94
Continued from previous page….
MYLES
Well… I’m sure there was no way
to avoid that from happening. We
both have our own separate agendas.
You’re just going to have to live with
the fact that I hold all the cards. You’re
going to have to live with the fact that
sometimes you lose in this world,
Charlotte. Are you prepared?
CHARLOTTE
Oh, I’m prepared.
I just wonder if
you are.
MYLES
Meaning?
CHARLOTTE
Meaning, you’re not
gonna get your way, Myles.
I’ll fight if I have to.
MYLES
(sorrowful)
Oh, Charlotte… What has happened
to you? What have you become? You
think this is better, but it’s not. It’s
worse. Life is not about constant
domination. It’s about caring.. and
compromise. It’s not always about
winning. When I first met you six years
ago, you were like a child. So sweet and
innocent. You were so bright-eyed when
you came in the studio that first time. I
remember you were so nervous at that
first rehearsal, you could barely recite
your lines. I thought for sure you would
be the most natural because of your dad,
but you weren’t. You were scared to death.
The other girls took to acting like a duck
to water, but not you. It took you a while.
But then… you found your bearings… and
before I knew it, you were a producer…
And it didn’t surprise me… I knew you had
it in you.
Charlotte is
flattered. She
is smiling.
MYLES
And now this… Threats… Manipulation…
Talking about controlling people? What was
all that shit about controlling their lives?
Why would you say something like that?
Somehow, I don’t think you’ll ever control
Gina’s life. She almost kicked me in the
balls one time.
CHARLOTTE
(befuddled)
I was just.. pointing out..
that I… give
them their paychecks, that’s all…
You took the whole
thing out of context.
MYLES
Oh, really? What about
calling you Belinda’s name?
Did I take that out of context?
Not that we’re ever going
to sleep together again, anyway.
CHARLOTTE
Let’s forget about that.
MYLES
Gladly.
There is a
long pause.
CHARLOTTE
The song remains the same, Myles…
You ain’t gonna break up my band…
You ain’t gonna be our Yoko Ono.
MYLES
(amused)
Like I said before, I’m hardly
interested in going down in history
as the guy who broke up the Go-Go’s.
Besides, from what I understand,
that deed has already been done.
How come I haven’t heard about
this on the news?
CHARLOTTE
Because we haven’t made it official
yet… For us, it doesn’t matter anyway.
It’s just a matter of semantics. We’ll
be a band till the end of time. The rest
of the world doesn’t know that yet,
that’s all.
MYLES
I’m glad to hear that… I really am…
I’m not much of a rock n’ roll fan, but
I think you guys are fantastic. You’ve
done something special. You’ve done
something important for women. No
one can ever take that away from you.
Always be proud of that.
CHARLOTTE
But you wanna take
it away from us.
MYLES
Ah, Charlotte, don’t think of it like
that… Think of it as we’re moving
forward. I’m happy to embrace the fact
that you’ll always be a band. Let’s just
move to the next level, okay?
There seems
to be a moment
of mutual agreement
on these last
spoken words.
CHARLOTTE
Myles.. honey… Your
talk of me being a
producer got me
all tingly inside.
MYLES
Oh?
CHARLOTTE
Yes… I wanna ask
a favor of you…
A big favor.
MYLES
Am I ready for this?
CHARLOTTE
It’s not about Belinda.
MYLES
Okay?
CHARLOTTE
I want you to make
me the Head of Programming
at CBS… Have daddy
arrange for it.
MYLES
What?! Are you crazy?
I can’t have you hanging
around the offices again.
This is exactly what I was
trying to avoid…You and I
need to separate from
each other.
CHARLOTTE
Oh, please? Now that
the girls and I have
broken up for the time
being, I am SOOO bored.
I need something to do.
MYLES
Well, that’s your problem.
What about your
business interests?
CHARLOTTE
I have a very special
person taking care of
that as we speak. Someone
you know personally.
MYLES
No.. I’m sorry… It’s completely
out of the question… Besides, I
don’t know if I can pull those
kinds of strings… And as far
as my dad is concerned… He’s
still pretty pissed-off at me
for the whole Belinda thing.
CHARLOTTE
What for?
MYLES
What do you mean, what for?!!
He knows I was fuckin’ around with
her while she was still under contract!
