Cut Out
ESTABLISHING SHOT:
INT. GRACE and CARMEN'S FLAT-EVENING.
GRACE walks into the flat and sighs heavily whilst in the background CARMEN can be heard singing along with the television. Just as the song is coming to an end CARMEN walks into the hallways removing her cap just as GRACE is walking into the lounge causing the two of them to collide.
ESTABLISHING SHOT:
INT. FLAT LOUNGE
CARMEN
Oh, hi Baby. (Kisses Grace) How was work?
GRACE
Yeah it was fine, nothing too exciting. How was your day?
CARMEN
Umm the same really, so what was the meeting about then?
GRACE
How do you know about my meeting?
CARMEN
Well I phoned to speak to you and Kristen said you were in a meeting.
GRACE
Oh, I'm being promoted.
GRACE departs from the lounge and makes her way to the kitchen with CARMEN following closely behind.
INT. FLAT KITCHEN
CARMEN
Congratulations! Wine, Champagne whatever you want tonight baby! Well you sure kept that one quiet! Why didn't you tell me you was applying for a promotion?
GRACE
In case I didn't get it. Lets not make a big deal over it please.
GRACE gets a glass of water before going back to the lounge with CARMEN right behind her.
INT. FLAT LOUNGE
GRACE is sitting in an armchair staring off into space.
FLASHBACK:
INT. ASHLEY'S FLAT-AFTERNOON
GRACE walks in with CARMEN hand in hand greeting her colleagues and introducing them to "her partner" CARMEN.
GRACE
Good Afternoon Ashley, you have a lovely home.
ASHLEY
Why thank you Grace, so glad you could attend. And who might this be?
GRACE
Oh where are my manners? (Grace, Carmen and Ashley laugh) This is my partner Carmen.
ASHLEY
Oh of course, well it's lovely to meet you. Well do enjoy yourself and hopefully we will have the chance to chat later on.
ASHLEY shakes CARMEN'S hand but she can see the look of disdain and utter revulsion in her eyes. Only CARMEN appears to see it but thinks nothing of it at the time.
GRACE
Sure.
GRACE and CARMEN smile before striding over to a couple across the room where they immediately start a conversation. ASHLEY however seems quite disturbed. She then beckons over one of her colleagues.
ASHLEY
Did you know Grace was gay?
COLLEAGUE
Umm yes, Grace never made it a secret that she is gay.
ASHLEY appears to then look at the couple and gives them a look as if to say they are pure filth, before cutting her eyes at them and starting small talk with the same colleague.
BACK TO THE PRESENT:
CARMEN
But Baby this is something to make a big deal over. You work so hard and now it's finally paying off.
GRACE smiles at Carmen who seems oblivious to it as she paces back and forth praising GRACE about her work regime and etiquette.
CARMEN
It's about time your karma paid off. You are always the first one at work yet somehow also the last to leave. Look at me rambling I should be cooking you a big slap-up dinner. No, I can go one better I'll take you to any restaurant you like.
GRACE stares into space yet again but this time with a glazed/disappointed look on her face.
FLASHBACK: EARLIER THAT DAY
INT. OFFICE FOR THE FILM COMPANY 'DUPSES'- LATE MORNING/EARLY AFTERNOON
ASHLEY
So as you know there is a promotion within the company. Now we have seen numerous applicants but I feel you, are the best suited candidate for the job. So the promotion is yours.
GRACE
Wow, thank you. Thank you so much you have no idea how much this means to me.
ASHLEY
There's just one condition.
GRACE
Umm okay what's that then?
ASHLEY
You can have the promotion but on the terms that you will not get engaged to, marry or continue to see that woman. I do not care what you do behind close doors but when it is brought to my attention I then have to remind you that you are tarnishing the companies name with this obscenity.
GRACE
I'm sorry what?
ASHLEY
You are an excellent employee, always punctual, reliable and very trustworthy. However this obscenity that you are going on with sickens me but I know you will be able to overcome it and live your life the normal way.
GRACE
How can my personal life and the person I set up home with, love and want to be with have any effect on the company?
ASHLEY
Because it's not right. This is not how the world works. If it was meant to be that a woman could be with another woman they would have the means of being able to reproduce without the assistance of ivf treatment, sperm banks etc. Since that is not possible it is obvious to me that it can not work and that you merely have an infatuation with this girl.
GRACE
This must be a joke.
ASHLEY
I promise you this is not a joke. Stop this ridiculous 'gay' phase and the promotion is yours. However if you do not you will NEVER progress within this company!
GRACE
It's not a phase. I'm gay and proud. I'm not going to suddenly go back in the closet because you're narrow minded!
ASHLEY
I'm sorry you feel that way.You have until Monday to decide.
GRACE
But....
ASHLEY
I know longer wish to discuss the matter. You have until Monday.
INT. FLAT LOUNGE
GRACE
Carmen stop celebrating. I have more to say on the matter. (Grace bows her head)
CARMEN
What do you mean? More good news I hope?
GRACE
(Grace pauses for a second) You're not going to like this (pauses)
I can have the promotion but (pauses, sighs) at the cost of conforming to being heterosexual.
