ahhhh.  the sweet, uncomplicated satisfaction of the younger woman. that fleeting age when everything just falls right into place. it's magic time and it can render any man, anywhere -- absolutely helpless. some say i'm an expert on the younger woman. guess that's 'cause i've been dating them for over forty years.
langer. .  the maitre'd snaps to attention at the sight of him.
so what does a life of bucking the system all add up to?
to never settle down with the right woman for a life of leftovers and christmas mornings. no his and her ira accounts, no mini van parked in the garage. i think it's made me what i am today. the luckiest son of a bitch on earth. look at me. i'm positively debonair. i should be illegal i'm lookin' so good. harry passes a table where a beaten sixty year old dines with his age appropriate, well-fed wife. in slow motion, harry and the beaten man catch each other's glance.
it isn't as if i haven't wondered what my life would be like if i was a regular joe and came in here once a month with a dame my age' for a porterhouse and a side of i spinach. i've wondered.
no, come on, let's be honest. . a dame really my age. . .
there you have it. the story in a nutshell. not exactly debonair, am i? awww, man, it's down right sad. look at me. i look like i'm about to die. god help me. i do not want to die.
so baby, you're rich.  .
if she lives within a mile of here, she's rich.
i'd like to meet your mother.
you're overlooking one of the great things about me. i don't have a type.
-- for what? harry waits. ringgg! he doesn't look away.
it's just not true.
oh, so you wait 'til we get out to the hamptons to let me know you're a wise ass. hold on. . . it just so happens, my dear, that women of a certain age, don't date me. you ever think of it that way? no, it's always me. you dames are all alike. hey.
have i mentioned how gorgeous your breasts look in this sweater?
so it would be too much to mention it again. . . marin laughs, softening, as harry turns down a dirt driveway, driving toward a dream beach house.
wow. it's the perfect beach house.
which explains you. that got her. harry parks. she looks over at him but he's grabbing some cigars for his shirt pocket, then looks up at her with an innocent look that suggests he did not just say such a lovely thought.
i'm incredibly glad we're finally going to do it. if that's the same as being glad we waited, then baby doll, i'm ecstatic. marin smiles then kisses him. he's one of those guys that lets you kiss them.
let's go for a swim, how long will it take you to change?
but she allows you to strip in the front yard and bring men you're dating here to.
ladies first. marin provocatively unzips her pants and wriggles out of them. she's now in a tiny tank and bikini panties.
sold. harry takes marin's hand and pulls her out of frame and onto the bed. she playfully rolls on top of him. his hands cup her ass.
why? you're not nervous now, are you?
so put on your bathing suit. i brought some champagne, i'll put it on ice.
do you.  live here?
you don't understand. i'm a friend of your daughter's. with that, harry shuts the fridge door. the women see he's naked except for a pair of boxers. they both gasp. zoe fumbles the phone over to erica who dials quickly.
honestly, if you just.
i'm dating your daughter marin. she invited me here for the weekend. she's in her room right now, changing.
now who would've thought that would be worse news? with that, marin enters, in a tiny bikini, sees harry in his shorts, zoe holding the knife and erica frozen, holding the phone.
harry langer. how are ya?
you know what? actually, i think i should just take off. let you gals enjoy your weekend.  marin shoots her mom a look. help!
no, you were impressive. very strong, very.  "macho".
trust me, if i ever catch a guy in his underwear in my refrigerator i hope i'm half the man you were, mrs uh.
all righty then. i'm definitely gonna hit the road. ladies. sensational meeting you. doll, call me.
it can only go up from here.
that's impressive.
hey, not bad.  .
my fault. they so very badly do not want to actually touch. erica hesitates. harry gestures for her to go first then walks alongside her.
i'm one of the owners of a record company among other things.
drive by records.
it's a hip hop label.
let me see if i get where you're headed here. . .
hey, a lot of people see rapping as poetry.
should've left when she tried to arrest me.
what's your play about? marin and zoe stop what they are doing and turn to erica. she's hesitant to reveal this.
