Waiting For Tom Hanks 2
Kerry Winfrey
1. Chloe is working at the coffee shop when a customer asks her if she is the one her best friend wrote a movie about. She admits she is. The lady tells her there is an article about her on people.com. Chloe excuses herself to get back to work and checks the article on her phone. She is surprised to see a photo of herself she hadn’t even know was taken. Nick tells her to put her phone away. She points out the shop is mostly empty, but he says it’s the principal. They argue about music which puts Chloe in a better mood. When he goes back to his office, she pulls out her phone again to read the article. The receptionist from her dad’s care facility calls and asks her to check in because he’s having an episode (Alzheimer’s disease).
2. Chloe goes to the back and tells Nick she got a call from her dad’s care facility. He tells her to go and touches her arm as a gesture of support. She flinches and knocks things over. He tells her not to worry about it and go. She walks home to get her car and drives to the facility. On the way, she remembers how her mother left them (dad, Chloe, and twin brother Milo) right before her Christmas Pageant at school. She ended up making her own angel costume and realizing the only person she can depend on is herself. Tracey, the receptionist, and Chloe and she used to date They wanted different things and decided to stay friends (all her other exes avoid her). Tracey says her dad thinks someone stole his watch. Chloe goes to his room and tells him she will look for it. She finds it in the fridge behind the milk. When he questions it, she gets frustrated and yells at him. She apologizes after and they watch a few episodes of Three’s Company together. She has trouble coming to terms with his deteriorating mind and how he will forget her and everything some day.
3. Chloe pulls into her driveway to find Milo and his boyfriend, Fred, there waiting for her. She had no idea they were coming into town and scolds him for not telling her. She invited them inside and she gives them pie. She pulls Milo into the kitchen and asks what he is really doing there. He says their lease was up and it was as good a time as any to come home. She asks what they are going to do for work. He tells her Fred is a model and can probably find catalogue work in town. Milo plans to get a retail job. He thinks he is ready to settle down with Fred. She points out how small her place is and he says they are going to stay with his friend Mikey Danger until they get their own place. Fred lets them know he can hear them and Milo and he start to stare at each other longingly. She forgives her brother for abandoning her and leaving all the responsibility on her before sending them along to Mikey Danger’s place.
4. Chloe went to OSU for a few years before realizing the cost and schedule couldn’t work for her. She lost her call center job because of too many family emergencies. They was when she found Nick’s. She was up front with him about her situation right off the bat. He tells her that her break is over and Chloe tries to talk Annie into a pom wall for her wedding venue. She promises to do all the work. They decided to keep it a small wedding in Columbus. Chloe jokes with her about Drew inviting some celebrity friends. When Chloe goes back behind the counter, she can’t help noticing that she and Nick look at each other for too long. She starts to ramble and curses Annie’s movie for making everything awkward between her and Nick. She is relieved when a customer comes in.
5. After a night of sleeping in her floor, Chloe borrows Nick’s truck to help Milo and Fred more into Miley’s house. When they arrive, he thinks they are there for food delivery until Milo reminds him they are moving in. They get stuff into the messy college house. Mikey hits on Chloe and she turns him down nicely. Fred asks him to take him with her and she reminds him it is only temporary. When Chloe gets to work, she apologizes for being late. Nick is nice to her about it and she goes out into the shop completely red faced. Tobin makes a comment about her possibly being sick. When it is closing time, Chloe is sweeping up the dining area and dancing along to her music. She turns around to see Nick watching her. He tells her she doesn’t have to do it all alone. She ends up ranting to him about how she does have to do it all alone. He ends up coming out to the dining room and touching her arm. He tells her to go home and go to bed. She knows going home will only result in her doing homework and making pie. The lights flicker and eventually go out. They start making out until Chloe realizes she shouldn’t be doing this because they work together. She pushes him away. He apologizes. After another rant about how it was a mistake brought on by Annie’s movie, they agree to pretend it never happened with a pinky swear. Chloe walks home in the rain thinking about Nick’s lips on hers.
