The Tie Man by Clive Richards

(C)Clive Richards 2011

Contact Tel: +44 7884 484 445 clivekrichards@gmail.com

FADE IN: INT. HOTEL ROOM - ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NIGHT A darkened, luxurious hotel room on the twentieth floor. Sheets from the bed lie crumpled on the carpet. Expensive looking knickers hang from the chair next to the desk. An opened bottle of champagne and a couple of half drunk glasses stand next to the television. A shaft of light comes from the half shut door to a steamy bathroom from where the deafening sound of a running shower can be heard. Sitting on the edge of the bed in the semi darkness, naked except for his boxer shorts is ROBERT ADAMS; a clean cut, fragile looking man in his mid thirties. In his left hand, a Polaroid of Robert and a beautiful, aristocratic looking, woman holding a new born baby. Robert stares unblinkingly at the photograph as if in a trance. A drop of blood falls in SLOW MOTION onto the white edge of the Polaroid. CUT TO: INT. HOTEL - HALLWAY - NIGHT Robert, now dressed in a classic grey suit, white shirt and black tie walks out of the hotel room. He carefully shuts the door and places a DO NOT DISTURB sign on the handle. He looks around, pulls down the cuffs of his white shirt and walks down the hall. INT. HOTEL - LOBBY - NIGHT Robert walks out of the elevator and through the lobby of the hotel. Robert stops to take a look at the myriad of flyers advertising all the different car rental companies. He takes an AVIS flyer, reads it and then puts it back in the pocket of the ALAMO flyers. He turns to leave and then checking that no one is looking, places the Avis flyer back in its correct pocket.

2.

INT. HOTEL - BAR - NIGHT Robert walks into the large hotel bar at the top of the building and looks around. The room is wall to wall glass. The lights from the many other skyscrapers pepper the view. The bar itself is darkly lit. The room is sparsely populated; just a few business men and a young couple. A woman in a red, silk dress sings some sensual jazz at a grand piano in the corner of the room. No one pays much attention. A tall and bored looking, barman dressed in a green waistcoat stands behind the empty bar, cleaning glasses. It feels like Monday night. Robert takes a seat at the bar. The barman approaches slowly. BARMAN Sir! ROBERT (French accent) Can I get a drink please? BARMAN Certainly Sir? What do you have in mind? ROBERT Oh...a...Martini. BARMAN Vodka or Gin? ROBERT Actually...er...no. Can you make that a beer? BARMAN What kind of beer? ROBERT Er... BARMAN I got...pilsner...dark beer...er...Irish stout and in the bottles...Heineken Export...Miller Light...Coors...

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: ROBERT Yeah...the Heinekens...great! The barman takes a bottle out of the fridge and pours Robert a glass. ROBERT Thanks very much. BARMAN No problem. Room number? ROBERT Two Zero One Seven. BARMAN Thank you, Sir!

3.

The waiter retires to the rear of the bar leaving Robert alone with his drink. Something catches Roberts attention and he swivels around on his bar stool. At one of the businessmans table stands a shifty looking man in his late forties. He has greased back hair and is dressed in a black suit with a black shirt and electric blue tie. He holds up a pink tie in his right hand. The conversation is too far away to hear but he is obviously trying to sell the man a tie. He isnt doing well and is waved away before he has finished his pitch. He puts the tie back into a fake leather holdall and wanders over to another table. This time he is waved away before he even has a chance to start his pitch. He doesnt appear too disappointed by his lack of success and wanders over towards the bar. Robert looks away and goes back to his drink. He notices that he has missed placing the glass on the beer mat and that his glass has made the surface of the bar wet. He takes a handkerchief from his pocket, wipes the bar then the bottom of the glass and then places the glass back on to the beer mat. The Tie Salesman climbs on a bar stool a couple of stools down from Robert. TIE MAN (to the Barman) Hey Michael! How ya doin? BARMAN Very good Sir. Great to see you again. They shake hands. The Tie Mans gold tie pin shines in the overhead light. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

4.

