can't talk right now. employment number's coming out.
i'll call you later.
nah, i'm meeting some friends tonight.
more of a going-away party.
and everybody's thinking, if claims have dropped, employment must be up.
not this time.
i've got a theory.
they authorized me to a hundred million.
i'm telling you, we're in for a low number. one-forty, maybe one-thirty-five.
fuck sollie.
they're hedging their bets . they want everyone on their side of the fence.
more jobs means fewer people looking for work, right? which means it's harder to find the right people for a job, which means you got to raise wages to get them, which mean s inflation goes up -- you following?
you're wearing a striped shirt with a striped tie . phelan looks down at his tie .
i don't come into your bedroom and tell yo u how to fuck your wife, do i?
it's really coming down, huh? slattery lives in a young man with money without woman apartment. the television set in the living room is so large that the weatherman startles jakob. the living room itself is bigger than many manhattan apartments, but it's empty except for the television, an old sofa, a coffee table, a persian rug under the windows, and a shiny red electric guitar in the corner. slattery returns to the sofa, bottle of beer in hand, while jakob remains standing, brushing the snow from his coat.
you think i have time for guitar lessons? it's nice though, huh?
i like that color red. have you checked out the tv yet? big, right?
ten inches of snow!
we should go skiing this weekend. i bought some racing skis. six hundred bucks.for a pair of fucking skis .
well so what. neither do i. but ten inches! ! you gonna stand all night? you'r e making ! me nervous. jakob sits beside slattery and stares unhappily at the huge television. when the screen goes blank befor e a commercial, \ he sees his own face reflected in the glass . j|
yeah?
for what?
what's there to be ready for?
we don't say anything. we get him drunk and go wherever he wants to go .
what are you talking about?
his friends from the present haven't done him much good. they're quiet for a time, staring at the huge television.
it's the best thing that ever happened to him. the comment startles jakob.
it means if he didn't get arrested, he wouldn't be alive in seven years . they'd find him under the manhattan bridge with two bullets in hi s head. jakob thinks about this for a second before picking up a framed photograph from the coffee table.
you want to help me with this rug? it's been sitting here for a month.
over here. they carry the rolled rug to the center of the room and tear off the plastic wrap.
doyle? i don't know. give him to naturelle? slattery balls up the plastic wrap and tosses it into the corner. they begin unrolling the rug.
you can't take your dog to prison with you.
that looks pretty good^
you don't get it. here, let's move it closer to the sofa. they lift the rug and shift it a few feet.
you want the simple version? people wh o look like monty don't do wel l in prison .
man , you talk exactly like a guy who never left school.
monty's got three choices, and none of them are good. one , he can run. get on a train going to wherever and hope they never catch up to him.
i'm not saying what he will do, i'm saying what his choices are. number two -- slattery makes a gun with his thumb and index finger and points it at his temple. jakob's eyes go wide.
the third choice? slattery thinks about it for a minute.
the third choice is he goes to prison.
maybe. but no matter what, it's bye-bye monty.
if he runs, he's gone. and he won't be coming home. he raises his index finger.
if he pulls the trigger, he's gone. they'll keep the casket closed. he raises his middle finger.
i wouldn't bet on it. you think you're still gonna be friends? you think you'll kick back with a couple beers and reminisce? forget it, jake. it's over after tonight.
thanks. - she pours-his-bourbon-. *,,-=,.-.,,.-.--^. -- __
a girl ? what d o you mean , a student ?
uh-huh.
you haven't fucked her yet, have you? jakob's eyes go wide.
you haven't fucked her, right? jakob starts to protest and slattery raises his eyebrows.
good. that would be a mistake. fv \
thanks, jody.
jto-u'^vejgot a lot of yojxng _f an.s. i- think- -- we're the oldest ones here.
you have any whiskey?
nah, don't bother, i'll get it. he nods at monty and jakob.
back in a minute. daphne sets a champagne bottle in an ice bucket on the table, then retreats to the small bar in the corner of the room. monty sits on the red velvet sofa and jakob lies down next to him, covering his eyes with his arm.
there's some talent here tonight.
who, the little one? who is she?
hey, konstantine. how are you?
that's not my style, monty. i really --
you all right? monty opens his eyes". ~ "'"
come on. none of that's gonna happen.
thirty-four is still young. you and me , we'll start something up . a bar , maybe . . x two irish kids from brooklyn, how could fcr--] we not have a bar? green beer for st . paddy's day, free hot dogs for monday night football. think about it . old fashioned jukebox sitting in the corner --
yeah : well, m e t o o . " """""""*-""""--" -
have i ever broken a promise to you? have i ever once in my life broken a promise to you? have i ever said i would be somewhere and not shown up?
anything.
i couldn't sit in that goddamn red room anymore. i don't know anyone in there . these are monty's friends?--
i'm supposed to be at work in a couple hours. christ, i can't even imagine working today. you just gave me the flu, okay? i'm calling in sick.
he's probably saying goodbye to everyone.
what's that? slattery catches himself looking at naturelle's cleavage and looks away.
what's wrong?
he's going to prison in a few hours, nat. how do you want him to act?
he is scared.
that's not true. he's just --
why wouldn't he trust you? naturelle is quiet for a moment.
this is all so stupid. it's so stupid. he's got so much going on, he's so smart, and what does he do? he throws it al l away. an d here i am, his friend -- i mean , right? i'm his oldest friend?
his oldest friend, and what do i do to stop it? nothing, never a word. when he started selling pot to kids in campbell - sawyer, did i say anything? when everyone's talking about buying from monty, the whole school, and i knew they were going to nail him, knew it, did i say a word? the last ten years i watc h him get deeper and deeper, and these friends of his, these fucks you wouldn't want petting your dog, did i say, "careful now, monty, better get out of this. " no . nothing, not a word. his bes t friend. goddamn, naturelle, i'm his bes t friend and i just sat there and watched him ruin his life. and you did, too . both of-us.,., all -of us , we just sat there and let him . naturelle runs a fingernail down her forearm an d inspects the faint white trail .
we've got to wait for monty. what's the matter?
who?
yeah?
jake.
have a drink.
anything. monty refastens the leash onto the dog's collar and ties the cord around a baluster, knotting it twice, checking to make sure it's secure.
i can't do that. what are you thinking, i give you a black eye and people won't fuck with you? it won't change anything. monty steps closer.
i can't hit you.
i'm not doing it. monty steps closer again.
listen --
forget it. come on, forget all this. let's get some breakfast.
what?
all right. al l right.
oh jesus . jakob crouches and turns monty onto his stomach . monty coughs, a thick ribbon of blood falling from hi s mouth . jakob scoops up a handful of snow and begins gentl y pressing it to monty's brutalized face. doyle continues to bark, the collar digging into his throat as he struggles to reach his master. slattery watches , speechless, his bloodied hand s by his side. finally monty shakes his head clear of the snow and begins crawling forward.
oh jesus.