Sally is standing at the window watching the river traffic. Jack is bored.
“Come away from the window and stop ignoring me,” he says.
“I’m always fascinated,” says Sally, “at the way a tiny tug boat can push that huge barge down river.”
“Baby, you can watch the damn river after I leave tomorrow morning.” He walks to the window and grabs Sally by the shoulders.
“Let me go!” As she pulls away from Jack he rips her blouse.
“Now look what you’ve done. How will I explain that to Dad?”
“Tell him we were making mad love. That’s why you came here, isn’t it?”
“No.” She puts on her coat and tries to cover the torn blouse.”
“Hey, don’t cover up all that pretty flesh, Baby. What kind of game are you trying to play?”
“It’s no game. I don’t like the way you’re always clawing at me--like I’m a piece of rare meat.”
Jack laughs. “Rare is right.” He attempts to embrace her again.
“Jack, I’m not your plaything. I’m sorry you misread why I came here, but--”
“No buts, Sal. You came because you knew I wanted you to come.”
“Wrong. I came to return your room key and to beg you not to go to New York without calling Lew first.”
“You’re lying.”
“Well, here’s your key.” She throws the key on the bed and walks to the door. “You’re sick, Jack, and mean, just like the rest of the Watertown Walkers.”
“It’s an old family trait that we inherited from your granddaddy, Captain Jack. Your father is as bad as the rest of us, Baby. Maybe worse. He’s the one that spent time in a psycho ward.”
“That was because of an emotional sickness caused by the war.”
“Pop says different. Pop says that your dad and Lew were always the misfits in the family. Pop says their mother turned them into wimps.”
“Your Pop is wrong.”
"Have it your way. Now give us a kiss before you go. I mean, this may be the last time you see me.”
“I hope so.”
“You don’t mean that, Baby.”
“I do, Jack. I wish you had never left Watertown. I wish you‘d go back.”
“I’ll never go back to Watertown. I’m going to the big town and make a name for myself, and Uncle Lew is going to help me.”
“Don’t count on it.” Sally opens the door. “I feel sorry for you, Jack. Please get some help.”
“I will as soon as you leave. Her name is Irene.”
Sally leaves the room to the sound of loud laughter and runs to the elevator in tears.
Sally arrives home after dark and is able to avoid Cliff long enough to change her blouse. When she greets him in the living room, he studies her with a quizzical look.
“Something wrong, Sally? Have you been crying?”
“Yes, Dad. I had a bad time this afternoon with Jack.”
“My god, what happened?”
“I went to his hotel room to persuade him to call Lew before he goes to New York.”
“That was not a good idea.”
“I know that now, He laughed at me and told me he had no intention of calling Lew. Then he got nasty. He’s sick, Dad. He needs to return to Watertown and get some help from a good head doctor.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“I’m ok.”
“Tell me the truth. If he hurt you I’ll break his damn neck.”
“No, Dad. He’s leaving in the morning, and I feel sorry for Lew.”
“I’ve already alerted Lew. He says that Jack will have to shift for himself until rehearsals are over. The only thing he promised to do was help Jack find a room if he can afford it.”
“Jack said that his father has been taking care of his expenses.”
“I hope so. Lew has enough on his mind. I wish the kid would go back home.”
“He said he would never return to Watertown.”
“That’s up to him as long as he leaves us alone.”
“Yes,” says Sally as she hugs her father. “How did the session go with Judd?”
“Good.” Cliff describes the details of their meeting and says he’s glad that his notebooks are in such good hands.
“Ok, if that’s what you want, Dad. At least your name will be on the book too.”
“Yes, the best of all possible worlds. He does the work, I get half the royalty.”
“If that’s what make you happy.”
“I’ll be happy if you’ll be happy.”
“I’ll work at it.”
“Thank you. Let’s go out to dinner.”
“How about Luigi’s? I feel like Italian tonight.”
“Eccellente, Signorina.”
“Gracie.”
Next morning, Jack is seated in First Class on his flight to New York. Working on his third bourbon on the rocks, he hails the flight attendant and asks, “Are you staying over in New York?”
“Yes,”
“Maybe you can show me the town.”
“I have a date.”
“Break it.”
“Are you kidding?”
“Come on, Baby.”
She laughs. “Go back to your bourbon.”
The End