TIE MAN Michael, YOU NEED A TIE! BARMAN Oh no, no, no. Thank you Sir. TIE MAN Yeah you do. Wait a minute. The Tie Man reaches down to his bag, pulls out a very dull green and red stripped tie, stands on the footrest of the bar stool and holds it up to the Barmans neck. The tie looks ridiculous on him. The Barman looks down at the tie and takes hold of it. BARMAN That certainly is a fine tie. The Tie Man sits down again. TIE MAN Its yours. BARMAN No, no...I couldnt. TIE MAN Take it. Looks great on you. Very executive. The Barman looks at the tie. Hes genuinely flattered. BARMAN Executive huh? Well...Thank you Sir. What can I get you to drink? TIE MAN Ill take a jack. Straight up. BARMAN Right away. The Barman walks away to make the drink. The Tie Man scoops up a handful of peanuts from a bowl on the bar. He eats nervously. Robert watches him from the corner of his eye and continues to drink his beer. TIE MAN (to the Barman) Did you see the game? BARMAN (laughing) Sure did.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

5.

TIE MAN (slamming his hand on the bar) Unbelievable. (pause) Makes you wanna give up on the goddamn sport, huh? The Tie Man casts his comment in the direction of Robert too. Robert offers the barest smile and returns of his drink. TIE MAN Oh well. The Barman returns with a bottle of Jack Daniels and a glass. He pours him a double shot. BARMAN There you go, Sir. The Barman walks away with the bottle to the other side of the bar. Their conversation has ended. The Tie Man takes a large gulp of his drink and then goes back to the peanuts. Robert has nearly finished his beer. ROBERT (to the Barman) Er Hello...Can I sign please. The Barman acknowledges his request with a nod and goes away to the till. The Tie Man stops eating. TIE MAN (to Robert) Excuse me for asking,...but...are you Australian. ROBERT Er...No, Im English, actually. TIE MAN (now very animated) English? I love the English...really classy. My mother was English you know. ROBERT Oh right...right...What part of England was she from? TIE MAN Uh!...I...I dont remember.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

6.

The Tie Man suddenly looks rather embarrassed and knocks back the other half of his drink. TIE MAN (suddenly) Yeah, you English are a touch of class. Finesse. Not a lot of finesse over here. ROBERT I dont know about that. TIE MAN Really...Im telling you. The Tie Man leans over towards Robert and offers his hand. TIE MAN John Charlemagne but everyone calls me the Tie Man. ROBERT Robert Adams. They shake hands. TIE MAN Pleasure to meet you, Robert. He gestures to the vacant stool between them. TIE MAN (CONTD) You mind if I sit here? ROBERT No...please. The Tie Man moves to the stool next to Robert. TIE MAN So, Robert. Are you with the convention? ROBERT No, Im visiting a new client. TIE MAN aviation business? ROBERT Thats right. How did you guess? TIE MAN There aint much else in Atlanta except conventions and aviation?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: ROBERT Right. TIE MAN First time in town? ROBERT Yes it is actually. TIE MAN (to the Barman) Mikey! Can we get some drinks here. (to Robert) Another beer or something more lively? ROBERT Ok. The Barman approaches. TIE MAN (to the Barman) Another Jack for me and... He looks towards Robert. ROBERT That sounds good. TIE MAN (to the Barman) And a Jack for my fiend here. Both straight up. BARMAN Yes Sir. The Barman walks away. TIE MAN Yeah... you English have class. Your a lot smarter too. I mean, really, you can sell an American anything. Theyre completely fuckin dumb...know what Im saying...you can sell them anything.

7.

Robert smiles and now there is a slightly uneasy silence as they wait for their drinks. Robert plays with his wedding ring. ROBERT So...hows the tie business going?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

8.

