SPECIAL LABOR DAY EDITION:
It's time once again to take a trip to the dark side, where your darkest fantasies become sins of the flesh, right here, where the hardboiled action is non-stop, at the coolest crime joint in cyberspace ... at That Killing Feeling.
In Chapter 29 of FULL BODY, masseuse/would-be torch singer Summer Donovan makes her debut at The Eighteenth Street Lounge, which turns into a disaster. Meanwhile, at Dhumbah, DC's hottest restaurant, French-African gazelle Ayanna Prouxl, jonesing for heroin, falls and hits her head on the loo ... but fortunately Chick, the Surgeon General, comes to the rescue ...
INT. EIGHTEENTH STREET LOUNGE - MAIN ROOM - NIGHT
Thievery’s house-dub remix of Nora Jones’ ANGELS over --
Gianluca. In a dark corner
huddled with ERIC HILTON (30’s).
Pale, good looking. Shaken, not stirred.
Azure eyes glint with the secrets of success.
Twinkle with passion.
ERIC
But we didn’t send for another artist.
INTENSE HISPANIC MAN
What were you thinking? Are you high?
Meet ROB GARZA (30’s), Eric’s partner.
Hispanic, broad-shouldered.
Serpentine soul patch, sideburns.
Glossy black hair pulled back
under a middle-eastern cap.
Dark eyes flash.
ERIC
Go find the girl. Escort her out.
GIANLUCA
But she --
(pulls out CD)
Said she sent you this.
Signed her to the label --
ROB
(takes the CD, looks at it)
You fell for THIS?
Every kid in the lounge has a demo.
ERIC
Easy, Rob -- I get it.
(to Gianluca)
She must be -- exquisite.
GIANLUCA
She, she -- is.
ERIC
(sees something)
You’re right. She is.
They turn their heads. Look at --
SUMMER
standing on a raised platform
in the middle of the room.
Wrapped in silk. Draped arms rise.
A butterfly.
BRITISH FEMALE VOICE (O.C.)
Ladies and gentlemen,
Messieurs and Madams,
the Eighteenth Street Lounge
is proud to present`--
The aching, yearning, supple trip-hop of Hooverphonic’s
CLUB MONTEPULCIANO oozes over --
MALE VOICE (O.C.)
Wednesday.
Summer reaches the sky. Glorious. Taking flight.
SUMMER
(sings)
Fiona said something nice to me,
green velvet jacket sets you free --
Club Montepulciano is what you need --
(beat)
Blue Hawaii, Picadilly whore --
a cocktail is what I’m hoping for --
THE CROWD
is entranced. She’s a hit.
A DIPLOMAT in a white dinner jacket leans over.
Whispers in a RASTA’S ear.
A TURBANED SHEIK nods.
Riding the wave.
SUMMER
shimmies and sways to the music.
Losing herself.
A RIVULET OF BLOOD
trickles out of her nose.
Runs down her face.
Into her mouth.
A TRUST FUND HIPSTER
notices. Grins. Points. Laughs.
SUMMER
tastes something wrong.
Wipes her nose. Sees the blood.
GASPS. Turns, RUNS off the stage,
WHIRLS through the crowd.
SUMMER
I’m sorry! I’m Sorry! I’m sorry --
ROB AND ERIC
watch her go.
ROB
Shame.
ERIC
Nice voice.
ROB
Yeah --
ERIC
What was her name again?
INT. DHUMBA RESTAURANT - AT THAT MOMENT
The Egyptian trip-hop sacred siren song of
Anteus’ PALM OF THE PROPHET over --
Catalina, at a primo table.
Pulls out her cell phone.
Turns it on. Listens to a message.
Rolls angry eyes.
Puts it away.
Looks at her watch.
CATALINA
What is she doing?
IN THE LADIES’ ROOM
Ayanna pulls herself up.
Grabs the paper roll,
which TEARS OFF.
She loses her balance,
BANGS against the door --
AYANNA
Uhh!
Careens forward. Slips.
BANG, head against the sink.
HITS the tiles with a CRACK.
Say good night, Gracie.
IN THE RESTAURANT
Catalina reads the menu.
CATALINA
'Sweet and sour lamb?'
A SCREAM from the back.
PATRONS whip their heads, look.
A WAITRESS appears.
Blood on her hands.
FREAKED-OUT WAITRESS
There’s a woman in the ladies’ room
with her skull cracked open!
CATALINA
Ayanna!
Chick FLIES BY her table.
CHICK
Twenty-four skiddoo on the 911,
doll-face -- c’mon!
They race toward the commotion.
CATALINA
How did you -- ?
CHICK
She let her fingers do the crying --
Oh no!! Summer!! Noooooooooooo!! You were knockin 'em dead, sweetie!! It was the coke, wasn't it? Poor kid... back to buffing some guy's banana... huh?
ReplyDeleteMaybe Eric will feel sorry for Wednesday, and give her another chance... mmm? :)
OMG!!! This is not Ayanna's night, is it? I don't know why it is... but the bathroom is the last place I want to have an accident like that... not, that I ever want to have an accident like that... to me, it just seems so embarrassing...
I'm thinkin' maybe these girls should stick to pot...
Good night, Gracie!" LOL!!!
Could have been worse, I guees... they could have gotten caught up in a bloodbath back at the spa...
Sweet and sour lamb? Really? What's that taste like?
And... if you say "chicken".... ;-) Haha!!
I have this friend who keeps trying to get me to try this pasta dish down at a little pub by our condo... has alligator sausage and an alfredo sauce... she says "Ronnie... you'll love it... it tastes just like chicken." So, I'm like... "okaaayy... I know what chicken tastes like... so, what's the big attraction?"
Same thing with rattlesnake... I tried it... it tasted like chicken. wtf? LOL!! does everything taste like chicken? I can just imagine the Donner Party... "Hey... Jim was right! Tom and Betty do taste just like chicken... give me another thigh, wouldja?"
Ooops!!! Kinda got off on a tangent... hehe!!
Cool chapter, sweetie!! Can't believe you worked on Labor Day... you deserve a break.... Thank you!
On to Tuesday.... :-)
xoxox <3
I have indeed gotten 'into trouble' in the back of a limo, and YES, you can put the partition up so the driver can't see, or HEAR anything.
ReplyDeleteBetter buckle up, because there will be MORE hijinx in the limo soon ...
xoxo<3