An office conference room.
TOM: Then is it a deal?
(John stands up.)
JOHN: Talk to you, Tom?
(Without waiting for an answer, he does into the adjoining office.)
TOM: John, if you have something-- . . . (to the others:) If you'll excuse me a minute.
(He follows John into the office.)
Reader interaction:
  • Follow them into the office.

    •  

     

    (Continue:)
    BART: Oh, boy.

    JAY: Jerry, you know what's going on?

    JERRY: No, but I can find out soon enough.

    (He gets up from the table and starts for the office.)
    HELEN: I hate to say I told you--

    JERRY: Cut it! I'll be right back.

    (Jerry goes into the office)
  • Follow Jerry.

    •  

     

    (Continue:)
    HELEN: He didn't have to snap at me.

    BART: Poor baby.

    HELEN: I don't have to take that from you or--

    BART: Just quit whining.

    JAY: Quit bickering - both of you.

    (John comes back in, moving quickly for the door out.)
    JAY: John, I think what we need to do--

    JOHN: I'm out of here.

    (Mary gets up to stop him, and John shoves her against the table, then leaves.)
  • Follow John.
    • (Or continue:)
    JAY (after him): Hey, mister!

    MARY: I'm okay. I'll be right back.

    (She goes into the adjoining office.)
  • Go with Mary.
    • (Continue:)
    JAY: I move we stop this fiasco right here and now.

    HELEN: I think we should get to the bottom of this.

    JAY: John made his resistance clear. Without him, we have no program.

    BART: I don't think that's necessarily true.

    JAY: Who has his expertise?

    BART: Tom does.

    (Tom enters at this.)
    HELEN: Speak of the devil.

    TOM: I do what?

    JAY: We're wondering if John bailing out gives us anything more to talk about.

    TOM: He isn't bailing out. Give me fifteen minutes to bring him around.

    (He rushes out of the conference room, following after John.)
  • Go with Tom.
    • (Continue:)
    JAY: From the ridiculous to the sublime. Why don't you two go ahead? I can wait for Tom to come back from his fiasco.

    BART: Jer and Mary are still in there.

    JAY: So they are.

    HELEN: Surprise, surprise. I mean, I don't think it's business they're talking about.

    BART: Really? They're an item?

    HELEN: I always thought that was a strange way to put it. But, yes, I suppose you could say that they are "an item."

    JAY: I'll tell them the news, too. No need for you two to waste any more time on this.

    HELEN: Am I the only one who doesn't know what's going on here? I thought we had a done deal.

    BART: Didn't they teach you at Harvard that there's no such thing as a "done deal"

    HELEN: If you remember, bringing John here was my doing in the first place. He was always enthusiastic about the deal with me.

    JAY: People, please - it's been a long day. Go have a drink together.

    (The office door opens and Mary and Jerry return).
    JERRY: Where's John?

    JAY: Out of the picture.

    BART: Tom went after him. He thinks he can bring him back in.

    JAY: I don't. I say everybody congregate at the bar at the Hilton. I'll wait for Tom and meet you there.

    HELEN: I just don't understand what went wrong.

    BART: He obviously wasn't as enthused as--

    HELEN: Why do you keep trying to make this my fault?

    JAY: People!

    BART: I'm gone. The Hilton it is. Anybody else coming?

    MARY: I don't think I'm up to it. A hot bath sounds better.

    JERRY: I'll stay for just a quick one.

    HELEN: We have to promise not to talk business. Bart?

    BART: A deal.

    JAY: I'll wait for Tom.

    MARY: Well, it was a good idea while it lasted. See you next try.