DAY The place is fairly large and prosperous, probably the place to

go in the Tri-County area. A little FLOWER GIRL, 10, is being fitted on the pedestal in the middle of the room. A saleswoman, POLLY, has taken the flower girl under her wing. They are both under the expert eyes of a stern looking woman, MRS. WHITTENMEYER, the shop owner. Also, the girls MOTHER is there watching. POLLY (to the mother) Shell be the prettiest little flower girl in your daughters wedding. MAGGIE Mr. Whittenmeyer. Hi, Polly! The flower girl sees Maggie and runs and hides behind Polly. POLLY Hi, Maggie. You'll have to excuse her, Maggie. Some of the children are afraid of you since you dragged that little boy up the aisle. MAGGIE I didnt drag. (then to the girl) He tripped on his shoelaces. Mrs. Whittenmeyer comes forward to greet Maggie. MRS. WHITTENMEYER You've come for your dress. Good! Ill get it from the back. Maggie leads her to the front window. MAGGIE (happily) Actually, I would like to get this dress. She points to the dress. She smiles back to Mrs. Whittenmeyer, expecting her to share her joy. Mrs. Whittenmeyer darkens. MRS. WHITTENMEYER (to Polly) Polly, take Leslie into change. (then, to Maggie) But the one you have on hold is lovely. MAGGIE (pleasantly) Yes. But I've changed my mind. MRS. WHITTENMEYER Its one thousand dollars. Maggie is keenly aware of Ike listening in. MAGGIE I have one thousand dollars. MRS. WHITTENMEYER (firmly) The other one is only three hundred dollars. Maggie lowers her voice, hoping to lessen the humiliation of the moment. MAGGIE Is this dress for sale? MRS. WHITTENMEYER It just seems like an awful lot of money to spend on one of your dresses, Maggie... You only wear them for about ten minutes. Ike watches with regret as Maggies child-like enthusiasm drains away, her happy mood crushed by the tactless assault of the shop owner. He's starting to see that its no always easy being Maggie. Theres a tremor in her voice. MAGGIE Yeah, that's a good point. (then, sitting) The other dress is nice. Ike calls out to Mrs. Whittenmeyer. IKE Mrs. Whittenmeyer. May I talk to you for a second? She walks over to him. IKE (contd) I dont know much about this kind of thing. Im from out of town. Youre a salesperson, right? Youre here to sell wedding dresses. MRS. WHITTENMEYER (huffy) Yes. I've been here for thirty years. IKE Perfect. Because Miss Carpenter is here to buy one. But not just any one. She wants that one. MRS. WHITTENMEYER It's a thousand dollars! Ike goes over and takes the mannequin out of the window. Mrs. Whittenmeyer catches the wig as he puts the mannequin under his arm. IKE (contd) Look, Aunt Bea, were buying this beautiful dress and anything else she wants or Im coming back here with a squirt gun filled with India ink. Mrs. Whittenmeyer wilts under Ikes fierce gaze. She turns to Maggie. MRS. WHITTENMEYER Will he really do that? Maggie gives her a look. MR. WHITTENMEYER (contd) (to Maggie) Well, why don't you pick out some accessories while I get this ready, dear. Polly, will you come help me, please? Polly comes to help carry the mannequin away. ANGLE ON POLLY AND MRS. WHITTENMEYER: POLLY (whispering to Mrs. Whittenmeyer) Its a thousand dollars. MRS. WHITTENMEYER Shhhh! The man has ink! Maggie looks gratefully at Ike. IKE Tough to spend money in this town. TIME CUT: A FEW MINUTES LATER: Ike sits as he hears Maggies voice behind him. MAGGIE (os) What do you think? Ike turns around. Maggie is standing on the pedestal, wearing the dress and looking unbelievably gorgeous. She is overwhelming to behold and Ike has to struggle to keep his face under control. IKE (stammering) You look... uh... You look fine. MAGGIE Fine. The newspapers upside down. Thats better than fine. IKE Bob will be very happy. She glows. Then the moment between them is broken as she suddenly remembers something and grabs the veil off her head. MAGGIE Bob! I almost forgot! I have to meet Bob!