Love Doesn't Ask Why

Part 15

Scene: - Dawson’s office. One week later.

DAWSON (calling out of his office) : "Hey Anna, I have a fun job for you."

ANNA (walking into Dawson office and handing him his mail) : "You do know that our definitions of fun aren’t the same?"

DAWSON: "Come on Anna, just because you don’t like my choice of favourite movie, my taste in music or anything else I do, doesn’t mean they’re not fun."

ANNA: "You knew better than to say ‘just because I’m not hip’. Because I may be on the wrong side of forty but I have taste."

DAWSON: "I don’t disagree with you."

ANNA: "Wasn’t that a double negative Dawson? Either you just said you don’t think that I have taste or you agreed with me for a change."

DAWSON: "I’ll leave you to work that out."

ANNA: "I won’t lose any sleep over trying to figure it out. So what’s this ‘fun’ job you have for me?"

DAWSON: "I need an interior design firm for one of the sets. I don’t like what the guys have come up with for one of them. It doesn’t matter what I tell them I want because what I get is nowhere near the description that I gave them. So I’ve decided to get outside help."

ANNA : "Hey I’ll do it for you."

DAWSON: "I need someone with taste."

ANNA: "Now I have my answer, it was a double negative. Next time your mother calls I’ll be telling her a few things about you."

DAWSON: "And I’m sure that she’ll put me over her knee and give me a good hiding."

ANNA: "If she doesn’t I might."

DAWSON: "Anyway, I don’t want a big firm. Something new and fresh."

ANNA: "Yeah because old doesn’t have taste."

DAWSON (ignoring her) : "Get in touch with some magazines and maybe some photographers. See who’s ‘hip’."

ANNA: "Anything else?"

DAWSON: "Yeah go get yourself some lunch."

As he turns away from his computer he picks up the pile of mail that Anna had brought into him and starts to flick through it. There was nothing really interesting, except. . .

DAWSON: "Hey what’s this? Anna??"

ANNA: "Yes."

DAWSON: "Do you know where this card came from?" He hands it to her.

ANNA: "I thought that that was strange when it came in the mail. It was in an envelope but there was no letter, just the card."

DAWSON: "Did you look at the postmark?"

ANNA: "No."

She hands the card back to him.

DAWSON: "Could you find out some information on this company too?"

ANNA: "Sure. Should I bring you in anything for lunch?" He picks up a brown paper bag.

DAWSON: "Already got mine. Thanks."

Scene: - Dawson’s office - two days later.

ANNA: "I have that information you wanted."

DAWSON: "What information?"

ANNA: "Interior designers."

DAWSON: "Oh that."

ANNA: "Should I leave everything here for you or just give you a break down."

DAWSON: "A break down."

ANNA: "Well a few names where mentioned a few times. Vertigo interiors, Marshall and Henderson." At this Dawson makes a face. "Both got very good reviews from photographers and those that have used these firms but by the look on your face you don’t want either of these. But there was one other name that came up a few times. It’s a brand new company, only been up and running for a year or so. Here’s where it gets really freaky. The company’s name is M.A.D. designs."

DAWSON: "That company card that I got?"

ANNA: "One and the same."

DAWSON: "That is freaky. Do you have any examples of their work?"

ANNA: "Yes. Here."

She hands some photo’s to Dawson.

DAWSON: "This stuff is pretty good."

ANNA: "Even I have to agree with that."

DAWSON: "Where are they based?"

ANNA: "The other two are in LA but M.A.D. are based in Chicago."

DAWSON: "Could you try and get someone from M.A.D. to come and meet with James."

ANNA: "Any time scale?"

DAWSON: "As soon as they can send someone."

Scene: - Joey and Pacey’s apartment. One week later.

PACEY: "I can’t believe the timing of this."

JOEY: "Believe me neither can I."

PACEY: "We finally get the chance to spend some time together and you’re not even going to be here."

JOEY: "I can’t let Nicola and Sarah down. You know fine well that neither of them can go. Nicola and Andrew just had the baby a few months ago and Sarah and Mark are having problems. Plus this is a big opportunity for the company."

PACEY: "I get that, it just seems that you are the only one that can really go because you’re not married or because you don’t have any kids. I just...wish that you were here with me."

