Love Letters from the Dance Floor by Emma Petersen & Amy Suto

FADE IN: INT. HART & GRIFFIN INSURANCE OFFICE - DAY - BLACK AND WHITE JIM TURNER (late 20s) sits at his desk, staring blankly at a computer. Hes as deadpan as they get, unfazed by his surroundings, as much charisma as a cardboard box. A splash of red satin twirls in front of the screen and he looks up, his eyes widening in happy shock. WOMAN (V.O.) What if the world could dance? Jims gaze follows a pair of ballroom DANCERS, the only color in the office, as they twirl through the cubicles. WOMAN (V.O.) Wouldnt life be just a little bit brighter? His smile widens and he turns to watch another COUPLE, dressed in bright fringe, tango towards the copy room. Jim watches the office become crowded with colorful pairs. He almost stands to join them, but a black suit steps in front of his view and wipes away the dancers and the color. Its Jims boss PAUL HART (40s), friendly to the point of being invasive. He leans on Jims desk casually. PAUL Jimmy! Hows it goin? JIM Its going - and its Jim. Paul slaps Jim on the back and laughs too loudly. PAUL Youre always in your own world. So serious. Ill break you of it yet. Hows the numbers? Are you tired yet of assigning value to peoples lives? Jim smiles weakly in reply, lettering pops up over Pauls grinning face Paul Hart = BMW, designer clothes, trips to Mexico.

2. JIM Someone has to do it. PAUL So are you coming out with me and the boys tonight? Dont turn me down again. Jim looks over at THE BOYS laughing by the watercooler. The same lettering pops up over them: CHRIS BOOKER = Audi, house with a pool, MALCOLM FIELDS = Subaru, new snowboard, ski passes. A woman walks by -- CARRIE REEVES = clumsy, three trips to the hospital last year, do not insure. JIM I cant, Ive got this other thing. PAUL You have this other thing every time I ask. Its weekly. JIM

PAUL Weekly and secretive, youre not going all AA on me are you? Jim doesnt know how to respond as Paul slaps him on the back again as he straightens up to leave. PAUL (CONTD) Im just kidding, you can tell me about your secret woman later. Jim turns back to his computer, relieved, his face melts back into the deadpan of before. On screen he clicks a button and the screen darkens as something loads. He can see his reflection and Jim Turner = old apartment, credit card debt. Jim frowns at the words. And shoes with heels appears after debt, he smiles wryly. INT. SALSA CLUB - NIGHT - IN COLOR The heel of a black leather mens dance shoe stomps the ground to the beat of a Paso Doble, a dramatic, passionate dance. The shoe belongs to Jim.

3. Jims a new man on the dance floor, confidently leading a girl in a GREEN DRESS covered in feathers in spirals through the crowd of couples. Every muscle in his body is alive, never missing a beat. His talent is obvious, but he holds back to let Green Dress, who looks like a jock at the prom in comparison, keep up. They continue to dance. Then he sees her walk in, he turns his partner to get a better view. GABRIELLA (20s) leads her PARTNER onto the dance floor. Everything about her is perfect; her posture is straight but not rigid, her dress accentuates her body exquisitely, and her curled hair is flyaway free. She holds up her partners hand before taking the floor, the film freezes and switches to a picture of 12 year old Gabriella, in a kitschier costume, in the same position, as she receives a large trophy with the other hand. Jim continues to stare in disbelief and accidently steps on his partners foot. Ow. Sorry. GREEN DRESS JIM

Gabriella spots him as he struggles to regain his composure. She begins to dance with stunning precision around her graceless partner. Jim picks up the beat and turns away, but when he turns again Gabriella whips past his shoulder. They lock eyes and she smiles wickedly. I know you. Gabriella? GABRIELLA JIM

The film freezes again, this time zoomed in on 12 year old Jim in the background watching Gabriella receive her prize, tears running down his face. Jim looks back coldly and sends his partner into a quick spin without warning. GREEN DRESS Geez, not so fast.

4. GABRIELLA Still throwing your partners about I see. JIM Thats how it works, the woman follows, and I lead. They both stomp the ground and throw up an arm on a strong beat in the music, posing and staring each other down. Then they continue and pick the steps up a notch. GABRIELLA If I let my partner lead, where would I be? They cant keep up. Gabriellas partner, GRAY SHIRT (20s), looks annoyed. Excuse me? GRAY SHIRT

She pushes her partner away from her dramatically before pulling him back into her hold. JIM Where are you now? I believe last time we met, I was the one that came out on top. Jim drags his partner in a complex series of steps, its all she can do not to trip. GREEN DRESS (getting irritated) Would you relax? GABRIELLA In 03? Those judges didnt know a wisk from a weave. Jim flings his partner to the floor, then back to her feet and blows Gabriella a kiss with super showmanship. Green Dress pulls away her hand and dashes away, flustered. Jim shrugs. Gabriella laughs, then wraps herself into her partners arms. GABRIELLA (CONTD) You think youre so great? She rips herself out of his hold, spinning in tight circles across the floor, stopping herself only when she grabs hold of Jim.

