An Achy Heart and a Cigarette

FADE IN:

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

MARK, 35, a glum face, sitting alone on his couch. He is scrolling through photos of him and his ex-lover. He stares longingly at each photo as he slowly takes bites of his food.

MARK (V.O.) My lover had left me after 20 long years spent loving and caring for each other. She left me, for another man. Would I ever feel love again? All hope is lost. All hope is lost.

MARK answers the phone.

HENRY (V.O.)

Hey there buddy, I think it’s time to get you outside, you been in there feeling sorry for yourself for days.

MARK

Twenty years Henry, how do you expect me to feel?

HENRY (V.O.) Look here, I know a great place that’ll get your mind off her. It’s called Poliwop, lots of show girls there.

MARK Now you know I’ve never been the type to go to places like that, but..I do need something to get my mind off things right now.

HENRY (V.O.) Yeah, yeah, check it out, it’ll be good for you, got to forget about her man, like she forgot about you.

MARK stares at a photo of his ex lover.

MARK Sure, I’ll check it out okay, thanks for checking up on me.

MARK hangs up the phone. He gets dressed to go out.

EXT. STREETS - NIGHT

MARK drives down the streets keeping an eye out for the club called Poliwop. He begins to slow down as he spots someone.

MARK (V.O.) There she is! She is beautiful, even from this far away. This achy feeling in my heart, she has to be the one that can make it go away.

MARK slowly pulls up to the curb and parks his car. He is waiting for the show girl to approach him. She appears to be ignoring him so Mark steps outside to speak to her. As he walks up to her, the SHOW GIRL, 22, studies him.

SHOW GIRL

Mighty fine man you are.

MARK looks surprised as he stares into her emerald green eyes.

MARK (V.O.) Me, mighty fine? No woman has ever found me attractive, other than my ex lover.

MARK I saw you as I was driving down this street, and I had to come say hello.

MARK (V.O) (CONT'D)

Something about those green eyes, the way they glisten at me, it’s as if I’m falling in love all over again.

SHOW GIRL looks at him from the corner of her eyes as if flattered.

SHOW GIRL (curiously) You came all this way to see me? You know... you don’t look like the type to hang around here, you got a wife at home?

SHOW GIRL hands MARK a cigarette and offers to light it. MARK, not being a smoker, takes cigarette anyway.

MARK We never married, but I was left, a few days ago.

MARK (V.O.) And yet, for some odd reason, it felt as if it didn’t matter anymore. I don’t know if it was the soothing puffs of this cigarette or the company of this beautiful woman, but at last, my achy heart had ceased.

SHOW GIRL Mhm, I know a sad man when I see one.

SHOW GIRL grabs MARK’s hand and continues puffing on her cigarette with the other.

MARK (V.O.) I could stand here holding this woman’s hand, forever. After several minutes, SHOW GIRL slowly lets go of MARK’s hand and puts out her cigarette on the cement floor. She begins to walk away.

MARK Now wait there just one minute.

SHOW GIRL turns to face him.

MARK (CONT'D) I don’t know your name yet, but your beautiful, and I never shared a moment like this with a woman in my life, I may even say that, that I love you.

SHOW GIRL grins and moves aside her hair to expose her name tag. It read; Poli. The club was named after her.

POLI (giggly) That’s what they all say!

POLI kicks her leg back in the air and strolls away.

MARK watches her as she disappears into the club, he places his hand over his heart and drops his cigarette on the floor next to Poli’s.

MARK stares at the cigarettes on the floor.

MARK (V.O.) Was this it? Once again, I end up with this achy feeling in my heart. That is me, just a thrown out cigarette on the floor...or at least that was what my achy heart was telling me.

PHONE RINGS.

HENRY is calling. MARK answers his call.

MARK (sadly) Hello?

HENRY (V.O.) Don’t tell me your still at home feeling sorry for yourself.

MARK No Henry, I came to Poliwop.

HENRY (V.O.) Good job buddy! Getting out there and having some fun.

MARK (silence)

HENRY (V.O)

Mark, you there?

MARK She left me, I was left, again.

HENRY (V.O.) What are you talking about? I told you, you need to forget about her!

MARK Poli! She was everything Henry, the beauty, the personality, she made great company, then she left, threw her cigarette on the floor and she left me.

HENRY is speechless for a moment.

HENRY (V.O.) Well she is a show girl bud.

MARK lets go of his phone and it crashes on the ground.

MARK (V.O.) Just a show girl huh? I was a fool to fall in love with another woman, for all I get is left with an achy heart.

MARK is heard saying “hello” through phone speaker.

FADE OUT.