THE INCUMBENT’S WIFE

 

A short script

By Garrett Gilchrist

 

 

INT - LIVING ROOM - ADAMS HOUSEHOLD - EVENING

 

     A newspaper lies on an old-fashioned mahogany dresser. The front cover shows photos of candidates HUGH ADAMS, 55, the republican incumbent with grey hair, a prominent nose and permanent smile, and JAMES SILUGA, 43, the democratic challenger with black hair and small beady eyes. Both are running for the post of governor. The headline reads "ADAMS LEADS POLLS." In the background, we hear a television, and pan over to it. It is a wood-cabinetted, oversized model.

 

 

                          TELEVISION VOICE (COMMERCIAL)

               Hugh Adams is a man for the people. In his four years as governor

               of this state, he has worked to build a pathway to the future, by

               listening to what you and your family want, and striving to create

               a better tomorrow for our children. Re-elect governor Hugh Adams.

               He was there for you in the past, and he'll be there in the future.

 

 

     The commercial abruptly rewinds, and then replays.

 

 

                          TELEVISION VOICE (COMMERCIAL)

               Re-elect governor Hugh ...

 

 

     The TV shuts off. On the couch sits MARILYN ADAMS, 40, well-dressed, thin and neat with short brown hair. She holds the remote control like a weapon, and looks stressed-out and worn. In the background we see a well-appointed dining room, where HUGH ADAMS is pacing around reading a fax. He walks toward the couch where Marilyn is.

 

                          HUGH

               Marilyn, really, are you sure you don't want to go?

 

                          MARILYN

               I'd love to if I could, but I've got work to do, you know that.

 

                          HUGH

               Yes, yes, always with your work. You know, you're turning into more of

               a political beast than I am.

 

 

     An ATTENDANT opens the door and peeks his head in.

 

 

                          ATTENDANT

               They're ready for you, Mr. Adams.

 

 

                          HUGH

               Thank you, Timmy.

 

 

     Hugh leans over the couch and kisses Marilyn on the cheek.

 

 

                          HUGH (cont)

               Bye.

 

 

                          MARILYN

               Bye.

 

 

     Hugh walks out the door, and the attendant closes it for him. For a moment, everything is quiet. Then Marilyn stands up quickly, and composes herself, rubbing her hands against the folds of her dress nervously. Looking around her as if she's afraid someone might be watching, she walks over to the phone and dials. After a moment, we hear someone answer it. Marilyn rubs her forehead, downcast.

 

 

 

                          MARILYN (cont)

               All right, he's gone.

 

 

INT - NEWS OFFICE - EVENING - CONTINUOUS

 

     Closeup of WALTER BELL, an overweight and unshaven reporter eating a donut and talking on the phone.

 

                          BELL

               I'll be over in twenty minutes or less.

 

 

     He hangs up and grabs his coat.

 

 

 

INT - LIVING ROOM - ADAMS HOUSEHOLD - EVENING (continuous)

 

 

     MARILYN hangs up the phone and pauses a minute, covering her eyes. She sniffles a bit, takes a deep breath and looks up at the ceiling. Her eyes are watering. She blinks, bites her lip and takes another deep breath, strong and defiant.

 

     On the dining room table is a folder of photographs, marked "JAMES SILUGA." She walks over, still sniffling a bit, and flips through them -- all are posed photos of James Siluga, the challenger, at various democratic functions. He has a crooked smile and gives the "thumbs-up" a lot.

 

     The doorbell rings. MARILYN jumps, shocked, and then catches herself. She puts the Siluga  photos back in the folder, composes herself and walks to the door, sniffling and wiping off her eyes.

 

     She opens the door. Standing in the doorway is JAMES SILUGA. Marilyn gasps.

 

                          MARILYN

               What are you doing here?

 

                          JAMES

               I had to see you.

 

                          MARILYN

               You shouldn't be here. You should leave this very minute.

 

     He is already walking in the door.

 

                          JAMES

               I won't stay long.

 

                          MARILYN

               What if Hugh comes home?

 

                          JAMES

               He'll be at that convention all night.