5. GABRIELLA (CONTD) Then prove it. They dance. Its a battle of power as Gabriella tries to lead and Jim sends her turning. Each tries to outdo the other and the steps get quicker and more complex. The dance floor clears as people stop to watch the two experts. They not only have the steps, but also tense chemistry. At the end he grabs her tight around the waist and she puts a knee around his hip in a dramatic pose. The crowd cheers. As the band starts a slower song, the other dancers come back on the floor. Gabriella and Jim untangle and take a second to catch their breath. Gabriella looks up at Jim and smiles. You pass. What? GABRIELLA (CONTD) JIM

GABRIELLA Im signed up for a competition in San Diego, but my partner dropped out. Im willing to let you step in, you passed my test. She smiles. She is beautiful. He cant say no. Id love to. JIM

They grab hands and begin to dance again. INT. OFFICE - BLACK AND WHITE Workers chat and laugh in small groups while eating cake, celebrating someones birthday party. Jim sits alone at his desk with a slice of cake. Paul comes over to chat. PAUL Hey, how was that weekly thing JIM It went really well.

6. Jim glances at his computer, more interested in it than Paul. PAUL Did it? Did it really? Paul nudges him. PAUL (CONTD) How many bases? JIM Not now, Paul. PAUL Youre so secretive, you cant blame me for wondering. You know all about Kate - and more than you want to about Jessica, I just want a little in return. JIM Look, Im actually pretty busy researching something right now, maybe we can talk later. Paul looks at Jim disappointed and leaves without a word. Jim turns back to his computer and hits play. He watches a video of Gabriella dancing the waltz at a competition. As Gabriella and her partner spin elegantly across the floor, the scene fades to: INT. PRACTICE STUDIO - DAY - IN COLOR Jim and Gabriella turn across the floor in the same waltz. They have excellent chemistry. This time Gabriella lets Jim lead. WOMAN (V.O.) In ballroom dance a womans job is to put pressure on her partners hold in order to keep space between them. Sometimes I feel like its the same for relationships. INT. PRACTICE STUDIO - LATER - IN COLOR The practice is over. Gabriella puts a foot on a chair to unbuckle her shoes.

7. Behind her Jim fidgets. After another hesitation he walks over to Gabriella and leans against the wall next to her, a bit too suavely. JIM So... that was a good practice. Gabriella smiles and nods, surprised by Jims advances, but more occupied with her shoes. GABRIELLA Yes, it was great. Thank you again for stepping in. JIM Youve got such perfect technique, howd you manage to get it? Gabriella looks at him warily, hes overstepping boundaries. GABRIELLA If I get complacent, I remember all the people who doubted me, then I practice twice as hard to prove them wrong. JIM Its paid off, youre brilliant. Beat. Jim takes a deep breath. JIM (CONTD) Are you doing anything for dinner? If you have plans thats fine, but if were both eating alone anyway, why not? GABRIELLA I never eat until at least an hour after practice. JIM Oh, thats alright. I guess Ill see you tomorrow then. Jims face falls and he straitens up to leave. Gabriella finishes putting on her shoes and stands with him. GABRIELLA But I like to have a chance to cool down, we could go for a walk. Jims face lights up.

8. EXT. SANTA MONICA PIER - NIGHT - IN COLOR Jim leads Gabriella through the bright lights and wandering tourists. Both are smiling, things are going great. Gabriella whispers a joke in Jims ear and they laugh. They pass a group of break dancers doing handstands and flips. Jim nudges Gabriella and points to them. JIM (sarcastic) Well thats sexy, maybe we can stick some of that in our routine. Gabriella laughs aloud. GABRIELLA That, sexy? Fun maybe, but it doesnt have anything on the tango. JIM Have you heard of the Forbidden Dance? Of course! GABRIELLA

JIM Its supposed to be so sexy that its too much even by Latin standards. GABRIELLA Yeah, I doubt it, people get away with anything these days, its all just a big shallow show. They make it to the end of the pier and soak in the view of the dark ocean for a moment. JIM Why are you competing if it doesnt matter to you? GABRIELLA Dance is like any other sport. You do it to be the best, not because it makes you feel something.

