BETHANY FORCES BROOKE TO STAY AND WORK

A CINEMATIC SCREENPLAY

SCENE 1 — BETHANY’S HOUSE — LATE MORNING

The house is unusually quiet.

Brooke stands near the front door, holding her bag and looking ready to leave.

Bethany watches her from across the room.

Her expression is firm.

BROOKE
I told you I’m leaving. I have somewhere I need to be.

Bethany slowly shakes her head.

BETHANY
No, Brooke. Not today.

Brooke looks confused.

BROOKE
What do you mean, not today?

Bethany walks toward her, calm but determined.

BETHANY
You’re coming with me.

Brooke lets out a frustrated breath.

BROOKE
Coming with you where?

BETHANY
To work.

Brooke stares at her.

BROOKE
Work? Bethany, I never agreed to that.

Bethany picks up her keys from the table.

BETHANY
You don’t have to agree with everything I ask you to do.

Brooke’s expression hardens.

BROOKE
You can’t just decide that for me.

Bethany opens the front door.

BETHANY
Get your things. We’re leaving.

Brooke remains standing where she is.

For a moment, neither woman speaks.

Then Brooke reluctantly picks up her bag.

SCENE 2 — OFFICE PARKING LOT — DAY

Bethany’s car pulls into a busy American office complex.

Large glass buildings surround the parking lot.

Brooke looks through the window and immediately realizes what Bethany has planned.

She turns toward her.

BROOKE
You were serious.

Bethany turns off the engine.

BETHANY
Very serious.

Brooke shakes her head.

BROOKE
I thought we were just going somewhere.

BETHANY
We are.

Bethany opens her door.

BETHANY
We’re going to work.

Brooke stays seated.

BROOKE
Bethany, I have other things to do.

Bethany looks at her firmly.

BETHANY
Those things can wait.

Brooke finally steps out of the car.

They walk toward the office entrance together.

Brooke looks uncomfortable.

Bethany remains completely focused.

SCENE 3 — CHARLOTTE’S OFFICE — DAY

Charlotte is sitting behind her desk, reviewing paperwork.

The door opens.

Bethany walks in with Brooke behind her.

Charlotte looks up.

CHARLOTTE
Bethany? What are you doing here?

Bethany gestures toward Brooke.

BETHANY
I brought you some help.

Charlotte looks at Brooke.

Brooke gives a small, awkward smile.

BROOKE
Apparently, I’m the help.

Charlotte raises an eyebrow.

CHARLOTTE
Apparently?

Bethany steps farther into the office.

BETHANY
Brooke needs something productive to do, and you have plenty of work.

Brooke looks at Bethany.

BROOKE
You could have talked to me before bringing me here.

Bethany ignores the complaint.

BETHANY
Charlotte, I need you to keep her with you today.

Charlotte looks between them.

CHARLOTTE
How long?

Bethany pauses.

BETHANY
Until the work is finished.

Brooke immediately reacts.

BROOKE
Wait. What?

Bethany turns toward her.

BETHANY
You heard me.

BROOKE
You’re telling Charlotte to keep me here until I finish some work you decided I should do?

BETHANY
Yes.

Brooke looks at Charlotte, hoping she will object.

Charlotte remains cautious.

CHARLOTTE
Bethany, maybe you should explain exactly what you want done.

Bethany nods.

BETHANY
She needs to organize the client files, update the records, and help prepare the reports.

Charlotte looks at the stack of folders on her desk.

It is a lot of work.

Brooke stares at them.

BROOKE
You brought me here for all of that?

BETHANY
You wanted something to do.

Brooke gives her a disbelieving look.

BROOKE
I never said that.

Bethany walks toward the door.

BETHANY
Just get it done.

Brooke follows her.

BROOKE
Bethany!

Bethany stops.

Brooke looks directly at her.

BROOKE
When am I going home?

Bethany turns around.

BETHANY
When your work is finished.

She walks out.

The door closes.

Brooke stands silently.

Charlotte looks at her sympathetically.

SCENE 4 — CHARLOTTE’S OFFICE — MOMENTS LATER

Charlotte gestures toward the chair beside the desk.

CHARLOTTE
Sit down.

Brooke slowly sits.

Charlotte pulls a folder toward her.

CHARLOTTE
I didn’t know Bethany was bringing you.

BROOKE
Neither did I.

Charlotte gives a small sigh.

CHARLOTTE
Look, I’m not trying to make your day worse.

BROOKE
I know.

Brooke looks toward the closed door.

BROOKE
But she always makes decisions like this.

Charlotte studies her expression.

CHARLOTTE
Then let’s focus on what we can control.

She places the first stack of papers in front of Brooke.

CHARLOTTE
We’ll work through these together.

Brooke nods reluctantly.

BROOKE
Fine.