i kept winking at marin as she was conducting the auction and apparently every time i did that she misunderstood and i ended up buying cases of outrageously expensive wine.
no. no, i haven't.
some people just don't fit the mold. and so far.
exactly. harry leans back, places his arm around marin's chair. erica takes note.
i wouldn't say i'm famous.
i guess people find it interesting that i've escaped the noose for so long.
no, this is more fun. it's like i'm not here.
yeah, women your age love that about me. erica pauses on that one.
you know what i mean.
it's not a bad thing to say 'women your age'.
it was. . just the truth.
long time ago. she was just this adorable lanky girl from kentucky with the greatest pair of legs i'd ever seen.  never understood her ending up with a job where she never showed them.
just anyone who's ever had the pleasure of.  you know what? i hate to eat and run but.
oh, so this is gonna hurt.
like an elephant's standing on it.
feel some pressure in my chest. it's real tight.
i was uh, kissing a beautiful.
-- unfortunately, no.
i'm having a heart attack?
i take uh.  uh. . . lipitor. . .
-- and a white one for blood pressure. . .
yeah.
no. no viagra.
i don't take viagra. don't need viagra. the women grab looks at each other, know they shouldn't be there. they turn away.
sorry, had an audience.
honey, i want to go home. can you call lowell to pick me up?
woman. and i say that as a compliment.  you saved my life. soft.  . i don't remember your name but i thank you from the bottom of my.
got to take a whiz girls.
okay. you take care of it for me, sweetheart. i'd like to see that.  as he walks away, his bare ass shines like a full moon in a desert sky.
take it easy kids, i just sat up too fast. doc, tell them. am i in good shape? how were my tests this morning?
okay, okay. let's not get goofy. we got no thin , but good news here.
see what good hands i'm in. did you meet my gorgeous assistants?
girls.  .my doctor, julian mercer. honey, did you bring the cds? kim hands harry a shopping bag full of cds.
these are for you.  the man loves hip hop.
and did you bring the other thing? lexi hands harry another bag. harry reaches in and pulls out a small leather box, hands it to julian.
this is just to thank you for your brilliance the other night. i hope it suits you.
- oh, good. it's a piaget. he likes it.
you save my life and you end up with some cds?
so, i'm some great date, huh?
tell me somethin', we haven't actually had sex yet, have we?
something to live for. marin smiles, kisses harry on the cheek.
down to the cheek. come on, let's get outta here.
look at these faces. will you tell them i'm fine. as soon as harry spots erica, he starts to wobble.
i ain't goin' back in there.
doc, i'm out in the middle of the hamptons. where do you want me to go? marin turns to erica who very clearly mouths, "forget it!"
just promise me you won't make a decision until we talk. thinking about it ain't promising me. okay, man, i'm seein' you friday.  lowell, what was that?
somebody tell you to starve me to death? kim hands harry the cell phone.
rush? no, man, you're livin' the shit. i just got a clean bill of health. kim hands harry a note that says:
smells great in here. surprised, erica turns to find harry leaning in the doorway in his pajamas, robe and slippers. no one's ever had more gorgeous clothes to sleep in. his presence disarms her.
well, i walked all the way in here, only bumping into two chairs and an ottoman.
hey, thanks for letting me.
hello. hey sweets.  oh, you got the flowers? are they pretty? erica can't stand this. she puts on her glasses and skims her recipe.
hey, can i call you in a little bit. what's your number doll? harry squints, can't see what he's writing. backs his head away from the pad. erica hands him her glasses.
okay.  call you in a little.
same prescription.
your daughter knows i see other women.
she knows i'm not monogamous. we've discussed it.
not proud. just honest. your daughter said she likes that about me.
i don't blame her. we're confusing. harry hands her the open wine bottle.
can you hold a see, doll? hey.
i have a question for you. she waits. she doesn't say anything.
i don't think i've ever had this effect on a woman before.
i don't quite recognize it, that's how i know i've never had it before. erica rolls her eyes as she finishes cleaning up.
so you don't sleep?
me too. never slept eight hours in my life.
sure. . . thanks. . .
