MARRIAGE PROPOSAL

ACT 1 SCENE 1

( Alice enters into a five star club, she's

23, tall, slim, light skinned with straight

long hair, beautiful, stunning. Literally

every guys dream girl. She's putting on

flay, short black gown with white

sneakers. She walks past a long line of

people and reaches the entrance of the

VIP section )

BODYGUARD: Mrs Hall welcome, right

this way (she walks in with him and people on the line starts to complain)

ALICE: (Walks to the bar and takes a seat

at the counter) Yo bartender (the guy behind the counter turns around and looks at her)

STUART: Who me? ( he points at himself)

ALICE: No the person behind you. ( she

says sarcastically) Of course you who else is there?

STUART: Okay (he pours her a glass) Bad

day? ( he says as he pushes the glass towards her )

ALICE: ( Finishes the drink in one gulp )

No, no it's been a great day, it's my birthday today and my fiance cancelled our wedding plans and broke up with me so yeah my days been great (she takes a deep breath before handing him the glass) refill

STUART: You sure?

ALICE: Yeah

STUART: (pours more drink in her glass) So why'd you break up?

ALICE: Aren't you supposed to be working bar tender? ( the main bartender comes back and talks to Stuart)

BARTENDER: Mr Grayson,Why are you here (he asks in confusion)

ALICE: Wait what ! (she says in shock)

STUART: (smirks) I own the place honey (he says to Alice before leaving the counter to take a seat beside her)

ALICE: So you lied ?

STUART: I never said i was the bartender , a pretty lady asked for a drink and I couldn't refuse (he smiles)

ALICE: Flirt ( she stands up and starts to walk away in disgust but he follows behind)

STUART: Aren't you gonna ask me who I am Alice Hall?

ALICE: (Stops) how do you know my name ?

STUART: I'm a secret agent and I'm on a mission that involves you ( he says in a very serious tone)

ALICE: What ? (she asks in shock)

STUART : Nah I'm just playing ( he laughs)but you should have seen your face though

ALICE: (Rolls her eyes and continues walking through the crowd) stay away from me

STUART: (He continues follows her)

ALICE: Come on, we were getting along so well

ALICE: were we? (she says sarcastically)

STUART: Yeah, till you found out I was the boss here

ALICE: Ha-ha, next you'll tell me that you're Stuart Grayson (she says almost angrily)

STUART: I am Stuart Grayson

ALICE: Shut up (she says in disbelief)

STUART: Alice come on you're hurting me

so soon...... pretty lady

ALICE: (Stops) What did you say?

STUART: Now she remembers

ALICE: STUART!!!

STUART: In the flesh

ALICE: Oh God (she rolls her eyes and walks faster )

STUART : Come on Alice ( he follows her)

ALICE: ( goes outside through the back door ) Stuart f*****g Grayson ( she turns to him ) It is you

STUART: Yeah, it's been a while (he moves close to her) so how've you been ?

ALICE: ( slaps him ) screw you Stuart ( walks over to her car at the parking lot, gets in and drives away )

STUART: yeah I probably deserved that (he says to himself)

FADE

THE NEXT MORNING

AT STUART'S HOUSE - ( he is laying on the bed still sleeping when the banging on his room door wakes him up, he sluggishly walks over to the door unlocks it and opens it)

STUART: oh it's you (he says looking at his father then he goes back to his bed and lays down). why are you here?

PAUL: It's eight in the morning

STUART: So?

PAUL: you're supposed to be ready for work

STUART: My meeting starts by two

PAUL: That's not an excuse, if you ever plan on being the C.E.O then you need to put in your time and effort

STUART: even if I leave now I have nothing to do

PAUL: get dressed (he turns around to leave but stops) and I wasn't asking that's an order (he leaves)

( Stuart sluggishly gets out of bed groaning in annoyance as he gets ready .

A few minutes later he walks down stairs in a black suit and a blue turtle neck inner)

STUART: (walks out of the house and stops turning to one of the servants). Never let him past the front door without my knowledge (he says in a cold tone before leaving)

CLOSE

( At the company Stuart is at his father's office sitting on the C.E.O's chair twirling from side to side when his father walks in )

PAUL : What do you think you're doing? get out of there

STUART : Chill besides I'm gonna be the C.E.O very soon, I just thought it would be better if I get the feels of it.

