This episode of City Rock is very hot - in more ways then one! There's a major heat way sweeping through New York City on this June 1981 evening. Our hero, Frank Cello, is first haunted by the ghost of a street teen who died on his watch, then tempted by his hot neighbor, Mindy, who would love to have a "normal" relationship with Frank, and then finally, Frank is taken by our wild and crazy heroine, Jennie... right where he lives!
EXT. STOOP OF FRANK’S BUILDING - LATE EVENING
Frank is sitting with his elbows on his knees, face in his hands, pondering. He is wearing shorts and a sleeveless T-shirt with sweat stains showing through.
CITY ROCK (O.S.)
That dude was cool, huh?
Frank doesn’t look at or answer the street-tough teen spirit who haunts him, the boy Frank named his team after.
CITY ROCK
Got some balls, too.
FRANK
What do you want?
CITY ROCK
What do..?
FRANK
Don’t!
CITY ROCK
Hey. You’re the one feelin’ like shit, not me.
FRANK
You’re dead.
CITY ROCK
Oh, really? Well, if I’m dead, then you’d have to be crazy, right? And you don’t seem crazy to me, Frank.
FRANK
Yeah, well crazy might be a relief.
CITY ROCK
Kinda like bein’ dead.
(beat)
Anyway, that Cramer guy, see, he knows that it’s all up to us, whether we live or die, or whatever. So, since he ain’t tryin’ to save nobody, he can take chances. You could be like him... if you dumped the guilt trips on yourself.
Frank looks at him to give a retort... but he’s gone.
MINDY (O.S.)
Mind if I squat? Too hot to go in yet. No air conditioning.
Mindy approaches, patting her neck with a bandana. She sits next to him.
FRANK
Hey, Mindy. You’re out late. How you doin’?
MINDY
Oh, not bad. Late class. Film school can be amazingly fun sometimes? And incredibly annoying? Tonight was annoying. What’re you doing looking all glum out here?
FRANK
Talking to... myself.
MINDY
Is that like a ‘don’t ask’ answer, or you wanna talk?
FRANK
Nah.
MINDY
So, it’s about the wolfgirl?
FRANK
Jennie? I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Talk about falling for the wrong woman. She passed the wrong woman category a month ago. She’s from one of the seven levels of hell!
MINDY
I didn’t know there were levels to hell.
FRANK
Oh yeah. One level is fire, another is ice; then there’s the land of insects, the mountain of needles...
MINDY
Oh my God! The land of insects! Who thought that up?
FRANK
Japanese.
MINDY
Well, I’m gonna make sure I don’t die in Japan!
(beat)
So, what’s Jennie’s problem. Another guy? Can’t commit?
FRANK
(mock laugh)
Those are just the appetizers.
MINDY
Oh...
FRANK
Maybe my problem is that I’ve made being a social worker a lifestyle instead of just a profession.
MINDY
Yeah, I got that you were a save-the-world type. I have an older sister like that. First boyfriend was a drunk; second one was a gambler; third one was both. She married him.
FRANK
(leaning back to look at her)
What about you?
MINDY
What?
FRANK
Boyfriend? Boyfriends?
MINDY
Mmm... Bad break-up five months ago. Actually, twenty-one weeks, two days, eight hours...
(looking at her watch)
...and twelve minutes ago.
FRANK
(sympathetic)
Oh.
MINDY
Nah, it’s really okay. I left him, and I’m over it. I’m just tracking the time so I’ll know when the rebound stage is over and I can trust who I fall for next.
FRANK
Really? How long is the official rebound stage?
MINDY
One month rebound time for every six months you were together.
FRANK
No kidding! Is that published somewhere?
MINDY
Not yet. It’s my original research.
He laughs. They look at each other fondly, a moment of attraction starting to build until...
JENNIE (O.S.)
(singing)
Like a heat wave... burnin’ in my heart... can’t keep from crying... tearing me apart...
Frank and Mindy turn to see her approach. She is exceptionally perky. Mindy exhales, pats Frank on the knee and gets up.
MINDY
Stay off the mountain of needles.
She goes inside as Jennie arrives.
JENNIE
Dig it! What a jammin’ night!
(leaping onto his lap)
FRANKIE!
She starts trying to ravenously tongue-kiss him.
JENNIE (cont’d)
I MISSED YOU, FRANKIE! Come on, let’s go inside and fuck our brains out. You can do me in the ass tonight if you want. Mmmmm....
She grinds her ass on his lap. Frank gently pushes her off him.
FRANK
Hey. Hey. Cool out. We need to talk.
JENNIE
Man, it’s too hot to cool out, and I’m too hot to talk! I’m so fucking horny, I’ll gonna suck you off right here if you don’t take me inside.
FRANK
Jen...
She starts unzipping his jeans.
FRANK
(trying half-heartedly to stop her)
Jen! Come on! What if someone comes by? You can’t do that out here.
JENNIE
Watch me.
FRANK
HEYYYYYY... AGGGHHHH!!
MUSIC: “HEAT WAVE” (Linda Ronstadt)
She goes to work on him. He looks around, half in a panic and half in ecstasy. Eyes rolling up into his head, he moans loudly as the CAMERA moves to a view of them from above, taking in the stoop and the street.