a friend in l.a. it's only ten out there.
so you don't get more mellow as the hours pass?
can i ask you one other thing? what's with the turtlenecks? it's the middle of summer.
just curious.
you ever get hot?
never?
flustered, spins around, loses his balance, crashes into the wall, covers his eyes.
i'm sorry! oh, god am i sorry.
trying to find the kitchen!
i-i got confused! it was dark. i didn't really see anything. just your tits and a little of your- erica slams her door. photos on the wall shake.
this is gonna be murder.
not fired darlin'. just not needed. erica hardly looks at you know who who appears to be fresh out of the shower, wet hair, silk robe, bare chest and legs.
-- no, no, i'm actually feeling pretty perky today. making quite a recovery. . . sorry for the trouble mrs. gimble.  take care, dear. harry hands her a wad of bills like she's a maitre'd. mrs. gimble gives erica a look of pity as she exits. erica, now alone with harry, self-consciously adjusts her sunglasses. harry, on the other hand, slips his hand onto his bare chest, pats it.
listen, about last night.
honestly, you were in silhouette.
i really didn't see all that much.
okay. won't mention it again but.
you saw my ass, you don't see me acting nuts, wearing hats and glasses and weird get ups.  the sound of a door slam. - harry flinches.
yes or no. what's the deal, can i go?
not as much.
only sometimes.
who?
her? oh, she's a major piece of work. the woman wears turtlenecks in the middle of the summer.
she's beyond uptight. almost makes her fun to be around.
try livin' with her. julian takes harry's pulse.
i actually saw her naked last night.
it was an accident. she thought i was asleep, i thought her room was the kitchen.
trust me. this was an accident. although, why would she be walking around naked when she knows i'm 20 feet away.
it was dark, it was two in the morning.
you know i've never seen a woman that age naked before.
hey, we're not all doctors.
no, i don't know.
okay, now she's a great chick. must take after the father. which reminds me. doc, what when can i be up and running in that department?
but it won't kill me when i do it, right?
i'm walking around the house! erica laughs. even she knows this is funny. harry arrives at her open doorway, timidly pokes his head in.
good, 'cause i've been hiding from you all day.
i don't want to break your rhythm or anything.
beautiful painting. so i'm gonna venture out there and go for a short walk.
my doctor recommended it. i gotta build up to stairs and stuff like that. you wouldn't want to join me?
no, i was asking if you wanted to.
it's just a walk erica, not a marriage proposal.
erica jane barry. i looked you up on the internet.
-- did you know there are over eight thousand websites that mention you?
no, it's true. i know everything about you now. and not because of last night, but.
it's exhausting just hearing about it.
like the blink of an eye. erica bends down and picks up a flat white stone, then another and another.
i noticed you have bowls of those all over your house.
but why do you only pick up the white ones?
oh, so you really are crazy.
so you're as hard on yourself as you are on everyone else. erica is stunned that he caught on to that. harry bends down, picks up a brown stone, places it in her palm among the white stones.
something to remember me by.
i just like to travel light.
now see a thirty year old gets that.
i mean, accepts it.
i think our relationship is growing by the way. have you noticed? there he goes again. she can't believe he's cute like this.
i'm serious. maybe we just needed to get out of the house. now, you may notice, interestingly, we're walking back toward the house and its getting a little rocky again.
see, i'll accept that slight hostility because i'm enjoying your company so much.
yeah, but i think i'11 stay down here and watch the sunset. you interested? erica checks her watch.
big dinner date?
ohhhhh, my doctor, 'cause he's not too young for you, huh?
does he know that?
i doubt that you doubt that. anyway, you may like it. think of it this way -- he's not threatening, won't get your number, you get to run the show. you might have a hell of a time. over, we hear, ding dong.
and look who's at the door.
what? that's not the face you want to see your doctor making.
i don't think so. i'm not excited about anything. erica shifts, the hem of her skirt rising even higher.
doc.  impossible! erica rises, leaving harry's eye-line.
okay, all right, good, have fun, don't rush back for me and don't do anything i wouldn't do.
and do we wonder how she writes that snappy repartee. let him pick up the check. it'll make him feel older. on erica's shocked expression, the door slams.
hey, it's me. just sitting around looking at your baby pictures.  thinking about you.
everybody's out but old har.  .old, old old old har.  harry rises dizzily, crosses to the bookshelves. he rummages around, finds erica's scrapbook, pulls it out, randomly opens it, finds a photo of erica in the 70's, wearing a turtleneck. harry smiles.
top of the heap.
you have fun?