9. JIM Of course you feel something. You were angry at me when we danced the Paso Doble. GABRIELLA It was a test. I wanted to see if you could still be a viable partner. JIM But dance is all there is. Dance is life. GABRIELLA No, dance is something in the meantime. Its something to win. JIM Well what happens if you lose? Her eyes grow cold. GABRIELLA Then you lose as well. I dont care. JIM

GABRIELLA Then I guess I need to find a new partner. She picks up her bag, and storms off. Jim turns angrily back to the dark gray water. A street light casts his shadow onto the calm surface. Jim Turner = A failure, Alone. INT. SALSA CLUB - NIGHT Jim drinks at the bar, on his way to a killer hangover. The BAND attempts to play a keyboard-heavy salsa rendition of Colgando en Tus Manos, but their cheap drum machine beats off-tempo. Jim surveys the thinning group of DANCERS for a partner. He sees a salsa dancer in a RED DRESS (20s) on the sideline and approaches drunkenly.

10. He holds out a hand -- she takes it -- and he pulls Red Dress onto the floor. The band strikes up a quicker tempo SALSA with the finesse of a monkey let loose in a music store. Jim pulls the inexperienced Red Dress through her steps, nearly dragging her along the dance floor like a ragdoll as she stumbles through the turns, trying to keep up. He spins her away, abandoning her and turning to another dancer in a YELLOW DRESS (30s). Red Dress glares at him as Jim sends Yellow Dress into an intricate turn, twisting and turning her as they dance. Yellow Dress keeps up. Slow down! YELLOW DRESS

The music continues to decompose, the notes falling apart and like fraying fabric. Jim sends Yellow Dress into spin after spin after spin, not pausing for rest or variation. The COLOR slowly bleeds from the club as Yellow Dress spins. THE SALSA CLUB BECOMES AS BLACK AND WHITE AS HIS OFFICE. Yellow Dress finally yanks her hand away from him, teetering dangerously on her heels. She wobbles towards Jim and SHOVES him as she zigzags off the dance floor, until-CRASH. She runs into the bands DRUM MACHINE, and it tumbles to the ground, taking a few other microphones with it. The music stops abruptly. The other Dancers in the club glare. Jim stands in the middle of the dance floor, looking around at his once-colorful world. INT. HART AND GRIFFEN ACCOUNTING - DAY Jim sits hunched over at his cubicle, drinking tomato juice and nursing his hangover.

11. PAUL Hey there, Jim! Paul slaps Jim on the back and Jim winces in pain. Hey, Paul. JIM

Paul pulls a chair over next to Jim, and tosses a stress ball from hand to hand as he talks. PAUL You know what you need? Advil? JIM

PAUL A night out. To get your drink on. Yknow. Some R&R&A. Rest and relaxation and alcohol. JIM Not tonight, Paul. Ive really got some work to catch up on-Jim turns his desk chair away, but Paul snatches the arm rest and swivels Jim back to face him. PAUL As your boss, Im clearing your schedule. As your buddy, Im helping you get your woman troubles off your mind! JIM I DONT NEED YOUR HELP, Paul! The smile disappears from Pauls face. He looks away, hurt. Jim, suddenly regretting his decision, opens his mouth to say something, but Paul beats him to it. PAUL Have those reports on my desk by five then. Paul gets up and walks away. Jim buries his head in his hands.

12. EXT. CITY STREETS - NIGHT Jim exits a LIQUOR STORE with a bottle-sized brown bag in his hand. He stumbles through the streets, getting more and more buzzed until he ends up -EXT. GABRIELLAS APARTMENT - NIGHT He knocks on her red door loudly. Gabriella opens the door, leaning against the door frame with her hand on her hip. She eyes the bottle, and then Jim, with contempt. GABRIELLA (exasperated) What is it, Jim? JIM I came here to apologize. GABRIELLA Well, I already found someone else. JIM Did you? Whats his name? GABRIELLA Thats not important. Whats important is that I dont need you. She begins to close her door, but he steps closer. JIM If all you want is just someone who knows the steps, then keep him. She hesitates, then opens the door for him. INT. GABRIELLAS APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS GABRIELLA You know, youre surprisingly articulate for a drunk.

13. JIM Youre surprisingly insecure for a performer. He sets the bottle down on her cabinet, and, upon seeing an iHome sitting on a table, plugs in his phone. A song begins to play: Guaglione by Machito Orchestra. The same tune from the pier. The song of-GABRIELLA The Forbidden Dance. Jim holds out a hand. JIM If dance doesnt make you feel anything, then prove it. She takes his hand, her eyes alight with the challenge. He pulls her into him with a spin. He SNAPS his fingers. The room goes dark. A SPOTLIGHT shines on the two dancers. They move together in a steamy dance their bodies rotating and undulating like the sea. WOMAN (V.O.) When youre dancing with someone, chemistry is nonnegotiable: you either have it or you dont. BEGIN MONTAGE Jim dips Gabriella, his fingers whispering over her collarbone toward her waist. In Gabriellas bedroom, his hands ghost over her sides, pulling off her shirt. WOMAN (V.O.) But when you have it... its the most beautiful feeling in the world. As they dance in the single spotlight on their own stage, she steps across him, grinding her hips into his. In the bedroom, the two kiss passionately.