CARMEN
WHAT?!
GRACE
Apparently I'm tarnishing the companies name with my relationship with you. Ashley says it's an obscenity and that it's an infatuation with you not love and that to ascend in the company I'd have to abide by her rules.
CARMEN
What sort of woman is she? She can not possibly give you such an ultimatum. In this day and age you can not discriminate against someone because of their sexuality. It's the equivalent of saying I can't hire you because your black. You should report her.
GRACE
(sighs)
When you own the company you can do whatever you want.
CARMEN
No Grace! So what are you going to do about it? Conform to her heterosexual way of living/thinking? What if I had decided to live my life like that when I met you? My family didn't initially like the idea of me being with a woman but did that stop me? No, it didn't.
GRACE
Yes I know Carmen, but...
CARMEN
But what?
GRACE continues to sit with her head bowed down and has now folded her arms.
CARMEN
I don't know how you can be so calm about this. I knew I never liked Ashley. I remember the look she gave me the first time we met. It was cold and confused, as if she could not comprehend that I was your partner. But it's no different from a "normal" heterosexual couple, we do all the same things. And how dare she bring children into it. If and when we do have kids it's none of her business how they are conceived.
GRACE
Please calm down. You are getting yourself all worked up over nothing.
CARMEN
Over nothing? I feel like I don't know you. How is this nothing? Really Grace sometimes you astound me. What if I had thought that when my parents and siblings were going on at me about how it's not right for two girls to be together?
GRACE
Yes I know but it's not worth you getting so upset about it.
CARMEN shrugs her shoulders as she shakes her head and leaves the lounge heading for the kitchen, we then hear the sound of the tap in the kitchen before the sound of the kettle.
INT. FLAT KITCHEN
CARMEN
(An impersonation of Grace in a mocking tone)
Not worth upsetting myself about. Well obviously it is to me.
CARMEN takes a cup out of the cupboard, places a tea bag in the cup and two teaspoons of sugar, before turning around and leaning against the kitchen side.
Maybe this is what my parents meant when they said my infatuation would one day end.
The kettle boils, CARMEN opens the fridge and puts on the side before pouring the hot water into the cup. She replaces the kettle stirs the contents of her cup for a bit before adding milk and removing the saturated tea bag, she takes a sip before talking to herself again.
Hmm, maybe I am overreacting. No because if it was the other way round I know for a fact Grace would be vexed.(CARMEN sips from her cup of tea.) She probably would have wrote a letter or stormed into my work place Monday morning and given them a piece of her mind.(CARMEN sips her cup of tea.) Maybe I went about it the wrong way. Hmm maybe I should just leave her to it that way she gets her promotion and I won't be holding her back. I could always stay with my Aunt.
CARMEN finishes her cup of tea, washes up the cup and tea spoon puts them on the draining board before walking towards the lounge to talk her thoughts through with GRACE.
INT. FLAT LOUNGE
GRACE is still sitting on the sofa. GRACE then gets up, shakes her head and sits down again. She gets up again once more.
GRACE
I best do it now, it's now or never.
CARMEN
Grace... I've been thinking. As you probably heard me talking to myself in the kitchen.
GRACE goes to answer.
No it was a rhetorical statement, you don't need to answer whether you did or didn't. I know how hard you have worked since you graduated from University to try and get into some sort of film studios/productions etc. So for you to not take this promotion because of me would mean you missing out on a great opportunity. (CARMEN's voice begins to wobble as she speaks indicating that she is attempting to hold her tears back.) And even though we intended to spend the rest of our lives together I know you will end up resenting me in the end. So I'll make it easy on you and leave.
CARMEN goes to leave the lounge. Just as GRACE grabs her arm and pulls her back.
GRACE
So that's your plan? Just give up at the first hurdle?
CARMEN
No but...
GRACE
I'm not finished. So you see it as I love my job more than you? That I am just going to give up and conform to what someone else sees as bing right or whatever she said? When I said leave it I didn't mean it in the way you interpreted it. I meant it in the 'I don't want to talk about it now as I'm disgusted that I was given such an appaling decision to make' sense.
CARMEN
Oh I'm sorry. (CARMEN is still holding back tears by her eyes are now glistening.)
GRACE
This is not how I visualised today going at all, it was meant to be a normal day. I woke up in the best mood ever. Work was going well until the meeting about the promotion. Other than that there was hardly and arguments,stress or anything else for that matter. Then I come home and told you the news about my promotion in rather a backwards way if I may say so myself.
CARMEN appears to be getting agitated/irritable but her eyes are still glistening.
CARMEN
Well I can't argue with you there you should have let me know the ultimatum first rather than letting me ramble on.
Grace
Please, I'm still not finished.
CARMEN
Sorry. But will you hurry up!
GRACE
How do you manage to turn everything into an argument? I'm merely trying to tell you how I feel and you keep snapping and interrupting me! My only intention today was to make you my life partner, my wife.
CARMEN stares at GRACE who is now down on one knee holding her hand with her left hand and bearing a diamond engagement ring in her right hand.
So will you stop arguing with me for one minute and answer me this? Will you marry me?
END
