Chapter 11 PART 11

EXT. IKES CAR - COUNTRY ROAD - NIGHT Ike and Maggie stare forward. Both seem in melancholy moods. They're beginning to sense they're in trouble here. Suddenly, the car falters and jerks. It shows to a stop on the shoulder of the road. The car backfires and smokes. EXT. IKES CAR - COUNTRY ROAD - NIGHT Ike and Maggie sit in the steaming car for a moment. MAGGIE Your filters clogged. This takes unleaded. IKE Can you fix it? MAGGIE First I have to find some tools. I need a half and a nine-six-tenth. IKE (removing his glasses) Of what? MAGGIE (in amazement)

Wrenches. My dads gonna love that one. Maggie slams the food closed. IKE Kind of isolated. MAGGIE Yeah. It's kind of nice. An uncomfortable silent pause. Ike breaks the moment. IKE Theres one thing we New Yorkers know how to do is hail a cab. If theres no cab, we walk. Ike stars off down the road. Maggie indicates a building in the distance, then turns off the car lights. MAGGIE I can get some tools over there....and save the battery... Theres one thing we country girls know how to do is cut across a field. Its quicker. Maggie points diagonally across the field to where a gas station

sign glows and the lights from the outer house twinkle. He smiles and follows her into the field. MAGGIE (contd) Be careful of snakes. IKE Snakes? Are you serious? I dont like snakes. Ive never even seen a snake. He steps carefully into the field, then hops gingerly toward Maggie. MOMENTS LATER Maggie leads Ike through a cornfield. MAGGIE Do you think theres only one right person for everybody? Ike chooses his words carefully. IKE No. But I think attraction is too often mistaken for rightness. Attraction is very misleading. And if its mutual, its well, terribly

distracting. MAGGIE Yes it is. And it doesn't mean anything. Ike nods as they come to a wooden fence. She puts her hand on his shoulder. Ike puts his hands around her waits to give her a boost over the top. We see the flicker of misunderstanding cross Maggies face at the initial contact. Neither of them moves -- forward or back, but the electricity is obvious. ANGLE ON: Ike. His conflicted feelings are apparent. With Difficulty, Maggie straightens up and they both quickly remove their hands. MAGGIE (contd) (lightly) I suddenly forgot how to climb a fence. They look at each other for a moment, then:

MAGGIE AND IKE (breaking the moment jokingly) "Tools". She climbs over the fence on her own and Ike follows. They see an old guy, LIONEL, whittling on a porch. MAGGIE (contd) Lionel, can I borrow some tools? IKE Yeah, we need a half and nine- sixteenths. LIONEL Gonna bust out of another wedding? IKE You're sure well known around here. EXT. FISHER AND ELLIES BUILDING - THE NEXT DAY Establishing shot. INT. FISHER AND ELLIES KITCHEN (NYC) - DAY INT. IKES HOTEL ROOM - DAY INTERCUT BETWEEN TWO LOCATIONS: Ike sits on his bed, on the phone, working and eating his

breakfast. Hes watching Maggies wedding tape again. Fisher is cooking an elaborate breakfast. Ellie rushes around getting ready for work. He is on the phone to Ike. FISHER (into phone) Yes, well, my theory was that she may be running because she gets attention... Negative attention is attention. Like when women whack you on the street because of your column, thats negative attention. IKE (VO) This is about her negative attention, not mine. Did you get the reimbursement for the dress yet? FISHER (into phone) No, Im paying for the dress. Do you think shes still gonna run?

IKE (VO) I dont know. Ellie enters the kitchen, hears the question and shakes her head to herself. If only these boys would give it up. INT. IKES HOTEL ROOM - CONTINUOUS He is finding it very hard to gloat. Fisher is annoying him. IKE (into phone) Look -- Ill be in there later today. Ill come by and tell you all about it. FISHER (VO) Youre coming here? IKE (into phone) Yeah. FISHER (VO) Then come for dinner. IKE (into phone) Okay, well order out. FISHER (VO) Order out like a Philistine, when you got the Galloping Gourmet here?... Ike hangs up and watches more of the George Swilling wedding