PAUL : well you thought wrong get up

STUART : fine (he says groaning)

PAUL : (sits down on his chair) don't you have work to do?

STUART : I'm done with all the paperworks

PAUL: No you're not ( he brings out a large amount of files from a cabinet and hands it over to Stuart)

STUART : ( carries the files and leaves. By 12pm Stuart comes back with the files) I'm done (he says dropping the files in the table)

PAUL : (stares at him thinking of what next to say) your speech

STUART : (cuts in) it has been thoroughly prepared. Anything else?

PAUL : no that'll be all for now

(Stuart leaves and comes back after the meeting)

STUART : I'll be leaving now

PAUL : why?

STUART : my meeting is done

PAUL : I'm having a meeting with the board of directors and other shareholders, I want you to attend in my place

STUART : what! (he says in surprise) you should have told me earlier I would've prepared

PAUL : As the next C.E.O you should be prepared for anything at all times

STUART : Alright, how much time do I have

PAUL : Not much, the meeting starts in 5 minutes

STUART : What?

PAUL : the meeting is just about our new project the A.I Bot

STUART : I didn't know we were working on a new project

PAUL : we haven't started yet

STUART : still you should tell me this these stuff

PAUL : you should ask (pause) you should probably be in your way, your five minute's almost up

STUART : (groans and leaves)

AT THE MEETING

( Stuart and some of the board members are seated around the rectangular table )

STUART : Where are they ? ( he knocks on the table impatiently ) time is very important they should know these things

MR DON : (Stuart's uncle and a member of the board) Our business partners have never been late to a meeting I'm sure there's a good reason to this

STUART : there better be ( Alice Hall and some other men and women in suits walk in)

ALICE : Pardon us for the delay (she and Stuart's eyes meet and then she pauses)

we were caught in traffic

STUART : what's going on here (he asks a little confused)

MR WILL : (board member/ Pauls direct secretary) Mr Grayson, you've probably not met miss Hall yet she's the representative of her father here ( they all sit down) they are one of our partners

STUART : doesn't give them enough reason to keep us waiting (he looks straight at Alice)

ALICE : Mr Grayson ( she fakes a smile ) you are probably here standing for your father just like me , we really appreciate your patience and we are sincerely sorry for the wait , with that out of the way please proceed ( her face goes cold )

STUART : (smirks ) Okay then , with time spent , i believe we should go straight to the point . Over the years our companies have been on top of the chart for electronic gadgets and internet services , my father and I came up with some thing called the A.I bot , if you take a look at the tab in front of you , you will see all the carefully listed out details about the project (They all pick up the tabs in front of them and scroll through) , This bot is going to be a human best friend , creating less work and reducing stress , and as we all know ......

ALICE : ( cuts in ) I don't see the point ( she says loudly)

STUART : Am sorry what ?

ALICE : oh I said I don't see the point of this , so basically you want us to create a bot that has human features and literally makes people lazy all in the name of less stress , am sorry but disagree with this

MAN 1 : I don't know miss Hall , this could be a very good idea , recently there's been a lot of robot doing a lot of different jobs for humans in the name of less stress , so I don't see why we can't do the same.

ALICE : well sir if they are already robots doing all this thing's why do we still need to create one

STUART : because miss Hall unlike the other bots the A.I bots are going to have every feature in one not having to buy one machine for one and another for something

ALICE : So if I have a cooker , just thinking out loud here , a dish washer , a vacuum , and probably a blow dryer , do you really think that as a customer I will toss all those things away and get an A.I bot

STUART : Not at all miss Hall , actually like every sensible human being , I believe the right thing to do is to it sell out and save up some more to get an A.I bot .

ALICE : But out target market is kind of every body right ?

STUART : Right .

ALICE : so if everybody wants to sell out their old gadget to get a new A.I bot , who exactly will buy them .

