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INT. BREAK ROOM – MORNING

Two co-workers sit at the break room table and sip their coffee.  JOE sets a bag down on the table and pulls out a donut.

BOB sips his coffee while eying the donut jealously.

BOB

You have another one in there?

Joe takes a big bite of his donut.  He stares back at Bob and swallows.

JOE
I always get two.
BOB
That’s nice, you share it the other one?

Joe glares back at Bob, offended.

JOE
No.
BOB
You get two donuts and don’t share?
JOE
Why would I share?
BOB
I suppose that is valid.

Bob reaches into his pocket and pulls out a mint.

Joe looks at him as he takes a bite of his donut.   Bob shakes the container and looks up at Joe.

BOB
Mint?
JOE
Mint doesn’t go with donuts.
BOB
You could save it for later, I guess.
JOE
Okay.

Joe reaches over and takes a mint and sets it beside his second donut that is still in the paper bag.

Bob closes his box of mints and smirks.

JOE
What?
BOB
(sipping his coffee)
Nothing.
JOE
Why didn’t you take a mint?
BOB
I’m drinking my coffee, it would taste weird.
JOE
Then why did you even take it out?
BOB
Remember what I said about sharing?
JOE
I’m not giving you my second donut.
BOB
Where’d you get them anyway?
JOE
The Donut Hole, main.
BOB
You like The Donut Hole?
JOE
Best donuts in town.  I’m a bit of a connoisseur.
BOB
Okay, never mind.  I’ll pass.
JOE
I didn’t offer it to you.
BOB
If you did then I would pass.
JOE
Well, I didn’t.
BOB
Good.
JOE
It’s settled then.

Bob sips his coffee, he has moved on.

Joe takes another bite of his donut.  He slows his chewing as he starts to problem solve in his head.  He swallows.

JOE
Why wouldn’t you want the second donut?
BOB
Seriously.
JOE
I want to know.
BOB
The Donut Hole.
JOE
And…
BOB
I don’t want to ruin it for you.
JOE
Ruin it for me?
(beat)
What do you know?
BOB
It’s probably just rumors — except there is that incident with Carol in accounting.
JOE
What happened with Carol?
BOB
It’s not what happened to her, it’s what she found.
JOE
What did she find?
BOB
What kind did you get for your second donut?
JOE
A chocolate bar.
BOB
Ooo.  I don’t want to ruin it for you.
JOE
Tell me, what did she find?
BOB
But you love the place.

Joe slams his fist on the table.

JOE
What did Carol find!
BOB
The owner is known to trim their nails while on duty.
JOE
They what?
BOB
Carol found a few fingernail clippings on her chocolate bar last week.

Joe’s face goes white.  He lowers the remains of his donut and walks over to the trash can and spits his bite out.

BOB
Sorry, Joe.  I really didn’t want to ruin it for you.

ANNE enters the break room with her empty coffee mug.

BOB
Morning, Anne.
ANNE
Morning, Bob.  Joe.

She pauses and looks at Joe concerned.

ANNE
You okay, Joe?
JOE
Yeah, I’m good.  Want my leftovers?
ANNE
Where are they from?
JOE
The Donut Hole.

Anne makes a face.

ANNE
No thank you.

Joe’s face now turns green.  He heads for the door.

BOB
Joe, you still have your second donut.
JOE
Toss it. I ain’t gonna eat that.

He exits the room in a hurry.

ANNE
What’s wrong with Joe?
BOB
I told him about what happened with Carol.
ANNE
With who?
BOB
Carol, in accounting.
ANNE
There’s no Carol in accounting.

Bob picks up the donut and takes a bite.

BOB
MmHmm.

He grabs his coffee and exits the break room as Joe returns.

Joe
I need my coffee.

Bob smiles at Joe as he leaves while eating the donut.

BOB
MmHmm.
(mouth full)
Back to work.

Joe picks up his coffee and stares at the mint still on the table.

JOE
Son of a —

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