KITCHENETTE
235
bends her head toward the audience without changing her posi–
tion.
Jo: You know, Mikie, you're right: half the things in this litter
basket shouldn't have been thrown out.
Jo
neatly arranges the beer cans and then picks up the under–
garments and throws them back into the litter basket.
MIKIE
(tossing himself hysterically at the basket):
My clothes!!
Jo: Hush, dear, hush.... It's all right.
MIKIE
(crying, working himself up from the floor onto the com–
mode):
They threw
me
away! They threw
me
into the litter bas–
ket. ... and I'm a worthwhile thing.
Jo: Of course, you are, darling, of course you are....
MIKIE
continues to cry like a neurotic child and
Jo
goes over to
him and sits on his lap. She kisses and soothes and pets
him. She puts his head against her chest; it is all very maternal.
Then, slowly, very slowly, she inches away from him and squirms
up onto the table, like a kitten in heat, pouting and hissing.
MIKIE
watches her with popping eyes, begins to drool.
Jo
moves
her long, shapely legs temptingly before his face; he runs his
hands tenderly over her shoes, mumbling
"Well hello there,"
and begins to kiss the shoes. The
FILMMAKER
urges
MIKIE
on to
more enthusiastic lasciviousness,
"Eat them, eat them,"
etc.
Jo
(groaning with delight, her head thrown back):
Oh! Sail on! Sail
on! Behind you leave the grey Azores, behind the gates of Her-
cules...... .
To the
FILMMAKER.
Leave him alone, Harvey, he's doing fine!
MIKIE
moves his lips around her ankles, then quickly starts kiss–
ing along her calves to her knees. Suddenly, she catches his neck
sharply between her thighs.
Jo
(disgusted):
OK, Columbus, you've discovered enough!
Jo
jumps off the table and resumes her seat on the stool. She
continues applying makeup.
MIKIE,
left on the commode, makes
discreet movements and readjustments to indicate that he is em–
ploying the facility.
FILMMAKER: Comfy?
MIKIE
(softly):
More or less. . .
Very long pause.
MIKIE: This afternoon I went to a shower, Jo.