JOEY: "I know."

PACEY: "So how long are you going to be away for?"

JOEY: "Anywhere between two and six weeks."

PACEY: "So do you know anything about this project you’ll be doing?"

JOEY: "Only that whoever it is that’s directing it didn’t like one of the sets. He wants outside help and for some reason he picked us."

Scene: - Dawson’s office. Two days later.

ANNA: "Ah Dawson we have a slight problem."

DAWSON: "What is it?"

ANNA: "James isn’t going to be here for the next few days."

DAWSON: "What’s he done now?"

ANNA: "Nothing. Katie had a miscarriage."

Dawson looks up at Anna.

DAWSON: "Oh God. Get me his number and Anna?"

ANNA: "Yes."

DAWSON: "Send them some flowers for me."

ANNA: "What about his appointment?"

DAWSON: "See if you could reschedule them for me."

ANNA: "What about his 11 o’clock?"

DAWSON: "Who is it?"

ANNA: "M.A.D. designs."

DAWSON: "I’ll take care of it."

ANNA: "Would you like some coffee?"

DAWSON: "Yeah."

Two minutes later. Dawson is on the phone to James.

DAWSON: "Hi James. I’m so sorry. Anna just told me."

Outside Dawson’s office.

ANNA: "I’m sorry if this is any inconvenience to you Miss Potter. We only found out this morning."

JOEY: "You don’t have to apologise."

Dawson’s office.

DAWSON: "No I understand completely. Take as much time as you need."

Outside Dawson’s office.

ANNA: "James was the assistant director. So you’ll be meeting the director himself."

Anna goes to answer the phone and waves Joey to enter Dawson’s office.

Dawson’s office.

Joey enters the office and hears someone on the phone but doesn’t see the person as the chair is turned around.

DAWSON: "I know how that feels, not knowing what to say."

JOEY (thinking) : "It can’t be!"

DAWSON: "Yeah. Seven years ago."

JOEY (thinking) : "Oh my God, Dawson?"

DAWSON: "I suppose in a sense we didn’t get through it. I haven’t seen her since, well . . . it was complicated. If you need to talk. I’ll speak to you later and give Katie my love."

As Dawson hangs up the phone and turns in his chair a few tears fall form his eyes. He looks up and sees Joey standing there with a few tears on her face.

Scene - two minutes later. Dawson’s office.

Anna enters the office looking down at some paper work.

ANNA: "Sorry to interrupt but Dawson this is..." She looks up to see them hugging and trails off.

DAWSON: "Joey Potter. I used to go to school with Joey."

ANNA: "I’ll leave you alone then."

JOEY: "So how are you?"

DAWSON: "I’m fine. And you?"

JOEY: "I’m doing fine too. So I see you’re finally living the dream."

DAWSON: "I guess that you could say that. And you’ve gotten to do something you love too."

JOEY: "Yeah. We only celebrated our one year anniversary a few weeks ago. I own thirty-three percent of my own company, can you believe it?"

DAWSON: "As a matter of fact I can believe it. I always had faith in you Jo, I always knew that you could get anything that you set your mind to."

JOEY: "This whole catching up thing is nice and everything but that’s not why you hired us."

DAWSON: "No it’s not. I’ve been having a slight problem with one of the sets. I tell my set designers what I want and they come back with something completely different. That happened twice."

JOEY: "Third time lucky..."

DAWSON: "I decided not to bother. That’s where you come in. I tell you what I want and you give me suggestions."

JOEY: "Sounds simple enough."

DAWSON: "You’d think that it’d be simple wouldn’t you." Joey laughs. "Hey it’s not funny. It’s kinda put us behind schedule."

JOEY: "I’m sorry. So what are we looking for?"

DAWSON: "You know I don’t think that I even remember."

JOEY: "Come on Dawson, you have to give me more than that."

DAWSON: "How would you like to read my script and see if it suggests anything."

JOEY: "It’s your own movie?"

DAWSON: "Yeah. Does that surprise you?"

JOEY: "Not in the slightest. Does everyone realise how good you are?"

DAWSON: "At what?"

JOEY: "Directing. I’ve worked under you. I know how good you are. Just don’t shout too much, it’s not a very attractive quality."