'night.
we are cute.
me either.
my, dear, you are confusing sex with sleeping. sleeping is something i prefer to do alone.
what are my choices? i mean i know you think i'm not very discriminating but.  she looks through the fridge.
pancakes.
you ever miss being married? i bet you were great at it.
you said you can't imagine what i think of you.
okay.
will you tell me first why you only miss being married at night?
okay, now i'm convinced what i think of you is right. you are a tower of strength.
try not to rate my answer.
you're like a thoroughbred in a world of mutts. no, you know what you are, you're like a great portrait over a fireplace. words have been invented to describe women like you.
flinty and. impervious.
no. i think you're formidable.
not at all. i think you're strength defines you. but it's thrilling when your defenses are down arid you're not isolated. that, i believe, is your winning combo. a killer combo actually.
i don't hate you. the moment is broken when they hear the front door open and
thought you'd like to know your daughter broke up with me. harry and erica talk while looking at each other through the kitchen window.
made up a story about meeting another guy. guess i wasn't so cute with an iv in my arm.
hey, it's alright. her mother didn't like me anyway.
for what?
no, honey, i kissed you. relieyed, erica kisses him.
try not to keep score. he kisses her again and again.
soft lips.
well, well, now look who's got something that works.  they both look down at harry. hello, mr. midnight.
kiss me before you make it go away.
this could be world class interesting. having any doubts?
me too.
can't get past your damn turtleneck. . . he tries lifting the shirt from the bottom, it's awkward, he doesn't want to be down there yet. he comes back up when erica reaches to her night table, slides opens the drawer, takes out a scissors and hands it to him.
you're beautiful. she shakes her head, 'no' . shuts her eyes.
open your eyes so i know you can hear me. beautiful.  they kiss and she reaches down for his pants.
what about birth control?
who's the lucky boy.  he kisses between her breasts, her stomach, heads down and out of frame. erica can't quite believe life held this twist for her. then:,
nobody but you would. . .
you certainly do. erica arrives next to him, also out of breath.
nothin's ever surprised me more.  flattered, erica snuggles up close. harry puts his arm around her. then, with no warning, his eyes fill with tears.
this is crazy. i can't remember the last time i cried. i think i'm overwhelmed.
baby, i had sex three days after a heart attack and i didn't die! erica pauses. oh. that kind of overwhelmed.
that's gotta be some kind of record. good sport erica gives him a double thumbs up.
honey i may not be many things but one - thing i am is a gentleman. harry holds her close.
erica, erica, erica. you know i'm not good at being monogamous, right?
-- so there i was at nineteen, in new york, by myself, and i'd never seen snow before and i didn't have enough money for the bus, so i had to walk. had no idea how far it was and i'm talking blizzard and i'm in sneakers.
really? marin's selling aluminum siding? erica buries her face in his chest.
--but why paris?
excuse me. what do you call this? eating eggs by candlelight in our robes after.  she kisses him, starts to say, "i'm sorry" when he pulls her back, kisses her again, then looks at her hard, perplexed.
so where do you like to eat in paris? e
you'd be fun to go to paris with.
february.
maybe. . .
you're the funniest girl i ever had sex with. she has no idea how to take that. decides to accept it.
honey.  ? she turns, sees he's getting out of bed, approaching her.
i think i'm gonna go back to my room. let you sleep.
i'm an old dog, you' know.
me too. at one point i even thought soul mates, you know.  erica nods. she knows.
i'd like to try sleeping with you.
can you see this?
it is eleven.
