31. Bad Books - Leslie

• FADE IN:


• INT. ARIANA’S BOOK SHOPPE - DAY


• MARK sits in a large, comfortable chair in a corner of the store bathed in light from a large bay window.


• He wears a black military cap, pulled low over his forehead and stares intently at the book in his hand.


• MAY slips ups beside him.


• MAY
• Hey.


• Mark jumps.


• MARK
• You and your sneakiness.


• MAY
• All part of my charm. What are you reading?


• MARK
• “Tales From a Distant Sun.”


• MAY
• Sounds good...good?


• MARK
• Ehhhh...not really; but it has a great cover.


• He flips the cover towards her. It has an eye-catching, avant-garde design.


• MARK
• It’s like they designed a great cover, and then decided to write a story for the cover.


• May snorts.


• MAY
• Guess it didn’t live up to the cover.


• MARK
• Not quite.


• MAY
• Scoot.


• Mark slides over, and May squeezes in next to him, casually throwing an arm over his shoulder.


• MARK
• May Ellen! You’re totally cutting into my comfort reading time.


• He gives her a small smile.


• MAY
• Oh, oh...and I’m not worth more than your comfort reading? Besides...this is trash...you said so yourself.


• She grabs the book from him and flips it onto a shelf.


• MARK
• Nice aim, and for the record, I said “ehhh...not really,” not trash.


• MAY
• Whatever...I’ll be your comfort reading.


• He puts his arm around her waist.


• MARK
• Fine


• INT. ARIANA’S BOOK SHOPPE - SECONDS LATER


• Mark blinks and looks up. He is still holding “Tales From a Distant Sun” in his hand.


• He wipes sleep out of eyes, and looks somewhat longingly at the empty space beside him.


• He puts the book on the arm of the chair, and we see the author’s name, May Ellen Wood.


• FADE TO BLACK.