SCENE THREE: LINDA ZAPATOS’ SPRING TRAINING OFFICE

Linda has locked the door to her office and Brent David is now sitting on a chair on the common area of the PR “wing” of the Cubs’ spring training facility. Carrie Fitch is sitting at her desk facing Brent.

CARRIE FITCH

Intern? How old are you?

BRENT DAVID

22.

CARRIE FITCH

You know this intership doesn’t pay anything, right?

BRENT DAVID

Yeah. But I want to work for a baseball team, and you can’t get a real job until you’ve done one of these, right?

CARRIE FITCH

I suppose. But where are you going to live in Chicago? How are you going to pay the bills?

BRENT DAVID

My grandmother died and she left me some money, so I’ve got enough to get by for a while, probably a year. Then I’ll have to get a real job.

CARRIE FITCH

My grandmother’s rich, too. She used to be married to Marshall Field’s.

BRENT DAVID

Didn’t you say you lived with a drunken aunt?

CARRIE FITCH

Probably. I lie a lot. You’ll have to learn to deal with that.

BRENT DAVID

Is she still crying?

He points at Zapatos’ office.

CARRIE FITCH

Probably not. She’s probably drunk by now. And I’m not lying about that.

BRENT DAVID (looks at his watch)

But it’s not even 10 in the morning.

CARRIE FITCH

I’m telling you that your boss just downed a fifth of Southern Comfort at her desk and you’re wondering if it’s too early to be appropriate?

Carrie’s phone rings.

CARRIE FITCH

OK, I’ll send him in.

Good news! She’s loaded and she wants to see you!

BRENT DAVID

Me?

CARRIE FITCH

No, the other slack jawed yokel. Yes, you.

Brent opens the door to Zapatos’ door and walks in, she motions for him to close the door. She doesn’t appear to be drunk, though her eyes are puffy as though she’s been crying.

LINDA ZAPATOS

I’m sorry you had to see this on your first day, Dave.

BRENT DAVID

Brent.

LINDA ZAPATOS

Brent? Really? Whatever. Anyway, you know it’s a unique situation here with the Cubs. I’m not sure if you’re aware, but we’ve been lousy for a very long time.

BRENT DAVID

I’ve heard rumors.

LINDA ZAPATOS

And last year we were supposed to be good and we pissed it away, and the media don’t trust us, and they sure don’t trust me, and now I’ve got a general manager hiding under his desk? Do you think the public relations director of the Yankees has to put up with this (bleep)?

Long pause.

LINDA ZAPATOS

Well, do you?

DAVID BRENT

No?

LINDA ZAPATOS

Damn right he doesn’t.

Let me ask you a question, Dave.

DAVID BRENT

Brent.

LINDA ZAPATOS

Whatever. Am I attractive? I’m not asking if you want to (bleep) me. I know that’s inappropriate, and besides, you’re like 12 years old. You’d have an easier time scoring at the Neverland Ranch.

Linda laughs to herself. Dave…I mean, Brent begins to wonder if she is, indeed drunk.

DAVID BRENT

Sure. You’re nice looking.

Brent is lying. They don’t just call her The Big Shoe because of her last name, she looks like she’s been stomped by one.

LINDA ZAPATOS

Thanks, Intern. You’re all right. Now I know why I hired you.

BRENT DAVID

Thanks, but you didn’t…

LINDA ZAPATOS

Wait, did I hire you? I didn’t, did I? Oh, I was at that LPGA event with my girlfriends from college. Every year our old softball team gets together. It’s gets harder you know. We’re almost to the age where we’ll be having kids and getting married.

Brent looks puzzled, trying to figure out how old she is.

LINDA ZAPATOS

You know…40.

Linda’s phone rings, she answers it.

LINDA ZAPATOS

Hi Andy. Today? Uh, I’m pretty swamped. How about tomorrow? No, it wasn’t that big a deal. Just Jim and Bird Dog trying to have some fun with me. Yeah, it was a hoot. Now? Right now? Uh…I suppose I could move some things around. OK, I’ll be there.

Linda hangs up the phone and looks panicked.

LINDA ZAPATOS

Intern. Go the supply closet and get me some Scope.

BRENT DAVID

Scope?

LINDA ZAPATOS

Yeah, Scope! It’s a (bleeping) mouthwash, you pansy! Fine, I’ll do it myself.

As she stands up she kicks an empty bottle of Southern Comfort across the floor.

LINDA ZAPATOS

Throw that away!

Brent watches as Linda digs around in the supply closet and finds a half empty bottle of mouthwash. She gargles with it, then swallows it. Brent recoils in horror.

LINDA ZAPATOS (to Carrie)

I’ll be in the conference room with Andy MacPhail, Jim Hendry and that (bleeping) scout. Find something for Dave to do.