impossible. they turn and finally look at each other. both look wrinkled, messy haired, a little wiped.
how ya doin' ace? whoa nelly. little dizzy.
erica.  you are a woman to love. erica smiles, then walks away with the achey walk of a woman who hasn't had sex in many a year but has more than made up for it in the last 12 hours. she holds onto the wall as she exits the room, a little bow-legged, like she's just gotten off a horse. alone in the hallway, she stops.
yeah, i've been working on that stair thing. i can do it by the way.
climb a flight of stairs. several times actually. harry stands, tucks in his shirt, smiling proudly to himself.
erica?
yes, i do. erica, as it turns out is an amazing woman. does whatever she can to make me happy. really. turns out she's very giving. julian, suddenly riveted to these words.
very giving.
i think she's wonderful too.
julian. thanks for everything. julian shakes harry's hand. harry's eyes tear up.
what the? this is the second time i've done this now. i get overcome or something. . .
so it's not crazy for a man to do something entirely out of character after having a heart attack?
yeah and totally changing their tastes. like suddenly really liking something they never thought they could like. ever. and i'm talking really liking it. it's. unnerving.
but most people go back to being themselves, right? i'll go back to being me, won't i?
hi.
he said you're wonderful.
he said i'm good. that i can go.
yeah, he said.  by tomorrow for absolute sure. you think you can deal with me for one more night?
okay, here goes.
here goes me singing to you.  bought my own music.
baby, it's why we're here. . harry makes his way to the stage, hands them his disc. he's handed a microphone. he looks right at erica.
this is for you, ace.  wish me luck. the music begins and it is an instrumental version of one of erica's french songs, "i wish you love".
i wish you bluebirds in the spring.  to give your heart a song to sing.  and then a kiss, but more than this.  i wish h you love.  arry takes out a sheet of paper and his glasses.
don't want to blow this part.  now harry sings the rest of the song in french. . .
et en juillet une limonade. pour vous refroidir dans quelque lefy glade.  and so on.  erica watches knowing something in her life has just that second, forever changed. and as harry continues singing, we:
thank you darlin' .
what a doll.  got something else? from behind her back erica pulls out a mason jar filled with all dark beach stones with one white stone in the center.
there is that.
honey, no words can ever express my gratitude for taking me in and taking care of me and.
i love ya.
you're not like anybody.
hey.
slow down. you want to kill me? she considers it.
erica, she's just a friend.
come on, it's just a dinner.
i really like you.
i think maybe you should consider that you're in love with the idea of being in love.
let's just calm down. this was just a a meal with a friend.
i was gonna call you. i've been jamming all day, it's my first day back.
i had these plans before i met you. but i do like seeing you. i do. i'm always surprised by it.
maybe you weren't thinking for once and look what a good time we had. let's not ruin something great.
at what?
i have never lied to you. i have always told you some version of the truth.
can you cut me a little slack? my life's been turned upside down.
then let's each get our bearings.
yes i do. tell me.
you're killin' me.
me too.
can we talk tomorrow?
wait. erica turns. this is his chance.
i just.  the truth is.  i don't know how to be a boyfriend.
that's not a small thing. they're both out of words.
i don't know. she nods. he doesn't give. she ducks into the cab and it pulls away. harry stands on the street, watching her go.
ouch. he grabs his heart.
oh, god.
you can't. i took viagra.
having a fight with someone. a woman. can a woman give you chest pain?
yeah, but so far, i've only given pain, i never got any.
stress?
if you were my dad.  he pulls his glasses out of his pocket, puts them on to dial. something feels odd, he takes off his glasses, looks at them, they're not his -- they're erica's. he puts them back on and dials.
ouch.
lowell, i'm goin' out.
i mean, i should go out, shouldn't i? since .when don't i go out? just cause some emergency room doctor tells me to stay in bed, doesn't mean i have to turn into a monk.
well, no, just. well, what are you doin'?
would you hate making me something to eat?
funny women are adorable, don't you think?
neither had i, but think about it. funny's a unique thing in a woman. it's fun to be around.