14. In the spotlight, she twirls away, and he pulls her back to him, his hands roaming. In the bedroom, she pulls him onto the bed. END MONTAGE. INT. GABRIELLAS BEDROOM - NIGHT - BLACK AND WHITE The song abruptly ends -- along with their chemistry. Gabriella and Jim are entangled in the sheets, naked and not meeting each others glances. JIM So... That was... GABRIELLA (curtly) You should go. She slides out of bed, getting dressed in silence. EXT. GABRIELLAS APARTMENT - NIGHT - BLACK AND WHITE He leaves her apartment, bottle in hand. He turns back and stares at the closed door as if wondering where things went wrong. He sighs, and heads down the street. INT. HART AND GRIFFEN ACCOUNTING - DAY Jim sits at his desk, phone to his ear. GABRIELLA (V.O.) (filtered) Jim, the competition is this weekend and we havent finalized our routine. Call me. He puts down the phone, and sighs. INT. PRACTICE STUDIO - DAY Gabriella waits for him at the other end of the room, her perfect posture reflected tenfold by the mirrors. Jim approaches tentatively.

15. JIM About last week-GABRIELLA Forget it. We need to perfect our routine. Thats it. Silence between the two. Gabriella takes two steps toward him. She extends a hand, but he doesnt take it. JIM How do you do it? How do you dance so well when it means nothing to you? Gabriella puts a hand on his shoulder. GABRIELLA But it does mean something to me. Just not everything. She leads him in a Rumba basic, a slow, sensual set of moves that crackles with attraction. She steps back, away from him, and the chemistry disappears. JIM Our attraction... Its a lie. No. Its not. GABRIELLA

She takes his hand again, and pulls him into closed position. GABRIELLA (CONTD) Dance is emotion. Just not the one we feel for each other. He twirls her into an intricate fan. As they face each other again, he pauses, watching her. JIM Why cant real life be like this? She twists away from him, her hips moving through a complicated alemana, her feet twisting like grapevines. GABRIELLA It is, you just have to look closer.

16. She twists again, and they make their way across the floor, two satellite planets in constant orbit. Their sensual rumba continues without missing a beat, but this time its on-INT. COMPETITION DANCE FLOOR - DAY --the competition dance floor. A crowd in the stands, judges. But none of that matters, and only Gabriella and Jim are in color. Gabriella, in a striking red dress, her hair in a bun. Jim, strong and handsome as he moves her around the floor, leading her into an impressive combination of steps. They move as one entity, never separating, always graceful. INT. COMPETITION DANCE FLOOR - LATER The people are gone. The judges table is being packed up. Jim and Gabriella stand in the center of the nearly empty room, gold medals around their necks, flowers in their arms. Gabriella beams at her flowers, at her medal, but when she looks up at Jim her smile softens into something bittersweet. JIM Perfect enough for you? Gabriella grins. Never. A moment passes. Jim turns to go, but before he does, Gabriella hands him a LETTER. GABRIELLA

17. GABRIELLA (CONTD) I wrote this for you. I couldnt work up the courage to give it to you until now. JIM (he means it) Thanks. Goodbye, Jim. GABRIELLA

She kisses him on the cheek, and then exits out the door across from him. He opens the letter. Across the top, it reads-WHAT IF THE WHOLE WORLD COULD DANCE? A voiceover reads it aloud -GABRIELLA (V.O.) What if the world could dance? Wouldnt it be a little brighter? He smiles, reading as he heads out another exit, going his separate way. INT. HART AND GRIFFEN ACCOUNTING - DAY Jim, at his desk, reads the letter. GABRIELLA (V.O.) Ive learned that the people we dance with and the people we fall in love with often cant be found in the same place. Jim looks up to see a group of coworkers by the water cooler. He sees THE BOYS differently. Chris Booker: father of two, great cook. Malcolm Fields: loving husband, can keep a secret. Jim sees Paul join them -- concerned boss, womanizer. Jim looks at the camera and shrugs, smiling.

18. GABRIELLA (V.O.) I will never be more to you than love letters from the dance floor, but someone else may be. He sets the letter down, approaching them. He says something that makes them laugh, and Paul slaps him on the back. This time, Jim slaps Paul on the back as well. COLOR begins to drain back into the office. Jim catches his reflection in the mirror, and smiles: Jim: happy. Jim looks up to see a WOMAN approaching -- Carrie Reeves: intelligent, loves rock climbing. She smiles at him. He smiles back. FADE OUT. THE END