Love You More: A Novel

INT. FACTORY - CONTINUOUS

… Heads up the stairs. Suddenly, the steel door slams shut, plunging her into darkness. It’d be easy to turn back but that’s not Sarah’s style. Instead, she turns on her flashlight — flickery, iffy.

Ahead of her, a ramp tilting up into blackness. Trash, graffiti everywhere. Rain pelts the tin roof, pigeons coo. She’s used to silent, secret places like this. Forges on.

Her light catches a dark SMEAR on one wall. Blood. Below it, a pile of trash. Baggie in hand, Sarah sifts through. Pulls out a sharp deboning KNIFE. Bags it.

Trains her flashlight on a faint trail of BLOOD. Leading to the top of the conveyor shaft, a room. Something in there …

INT. FACTORY - BACK ROOM - CONTINUOUS

A large OBJECT, like a side of beef encased in plastic, hangs from a hook. Sarah slowly reaches up, rips it off—LIGHTS snap on, revealing a group of middle-aged male DETECTIVES in PARTY HATS, clutching a CHAMPAGNE BOTTLE, Laughing at what’s hanging on the hook: a BLOW UP DOLL. Red mouth around a fake SPLIFF, San Francisco baseball CAP on its head, written across its torso: “BON VOYAGE SARAH”.





OAKES




(singing)



Hey, hey … For she’s a jolly good

fellow! For she’s a jolly good …





SINGING DETECTIVE




For she’s a jolly good fellow …!





They warble off key, the others clapping, hooting, blowing noise makers. They tease Sarah.





OAKES




Get her a glass …





Sarah laughing now, much loved, overwhelmed by it all …

EXT. ESTABLISHING AERIAL SHOT - CHINNTENDEN LOCKS - DAY

The waterway connecting Lake Union with the vast Puget Sound. Through the RAIN— INT. SARAH’S CONDO - DAY

Sarah enters, BLOW UP DOLL under arm, rain coat sopping. Takes in the sterile, empty condo. Packing boxes everywhere.





SARAH




Rick? Are you still here …?



Rick …?





As she moves through the barren rooms CAMERA FOLLOWS. Someone watching, closing in …

SARAH (CONT’D)



Rick …?





Suddenly, Sarah spins around—

SARAH (CONT’D)



Boo.





Getting the drop on RICK FELDER — salt-and-pepper sexy, established man’s confidence mixed with a former bad boy’s heat—





RICK




I so had you …





SARAH




Charlie Brown with the football—





RICK




I think Lucy needs a spanking.





He grabs at her. Laughing, screaming, she fends him off with the blow up doll. As they tussle—

RICK (CONT’D)



(re: doll)



I’m not even gonna ask.





He flings it to the side, grabs her, they kiss. Visceral, electric, heating up. Over—





SARAH




Where’s Jack?





RICK




Dropped him off at school…





SARAH




Was he mad?





RICK




He’s 13. It’s his job to hate us.





Sarah sighs, worried, rests her head on his shoulder.

RICK (CONT’D)



He’ll come around. Or I’ll make him.



(beat, then re: blow up doll)



What does Candy Cane feel about Sonoma?





SARAH




(smiles)



Pop that damn thing before Jack sees it.





RICK




Okay.





SARAH




What time’re the movers coming?





She goes to an open moving BOX, digs around. Pops a NICACHEW out of its box.





RICK




In an hour. Oh, Regi called, said she wanted to take Jack for a spin on the boat before you leave.





SARAH




Maybe she can give me away at the wedding. What’ll your parents think about that?





RICK




Who cares. What about you, you ready to do this?





SARAH




Do what?





He laughs. Kisses her.





RICK




Sell the condo, quit your job, move your kid away from his cool friends … Marry me.





She kisses him. Deep, passionate—





SARAH




You know I’m not one for words.





RICK




It’s a good thing you only need two of ‘em.





They kiss again, heating up. Their need for one another bottomless. BEEP BEEP—



RICK (CONT’D)



That’s me, ahhh—





Rick disengages and moves toward his bags.





SARAH




Why can’t you fly down with us tonight? Candy Cane wants to play, argg—





Sarah grabbing at him.





RICK




Yeah. Okay.





He laughs at her playfulness. Grabs his bags. Makes his way to the front door.

RICK (CONT’D)



Tickets on top of the fridge, flight’s at nine thirty.





SARAH




I do.





RICK




What?





SARAH




Want to marry you.





This moment honest. No jokes. No masks. They smile.





RICK




Tickets on the fridge, flights at nine thirty.