Sally Hamaji

Script, The Book

Man is reading a book with a distinctive cover. He closes book and sighs. He walks out and goes to a park in downtown Berkeley. A woman is in the park, who is reading the same book. She looks at her watch, sticks her book in totebag and walks off in the opposite direction of the man. She stops by a flower stand, and buys some delphiniums, she turns to pay. The man stops at the same stand. He smells some roses, admires the delphiniums. The almost see each other, but someone is blocking their view. Shoes to a café and brings out her book. He come in and sits at the table directly behind her, but is facing the opposite direction. The waiter come over, sets down her tea. She turns to get something out of her totebag, and accidentally knocks her book off the table. He hears it, turns, picks up her book, just as she is bending down, their eyes meet.

Ext. Day. Park.

A woman, JESS, sits on a park bench, deeply engrossed in a book. She closes the cover. Sighs. Looks at her watch and puts the book into her purse. It doesn’t quite fit and sticks out as she makes her way to work.

Ext. Day. Downtown Street.

A man, THEO, rounds the corner. He walks slowly and pays no attention to his surroundings. He is deeply engrossed in a book. JESS, comes up behind him at a point where the sidewalk narrows. She tried to navigate a way through the crowd; he’s in her way.

Jess(glancing at her watch)

Excuse me.

Theo(still reading, mumbles)

Hmmmmm. Pardon me.

She zips past him, never looking twice. He continues to read and walk, without looking up.

Int Day. Café.

JESS enters puts on her apron. Surveys the café, which is slow. She slips her book into her apron pocket and picks up a cloth to wipe tables. THEO enters and closes book.

1.) He orders coffee to go at the counter, then leaves.

2.) He takes coffee to fixing counter, put down book on counter, pours milk in his coffee. Milk runs out. Theo “More Milk?” She puts her book down to respond. While she gets milk, he goes to greet an old friend and forgets his book. Jess refills milk, sees book on counter and puts it in her pocket. Theo departs with friend, without book.

OR

Theo picks up her copy as he departs café with friend.

3.) Theo enters, sits at table, and continues to read. Jess comet to take his order. She uses her copy of the book to write tab on. He notices her book, she his. She winks.

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