I should’ve gotten fired for that! Thank
God HE pulled some strings and kept
me on.
CHARLOTTE
Oh… sorry…
I didn’t think of that.
MYLES
Yeah, no shit.
CHARLOTTE
Oh, c’mon, Myles, you can
make it happen… You’re a
top executive… I’ll turn that
network around, I promise.
MYLES
We don’t need turning around.
We’re doing just fine.
CHARLOTTE
Oh, really? The New Mike Hammer?
As if we didn’t get enough of the old
Mike Hammer from thirty years ago?
Come on, Myles. You call that
creative thinking? At least NBC has Alf.
An alien puppet. Now that’s quality
programming.
MYLES
Hey! I don’t make
those decisions, alright?
Besides, that show’s already
been cancelled, anyway.
CHARLOTTE
That’s the problem!
Your shows are always
getting cancelled! Nobody
knows what they’re doing
over there in that department!
You’re getting creamed by the
other networks! I can fix that.
MYLES
Forget it, Charlotte.
You’re not getting
that job and that’s final.
Besides…They don’t want
some.. rock n’ roll chick
in that position anyway.
It’s a conflict of interests.
CHARLOTTE
I want that job, Myles.
Otherwise, I can make
things really hard on you.
MYLES
Don’t threaten me, Charlotte!!
You hear me?!!
Don’t threaten me!! …
I am a MAN, and YOU
are a woman!! …
And you need to understand that!
CHARLOTTE
I’ll tell Belinda about us.
MYLES
Ohhh, don’t even go there…
Don’t you dare go there…
I will fucking…
CHARLOTTE
What? Kill me?
MYLES
Don’t tempt me… You know what?
I take that back… I dare you to tell her…
That’s right! I dare you to tell her…
You’ll never tell her in a million years and
you wanna know why? Because you’ve got more
to lose than I do, that’s why. Yeah, that’s
right! You tell her about us and she’ll
never speak to you again for the rest of your life.
And that would kill you, wouldn’t it, Charlotte?
No more control… No more controlling their
lives… That would break up your little clan of
cave bears, wouldn’t it? Permanently. That
would break up your little cult… Because that’s
what you guys are— a cult… I’ve seen your
fans. They’re lunatics! Did you know I got
approached by one of your psychotic acolytes the
other day… who told me if I don’t treat Belinda
like a queen, she was gonna gouge my eyes out!!
Some chick named Jennifer!
CHARLOTTE
(amused)
Oh, I know who that is…
That’s Jennifer JuJuBee.
MYLES
Jennifer JuJuBee?
CHARLOTTE
Yeah, she had her
name legally changed
when she found out how
much we all like candy.
MYLES
Terrific.
CHARLOTTE
She’s the president of our
most loyal and rabid fan club—
The Order Of The Uterus.
She’ll do anything I tell her to.
I could snap my fingers
and have you skinned alive.
MYLES
I suppose you’re
considering that.
CHARLOTTE
Like you said—
Don’t tempt me.
MYLES
(summing things up)
You’re on the road to ruin, Charlotte.
Take my word for it. Eventually, this…
power hungry shit you’re obsessed
with will be your downfall. It’s just
a matter of time. One of these days,
you’ll say or do the wrong thing and
it will ALL come crashing down
around you… And you’ll be left with
nothing else but your pathetic little
self. Not even your band will talk to you.
CHARLOTTE
I’ll take my chances.
MYLES
Good luck… And… despite all the
negative things we’ve said to each
other on this wonderful evening, I
still accept your offer of spending
the night in one of your guest bedrooms.
CHARLOTTE
And I’ll still make you
breakfast in the morning.
MYLES
Goodnight, Charlotte.
I’ll find my way.
CHARLOTTE
Goodnight, Myles.
Myles starts
to leave.
CHARLOTTE
Oh, Myles…
Before you go…
MYLES
Yes?
CHARLOTTE
Wouldn’t it be a hoot
if I were pregnant
with your child
just like Belinda?
Myles takes
the time to
stare at Charlotte
in disbelief.
MYLES
Don’t say that, Charlotte…
Not even in joking.
CHARLOTTE
And seeing as how we’re sisters,
that would make it EXTRA
repulsive, don’t you think?
MYLES
(shaking his head)
You never give
up, do you?
Charlotte
just smiles.
Copyright 2022
by Clark Wright