exactly. it lasts. we're not sittin' here watchin' mamie van doren reruns.
i don't think i've slept one night since i've been home. every little ache and pain scares the shitout of me. can't get a handle on my emotional life, don't know what i want, don't know if what i felt was because i just had a heart attack or was real. plus, i feel needy. i never used that word in my life.
lowell, have you ever seen me like this? be honest.
that's right, buddy, i'm a mess. and i'm no good at it. those are very nice pajamas, by the way. did they used to be mine?
i know. but why would i do that? they're so elegant. nice piping.
awwwww.  how did i get like this? i'm gonna shut my eyes for a few minutes. keep lucy on.  harry nods off and lowell turns out the light.
not quite. harry makes his way down the stairs, through the crowded entry and out the front door. outside, harry steps into the quiet street, looks up at his house and the party inside.
i need to talk to you. erica freezes, horrified. turns, sees him.
got a minute?
so your play's about us?
am i in it?
what happens to this guy who's . not me?
what are you leaning towards?
he dies of a funny heart attack?
schmucks are people too you know. death doesn't seem a little harsh?
so i'm going to be the laughing stock of broadway.
you know it isn't like i wanted to stop seeing you. we could've carried on a fun thing for awhile. why is it you dames want all or nothing?
i'm not ready to be your friend. how's that?
anyway, do you actually buy that horse shit.  .that men and women can be friends once they've had sex?
we didn't just have sex either.
can i e-mail it to you when i figure it out? this is perfect. i have given the `can't we be friends' speech for 40 years. i think i invented the 'can't we be friends' speech. but you know what,now i get why they never went for it. you dames got one thing right. sometimes sex does change everything. call me crazy, but i just don't see us out on the town, being pals, having dinner, 'cause i'd bet you anything, at some point, one of us will have very unfriend like thoughts about the other then pass the bread becomes anything but pass the bread. you get what i'm saying?
not "don't". can't. can't be friends. doesn't work that way. okay, i'm moving into another phase of this thing. i'm mad at you. it almost feels good.
excellent. 'cause i don't like thinking about you so much and worrying about how you are and if i ruined your life or.
yes honey, the schmuck who deserves to die, worries about you.
do you know me or are you just talking to me as "man" in general, the beast women love to hate.
oh. don't tell me. i dated your daughter. right? i broke her heart then she married some hard working joe on the rebound, has three great kids. what is so funny?
i dated you. .? did we. ever?
can you give me hint? a year? a decade?
to a mets game? i must've really liked you.
oh, god, i really liked you. you're sandra. . cook. we did. we saw the beatles together. how the hell have you been? what happened to you?
this is it, i'm dyin', i've had 20 minutes of severe chest pain, nausea, shortness of breath, blood pressure's gotta be 170 over 100. give me the nitrate, i didn't take viagra. plug me in to the ekg, i need an aspirin, i'm taking 2 beta blockers, blood thinner, lipitor, procardia and if i were you, i'd be pounding my chest. ow!
just a very sick man.
that's impossible.
so i'm nuts? perfect! the one thing i'm not taking pills for.
i don't know. a hammock.
palm trees. clear blue water.  we hear the sound of lapping water, sea gulls. . . .
yes. beautiful women. in thongs.
a margarita. a cuban cigar. . miles of soft beach.  .
you couldn't look better.
no, no, i just wanted to stop by and say hi and tell you i'm sorry if i ever did anything to you that wasn't on the up and up or.
i was?
that's refreshing. good. well, i don't know what you've done to yourself but you look absolutely radiant.
i bet.  .
so the guy in the play, he doesn't make it, does he?
was hopin' she'd give me a reprieve, but.
yeah. okay. best of luck, kids.  marin is stumped by this little visit. harry heads toward the elevator, pushes the button, then turns back.
how is she?
now if i wanted to see her. how would that go over?
oh yeah? where is she?
paris.
showtirne.
i knew you'd be here.
i've come a long way to see you, erica.
yes, i did. i'm aware it was a bold move, one of those impulses that grabs you,' but. so far, we're okay; right?
