Participants:
| Scene Title | Boyfriend |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Monica's life has a brief change in genre. |
| Date | May 7 2010 |
Atlantic City Boardwalk
They're both walking on the boardwalk later that Saturday afternoon, after losing around 10,000 dollars and both deciding to quit while they're ahead. "So, our abilities don't lend themselves to gambling. Live and learn." Magnes lightly rubs the back of his head, then laughs lightly and just smiles. "I guess you haven't lived until you've lost ten-thousand dollars."
Luck. Who knew it was so hard to replicate! She was so sure those games were all about skill. But maybe it's metal skill. She can't copy that. The loss is major in Monica's mind and she feels guilty about it because it wasn't her money to lose, it was his. So she's walking along, her gaze on her feet as they make they way down the boardwalk.
"I'm real sorry, Mags," she says for the umpteenth time. "I'll make it back, I swear. I can hustle pool better than anybody. I watched some professionals so I could beat— … someone. People. Others. You know." Let's not talk about Griffin at the moment. Bad idea. "Anyways, yes. And I was always good at angles and stuff. I swear I can make it back. Eventually."
"Don't worry about that, this was my crazy idea. We did something crazy, we'll remember this forever, that was worth it. I'll live, I have a good job, I won't go hungry or anything. It was a lot of money, true, but it was out of my savings, so in the grand scheme of things it won't kill me to lose a little of it." Magnes stops in front of her and clears his throat a bit. "You know how you told me to relax? Well, I want you to stand there and be totally not weirded out by this."
Suddenly four men wearing suits with unbuttoned blazers line up behind him, after seemingly having nothing to do with eachother. Then one of the men sits down a radio and hits play.
That's when the synthesized voice starts from the speakers.
Your boy, boy, b-b-boy, b-b-boyfriend.
Your boy, boy, b-b-boy, b-b-boyfriend.
Your boy, boy, b-b-boy, b-b-boyfriend.
Your boy, boy, b-b-boy, b-b-boy.
He steps back in front of the guys as he seems to have pulled a small headset mic from his blazer, and starts to sing in a well-practiced voice. "Have you ever had the feeling you're drawn to someone? And there isn't anything they could've said or done? And everyday I see you on your own. And I can't believe that you're alone, but I overheard your girls and this is what they said…"
The men begin to dance behind him, as if this was planned. Perhaps this is what he had to go and do for those two hours he had to leave the casino. Magnes himself jumps up on to a bench near the beach rails, and people start to stare a bit as they walk by. "That you're looking for a boyfriend, I see that. Give me time, you know, I'm gonna be there. Don't be scared to come, put your trust in me. Can't you see all I really want to be,"
He jumps down, jumping on to the tips of his toes and hype gyrating for a moment before he goes back to his normal steps. "Is your boyfriend, can't fight that. Let me down, you know, I'm coming right back. I don't care at all what you done before, all I really want is to be your-"
Oh yeah, they're gonna keep going.
Those words don't seem to bode well. Be totally not weirder out. Monica gives him an odd look. But she's a bit indulgent. Because his oddness is part of his charm. Or at least his uniqueness. When a group of blazered fellows step out, her first thought is oh crap, the cops. But imagine her surprise when the music starts. And the dancing. And the singing. And the Magnes singing.
It takes a moment for the content of the song to sink in, because she's a little more focused on the fact that this is not Monica's idea of laying low. All they need is someone with an iPhone taking a video and putting it on youtube. So instincts have her scanning the crowd for just such threats. Oh, but there's a line in there about her looking for a boyfriend? And that gets her attention back over to Magnes. To stare wide eyed. It isn't a terribly promising expression, but maybe she's just in shock. Which may be very true.
There is a reason he encouraged her to wear out of character clothes and big cat sunglasses!
And also why he isn't getting near her in his whole routine. If there's anything Magnes is good at, it's keeping the cameras on him. Suddenly there are white fedoras and they're doing crazy Michael Jackson-style spins, all falling to one knee as the song suddenly slows down. "If you tell me where, I'm waiting here every day like slum-dog millionaire. Bigger than the Twilight love affair, I'll be here, girl, I swear."
They all rise, continuing their dance numbers while he continues to sing, and when the song ends on a few more b-b-boys, they all toss the hats to the ground and the music ends. This earns some applauds from the crowd, and someone is indeed filming him, but once everything dies down people start to go about their business, and he finally decides it's safe enough to approach her again and start walking. "That, uh, I guess I just wanted to burst that little bubble of awkwardness so it would stop looming over my head and I could finally relax."
Oh no, there's pop culture references. Who wrote this song? The Twilight love affair? Monica is just more puzzled as the song goes on. And she's not really running off, he can see her in the crowd, but she moves to a spot that makes her look like someone watching instead of the target. Self preservation instincts. And perhaps some mortal embarrassment.
And afterwards, when she's off a bit, near a bench, arms folded, looking… well, tight jawed anyway. So when he starts walking, she does walk with him because maybe she wants the explanation, but she doesn't say anything right off.
When the explanation comes, her first reply is to rub a hand over her face before she looks over at him. "I'm not really sure what to say to that." Her voice is a little tight, too, like maybe he's less awkward because now they're sharing the awkward. Plus, it's been a long time since there was a boyfriend to speak of, and those weren't even real boyfriends, but high school boyfriends she used to sneak around with when she was a kid. For a long time, it just hasn't been a focus.
"You know, I wasn't expecting you to jump into my arms like a Disney princess or anything, but like, you said be myself, and, well, this is myself when I'm not trying to worry about what everyone things or being embarassed, I do these crazy spontaneous things that I half-expect to completely backfire." Magnes holds his hands out to his sides, gesturing enthusiastically as he continues to explain. "No overthinking, second-guessing, staying silent, I thought something, and then I did it."
"Well, lord knows I'm not one of them. I don't even own a dress and I never once sang about wanting more." It's a joke. Or would be, if her tone was normal. Monica lets out a sigh and looks over at him, "I'm not mad. And I'm glad you can be yourself because if you can't, then we're never really gonna get to know one another.
She doesn't pause in her walk, but she does look away, her arms unfolding so her hands can slide into back pockets. "I don't really— I mean, between freedom fighting, crime fighting, riots, prison, breaking out of prison and making the Most Wanted List, I just never tried to fit dating in there. I've never been good at the balance. I'm not even sure I'd know what the heck I was doing, dating."
Looking his way again, she tilts her head a little, a gentle smile on her face, "I do want to get to know you. And I want you to get to know me. Not St. Joan, but Monica. You know? I don't know if I'll be alive next week, let alone who or even if I want to be dating. You follow me?"
"Yeah, I understand. I was just going for it, I mean, if I didn't do that now then who knows when I'd have done it. I know it might have been a bit much, but I had to try." Magnes offers his hand in case she wants to take it with her pocketed hand. "I'm fine with getting to know eachother more, but I think we've been as embarassed as we can possibly get with eachother, so we should have a lot of fun tomorrow. And tonight we've got our first night of room service."
"I was pretty ostentatious, that's for sure. Thanks for not pulling me up there or something crazy. It was a good way to be crazy and keep my face out of the cameras." Thoughtfulness, that much she appreciates. "Plus I would have died from sheer embarrassment and saved the government the trouble," she says as she reaches over to shake him a little.
But there's a little smile that says she doesn't deem the trip ruined, and that wanting to be her boyfriend is a forgivable flaw, in the end, so long as they're on the same page here. "Yeah, let's milk tomorrow for all the fun it's got before we head back to reality again." There's another little bump with her hip, before she smirks and starts a race back toward the hotel. And room service.