SCENE ONE: IT IS STILL FRIDAY NIGHT
AND JACK HAS JUST PROPOSED TO JENNIFER ON THE ROOF. HE HOLDS THE RING
OUT TO HER BUT SHE WALKS STRAIGHT PAST HIM IN SILENCE. HE SIGHS IN FRUSTRATION.
JACK: I asked you, would you marry me?
JENNIFER: Oh, that's the sweetest, most wonderful,
incredible question I've ever been asked in my whole life.
JACK: So what are you saying, yes or no?
JENNIFER: Jack I don't know what to say.
JACK: Don't know what to say.... I don't know, it seems very simple, I asked
you a question. I asked you....
JENNIFER: I know what you asked me. I understood you
perfectly.
JACK: So?
JACK SWALLOWS HARD. HE IS SURE SHE
IS GOING TO SAY NO.
SCENE THREE: JACK WAITS FOR HER ANSWERING, KNOWING THAT
SHE IS IN FACT NOT GOING TO ACCEPT HIS PROPOSAL. HE IS HURT, ANGRY, CONFUSED,
A MIX OF EMOTIONS. JENNIFER IS IN PAIN AS WELLING, NOT WANTING HURT HIM,
AND DESPERATING WANTING TO ACCEPT HIM, BUT THE MEMORY OF THE RAPE PREVENTS
HER.
JENNIFER: No! No Jack I'm not turning you down.
JACK: You're not exactly taking me up on the offer
either.
SHE IS AVOIDING JACK'S EYES AS MUCH AS
POSSIBLE AND KEEPING HER BACK TO HIM WHENEVER SHE CAN.
JENNIFER: Well to tell you the truth, I can't actually
believe that you made it. Are you sure you don't want to take it back because
I won't hold it against you if you want to Jack.
HE IS ANGRY BECAUSE SHE IS MAKING EXCUSES
TO AVOID GIVING HER ANSWER.
JACK: (Beat) No! (Beat) Are you scared?
SHE NODS.
JACK: I'm scared. I'm scared. I don't have the faintest
idea how to make a marriage work. (Beat) But I'm willing to try again if
you are.
JENNIFER: What changed your mind?
JACK: I lost.... I lost Steve....
JACK WALKS AWAY, HE IS VERY EMOTION;
AND WIPES HIS EYE.
JACK (CONT.): and I started to think
about losing you.... and I realized.... and I realized that.... ah.... that
I've been wasting a lot of time. I realized that I have a.... I have a shot
at happiness here and I'm looking at it.... at her.
JACK (CONT.): So once again, will you marry me? (Beat)
Jennifer?
THE PHONE STARTS TO RING DOWN IN THE
LOFT.
JENNIFER: I'm wondering if I should get it maybe....
JACK: No, forget about that alright. That's what
answering machines are for.
JENNIFER: I didn't turn it on.
JACK: You didn't. Forget about it.
JENNIFER: Okay.
JACK: Jennifer.... Jennifer.... Jen.... Jennifer
go get the phone.
JENNIFER: Okay, alright.
JACK: Go get the phone.
JENNIFER: I'll be right back.
JACK: I'll be right here.
JENNIFER: Okay.
SHE GOES DOWNSTAIRS LEAVING JACK ALONE
WITH A RANGE OF EMOTIONS.
JACK: I'll be right here. What the hell am I doing
here? You didn't want to get into this mess...again. Then what the hell
are you doing? Getting a drink.
HE PICKS UP THE CHAMPAGNE AND IS ABOUT
TO OPEN IT, THEN CHANGES HIS MIND.
JACK: I think.... no. I think no. I think.... I
think I better stop talking to myself.
HE BEGINS TO PACE.
JACK: What the hell are you doing talking to yourself?
JENNIFER COMES BACK UP.
JENNIFER: Well that's a good question Jack, why
are you talking to yourself?
JACK: I don't know. I think that I don't like being
left alone up here. So, what's the answer on the marriage deal, yay or nay?
JENNIFER: You know Jack I think you should know
that this tonight was everything that I've always dreamed of. You're everything
that I've always dreamed of.
JACK: Yes.
JENNIFER: And you talked about wasting too much
time but that's exactly what I need right now. I need time to pull myself
together. Do you understand that?
JACK SIGHS.
JENNIFER (CONT.): I mean Jack after everything that's
happened I don't even know who I am anymore. There's only one thing that
I'm sure of and that's that I love you very much. And I want to spend the
rest of my life with you. (Beat) But I'm just not ready to start the rest
of my life yet.
JACK SIGHS AGAIN AND LOOKS DOWN AT THE
RING HE IS HOLDING.
SHE WRAPS HER FINGERS OVER HIS HOLDING THE RING.
JACK: (Beat) I.... ah.... I.... ah.... hope you'll
tell me what to do with this thing.
JENNIFER IS CRYING SOFTLY.
JENNIFER: I will. You'll be the first to know.
JACK: I hope so. (Beat) So....
JENNIFER: (Trying to hold back her tears) So....
so that was Dan Ryan on the phone and he said that there this important
news conference tonight and no one knew what it was about but he wants me
to be there.
JACK: I know about the news conference.
JENNIFER: Right, maybe you could come with me.
JACK: I believe I have to be there anyway.
JACK WALKS OVER AND BLOWS OUT THE CANDLE
ON THE DINNER TABLE THAT WAS WAITING FOR THEM. HE LOOKS UP, THE PAIN REVEALED
IN HIS FACE.
HE THEN WALKS TO THE TOP OF THE STAIRS. JENNIFER STOPS AND LOOKS AT THE
TABLE IN SADNESS. JACK CALLS TO HER IN HIS FAMILIAR WAY, AS IF TO LET HER
KNOW THAT DESPITE HER REFUSUAL HE STILL CARES FOR HER VERY DEEPLY.
JACK: Miss Horton, let's get a move on.
JACK (CONT.): Remember, late news is no news. Let's go.
HE GOES DOWNSTAIRS AND JENNIFER FOLLOWS
AFTER A FINAL LOOK AND THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN.