i'll take that as a 'yes'. harry takes off his coat and scarf, hangs them on a hook.
i was just gonna give you a kiss hello.
i remember you said if we still know each other we should go to paris for our birthdays, well, we still know each other".
i know but i've certainly been thinking about you. there's a lot i have to say. first thing is.  i'm not mad at you anymore.
that's a relief. since i did come all the way to france and everything. and.  happy birthday.
and congratulations on your amazing success.
after i saw you in the theater that afternoon, i had another "episode.
i was actually okay, but i was sure i was dying and the doctor in the er said i needed to decompress. so i did. i walked out of there and changed my life, sold most of my businesses, packed my bags and moved to an island in the caribbean.
actually. no.
so i decided to take another kind of pilgrimage. into my past. harry enters the closet, reaches onto a top shelf ,and starts pulling down dozens of what used be called, "little black books".
my thought was -- if i retraced my steps and visited all the women i've dated.  he blows dust off of the books.
-- maybe i could figure out how i got so screwed up.
a lot of the women wouldn't see me. then, we see women of various ages slap him across the face.
or speak to me. harry reels backwards from one hefty mama.
but i was on a mission to save my soul.
my losing streak finally ended when i got one to open up to me. in a hospital room, an older woman on life support, scrawls out a note and shows it to harry who sits in a chair by herside. a priest stands in the background. the note says, "as i remember it, you were wildly insensitive". harry lowers his head in shame. she places another note in front of him. it says, "i forgive you." relieved, he smiles. then, one last note: "now, scram."
hearing what they had to say was no picnic. in an upper west side coffee shop, harry pas coffee with a woman in her mid forties. she talks his ear off. harry can' t deal with it. he looks away ~ the woman places her hand on his chin and pulls him right back to her and keeps talking at him.
and one of the things i realized was, i was actually giving closure to generations of women. at the corner, the woman hugs harry goodbye.
although i admit, some refused to give, no matter what i did. . .
when you hear the same story about yourself over and over, your life begins to make sense and the future becomes your only salvation.
it took me six months to find them all. i visited 18 different states but i came the furthest to see you. a hand lands on his shoulder and he hears:
me either. harry stands. the two men hug, then julian squeezes in next to erica. harry slowly takes his seat across from them.
oh, maybe another time. . so.  i guess i should've seen your play, then i would've jknown how this ended.
just a uh, vacation. never been to paris in january.
haven't been on a gurney in six months so that's somethin'.
no, no, you know what, i'll let you two celebrate.
i can't really.
honey, if you were writing this, i'd be dead. erica laughs.
never fails to amuse her. the waiter drops the check on the table. harry takes it.
no, no, i insist. i crashed your party. at least let me buy you dinner on your birthday.  what time does that say?
wait,' i have my. . .
you think you look so handsome in mine?
yes i do. harry hands erica her glasses. she hesitates. he snaps, gesturing for his to be turned over. she hands them to him. julian watches all this, sobered by their chemistry.
at the end of the day, i'm nothin' but a sap, a stupid old sap, standing on a bridge in paris, crying my eyes out. he stops, looks at the mighty city surrounding him. beauty's not supposed to hurt. another tear.
look who gets to be the girl. he wipes his eyes on his coat sleeve as snow begins to fall.
anything else.  .
where's julian?
how come?
if it's true, my life just got made.
because i realized what i was feeling for you, have always felt for you, was something i didn't understand, like a language i didn't speak.  it scared me so i did what i do. i snuck away. turns out the heart attack was easy to get over. you were somethin' else. and when i went to see all those women, i found out i was never really present for any of them. and something inside me at some point, had just. shut off. that's when i think my heart gave out and you saved me. i finally get what it's all about. i'm 63 years old and i am in love for the first time in my life. and that's what i came here to say.
i know i'm no spring chicken, i figure i only got another 30-40 years in me. tops. but how 'bout we figure out a way to make this work.
okay? okay! i'll take it. the barge drifts back under the bridge, la vie en rose piping out of it's tinny speakers.
honey, they're playing our song.