hello, billy. do you know who this is? silence.
kid from ohio is looking real good, billie.  the man's hand unclenches. a container of pills spills over the blanket. he stammers:
no, billy. what you're gonna do .  is rush for 150 yards against chicago.
you can. and you will. this is a business, billy. you don't make one fifty, you're history, the kid steps in. no more job.  and no more pills, billy.
one hundred and fifty yards. goodbye. the phone clicks off. nfl running back billy cole stares straight ahead, mouth working spastically. cut to:
hey, joe, mike miller over at swerdlow. you got a minute?
mmmmm? what's mmmmm? jeez, you sound fucking terrific. what'd you do last night?
how bad?
that's bad, joe.
still takin' charity?
stripper in west hollywood. lives alone. very hot. a three on my finger scale. means i'd cut off three of my fingers if god would let me sleep with her.
eat me. deal is this: she's got a psycho, threatens her over the phone. i'm gonna rape you, cut you, the usual crap.
she thinks he's following her. i'm up to here, you got plans?
can you postpone?
she goes onstage at seven. it's two hundred bucks, joe.
terrific. and, joe, big favor, okay? try to.  fix yourself up, if you can manage it. look the part. not like the last time, okay? hallenbeck catches his reflection in the mirror over the tv. his face is ashen grey. hollow eye sockets. blotchy skin.
roger, air one, over.