Dawson doesn’t say anything in reply and there is a silence for a few moments.

DAWSON: "I’m sorry I didn’t get in touch with you. I was going to but I felt as though I wouldn’t have known what to say. So I just put off calling and before you know it seven years have gone by."

JOEY: "It’s not your fault. I could have gotten in touch with you. I didn’t for the exact same reason you didn’t get in touch with me."

DAWSON: "I understand now, why you sent me away."

Anna walks in.

ANNA: "Sorry to interrupt but they’re ready for you on the set."

DAWSON: "Tell them I’ll be over in a few minutes."

ANNA: "Okay."

JOEY: "It brings it all back doesn’t it?"

DAWSON: "Which part, you being here or what’s happening to James?"

JOEY: "I guess both. It must be a bit much both happening at the same time."

DAWSON: "Yeah, listen I’ll get you a copy of the script and I’ll speak with you tomorrow about any suggestions you have."

Dawson gets up and walks to the door.

DAWSON: "Anna could you get me... " Before he can finish Anna has holds up a copy of the script without looking up. "Thank you, you are a star."

ANNA: "Yeah, yeah."

He goes back into his office.

DAWSON: "Where are you staying?"

JOEY: "At the Regent. We figured that if we where doing this then we’d do it in style."

DAWSON: "You do realise that you’re supposed to bill us for any expenses?"

JOEY: "Really?"

DAWSON: "Yeah."

He hands her the script.

JOEY: "Wow. ‘A world of our own’ by ‘Dawson Leery’. Wow, this is wow." A single tear slides down her cheek. "You really did it. I think I need to go call Bessie and tell her."

Dawson smiles.

DAWSON: "I’ll walk you out."

Scene: - We see Joey in her hotel room looking at Dawson’s script.

Scene: - Maria and Meg’s living room.

BEN: "Come on let’s do something, see a movie, go out drinking . . . anything."

MARIA: "I don’t really feel like doing anything."

BEN: "Come on. You can’t just mope around here because Lee had to go out of town on business at the last minute."

MARIA: "It’s not just that."

BEN: "You do know that I don’t bite anymore!"

MARIA: "Very funny Ben, I’m being serious."

BEN: "That’s the thing Maria, you’re always serious. You need to lighten up."

MARIA: "Why do you want me to got out with you all of a sudden?"

BEN: "Can’t a guy just hang out with a friend?"

MARIA: "A guy? Yes. You? no. Why aren’t you seeing Roxy?"

BEN: "She’s gone to New York shopping with friends."

MARIA: "Oh, and why don’t you go out with Nick and Sean?"

BEN: "Aside from the fact that I want to go out with you, well they’re taking out Meg and Amy."

MARIA: "I don’t know."

BEN: "Come on, I’ll even buy you dinner."

MARIA (starts to cry) : "I just don’t feel like going out."

BEN: "Okay, what’s wrong?"

MARIA: "Nothing."

BEN: "Really because you wouldn’t be crying over nothing. Amy well that’s another story." Maria smiles. "Tell me what’s wrong?"

MARIA: "It’s supposed to be our one year anniversary and he doesn’t even remember."

BEN: "How do you know that he has forgotten?"

MARIA: "Because it was two days ago and nothing. I thought he was waiting ‘til the weekend and still nothing."

BEN: "Did you say anything?"

MARIA: "No, I pretended that everything was fine. I think that he might be having an affair."

BEN: "It’s probably nothing." He hugs her. "Talk to him. Or would you rather I said somthing?"

MARIA: "You’d really do that?"

BEN: "For you? Anything."

The next twenty minutes where your standard getting to know the characters. The ‘gang’ consists of Ben, Maria, Nick, Sean, Meg and Amy. They’ve known one another since college, although Ben and Maria went to school together and even dated once when they where at school. Ben is seeing Roxy (for two and a half years) and Maria is seeing Lee (just over a year). He did forget their anniversary but Lee gets a text message from the woman he is having an affair with to remind him. Since the opening scene, both Ben and Maria have started to have feeling for each other. Nothing is said but there are looks between them when no one is looking. They’ve become closer as friends and have started spending one night a week together for dinner and hanging out and stuff.