Short from the Done Deal Sex & Murder contest, March/April 2007 "Money Changes Everything" FADE IN: EXT. STRIP CLUB - NIGHT Topped by a naked girl in pink neon, whose big boobies blink on and off. INT. STRIP CLUB STAGE - NIGHT Close on big boobies, owned by the hottest brunette you ever saw. SANDI, 20s, performs a slow strip to sensual music. Her audience, BUSINESSMEN and HUSBANDS, are seeking a thrill. Sandi gives it to them. She owns them. They know it. INT. BACK STAIRS - NIGHT TWO BOUNCERS on the landing watch MATTY climb upstairs. Matty's so good-looking he's pretty, he dresses impeccably, his hair's immaculate. MATTY Mr. Grogan is expecting me. The Bouncer opens the door, Matty goes inside. The Bouncer closes the door and sniffs the air in disgust. BOUNCER Jeez, is that freakin' pansy wearing after-shave or perfume? INT. GROGAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT GROGAN, 40s, a shark in a silk suit, rises to greet Matty. GROGAN Hey Matty, thanks for coming. MATTY What can I do for you, Mr. Grogan? GROGAN Let me show you something. Grogan opens window blinds. His office looks down onto the strip club stage. There's Sandi, wearing just a G-string, shaking her big boobies at the hypotized audience. MATTY Oh, my. Can we spell "slutty"? GROGAN She's my fiancée. MATTY She's a very talented girl. GROGAN I gotta go out tonight. It's business, I can't take Sandi with me. I need someone to protect her. MATTY You think her life is in danger? Grogan snaps the blinds shut. GROGAN The only thing that's in danger is every man in the room, whenever Sandi walks in. I trust my guys. But Sandi's like an electrical storm. She blows men's fuses. Makes them go crazy. Grogan glances significantly at Matty. GROGAN Most men, anyway. MATTY I'm surprised you allow her to dance. GROGAN She says if I don't, she'll get a job somewhere else. Sure, I could strong-arm her, but I want her to be here of her own free will. Yeah, I know that sounds sappy. Go ahead and laugh, I don't care. MATTY I think she's fortunate to have such an understanding person in her life. Grogan shrugs and nods, modestly taking the compliment. MATTY So you want me to look after her? GROGAN Just till I get back. Take her out somewhere. Entertain her. Grogan gives a wad of cash to Matty. GROGAN Don't let her out of your sight, okay? MATTY You can count on me, Mr. Grogan. INT. MATTY'S CAR - NIGHT Matty drives through slick neon city streets. Sandi looks gorgeous in a tight black dress. She eyes Matty, curious. SANDI How long have you known Groggy? MATTY Oh, quite a while. Mr. Grogan and my old boss were friends. SANDI Where are we going? MATTY I thought we'd hit a couple of clubs. SANDI Take me where you usually go. Matty thinks about that for a moment. MATTY All right. INT. DANCE CLUB - NIGHT Thumping dance music, dazzling lights, a dancing CROWD, predominantly semi-naked male. Among them, Matty and Sandi dance. She goes at it with wild abandon, drawing smiles from other dancers. Watching them from the bar area, a smoking hot BLONDE and her three PALS. Sandi notices the scrunity. A look of mutual dislike crackles between Sandi and the Blonde. Sandi leans close to speak to Matty. He nods. Sandi heads for the LADIES ROOM. A good-looking GUY slides into Sandi's place to dance with Matty, who doesn't mind at all. INT. LADIES ROOM - NIGHT Sandi touches up her make-up in the mirror. The dance music swells as the door opens and the Blonde and her three Pals enter. The last girl shuts the door, cutting off the music. Their eyes meet in the mirror. The Blonde holds up a flick- knife. The blade SNAPS open. Sandi just smiles. INT. DANCE CLUB - OUTSIDE LADIES ROOM - NIGHT A very concerned Matty pushes through the curious CROWD that's formed outside the door. He squeezes inside. INT. LADIES