A Foot In The Door

Happy Tuesday, crime slicksters. It's time once again to take a trip to the dark side, where the girls are hot, the drinks are cold, and the hardboiled-pulp-noir action is non-stop, right here, at the coolest crime joint in cyberspace ... at That Killing Feeling.

In Chapter 12 of SPIRAL, back the Playboy Entertainment offices, Andy tells programming executive Cathy about his wild night with adult film star Savannah and her stylist friend Dex ...


INT. CATHY'S OFFICE - DAY
The windowless room is
dimly lit and colorful,
making it look more like a bordello
than a place of business.

Cathy paces, wearing a telephone headset.
A large monitor soundlessly plays porn.

Something on the channel
catches her attention.
She lights a cigarette.

CATHY
T.P, there's too much girl-girl activity.
There's only one scene with a guy.
Legal is gonna shit in their pants,
you know the quota. One scene.
It's almost completely lesbian.

A soft knock is heard from the door.

CATHY
Hold on a sec.
(to the door)
Come in!

Andy sticks his head in.

ANDY
You busy?
Can I come in for a sec?

CATHY
Sure. C'mon in.
(to T.P.)
I'm gonna have to call you back.
Playmate emergency.
(listens)
That's for me to know
and you to eat out.

ANDY
I'll come back later.

Cathy motions to the chair
and silently mouths "sit."

CATHY
(to T.P.)
Later. Ciao.

She takes off the headphones
and sits.

CATHY
So how did it go?
Did you have a good time?

ANDY
Only the best time I ever had.
We had a blast. We stayed up
all night talking, drinking, dancing,
getting completely wasted.

CATHY
So you're seeing her again?

ANDY
Yeah. It's a thing now.
She's incredible. She's an angel,
nothing like in her films.

CATHY
Just be careful, okay?
I don't want to see you get hurt.

ANDY
Hurt? How could I get hurt?

CATHY
We're not talking about the most
emotionally healthy group
of people here, Andy.
That crowd could fill ten years
worth of Jerry Springer.
(off his silence)

CATHY
I'm sure she's a sweetheart, Andy.
Just keep your eyes open.

ANDY
But you hang out with them --

CATHY
Yeah, but it's only because
I'm this big wheel at Playboy.
That's the only way I got
my foot in the door.

ANDY
But your girlfriend, Lana --

Cathy stubs out her cigarette.

CATHY
Lana --

Andy smiles. Cathy BEAMS.

CATHY
Touche.

Andy gets up out of his chair.

Cathy WHIPS around in her chair
and GRABS a video in a glossy,
oversized box and hands it to Andy.

CATHY
Here's a present.
Her latest one.

Andy reads the box.

ANDY
"From Brassiere to Eternity." Thanks!

Cathy lights up another smoke.

CATHY
It's a period piece.
(pause)
Literally.