Coffee: a Hitman Story (Screenplay)

Scene 4: The Retiree & The Mrs.

OVER BLACK:

The sound of a whistling kettle.

CUT IN:

INT. COFFEE SHOP - LATER

The kettle bellows steam on the stove top. A hand reaches for it and pulls it off, the whistling slows then stops. The hot water from the kettle is transferred to a metal carafe with a fine pour spout snaking off of it.

The barista's hands skillfully empty a controlled stream of steaming water over some fine grounds in a pour-over dripper. The clear carafe below slowly fills with the aromatic brew.

AT PAUL'S TABLE

Paul sits at a new table, with a chess board loosely set up on it. He looks down at his phone when it chirps a message, he types his response.

INSERT - PAUL'S PHONE SCREEN, which reads:

THE MRS.:  "You know I hate to wait. When will you know?"

PAUL:  "Does it have to be this way? I'm sure we can sit down and discuss this rationally when I get back, face-to-face."

BACK TO SCENE.

Paul awaits an answer. It only takes a few moments before his phone buzzes.

INSERT - PAUL'S PHONE, which reads:

THE MRS.:  "You know it does, as well as I do. And when's the last time we sat and discussed anything?"

BACK TO SCENE.

Paul smirks then types his response.

INSERT - PAUL'S PHONE, which reads:

PAUL:  "There was a time... not too long ago."

BACK TO SCENE.

He places his phone in his pocket. He looks up to see someone staring at him again.

Sky is sitting at a table across the room, leaning against the wall behind her. She obnoxiously blows a bubble with her gum until it pops.

Paul offers a look, turns, and places his elbow on the table, knocking over a chess piece on the board.

He stands the piece up and glances over at the sound of April's phone chirping a message notification. Just as he does he is interrupted by a man's voice.

MAN (O.S.):  Do you play?

Paul looks over to see an older gentleman, with gray, thinning hair and spectacles smaller than his eyes. He wears a brown tweed jacket with patches on the elbows. A classic.

This is MR. SULLIVAN(55). He offers a squinty smirk as he continues to set up his board.

MR. SULLIVAN:  Do you play?

Paul tries not to engage.

PAUL:  Hmm? Oh. No. Thank you.

MR. SULLIVAN:  I could teach you.

PAUL:  That's not to say I don't know how to play, only that I don't want to right now. (beat) A lot on my mind. But thank you.

MR. SULLIVAN:  No problem. Enough said.

Each goes back to minding his own business.

Mr. Sullivan absentmindedly taps a chess piece against the table to Paul's annoyance.

Paul cannot help but glance over every few seconds at the tapping piece.

MR. SULLIVAN (CONT'D):  'Course it's a good way to take your mind off of whatever it's on. Even if only for a moment.