ROOM - NIGHT Matty enters, stops, looks around. The Blonde and her Pals lie scattered on the floor. Red spatter on the walls, on the floor, everywhere. Sandi leans over a sink, washing her face. Matty spins her round. She's OK, there's not a mark on her. MATTY The hell happened here? SANDI Blondie and her cute little friends wanted to play rough. A SECURITY GUY kneels and turns the Blonde over. Her face has been slashed. Security Guy looks at Sandi. She smiles and waves the flick-knife. Matty grabs the knife. MATTY Come on, we're leaving. SECURITY GUY You ain't going nowhere. Matty straight-fingers Security Guy in the throat, kicks him in the nuts, chops him on the neck. Security Guy goes down like a felled tree. Matty drags Sandi out of there. INT. DANCE CLUB - OUTSIDE LADIES ROOM - NIGHT Matty and Sandi push through the crowd. EXT. PARKING LOT OUTSIDE DANCE CLUB - NIGHT Sandi leans against Matty's car, arms folded. Matty hurries outside, he's got something hidden inside his jacket. SANDI About time. MATTY Get in! They climb in, Matty starts the engine and zooms out of there. INT. MATTY'S CAR - NIGHT Driving, Matty dumps cassette tapes on Sandi's lap. MATTY I got the security tapes. SANDI I can see why Groggy likes you. You're a very useful person to have around. MATTY I can see why he told me not to let you out of my sight. You're one crazy bitch. SANDI Yes I am. Does it turn you on? Matty just drives. Sandi lights a smoke, closes her eyes. SANDI Do you know where Groggy's going tonight? Did he tell you? MATTY He just said it was business. SANDI He wants to marry me but he won't tell me things. I have to find out from other people. Twenty million dollars. Shh, I'm not supposed to know. MATTY What are you talking about? SANDI He's collecting money he's owed. That's a lot of zeroes, huh? MATTY I guess. SANDI Drugs money. Whore money. Blood money. He's so sweet, but he won't tell me nothing. It's like he doesn't trust me. I had to screw Jimmy to find out about the twenty million. A man shouldn't keep secrets from his fiancée. Don't you think? MATTY A fiancée shouldn't screw other guys. SANDI I can get past the guards. Surprise him before he puts it in his safe. You and me. Ten million each. What do you say? MATTY I think you're nuts. Why me? SANDI Because you don't work for Groggy. Because you can handle yourself. And because I trust you. She strokes his sleeve, feeling the material. SANDI And because ten million would buy a lot of good-looking suits. Matty thinks about this, long and hard. INT. GROGAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT Grogan opens the door and turns on the lights. He carries a fat attaché case to his desk. He swings a hinged painting aside to reveal a wall safe, which he opens. He opens the attaché case and smiles at stacks of money. SANDI (O.S.) Hi honey, I'm home. Sandi points a gun at Grogan. GROGAN Bad idea, baby. Put that away unless you really want to get hurt. BLAM! Sandi smiles at Grogan through the cloud of gunsmoke. Grogan touches his chest, inspects the blood on his hand. GROGAN Stupid. Bitch. How far do you think you'll get? How far... Grogan collapses, dead as a wooden duck. INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT The Bouncer comes running, Matty steps out and beats the Bouncer to a bloody pulp, smashing him down. Sandi arrives with the attaché case. MATTY Grogan? SANDI We broke up. Let's get out of here. INT. MATTY'S CAR - NIGHT Speeding through the neon city. Sandi turns to Matty. She places her hand on his crotch. SANDI I knew it was an act. Pull over. EXT. MATTY'S CAR - DARK ALLEYWAY - NIGHT The car rocks on its springs, Sandi GASPS with each bounce. SANDI (V.O.) Oh yeah baby. That feels real good. BLAM! As the gunshot sound fades, the car stops rocking. FADE OUT 04/07§