Mean Gene
July 23, 2007
Scene 11
(Early morning, coffee shop)
GENE
Tom you gotta help me out with this. Understand that at no point did I even dream I’d be stepping on your toes or anything.
Augie comes to me, said he had a juicy setup for me and the kid. Makes sense right? Help the kid out, a little extra-curricular activity. I know I should have checked it out. I shouldn’t have just taken Augie’s word. I was just excited about giving the boy a nice little enterprise.
So I can get him out Tom. Really. There’s not gonna be any need for hostilities or any of that. Dumb kid had no idea.
How long have you had that operation in place anyway? Never mind, none of my business. Look, you just gotta know that if I’d a had any notion that it was one of yours, I never. I mean I should have my head examined, right?
I’m sorry about the bullshit on the phone the other night. You scared me Tom. I mean, you’re a bigshot now. A lieutenant. Probably gonna be chief of police in a year.
So let’s call it even. I’ll get the kid out. I’ll tell Augie to go fuck himself, and the whole place is back to being yours like nothing ever happened. Worst case you had, what, five or six months taking a little hit? What’s that to a bigshot like you? I’ll keep tending bar, the kid goes back to being a regular high-school punk, I tell Augie to fuck off and you’re still running the show.
Fair enough Tom? Tommy. Come on, gimme something. Crack a smile or toss coffee on me or something. It’s all set. It’s all worked out. We can be friends again, right? Okay, see you round. I got the breakfast.
Fucking cop. Fuck you.
(lights dim)
