She stops and looks at him, almost as if she is charmed.
Jake:
Can I help you?
Emma:
For some reason I suspect that’s true.
Jake:
You’re surprised?
Emma:
It did occur to me that you need somebody to support you.
Jake:
I don’t want your money. I want you. Every ounce. Heart, mind, soul, body.
Emma:
I don’t have a soul. And you only want my body. You’d throw away the rest.
Jake:
Never.
Emma (insisting):
You would. Right in front of me. On Christmas morning.
Jake:
Figure me out, Emma. You’re the attorney. I’m not complicated.
Emma (mockingly):
You haven’t found the right woman. And when you do, you’ll settle down.
Jake:
It’s that simple.
Emma:
That’s the pathetic pick up angle you use on your kills? Jill says you walk out of here with women whenever you want to.
Jake:
They’re just sex. Don’t get me wrong. Sex is great. And I’m good at it. But I want romance.
Emma (confused):
What?
Jake:
You heard me.
Emma:
Now I really don’t believe you.
Jake:
You will after a few dates. The sex can start immediately, though.
Emma:
Like I said, this is not date. And sex is off the table.
Jake:
The floor is fine.
Emma:
Not gonna happen, lover boy. I’m the woman who leaves in the LFA, remember? You can grab yourself any of these little things (waving her hand about the room) you want on your way out.
Jake:
Why can’t you just relax, Emma? You aren’t really the bitch you lead with, and you know it. I can see it in your eyes.
Emma (shaking her head):
No, no, no. I’m asking the questions tonight.
Jake:
Only with my indulgence. You’ve taken everything else away. No romance. No sex. You won’t even let me buy you dinner.
Emma:
You only have five dollars.
Jill walks by and takes the five-dollar bill.
Jake:
So what’s left in this for me?
Emma:
My company. For a few more minutes, anyway.
Jake:
Sorry, darling. You are beautiful. And smart. But that’s not good enough right now.
Emma:
Then walk. I’ll pay the tab. I was going to anyway.
Jake:
That’s not what you want.
Emma:
Trying to blame me because you aren’t man enough to go won’t work.
Jake:
Well played. Now it’s a no win for me. If I stay, I lose. If I go, I lose.
Emma (devilishly):
You are trapped. (Poking his chest with her finger): Cute, stupid, and trapped.
Jake:
And you like playing with fire.
Emma:
I’m just finishing my wine. You’ll be free the second you longingly watch me exit that door.
Jake (motioning to Bill to refill them both):
Same again.
Emma:
It would have been smarter to let me finish this one and go.
Jake:
Bring it, bitch. I’m winning this fight. Fair warning.
Emma (quickly, on the attack):
Tell me about Andover.
Jake (on his heels):
Off limits.
Emma:
Nope. Sorry. (Holds up manila folder): It’s in here, but I want to hear your side of events.
Jill returns to the bar.
Jake:
Some other time. When we are cuddling in each other’s arms. Maybe next Saturday.
Emma:
You won’t even remember me next Saturday.
Jill (disbelieving):
Did I hear him say cuddling? (To Jake) Is that a word you know?
Jake:
I might have picked it up somewhere.
Emma:
That and some other things that are going around.
Jill:
This isn’t like him. I know his whole repertoire. I’ve seen it in action, like a thousand times.
Emma:
Really? What’s his failure rate?
Jake:
Zero.
Emma:
Not possible.
Jill (nodding her head emphatically):
It’s Zero.
Emma:
Then I’ll have the honor of being his first.
Jill:
I think you will. You’ve had him off his game all night. He’s talking romance.
Emma:
He’s talking Fate.
Jill:
The Fate stuff he is always on about. He actually believes it. But romance – that never comes in to play. He doesn’t know what it is…. Holy crap.
Emma:
What?
Jill (looking at Jake, waving the five-dollar bill):
My money is on her tonight.
Jake isn’t paying attention. He is fondling a chain around his neck that is hanging under his shirt.
Emma:
OK, I’ll bite. What have you got there, you pretty little slut?
Jill picks up a glass of water from behind the bar and sips.
Jake:
This is a very cool chain.
Jill (spitting out her drink):
No it isn’t!
Emma:
Do you also have a chain on your wallet? These are the things that happen to men when they don’t have a woman to take care of them.