STUART : ( Lost of word and Alice smirks at him ) there will always be customers Miss Hall ( he manages to say )

ALICE : I think it's time we cast our votes ( while the votes are being totalled Alice is standing at the window in the hallway of the office )

STUART : You know you can just let it go ( He startles her coming from behind )

ALICE : What do you want Stuart ? still backing him

STUART : Look am really sorry about what happened in High school , but it's been years now , I have found new hobbies and a love , and that's this company , so out here we can be two frenemies from high school , but in there ( he points at the meeting room ) let's try and out all that away and be professional.

ALICE : ( scoffs ) You really think I .....

MR ROM : Mr Grayson , miss Hall the results are ready ( he interrupts them and they all go inside )

BACK IN THE MEETING ROOM

MR WILL : we've heard the disadvantages and advantages of the project , it's a project that will cost a lot of capital but even more profit , the results are pending because the vote where tied , we will all be meeting again to discuss all this , I shall now close this meeting with the permission of Mr Grayson ( He looks towards Stuart and Stuart nods ) Meeting adjourned ( They all start leaving )

PAUL'S OFFICE

( Paul and Stuart are alone in his office )

PAUL : how could you let that happen ( He yells )

STUART : calm down it's not like I lost it

PAUL : What's the difference , it's pending

STUART : Alice Is a really hard person to work with

PAUL : If you can't handle her , how do you plan on handling her father

STUART : Fine but I don't see the big deal

PAUL : oh you don't

STUART : I was hardly prepared for the meeting

PAUL : That's called being a C.E.O , you should be ready for anything , I have never had a pending case

STUART : Yea , and grandpa wasn't always on your neck

PAUL : Don't mention my father in this

STUART : Why , cause you know I'm right ?

PAUL : No , you're a grown man and he can't keep defending every of your mistakes

STUART : Of course ( He turns to leave )

PAUL : Where are you going

STUART : Home , I've had enough disappointments for one day ( he leaves )

FADES

( Around 6 in the evening Derek Gates , Stuart's best friend is on his couch watching a movie when his buttler Nick walks in with Stuart )

NICK : Mr Gates , Mr Grayson is here to visit

STUART : Come on Nick , stop being so formal ( he walks over to Derek and falls on the couch )

DEREK : Thank you Nick ( Nick leaves ) you look. . . . . . . .

STUART : Bad ?

DEREK : No actually I was going to say horrible . What happened ?

STUART : My dad again

DEREK : Of course . . . . . . need a drink ? ( Walks over to the Mini bar in his living room and goes behind the counter )

STUART : Maybe just a shot ( He goes over to the counter and sits down ) You will never believe who I bumped into yesterday at the club

DEREK : Tell me ( He pours the wine into two glasses )

STUART : Alice , Alice Hall

DEREK : (stops ) Wait Alice Hall , which Alice Hall ?

STUART : How many do you know ?

DEREK : You mean Alice Hall the girl from High school , the girl you

STUART : ( Interrupts him ) that Alice Hall

DEREK : ( He pushes one of the cups to Stuart ) what did she say

STUART : I quote , " Screw you Stuart " And then she slapped me

DEREK : Dammnnnnn ! sorry man , I don't blame her though

STUART : Yea I know ( He finishes his drink and gestures for a refill )

DEREK : Did you get to talk to her ( he fills he glass again )

STUART : Yesterday ? No today ? Not only did we talk but she ended up being my business partner and making me have a pending vote on a project ( He finishes the drink again and collects the bottle from Derek and fills his cup to the brim )

DEREK : She probably hates you now

STUART : Oh I guarantee that ( he goes half way with the drink )

DEREK : Todd's gonna want to hear this ( He laughs )

STUART : (finishes the wine again and Derek collects the bottle ) What ?

DEREK : I wouldn't want a drunk depressed business man leaving my house later would I ?

STUART : ( grabs hold of the bottle and pulls it out of Derek's hand ) firstly , I don't get drunk that easily , secondly , I am not depressed , and thirdly , I don't need looking after I'm a 26 years old man , I can handle my self

( Later that night Derek brings Stuart back to his house , drunk he takes him to his room and throws him on his bed )

DEREK : Why do I always do this for you ? ( He asks himself looking at Stuart )

FADES