INT. APARTMENT HALLWAY - NIGHT

Barris walks down the hall, carrying a bouquet of flowers.
He arrives at Penny's door. There is an envelope attached to
it with Barris's name on it. He opens the envelope and reads
the letter.

         Dear Chuck,
         I'm dead now. I hope you're happy.
         The door's open.
                            Love always,
                               Penny

Barris hurriedly opens the door, enters the apartment looks
around, finds Penny face down on the floor, surrounded by
empty champagne bottles and vials of pills. He stares at her
body for a moment, feeling faint. He drops to his knees.

                                                  (CONTINUED)

                                                                75.
CONTINUED:


                    PENNY
              (face down)
          Wanna see a stupid girl vomit?

INT. DINER - NIGHT

Barris and Penny sit in a booth. Penny has black coffee in
front of her. She is pale and drawn.

                       PENNY
             Why were you with that girl in our living
             room?

                       BARRIS
             It's not our living room, Pen.

                       PENNY
             That's your defense?   You know what it
             feels like to see you with someone else?
             In any living room.

                    BARRIS
          You know who I am, Penny.    I don't force
          you to hang around.

                    PENNY
              (incredulous)
          You don't force me?   Fuck. So you're
          saying you have no interest in this, one
          way or the other?

                    BARRIS
          No, I'm not saying that.

                    PENNY
          Well, then, what are you saying, Chuck?
          Do you want me around or not? Do you
          even like me?

                    BARRIS
          Of course I like you.

                       PENNY
          How much?

                       BARRIS
          What?

                    PENNY
          I need to know how much you like me.

                                                        (CONTINUED)

                                                             76.
CONTINUED:


                     BARRIS
              (beat)
          I don't even know what that means, "how
          much?" How can I rate a person in that
          way? That's ridiculous.

                    PENNY
          You could if you felt it. If you felt
          it, it would be easy to rate me. You
          could spread your arms as wide as they
          would go and say, "This much, Penny."

                    BARRIS
          Everything's complicated, Pen.    Nothing's
          black and white like that.

                    PENNY
          Do you want me around or not? If you
          don't, just say so, so I know. Okay?

Barris and Penny look at each other.    She starts to cry.

                    BARRIS
          I love you, Pen, in my way. Maybe not in
          that crazy, head-over-heels thing, but
          what is that, anyway? Romantic love.
          Isn't that just an illusion?

                     PENNY
              (beat)
          But you just said you love me, right?

EXT. MOUNTAIN ROAD - NIGHT

A non-descript American car is parked on the quiet wooded
street. Barris pulls up in his Jaguar. He gets out of the
car, looks in the window of the empty American car.

                    BYRD (O.S.)
          Over here, Strawberry-dick.

Barris looks over and makes out Byrd sitting on a rock with a
view of L.A. spread out in front of him. Barris joins him.

                    BARRIS
          Jesus, how do you know these things?

                    BYRD
          We even know what she actually thought it
          tasted like.

                                                    (CONTINUED)

                                                             77.
CONTINUED:


                    BARRIS
          Really? I could never find that out.
          What did she think?

                    BYRD
          It's a "need to know", my friend.   So
          tell me, what can I do you for?

                    BARRIS
          I could really use an assignment, Jim.
          To straighten my head.

                    BYRD
          I got something for your head.