6. Chloe focuses on her our making before texting Annie to see if she is home. Annie is instantly at her door. She welcomes her in and tells her best friend that she made out with Nick. Annie asks for details. Chloe offers her wine and is suspicious when she declines. Chloe realizes that Annie wants to get married so quickly because she is pregnant. After Annie leaves, Chloe can’t sleep. She texts Nick asking if he wants her to bring him pie in the morning. She rambles on about how it is a non-sexual offer. He texts back accepting the pie offer. She gets an email from a website writer asking about her and Nick. She usually doesn’t reply. This time she writes back that they never have been or ever will be in a relationship. She goes to sleep.
7. I he next morning, Chloe takes a slice of pie to Nick at the coffee shop and they try to go about their normal behavior with each other. After work, Chloe goes to visit her dad. He asks her about her boyfriend, Dave from high school. She reminds him she isn’t with anyone and he mentions he wants to see her married and walk her down the aisle so he knows she is taken care of. When she leaves, she ends up having to pull over and cry out her frustrations. She ends up going over to Mikey Danger’s house and inviting him back to her place. After they have make out, he leaves. The next morning, Chloe goes to work early to make raspberry almond bars. Mikey hasn’t been to sleep yet and comes in to see her. She gives him a couple of cookies before he kisses her goodbye. Nick sees it and she tells him she likes that he doesn’t expect anything from her. She goes back to stock up the case with almond bars and when she comes back, she sees Nick and a cute customer flirting. When the woman leaves, Chloe asks if he realizes she was hitting on him. He says he knows and shows her that he got her number. He reminds her that she wanted to pretend like nothing happened between them. She admits to herself that she doesn’t want Nick to be with anyone else, but isn’t proud of the way she feels. She puts in her customer service face for the rest of her shift.
8. Chloe and Annie talk in the phone while choir is baking. Annie is surprised that Chloe would go for someone like Mikey. She tries to push her into admitting her feelings for Nick, but Chloe says she cannot be with him. When she asks Annie to drop the subject, she does. Chloe asks her about wedding planning and how frustrated she is with the whole process. Chloe offers to make pies for her instead of having a cake and Annie agrees it is preferable. Annie brings up that Chloe talked to a gossip columnist about not actually dating Nick and how it can make her movie look bad because it’s supposed to be based in a true story. Chloe is confused and asks if she is supposed to fake date Nick. Annie just asks her not to say anything else about it to the press. Chloe is a bit annoyed that Annie was using her life for her movie and is a bit peeved that she can’t even set the record straight. But she knows what the movie means to Annie’s career and agrees. They say good night to each other and Chloe starts looking through pie recipes.
9. The next day at work, Tobin spills hot chocolate all over Nick. Nick goes back to the office and Chloe goes a few minutes later to grab some paper towels. He has taken his shirt off to try to dry it out. She acts like it’s indecent of him to have his shirt off before taking it to the bathroom to soak in the sink for half an hour. She goes back to the office to tell him to wash it in cold water until the stain comes out because heat will set the stain. He tells her he isn’t just another person she has to take care of. She blows him off and says it wasn’t a big deal. After her shift, she takes a few left over muffins to meet with Tracey for pastry exchange before visiting her dad. When she tries the cookies Tracey’s wife, Hannah, made, she says she would love to make them for Nick’s. Tracey guesses that they made out. Chloe tries to tell her it isn’t a big deal. Tracey tells her she knew Hannah was the one when Tracey got sick on their first date and Hannah took care of her through the whole ordeal. When Tracey’s break is over, they go their separate ways. As Chloe walks to her dad’s room, she can’t help but think how depressing the colors in the facility are. She dresses brightly and smiles to try to bring a bright spot into people’s days.
10. Nick always leaves the shop on Tuesday nights. This week he is running behind, and his friend Doug comes in to get him. Chloe is shocked to learn he has bro-friends from college he goes bowling with every week. Doug is surprised to meet Chloe and asks her to come with them. She agrees, but Nick is reluctant. Eventually, he tells Tobin he will be back to lock up at close. At the bowling alley, Chloe watches the dynamic between Nick, Doug, and Shivan. After bowling, Nick goes to get them questionable nachos and Doug says he is glad that Nick has her. He mentions issues he has had with his dad leaving him traumatized. Chloe admits she doesn’t know what he is talking about. She realizes she doesn’t know Nick very well. Back at the shop, Chloe asks Nick how he met his friends. He tells her they were roommates in college and have keep up their weekly bowling since. There are a few other guys that join them occasional as well. Nick thanks her for coming and she is grateful she got to go and have a night of carefree fun for a change.