 

                          MARILYN

               Seriously James, this isn't going to do at all.

 

                          JAMES

               Darling ...

 

 

     He puts his arms around her and kisses her passionately. She closes the door.

 

 

                          JAMES (cont.)

               Can I get a drink?

 

                          MARILYN

               Help yourself.

 

 

     He walks into the kitchen. Marilyn checks her watch and taps her feet nervously.

     We hear a drink pouring.

 

 

                          JAMES (offscreen)

               There's a new play at the Baldwin theater. Seems they decided to reinvent Macbeth as a circus, you know, circus acts. Elephants, and men on stilts. In this one Macbeth is this famous clown, but he's told by one of the trapeze girls that he could be the star of the show ...

 

 

     James enters from the kitchen, holding two drinks.

 

 

                          JAMES (cont.)

                ... so he kills the ringmaster and tries to take over the circus. Have you ever heard anything more ridiculous?

 

 

     Marilyn takes one of the drinks and downs it quickly. James takes his own drink, and drinks more carefully.

 

                         

                          MARILYN

               Hugh is leading in the polls now.

 

                          JAMES

               To hell with Hugh. I don't care.

 

                          MARILYN

               Of course you care James, and don't pretend you don't. You want him and his awful programs to lose as much as I do.

 

 

     James shrugs, and walks over to the couch. He sits down.

 

 

                          JAMES

               It's out of my hands. We put up a good campaign.

 

 

     Marilyn walks over to him.

 

 

                          MARILYN

               You act like you've lost already.

 

                          JAMES

               Oh, let's not talk politics, not tonight.

 

 

     Marilyn sighs, and sits down on the couch. He lies down on her lap. She runs her fingers through his hair. He closes his eyes and smiles.

 

 

                          MARILYN

               You really have to go, you know.

 

                          JAMES

               Mm-hm.              

 

                          MARILYN

               There's a man coming.

 

                          JAMES

               Mm-hm.

 

                          MARILYN

               In just a few minutes.

 

 

     He lifts up his head and kisses her. They are nearly on top of one another.

 

 

                          MARILYN

               I'm serious.

 

                          JAMES

               About what?

 

                          MARILYN

               Someone is coming here, very soon, and you have to leave because he can't see us together.

 

                          JAMES

               You're such a spoilsport.

 

                          MARILYN

               James, please, don't act like a child.

 

                          JAMES

               Why not? There used to be a time when you liked a little child's play.

 

 

     He rubs her side with his hand. Marilyn pushes James off her lap and stands up. He sits up.

 

 

                          JAMES (cont.)

               Well, you're no fun tonight.

 

     JAMES stands.

 

                          MARILYN

               I'm sorry. But you have to leave, please, now. I mean it.

 

                          JAMES

               You know, if I didn't know better I'd get the impression you didn't want me here.

 

                          MARILYN

               I can see you later. Later tonight, even. I just have some business to take care of right now.

 

                          JAMES

               Business with who?

 

                          MARILYN

               No one. Walter Bell.

 

                          JAMES

                          (incredulous)

               Walter Bell? The reporter, Walter Bell?

 

                          MARILYN

               Yes. So you have to go.

 

                          JAMES

               What does he want with you?

 

                          MARILYN

               Nothing.

 

                          JAMES

               He knows something, doesn't he?

 

                          MARILYN

               He doesn't know anything. Well, that's not true.

 

                          JAMES

               He knows about us.

 

 

     Marilyn rubs her hand across her forehead.

 

 

                          MARILYN

               He has the photos. I didn't want you to know.

 

                          JAMES

               That's impossible.

 

                          MARILYN

               James, he's been calling me every day for a week, hounding me, pestering me. If this story breaks, everyone's going to know.

 

                          JAMES

               How did he get copies of the photos?

 

                          MARILYN

               There was a break-in here, two weeks ago. Whoever did it, disguised it to make it look like a robbery. They even took some of the silverware. But they went straight for the false bottom of the drawer where I kept those pictures. They knew what they were looking for. They didn't take anything else of importance.