TIE MAN The tie business? He leans towards Robert and lowers his voice. TIE MAN (CONTD) I dont really sell ties. I mean, I do sell a few ties but thats not my main portfolio if you know what I mean. The ties make me look normal. Respectable... The Barman arrives and pours them two shots of Jack Daniels. The Tie man waits until the barman walks away. TIE MAN To tell you the truth Robert, my main business is hos...I run a stable of hos. ROBERT What? TIE MAN Hos, hookers, prostitutes.... Im sorry. You OK with that? ROBERT Yeah sure. Absolutely. TIE MAN Well. I got six girls here in the hotel. Southern girls. All different. Blondes, blacks, redheads. Young. Beautiful. Do anything for you. Know what Im saying. Anyway, we follow the conventions. At the the moment were waiting for the baptist convention. Comes in tomorrow. (he laughs to himself) Baptists love fuckin hos. ROBERT Really...! TIE MAN Anyway, I tour the hotels, hand out a few ties and the management generally leave me to get on with business. ROBERT Do they know what you really do?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: TIE MAN Hell yeah! They dont give a damn as long as the customers are happy. Know what Im saying?

9.

The Tie Man takes a gulp on his drink. Robert follows. TIE MAN So how long have you been away for? ROBERT Er...nearly four weeks. TIE MAN Kids? ROBERT I just became a father actually. TIE MAN Hey! Congratulations. First one? ROBERT Yes. A boy. TIE MAN A boy. Thats fuckin terrific! (to the barman) Michael! Same again. (to Robert) Youll make a great dad. I can see that. Never had kids. Too much traveling. ROBERT Thats a shame. TIE MAN Hey fuck that! Heres to you. They toast each other and knock back their drinks. TIE MAN (to Robert) That barmans slow. (shouting at the Barman) Hey Michael! Are you making or distilling over there? We got a thirsty new dad here. BARMAN Just coming Mr Charlemagne. The barman walks very quickly over to where the two men are, brandishing the bottle of Jack Daniels. He pours a double shot in each of their glasses.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

10.

TIE MAN There ya go. Both men take a gulp of their drinks. TIE MAN (CONTD) (to Robert) So the airline business huh? ROBERT Yeah. TIE MAN Lot of time away from home? ROBERT Quite a bit. TIE MAN That sucks. ROBERT Yeah. TIE MAN That really sucks. Robert reaches for the nuts on the bar and takes a handful. The Tie Man studies Robert. His eyes narrow. TIE MAN (CONTD) Hey look. Robert. Ill tell you what, as a little present from me, seeing your a new dad and all, Im gonna let you have a freebie with one of my girls. No charge OK. On the house. ROBERT Christ! I mean Jesus. Thanks... TIE MAN Hey,theyre just lying around up there spending my money drinking up the mini bar, you know what Im saying? Youd be doing me a favor really. They could do with the practice. ROBERT ...really thanks very much but... TIE MAN Youd be warming them up for the baptists. Doing your bit for God, if you like.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

11.

ROBERT Look, thanks and everything but... Ive just become a father. Id feel...you know...terrible...under different circumstances Id... TIE MAN Oh!...OK...forget it. (to the Barman) Hey Michael! Give me the check. ROBERT Really...thats very...Im very grateful...Its just that... TIE MAN Forget. I understand. But you know if its cheatin you have a problem with. Hos aint cheatin. You telling me you are gonna go up there, play around with one of my girls, then fall in love? ROBERT Dont be ridiculous. TIE MAN Hey, take it easy. All I was saying was I was gonna give you a gift thats all. Im sorry I said anything. ROBERT No, please. Im sorry...I... TIE MAN I mean, you looked to me like the kind of guy whos just had nine months of ball breaking and could probably do with a little time out. Thats all. Just tryin to help. The Barman arrives and gives the Tie Man his check. He signs it and then gets off his stool. BARMAN Thank you Mr Charlemagne. See you again soon. The Tie Man offers a nod. The barman walks off. The Tie Man turns to leave. ROBERT Look wait! Gods sake! Im new to this. Its all a bit of a...you (MORE) (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

12.

