BRAVE NEW WORLD - Todd & Tea

Todd & Tea had very unusual relationship, to say the least. It started off as strictly a business deal, but developed far beyond that for both of them. This is the point of the second wedding, their real one. Todd genuinely was ready to make the commitment to her for real this time. It was significant for Todd, after the hurt he felt from Blair, the walls around himself were monumental and now he was finally ready to give his love, body and soul to her. It had been literally years since he made love and the interesting thing, I thought that his actions of being awkward, nervous, boyish with Tea were the exact same as the first time he made love to Blair. Todd has just carried Tea over the threshold into the cabana for their wedding night. He glances at the divan and then back at the bed and decides to just put her down gently on the floor. He adjusts his tie nervously, she crosses away a few steps, the look back at each, and each giving a nervous little fake smile.

TEA: (uncomfortable pause) Oh, I have a gift for you.

TODD: Gimme.

TEA: Okay. (gets box with ribbon on it and starts to give it to him but he stops her with his words)

TODD: Yeah, I got something for you. (he reaches in his breast coat pocket for a fat envelope)

TEA: Oh, I didn’t expect that. (they exchange gifts and she goes to open hers on the table, Todd is behind her holding his present not opening it yet, he is intent on her opening his gift)

TODD: Yeah, Briggs made it. Or Briggs had somebody make it, cause I told him to have somebody make it.

TEA: Oh, it’s...it’s a puzzle. (she gives a laugh, starts to assemble it)

TODD: Yeah, well you....yeah you know you’re putting it together. (looks around uncomfortably)

TEA: Yeah. (realizes he hasn’t opened his) Oh, you open yours.

TODD: (he quickly tears off the ribbon and opens the box, looks a bit puzzled) Is this the moon?

TEA: (she is still putting puzzle together, but says pleased with herself) Yeah now you have the Sun, the moon and Starr.

TODD: (he glances up at her comprehending, with emotion) I got a lot.

TEA: You can handle it. Look! Look! You are almost whole. Wait, wait...wait, I think there’s...there’s a piece missing. Right here, where the...the heart’s supposed to be. (she’s looking at the puzzle, and I interpret Todd’s look to be he knew about it but he planned on giving her that missing piece later)

Scene break

TODD: (she is fingering the puzzle) Forget it. You know, I’ll get a......Forget it.

TEA: (starts frantically looking for the piece, a bit upset) No, it’s your heart, I want to find it!

TODD: (overlapping her) Forget it, I’ll get another one. Briggs liked making the first one so much. Cutting up a picture of me and all.

TEA: (she instantly stops arguing knowing it’s best to forget the symbolism and let it go) Okay, okay, I’ll stop. (hands on her hips, Todd is tossing the moon into the air a few time, she then nervously bumps into something with that dress) Oops! (quickly hugs herself)

TODD: (he drops the moon on the divan, awkwardly steps a few steps towards her) You know I...I think that......went pretty well. Right, I mean better than city hall?

TEA: (she gives half smile) Yeah.

TODD: Even with all the interruptions.

TEA: (awkward pause, nervous laugh) Oh the candles. I'll light the candles.

TODD: (at this point for the next few lines Tea seems even more nervous than he is, smoothly he takes control for a bit) No, I light the candles. You...you can’t even get in there, with that big ole dress of yours, you’re like a bull in china shop. (this sure sounded like an ad-lib) The grim sweeper. (she laughs and playfully bumps her dress into him)

TEA: (thinking of something else to distract) You know what, I’ll open the champagne.

TODD: (as he’s lighting the candles) I’ll do that too.

TEA: No, no I got it.

TODD: (his voice drops low) Delgado what’s the matter?

TEA: (her back is too him, her looks betrays her words, tries to say nonchalantly) Nothing!

TODD: (he stares at her intently) You’re sure you’re not scared of me? (she is not scared but she is very nervous)

Scene break

TODD: (sure that she is indeed afraid of him, he nervously crosses away from her then turns back) That’s what it is, right? You're...you're scared.....(quietly)...of me.