video. INT. NEW YORK BAR - DAY The bar from the opening scene. GEORGE SWILLING, the same man Ike talked to before, is sitting on a stool, nursing his drink. He looks better. Ike enters. George looks up and recognizes Ike, who takes the bar stool next to him. IKE Get this man a Kamikaze. GEORGE Splendid dissection of Maggie Carpenter, very professional job. Ike sits and leans over to George. IKE (whispers) You could have told me you were fiance number three. GEORGE And end up in the papers? Ive been humiliated enough already to last a lifetime, thank you. Im sorry she got

you canned. IKE Thanks. GEORGE Shes a cacophony of contradictions. IKE Well, Im writing another article on the cacophony. GEORGE Ah, can't stay away from her, can you? Like a moth to a flame. IKE Guess youd know about that. Youre an entomologist, right? Hows business? GEORGE (taking a sip of his drink) Not bad. I was traveling around studying the reproductive and migratory patterns of locusts when Maggie met me. IKE (sarcastic) Neuter a locust, feed the world. GORGE Not the world. Just Africa and China. Ike wipes the smirk off his face. Like Maggies other men, this

guy has a worthy accomplishment under his belt. GEORGE (contd) You know Maggie was the only girl I ever met who would hold my tarantula. On the first date. IKE (contd) So, tell me, George, why do you think she ran? GEORGE Same as you said. What did you call her? A "man-eater", "a devouring death goddess." IKE I dont think thats why she ran. GEORGE Why do YOU ​​think she ran? Ike sips his drink before answering. IKE I dont know. Im working on it. was on the wrong track. GEORGE And you defending her? IKE No. I call it like I see it. Im a

journalist. Im a truth teller. GEORGE Unbelievable, she got to you. IKE Oh, please! GORGE Join the club. (passing him his drink) Here, you need this more than me. George heads out. IKE (protecting, taking his tape recorder out of his pocket) Im writing an article, Im getting paid to do this, its going to be a cover story, its going to be published ... The facts will be read someday. As George pauses in the doorway, Ike holds up his tape recorder. IKE (contd) What kind of eggs did she like? GEORGE Poached, just like me. George exits. CUT TO: EXT. NEW YORK STREET/FISHER AND ELLIES BUILDING - DAY Ike walks down a street toward Ellie and Fisher. CUT TO: INT. FISHER AND ELLIES APARTMENT (NYC) - NIGHT Ellie is on the phone as Fisher enters with beer. Ike sits at the piano. FISHER (sarcastically) Overpriced nice apartment and Chinese takeout. Thats New York living. ELLIE (into phone) ... Just call me when you have it. (hangs up, then to Fisher) Ike, how is the story coming? Is she a man-eater? FISHER Or a vegetarian? ELLIE Or does she pick "NGBS" -- "Nice Guys, But..." Nice guys, but Im cheap. Nice guys, but he lives with his mom... Nice guys, but he just out of prison. IKE No... Theyre interesting guys. Each one of these guys has something going for him. I mean, ones been up Everest. Anothers become a priest. Ones a pretty good guitar player. And this guy today tried to end world hunger, if you can believe that... FISHER Whoa, Ike. Getting a complex, buddy? ELLIE Fisher, let him talk. IKE (sits) But one of those guys -- not one of them -- knew her at all. Each one was convinced that she was perfect for them, but they didnt see her. And she never showed up so they couldn't see her. Its a very symbolic thing happening. She becomes what she thinks they want to be. Fisher doesn't like the sound of this. He glances at Ellie, who is looking very interested. FISHER (in shock) Ike is turning sensitive and I cant bear to watch. Im going to make a fresh pot of tea. The phone rings as Fisher exits. Ike goes to the piano as Ellie picks up the phone. ELLIE (into phone) Yeah... Oh, Jay... Okay... Bye. (hangs up, then yells to Fisher) Fisher, don't forget the fortune cookies. She joins Ike at the piano. Ike gets serious. IKE Is that what I did to you? what happened? Did I just not see you? ELLIE No. No, you didn't. He hugs her. IKE (heartfelt) Well -- Im sorry, Im really sorry, Ellie. ELLIE Im sorry, too. (beat) Wow. That only took us between years to say. Ellie blinks back sentimental tears. CUT TO