Your Vice Is My Command

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 26 of FULL BODY, having finished their police interrogation, the girls split up and go off into the night. Newbie Summer Donovan takes Aussie spitfire Lindsay Lette to The Eighteenth Street Lounge, DC's hippest night spot, where she tricks the doorman into thinking she's the opening act. Meanwhile, French-African gazelle Ayanna Prouxl takes her new girl-toy Catalina Gill to Dhumba, DC's hippest restaurant, where their public display of affection gets the Matre D all hot and bothered ... and them a choice table.


EXT. THE EIGHTEENTH STREET LOUNGE - NIGHT
From a window, Thievery Corporation’s remix of
Anoushka Shankar’s BELOVED soars on
silky, milky-smooth wings over --

A decrepit, peeling mattress store.
Above it --

The Eighteenth Street Lounge.
Occupying the top floors of an old mansion.
Gutted and retrofitted for the ultra-hip.

Super-suave meets lava lamp cool
meets glitterball, hookah bliss.

Summer leads Lindsey by the hand
up to the door. No velvet rope. Or doorperson.
A small gold plaque reads ‘ESL.’

SUMMER
Funny. I read it was open every night.

LINDSEY
Ring the buzzer.

Summer does.
Chimes are heard from within.

SUMMER
C’mon, someone’s gotta be there.

A panel in the door slides up.
A dark-skinned goateed MAN (20’s)
with an eye patch peers out.

MAN WITH EYE PATCH
I’m sorry. Private party.

SUMMER
I know that.
I’m the opening artist.

MAN WITH EYE PATCH
Nice try.
The opening artist canceled.

LINDSEY
Hello? That’s why she’s here --

SUMMER
Yeah. Rob Garza called me.
Go get Rob.

MAN WITH EYE PATCH
He’s -- busy.

LINDSEY
You don’t recognize ‘Wednesday’?
The new artist ESL just signed?
You wanna get fired?

SUMMER
(pulls CD out of her bag)
Here’s a demo.
I’ll sign it for you,
it’ll be a collector’s item.
(beat)
I don’t do the diva thing very well.
(smiles)
Yet.

MAN WITH EYE PATCH
(looks at the CD, then her)
Okay -- come in.

He leads them up a narrow, steep staircase.

EXT. ALLEY - RESTAURANT - AT THAT MOMENT
The Bombay trip-hop curried beats of
Feel Good Production’s THE FEEL GOOD VIBE over --

Ayanna leads Catalina down a dark set of steps.

Catalina hesitates.
Looks around.
Ayanna hits off a joint.

CATALINA
What is this place?

AYANNA
The hippest joint in DC, baby.
If it was easy to find,
the peasants and heathens
would ruin it for the fabulous.

CATALINA
Okay. Give me a hit.

Ayanna carefully puts
the joint in her mouth,
lit end in. Concentrates.
BLOWS smoke into Catalina’s mouth.

The vixen inhales. Smiles.
Ayanna leans in. Kisses her.

PERSIAN MALE VOICE (O.C.)
Ladies. You’re blocking the stairs.

THE PERSIAN MATRE D
stands in the doorway.
Looking up. Oily. Rakish. Delighted.

PERSIAN MATRE D
Not that I mind.

The girls pull out of their clinch.

CATALINA
Sorry --

AYANNA
I’m not. Hey, there.
Table for two?

He bows deeply.
Motions for them to come in.

PERSIAN MATRE D
Your vice is my command.

INT. EIGHTEENTH STREET LOUNGE - MAIN ROOM - MOMENTS LATER
Thievery Corporation’s remix of The Januaries’
THE GIRL’S INSANE pulsates, shakes and shimmers over --

Lux digs. Hardwood floor. Persian rugs.
Overstuffed couches. Jungle foliage.
A roaring fire near the bar. Way past cool.

A private party in full swing.
Cosmopolitan bright young things.

Rastas. Sheiks. Euroflash.
Ultra-babes from all four corners.
Lounging. Mingling. Sipping.
Glittering. Glowing.

Summer and Lindsey follow Eye Patch.
Float through the crowd.

LINDSEY
Who’s the party for?

MAN WITH EYE PATCH
Anoushka Shankar. Her birthday.

SUMMER
Ravi’s daughter --

LINDSEY
Ravi?

SUMMER
Ravi Shankar?
He only introduced
the sitar to the Beatles.

Summer puts her hands above her head.
Joins them in an inverted ‘V.’
Shimmies back and forth, undulates.

SUMMER
(sings)
The girl’s insane --

LINDSEY
The girl’s possessed.

PUSH IN ON Summer’s face. Home.