TEA: (reassuring him) I would not be here if that were true.

TODD: (not convinced) Yeah?

TEA: (quietly, with conviction) Yeah.

TODD: (puzzled) Then what is it?

TEA: (sighs) I’m....I’m wanting to get us back to where we were, when we were at our best. I’m...I’m afraid we rushed into this, I’m afraid that you didn’t get a chance to complete your therapy and uh......

TODD: And what, what?

TEA: And uh......(crosses up to foot of the bed her head motioning to it) What, what if I don’t live up to your expectations?

TODD: (pause, looks at her, can’t believe she is nervous, with a smile) See, you’re a scared, YOU’RE nervous? (small laugh, crosses up the head of the bed)

TEA: It’s our wedding night, Todd.

TODD: (moment of truth, he says solemnly) Yeah.

TEA: (laughing nervously, she steps towards him) I think I have a right....to be nervous. (he crosses around her, they have circled each other he is now at the foot of the bed she at the top and both sit on opposite ends of the bed tentatively. Todd tosses her nightgown back further on the bed and comically looks up at the fru-fru canopy. She lets out a huge sigh, look down at her dress smoothing it)

TODD: (glancing at her in a very quiet little boy voice) I’m nervous too.

TEA: (she laughs, then tentatively) Well, brave new world, huh?

TODD: (serious with determination) Brave new world. (without looking at each other they both slide simultaneously and humorously towards each so they are sitting right next to each other. He turns and looks at her tenderly starts to move towards her lips, she tilts her head both at first awkwardly bobbing then slowly approach and he gently kisses her, the kiss deepens and they slowly bring their arms around each other)

Scene break

TEA: (she breaks from the kiss, Tea shyly) The music is beautiful.

TODD: (wiping his mouth, a bit, probably lipstick) Yeah, I picked it.

TEA: (very soft, tenderly touches his chin) You can be awfully romantic when you want to be.

TODD: (surprised and pleased) Yeah?

TEA: Yeah. Hey you think we ...you think we could dance?

TODD: (little surprised) Uh yeah, sure. (gets up to the door) You know probably not in here, you’re gonna get that big old dress..... (eagerly getting to the door for a diversion) Outside! (pulling on door that’s stuck, nervous laugh) Door’s a little....jammed.

TEA: (laughing back) Well maybe you shouldn’t of kicked it shut when you carried me in.

TODD: (pulling on it, then is magically opens easily, relieved to step outside) Alright, outside.

TEA: Wait, wait, wait. (he stops and turns back) Come back here. (invitingly, sensuously waving him back in) Come back here. (he nervously runs his hand in his hair) Close the door.

TODD: (trying to stall, standing with his hand on the door) Naw. I just...I just got it opened.

TEA: (quietly, stands) I wanna dance in here. (she gestures her hand to him, his eyes dart, licks his lower lip)

(he pauses a brief second then closes the door and slowly crosses her. Awkwardly he approaches to hold as he danced formally earlier at their wedding, but he switches arms and something clicks on his face and he glides his arms around her holding her close, she rests her head on his chest and nestles into him, he caresses her bare shoulder, and contentment and calm comes over his face)

Scene break

(they are dancing slowly and sensuously, making one turn. They back away and look at each other intently with passion)

TEA: (whispers softly) This’ll work, I promise you. We’ll make it work. (he looks down, camera pans down and he his holding both her hands and caressing them.)

(Close up of just the pillow, then we see Todd bending her back on the bed, slowly, lips inches away. He sensuously, slowly kisses her then turns her face gently with his hand to the side and kisses her close to her ear, and nuzzles her face. He then backs an inch away, drinking her in with passion in his eyes. He sits up, she watches him intently, and he removes his jacket never taking his eyes off her and he tosses it across the room. He then bends back down to her and continues kissing her softly bracing himself on either side of the pillow. The camera closes on the puzzle that has been knocked in pieces by his jacket. The scene fades out)