just like my place

Last night it was so windy, in town it seemed like the wind was battering and howling in the tree-tops but not as strong on the ground. Maybe it's muffled, or de-aggregated (disaggregated?) and dispersed, at ground-level. ...

Someone in the neighborhood has wind chimes. They were "cling-ting-ing" in the whirling gusts last night and made me think I wanted to watch Body Heat.

(In the film, Matty Walker has a large collection -- a choir -- of chimes on her deck. ...)

When I thought of the film, it was quiet out but suddenly two cars appeared, one from the south & one from the west, and they both sped abruptly up the street, one after the other, heading for...? And I wondered if they were hurrying home to put Body Heat into their DVD players, as well.

-----------
-------- (In the first driver's living room): --------

MATTY
Tell me, does chat like that work
with most women?

RACINE
Some. If they haven't been around
much.

MATTY
I wondered. Thought maybe I was out
of touch.

RACINE
How 'bout I buy you a drink?

I told you. I've got a husband.

I'll buy him one too.

He's out of town.

My favorite kind. We'll drink to
him.


He only comes up on the weekends.

(laughs) - I'm liking him better all the time.
You better take me up on this quick.
In another forty-five minutes I'm
going to give up and go away.

--------

-------- (In the second driver's kitchen): --------

MATTY
Look who's here. Isn't this a
coincidence?

Racine looks at her, almost as though he can't place her.
But he doesn't push that effect hard. He lights a
cigarette.

RACINE
I know you.

MATTY
You're the one that doesn't like to
talk about the heat. Too bad. I'd
tell you about my chimes.

What about them?

The wind chimes on my porch. They
keep ringing and I go out there
expecting a cool breeze. That's
what they've always meant. But not
this year. This year it's just
hot air.

Do I remind you of hot air?

The Bartender has come up.

RACINE
Bourbon, any kind, on the rocks.
(to Matty)
Another?

She thinks, then nods her agreement. The Bartender moves
away.

MATTY
What are you doing in Pinehaven?

RACINE
I'm no yokel. I was all the
way to Miami once.

-------------------------
-------- (On my TV): --------

Matty comes in and puts her purse on a hall table as Racine
moves forward to look around.

A super-affluent interior.

RACINE
Just like my place.

He follows her up a flight stairs and along a hallway to an outdoor deck where the chimes dangle and weave and “ching” together.

RACINE
No help?

MATTY
She goes home nights.

You're not nervous here alone?

No.

EXT. SECOND FLOOR PORCH - NIGHT

RACINE
You do have chimes.

He looks out at the boat house.

RACINE
What's that?

MATTY
A gazebo.

RACINE
No, out there.

MATTY
Boat house.

RACINE
What's in there?

MATTY
Boat.

Racine moves back and stands very close to her. He looks
at her in the moonlight, but she concentrates on the
distant water.

…

MATTY
I think you should go now.

RACINE
I just got here.

MATTY
You've seen them. Please go.



EXT. FRONT TERRACE - NIGHT

Racine stops next to Matty. She doesn't move away.

MATTY
Thank you. I'm sorry, I shouldn't
have let you come.

You're not so tough after all, are
you?

No, I'm weak.

She kisses him on the lips and steps quickly inside the
front door. She closes it, looks through the window at
him, then moves away.

EXT. PARKING AREA - NIGHT
------------------------------------

-30-