A short drama written by T.W. Lawrence, featured on the Six-Page Scripts podcast.

1. TULSA
Written by
T. W. Lawrence

2. (MORE)
INT. SMALL STEEL FACTORY LUNCH ROOM - DAY
CLAY and JIMMY sit across the table. Clay wears business
casual. Jimmy wears coveralls. Door to factory floor is open.
Half-eaten pizza and a few sodas remain on counter top.
JIMMY
You wasted a trip to Tulsa, Mr.
Marshall. I ain’t selling. Nothing
you can offer will change that.
Clay takes a paper from his briefcase and slides it across
the table to Jimmy.
CLAY
It’s more than a decent proposal,
Jimmy. Practically makes you a
millionaire.
JIMMY
“Practically” don’t cut it. Gonna
have to pass on that one.
Clay stands and shuts the door.
JIMMY (CONT'D)
This where you break my knuckles,
college boy? Without no witnesses?
You’re certainly big enough.
CLAY
No. I find that too inefficient.
JIMMY
Maybe you got no stomach for it
either, huh?
Clay replaces the paper with another.
CLAY
My last offer. This one does make
you a millionaire.
Jimmy shakes his head without looking at paper.
CLAY (CONT'D)
Obvious you want more money. But
why in the world would I pay it?
JIMMY
Because I know something you don’t.
Some fancy Swiss outfit wants to
buy out your boss. He gets a bunch
of money, a BIG bunch. That’s fine.
(MORE)

3. JIMMY (CONT'D)
2.
First he has to own ALL the capital
stock, including my few minority
shares. Deadline is noon tomorrow.
CLAY
I’m aware of that.
Clay does his best to hide that this is news to him.
CLAY (CONT'D)
I just don’t know how much you
think that costs.
JIMMY
Way I see it, Clay, you been bent
over a table and someone is tugging
down your boxers.
(laughs)
Not much you can do now but take a
deep breath.
CLAY
OK, Jimmy, I’m telling you as one
amigo to another this is as good as
it gets. No? Then it’s withdrawn.
Clay slides a new paper halfway to Jimmy.
JIMMY
What’s this? Your Valentine’s list?
(beat)
Hey, that’s my mother’s address.
This is my brother’s. My father-in-
law. Dora. What’s going on?
CLAY
(deadpans)
Call it a distribution database.
JIMMY
For what?
CLAY
Your sexual metaphor earlier was
ironic. Sex is something you don’t
do well, I’m told.
JIMMY
What?
CLAY
Nice wife and kids. That not enough
for you?
JIMMY (CONT'D)
2.

4. (MORE)
3.
JIMMY
Meaning?
CLAY
First one girlfriend, then another.
(shrugs)
You grew clumsy, mistakes happened.
JIMMY
You got nothing on me.
CLAY
STUPID and unfaithful is not a good
combination, bubba.
Clay consults a card from inside his coat pocket. Replaces.
CLAY (CONT'D)
You should have paid cash at that
Amarillo clinic when you thought
you had the clap. Credit cards are
so messy.
JIMMY
What’s THAT got to do with this
list?
CLAY
Sorta like Christmas cards. Each
name here gets a few of these.
Clay hands Jimmy a stack of photos, one at a time. Jimmy
looks at each with growing shock.
CLAY (CONT'D)
Doubt Dora - OR your wife - will be
happy to see any of these.
Clay studies one photo a long moment before handing it over.
CLAY (CONT'D)
Wow, how did you two ever manage to
do THAT?
Jimmy flinches when he sees the photo handed him.
JIMMY
What kind of man are you anyway?
CLAY
Opinions vary. I ain’t your mama,
certainly not your friend, and I’m
way short of being your priest.
(MORE)
3.

5. CLAY (CONT'D)
4.
Just sign the paper. The nearly-a-
millionaire one. These stocks, too.
Jimmy stares daggers, but signs papers and stocks.
JIMMY
(almost stuttering)
Then you’ll do the right thing?
Burn negatives and all the photos?
CLAY
Sorry, hombre, can’t. These copies
are all I got.
JIMMY
What do you mean?
CLAY
How do you think the pictures were
taken in the first place, you
moron? SHE let the photographer in.
Mailing list came from her as well.
(quizzically)
You think I know all these people?
Jimmy moans with his head in his hands.
CLAY (CONT'D)
You shoulda never promised to marry
her if you didn’t really mean it.
Ladies don’t like that. What you
really should be asking yourself
is: ‘what kind of woman is she?’.
Clay gathers the documents.
Clay grabs a pizza slice from the box on counter.
Clay leaves the room whistling.
Jimmy stares at the ceiling, tears running down his cheeks.
Halfway down the hall, Clay hears Jimmy’s loud sobs begin.
CLAY (CONT'D)
4.