11. Nick asks Chloe to go to a coffee conference with him that would require they stay overnight out of town that weekend. She tells him she will think about it. She gets a text from Mikey that just says “hey” and asks Nick for more information about the convention. On Thursday night, Chloe isn’t working and goes over to Mikey’s house. Milo is there and she asks him if he has been to see their dad or gotten a job. He seems guilty about the visits, but has gotten a job at a Jean store. She finds Mikey watching an infomercial on knifes and joins him on the futon. She asks if he wants to go back to her place and he says after he sees how it ends. When it is over, Mikey is asleep. Chloe is getting ready to leave when Fred comes home. She asks him about going to the convention with Nick and once he has all the details, he tells her to go. She thanks him for listening and moving out to the Midwest for Milo. He explains they were both ready to leave the city. He knows Milo appreciates how much Chloe has been doing for their dad. Chloe heads out the door feeling hopeful.
12. Friday at work is busy, but Chloe notices Doug and Shivan sitting with their regular. She goes to say hi to them and they say they need to talk to her. They tell her this is her last chance to date Nick before they make him a profile in a dating app. She insists she doesn’t want to date Nick and he can see whoever he wants. She goes back to the office to tell Nick she will be going to the convention with him the next day before she goes to help Tobin through the rush. The next morning, they leave for Indianapolis. They sample different coffees and sit through a few different lectures. Toward the end of the day, a girl comes up to them and asks if they are the couple from the movie. Nick says no, but Chloe says yes. The woman is excited to see them as a couple in real life, but Chloe states at length how they are not a couple. Nick is angry that she makes it seem like being with him would be so terrible. She suggests they go to the networking event and eat the food provided, but he says no. She says they should go back to their rooms and he follows her.
13. When they get to the registration desk, Nick is told that his reservation for the second room did not go through. They don’t have any other open rooms and the one he does have is only one bed. He tells Chloe the problem and says else is going to try to find another hotel. She insists they stay together. When they get up to the room, Chloe says she plans to go get a “hot and ready” pizza from the Little Caesar’s across the street. He goes to get it for her and they eat the pizza while watching Steel Magnolis. By the end of the movie they both have tears in their eyes. Chloe goes to the bathroom to change and take off her makeup. Nick goes next, but when he comes out fully clothed, she realizes he doesn’t have pajamas. She tells him to take off his jeans because the idea of him sleeping in them is unsettling to her. He apologizes for giving her a hard time about the movie stuff. He asks what she wants to do when she finishes up school. She admits she wants to have her own bakery called Butterfly where she can really make it her own place. Nick tells her he started the coffee shop with another friend named Nick and doesn’t know what he really wants to do either. She scoots closer to him and he tells her she was right about them not dating because he wants to keep working with her. She respects that and goes to bed sad.
14. The next morning, Chloe wakes up to Nick spooning her with morning wood. She sneaks out of the bed and goes to the bathroom to get ready for the day. When she comes out, Nick has brought up a spread from the continental breakfast. Chloe grabs a coffee and a muffin and goes to check her phone. She realizes she left it in her bag overnight and sees she has multiple messages from Tracey.
15. Nick takes Chloe straight to her dad’s facility. She says she can get a ride home, but he turns off the truck and walks her in holding her hand. Tracey gives her a look as they walk up to the desk and she fills them in. Chloe’s dad has been accusing the guy across the hall of coming into his room while he is sleeping to mess up his TV. Nick walks Chloe to the room and she tells him he doesn’t have to go in. He says he isn’t going to leave her alone. When they go in, Chloe finds the note she left him about the remote in the floor and tries to tape it to the remote so it won’t get lost again. She looks up to find her dad telling Nick, who he thinks is her boyfriend Dave, to take shot or get off the pit. Nick tells him that Chloe is very good at taking care of herself, but he will still take care of her as long as she will let him. She lists after him even more for it. When they get back out to the truck, she tanks him and hugs him. She likes the way it feels and tries to remind herself this is just normal friend stuff.