ROBERT (contd) know meeting you and...well...I didnt mean to appear ungrateful. Really! I didnt. TIE MAN Hey come on. No problem. Do yourself a favor. Finish your drink and go to bed. This aint your thing. Robert suddenly grabs his arm. ROBERT No...look hold on. Id like to...take you up on your... your offer. TIE MAN No. Forget it. Robert grabs him by the arm. ROBERT (forcibly) I want one! The Tie Man looks him hard in the eyes. TIE MAN OK, Mr Adams. Which one do you want? ROBERT I want a blond one. TIE MAN Ah there ya go! And I had you down for a black girl. The Tie Man removes a business card from his top pocket and writes on it. He then gives it to Robert who gingerly takes it. The card reads: THE TIE MAN, PO BOX 6627, Atlanta, GA 2232. Tel: +1 404-223-003. Underneath his name the Tie Man has written 1132 in blue ink. TIE MAN Thats her room number. Her names Savannah. Tell Savannah, the Tie Man sent you. Robert stares hard at the card then slowly walks out of the bar. Hes a rabbit caught in the headlights.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

13.

TIE MAN (calling across the bar) Dont go fallin in love! Robert drifts in a daze towards the elevator. SFX: The sound of a shower running. DISSOLVE TO: INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT A CLOSE UP of the polaroid of the woman holding the new born baby. A hand holding a tissue enters frame and wipes the blood away. CUT TO: As in the first scene, Robert sits on the edge of the bed in his boxer shorts starring in a daze at the photograph. Robert takes the tissue and holds it to his nose to stop the blood flow. He throws the tissue into the bin by the desk. He slowly stands up and walks to the window and looks out over the city at night. We hear the shower from the bathroom being turned off. Suddenly, a white arm appears around Roberts shoulder. Long, slim and obviously female fingers caress his hair and neck. The CAMERA pulls back to reveal the woman from the photograph. She has wet hair and is naked except for a white towel. She leans her head on Roberts shoulder. They stare at the cityscape beneath them. MRS ADAMS Arent you going to get in the shower? ROBERT In a minute. Another drip of blood falls from Roberts nose. MRS ADAMS Darling, I think youre having another nose bleed? ROBERT Damn...

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

14.

Robert takes another tilts his head back. MRS ADAMS walks over turns on the bedside

tissue and holds it to his nose and He then walks into the bathroom. to her side of the bed, sits down, lamp and picks up the phone.

MRS ADAMS Hello reception...This is Mrs Adams...room 2017...yes...can you tell the nanny were running late but well pick up Jamie in about an hour...Thank you very much. She puts down the phone, picks up a bottle of nail varnish from the side table and begins to paint her toe nails. The towel slips down around her waist. Robert walks out of the bathroom, goes to the desk and picks up his wallet. MRS ADAMS You were a long time at the bar. Did you meet someone? ROBERT No! no one. Just some crazy guy. Tried to sell me a tie. MRS ADAMS Oh God. How awful. Robert opens his wallet and places the photo of his wife and child back in the clear plastic section. On the other side of the wallet, hidden behind the credit cards, Robert slowly pulls out the Tie Mans business card with Savanahs room number. He stares at it for a second then quickly rips it up and throws the pieces in the bin. A knock at the door. Robert looks up at the door. He freezes. Another knock. Mrs Adams covers her body with the towel. MRS ADAMS Get that will you? Robert doesnt reply. Another knock - louder. Mrs Adams stops painting her toe nails and looks up at Robert.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

15.

MRS ADAMS Robert...! Robert looks at his wife and then back at the door. More knocking - louder, faster. MRS ADAMS Robert, whats the matter? Answer the door. The knocking becomes relentless. Robert stares at the door in terror. The CAMERA moves in on the door as the knocking becomes louder and louder and louder and then stops abruptly. Robert looks back at his wife with a relieved smile. TIE MAN (O.S - shouting from behind the door in a taunting voice) MISTER ADAMS! CUT TO BLACK: THE END