She opens the first folder.

SCENE 5 — OFFICE FLOOR — AFTERNOON

The office is busy.

Phones ring.

Employees move between cubicles.

Brooke sits at a workstation, sorting documents.

Her expression shows growing frustration.

Charlotte walks over with another folder.

CHARLOTTE
This one needs to be entered into the system.

Brooke looks at the folder.

BROOKE
How many more are there?

Charlotte glances at the remaining stack.

CHARLOTTE
Enough.

Brooke leans back.

BROOKE
Bethany really planned this.

Charlotte smiles faintly.

CHARLOTTE
She usually does.

Brooke returns to the computer.

Minutes pass.

The work continues.

Brooke becomes more focused.

She organizes the files, checks the information, and enters the records carefully.

Charlotte watches her progress.

CHARLOTTE
You’re actually pretty good at this.

Brooke looks up.

BROOKE
Don’t tell Bethany.

Charlotte laughs softly.

CHARLOTTE
Why?

BROOKE
Because then she’ll bring me here every day.

Charlotte smiles.

CHARLOTTE
Fair enough.

SCENE 6 — OFFICE HALLWAY — LATE AFTERNOON

Bethany returns to the office.

She walks down the hallway and sees Brooke working through another stack of papers.

Bethany stops outside the doorway.

Brooke notices her.

Their eyes meet.

BROOKE
You came back.

Bethany steps inside.

BETHANY
I wanted to see how things were going.

Brooke gestures toward the paperwork.

BROOKE
You can see for yourself.

Bethany looks at the organized folders.

BETHANY
Looks like you’re making progress.

BROOKE
I’ve been working all day.

Bethany nods.

BETHANY
Good.

Brooke closes the folder.

BROOKE
Can I go now?

Bethany looks at the remaining paperwork.

BETHANY
How much is left?

Charlotte checks the list.

CHARLOTTE
Not much.

Bethany looks at Brooke.

BETHANY
Finish it.

Brooke’s frustration returns.

BROOKE
Seriously?

BETHANY
You’re almost done.

BROOKE
That’s not the point.

Bethany takes a breath.

BETHANY
Then tell me what the point is.

Brooke stands.

BROOKE
The point is that you brought me here without asking me.

Bethany becomes quiet.

Brooke continues.

BROOKE
You keep deciding what I should do, where I should go, and who I should work with.

Bethany looks at her carefully.

BETHANY
Because I’m trying to help you.

BROOKE
Help me?

Brooke shakes her head.

BROOKE
Sometimes your version of help feels like control.

Charlotte quietly steps away, giving them privacy.

SCENE 7 — CHARLOTTE’S OFFICE — EVENING

The office is beginning to empty.

Brooke finishes the final document.

She clicks save.

Then she leans back in her chair.

BROOKE
Done.

Charlotte checks the screen.

CHARLOTTE
Everything is complete.

Bethany stands near the doorway.

Brooke looks at her.

BROOKE
So now I can go home?

Bethany nods.

BETHANY
Yes.

Brooke gathers her bag.

She stands but doesn’t immediately leave.

BROOKE
You could have asked me.

Bethany remains silent.

BROOKE
I might have said yes.

That statement catches Bethany off guard.

BETHANY
You would have?

BROOKE
Maybe.

Brooke walks toward the door.

BROOKE
But when you force a decision on me, it makes me want to say no before I even hear what you’re asking.

Bethany watches her.

For the first time all day, her expression softens.

BETHANY
I understand.

Brooke pauses.

BROOKE
Do you?

Bethany nods slowly.

BETHANY
I’m trying to.

Brooke walks out.

Charlotte approaches Bethany.

CHARLOTTE
She worked hard.

Bethany looks toward the hallway.

BETHANY
I know.

CHARLOTTE
Maybe tomorrow, ask her first.

Bethany gives a faint smile.

BETHANY
Maybe I will.

SCENE 8 — OFFICE PARKING LOT — NIGHT

Brooke walks toward the car park with her bag over her shoulder.

Bethany follows behind.

For a moment, they walk in silence.

Then Bethany speaks.

BETHANY
Brooke.

Brooke stops.

BETHANY
I know today wasn’t how you wanted to spend your day.

Brooke turns around.

BROOKE
Definitely not.

Bethany almost smiles.

BETHANY
But you did a good job.

Brooke looks surprised.

BROOKE
Thank you.

Bethany nods.

BETHANY
And next time, I’ll ask first.

Brooke studies her face.

BROOKE
That would be a good start.

They continue walking toward the car.

But neither notices Charlotte standing at the office window, watching them leave.

Charlotte looks back at the unfinished schedule on her desk.

One question remains:

Was today really about helping Brooke—or was Bethany trying to keep Brooke closer for a reason she wasn’t ready to reveal?