 

                          JAMES

               Does Hugh know?

 

                          MARILYN

               Hugh doesn't ... he doesn't know anything. It's a good thing I handle most of the press relations here though, or else that sleazeball Bell would've gotten to him by now.

 

                         JAMES

               Who else knows?

 

                          MARILYN

               No one but us.

 

                          JAMES

                          (quietly)

               Good ... good.

 

                          MARILYN

               Bell says he's got the photos, all of them, the negatives too. He was going to break with the story, but decided to hold out for money instead.

 

                          JAMES

               Blackmail.

 

                          MARILYN

               Same old Bell. He wants half a million, no more, no less. It comes out of Hugh's campaign funds, but I've fudged the numbers so he'll never know.

 

     Beat.

 

                          JAMES

               Don't pay it.

 

                          MARILYN

               James, I have to.

 

                          JAMES

               No. He's bluffing.

 

                          MARILYN

               He isn't, James, they broke in, they have the photos ...

 

                          JAMES

               I broke in, Marilyn.

 

                          MARILYN

               What?

 

                          JAMES

               I had two of my staff do it.

 

                          MARILYN

               WHAT?

 

                          JAMES

               I didn't want to tell you.

 

                          MARILYN

               James, why?

 

                          JAMES

               The photos were a liability as long as they were here. I figured as long as we had them, we could control them, keep them from coming out.

 

                          MARILYN

               You broke into my house ...

 

                          JAMES

               It was my staff, Marilyn, I don't condone it, but, hell, we had to do something. I mean, we couldn't let those photos stay with ...

 

                          MARILYN

               Go on, say it.

 

                          JAMES

               We couldn't let them stay with you. I mean, who knows? What if the relationship doesn't last? What if Hugh won the election, and you decided to stay with him? I mean, I trust you, but, politically, that would kill any hope I have in future elections.

 

                          MARILYN

               We were going to show those photos to our grandchildren.

 

                          JAMES

               Fuck that, Marilyn, we're too old for grandchildren and you know it. I mean ... fuck.

 

                          MARILYN

               You kiss babies with that mouth?

 

                          JAMES

               Marilyn ...

 

 

     She backs away from him.

 

 

                          MARILYN

               Get out. I don't want to see you. Not right now.

 

                          JAMES

               Is it over between us?

 

                          MARILYN

               I don't know. I mean ... damnit James, you think you're the only one with political aspirations around here? Sure, maybe you're right, maybe I will stay with Hugh if he wins, but I'm not going to stop loving you just like that. And I'm never letting those photos get out, not now. I need to put on a public face, be the good wife, so that I can have a good track record in case someday I decide to run for office myself.

 

     Beat.

 

                          JAMES

               It's been a long campaign. I don't think either of us are thinking straight right now.

 

                          MARILYN

               Yeah.

 

                          JAMES

               I'll go now. We'll sleep on this.

 

 

     Marilyn smiles weakly. They walk over to the door, and she opens it for him. They stand in the doorway a moment.

 

 

EXT - ADAMS FRONT STEPS - EVENING

 

                          JAMES (cont.)

               You have nothing to worry about, you know. Walter Bell doesn't have any of the photos. They're safe at my campaign headquarters. He's full of baloney as usual.

 

                          MARILYN

               I'm glad to hear that. But I'm not embarrassed about what we did. I'm almost disappointed the story isn't going to come out.

 

 

     James smiles.

 

                          JAMES

               Too bad it had to be this way. I mean, if you weren't the wife of my closest opponent, well, we could've made a pretty nice team.

 

 

     A pause, then both wrap their arms around each other and kiss passionately in the doorway.

 

     A flashbulb goes off and we hear a camera shutter snap five times.

 

     Marilyn and James look behind them, shocked.

 

     There is WALTER BELL, holding a camera and smiling. He spits. James looks at Walter angrily, and starts to move toward him.

 

     Walter runs away as fast as he can, James giving chase. They disappear down the street.

 

     Marilyn stands in the doorway a moment, wide-eyed. She blinks, twice, then backs away back into her warm house, and shuts the door in front of her.