March 20, 2007
A SHOT OF LUCKCharacters:
JAKE � 33-year-old friend of Liz
LIZ � 33-year-old friend of Jake
AMY � 26-year-old bartender and friend of Liz and Jake
Liz sits at an empty bar � Amy has a large bottle of Tequila and three shots glasses in front of her.
LIZ
(softly) Will you marry me?
AMY
Mmm, too desperate.
LIZ
(blandly) Will you marry me?
AMY
Doesn�t sound like you mean it.
LIZ
(loud and abrupt) Marry me.
AMY
Or else?
LIZ
Come on, Amy! Can�t you be serious for two seconds?
AMY
I am being serious! He should be asking you to marry him.
LIZ
Than I�ll be waiting forever.
AMY
What makes you think he�s just going to dump her?
LIZ
We have a history...
AMY
So does he, with � what�s her name again? Bedtime Barbie?
LIZ
I have to try. It�s worth a shot.
AMY
Speaking of shots� A little liquid luck? (Amy pours and they each down a shot � ENTER JAKE)
JAKE
Save a little for me, ladies.
AMY
Speak of the devil.
JAKE
Speak of the serpent.
AMY
What�ll ya have, Jake? Arsenic on the rocks?
JAKE
Keep it up, Amy, and you�ll make a fine old maid one day.
LIZ
Alright guys, let�s cool it with the cheap shots.
JAKE
Speaking of shots, I�m buying. (Amy pours and they each down a shot)
AMY
Shall I keep a tab open for ya or just put it on your conscience?
JAKE (in a rhetorical manner)
Why do I subject myself to this?
AMY
Because the nice people in the white coats let you out to play?
LIZ
So, Jake. How are you doing?
(Amy turns her back to Liz and Jake, cleaning glasses behind the bar)
JAKE
Doing great! And how�s my fair lady?
LIZ
Fair.
AMY (sarcastic)
Thanks, Jake � I�m doing great. Thanks for asking.
JAKE
No problem.
LIZ
You two never know when to quit.
JAKE
She started it. So what�s on your mind?
LIZ
What do you mean?
JAKE
I don�t know � you called me out on a Thursday night. You tell me.
LIZ
Actually, I�ve�
AMY
She wants to ask you a question, Jake.
JAKE
Yeah?
LIZ
Can�t we just enjoy our drinks for a minute here?
AMY
How about we enjoy another shot? (Amy pours � they each down a shot)
JAKE
So what�s the secret?
LIZ
No secret.
JAKE
Right.
LIZ
Well, I guess I just wanted to tell you that� I�m�
JAKE
You�re�
LIZ
I�m� really grateful for you stepping in when things were going south with me and John.
JAKE
That was not a big deal. John was a jerk. You can do better than that.
AMY (to Jake)
Yeah � he actually made you look like a stand-up guy.
JAKE (Ignoring Amy)
Seriously, Liz, I don�t know how you pick these guys. You always settle for crap.
LIZ
I know�
JAKE
At some point, you�re going to have to grow up and meet a guy who isn�t friends with Amy.
AMY
Hey! I�ve introduced her to some great guys!
JAKE
Like who?
AMY
Well, there was that hot biker guy.
LIZ
Who cheated on me with that hot biker chick.
AMY
And what about that temp bartender? What was his name? Nick or Rick or Mick�
JAKE
The one who wore the same Hawaiian shirt for like two weeks?
AMY
Steve! That was it. Steve.
LIZ
Alright, alright � I get it.
AMY
Sorry, Liz. (beat) How about another shot? (Amy pours and they all down a shot)
JAKE
That�s enough for me. I have to be somebody tonight.
LIZ
What�s going on?
JAKE
I have to meet up with Stacey later.
AMY
I thought you and Bikini Barbie were breaking the knot.
JAKE
Well, we were having problems but� we have to talk.
AMY
About lip gloss?
LIZ
Pumps?
JAKE
Oh, come on, not you, too, Liz.
LIZ
She is a little shallow, Jake.
AMY
Like a fishbowl.
LIZ
Besides, tonight�s our night.
JAKE
I promised we�d get together� I made reservations.
LIZ
To give it another shot?
AMY
I think we all deserve another shot.
JAKE
One more, but that�s it! (Amy pours and they each down a shot)
LIZ
Ya know, Jake, if I can do better, so can you.
JAKE
She�s not as bad as you guys make her out to be. She�s just had a rough life.
AMY
It�s not easy being sleazy.
LIZ
So, do you want to give it another chance?
JAKE
I�Well� I guess�
LIZ
What?
JAKE
I�ve been thinking about it�
AMY
My God, he�s been thinking again. Wonders never cease.
JAKE
And, ya know, I�m not getting any younger.
AMY
Or any wiser.
LIZ
So?
JAKE
So� I have to tell her how I feel.
AMY
We should all tell each other how we feel, don�t you think, Liz?
LIZ (ignoring Amy)
And how do you feel?
AMY
Like another shot. (Amy pours herself a shot)
JAKE
Like she�s the one.
AMY and LIZ
What?!
JAKE
She�s� The One.
AMY
She�s half your age.
JAKE
She understands me.
LIZ
She doesn�t appreciate you.
AMY
She never tips me.
JAKE
And she� she wants to marry me.
AMY and LIZ
WHAT?!
JAKE
And I�m going to ask her. Tonight. At dinner.
AMY
Okay, Jake. I�m going to call the nice men with the white coats and have them drive you home.
JAKE
Cut it out, you two. Aren�t you guys ever going to grow up? Seriously � I love Stacey and I�m tired of hearing you rip her to shreds.
LIZ
I�m sorry, Jake. It�s just that I�
AMY
It�s just that she loves you, Jake.
JAKE
Well, I love you too, Liz. We�ve been the best of friends for ten years. But that doesn�t mean you can just keep taking cheap shots at Stacey.
LIZ
I know� I mean�
JAKE
I have to get going. I can�t be late. I�ll give you a call tomorrow and let you know how it went. Than maybe you�ll be ready to tell me your little secret?
LIZ
Yeah� Sure�
JAKE
Wish me luck! (EXIT JAKE)
LIZ
Good luck, Jake.
AMY
Ahhh, well, how about one more shot?
LIZ
No thanks � I think I�ve had enough.