16. Annie comes back into town and invite Chloe over to talk about the wedding stuff. Her mother-in-law made her a binder of their planning. Chloe lists off the pies she is making and Annie loves her ideas. Chloe asks about a bachelorette party, but Annie points out she is busy and pregnant. She suggests they do a movie night instead. Chloe agrees. When Annie asks Chloe about what has been going on in her life, Chloe just says she is doing fine before switching the topic over to the baby planning. While Annie’s rambling on, Chloe tries to distract herself from feeling like she is just part of Annie’s past.
17. Chloe ends up getting sick and calling off work. She is lying in bed watching old sitcoms when he comes over to give her homemade soup and hot toddies. He tells her it was his mother’s secrets. She asks about his parents and he tells her. His dad would constantly cheer, but his mom would stick it out. One day, she had enough and called him out on it . He went to hit her, but got Nick instead. They was what made his mom leave him. He died later. She asks him to stay for one more episode and ends up falls asleep. She wakes up to find him cleaning her dishes. She thanks him for everything and he puts on his jacket to go back to the shop. She makes a joke about it being a hot-dad jacket and he tells her not to joke about that kind of stuff before he leaves.
18. Chloe texts Tracey that she need to talk about the Nick situation. Tracey comes over after work and brings her Gatorade to help her hydrate. Chloe goes over the entire situation. Tracey points out that Nick is going above and beyond the expectations of normal friendship. She also points out that Mikey didn’t even check up on her. After she leaves, Chloe continues to contemplate what has been going on and her feelings for Nick. She debates calling Annie and falls asleep with her phone in her hand.
19. Chloe takes an out over to Mikey’s house to try to soften the blow of their breakup. He has just gotten his knife from the infomercial and shows her how well it cuts. She is impressed, but asks him to sit down. She tells him they aren’t working out and she is ending it. He seems okay with it and says he’ll miss her. She gives him the pie, but he says he doesn’t like pie. She is confused because there are so many different kinds of pie and he doesn’t like any of them. They hug goodbye. She takes the pie back and leaves.
20. Chloe and Don decorate the living room for Annie’s bachelorette movie night. They eat pizza and penis-themed snacks and watch Hugh Grant movies. Chloe gets up to get Annie a drink and gets a text from Nick. Annie sees she is smiling and asks if that is Mikey. Chloe admits it is Nick and tells her what has been going on. When Annie pulls out her phone to take notes, Chloe tells her to stop. She admits she is upset at how thinly Annie veiled her movie characters from real life. They have a big argument and Annie tells her she needs to learn how to accept help from people. Chloe goes off on her saying not everyone wants her “perfect rom-com” life. Annie asks if she is still going to the premiere the next night and Chloe says she is before she goes home.
21. Chloe ends up calling Nick before she realizes it is 2am. He answers sleepily and she says she just wants to talk to him. She apologizes when she realizes then time. She tells him about her argument with Annie and how her life is hard. She doesn’t want to see the movie. He asks if Mikey is going with her and she tells him she broke up with him. He offers to go to the movie with her. She accepts. She asks him what he wants. He admits he doesn’t want to keep running a coffee shop. He wants to do something more behind the scenes. He tells her he won’t be closing down the shop. She tells him she wishes he was there and he wishes the same. He says they should get some sleep and they hang up. Chloe smiles at the idea of them going to the movie together.
22. Nick picks up Chloe for the premiere. She is thrown by him having a full beard and a well fitted suit. He drives them there in the truck and walks her quickly down the sad, little red carpet while ignoring the one photographer. Annie finds her inside and Chloe congratulates her. They go in and Chloe pulls Nick to seats in the back so she can make a quick exit if she needs to. Chloe is nervous through the movie. The scene where the main character’s dad says his cancer is in remission is too much for Chloe and she goes outside. Nick is right there to comfort her. She tells him she doesn’t get the happy ending and the healed dad. She checks her phone and sees she has missed calls from the facility. Her dad is in the hospital.
23. Nick takes Chloe to the hospital. Her dad was complaining of chest pains earlier in the day, so they sent him to the hospital. They are going to keep him overnight for observation. When Chloe goes out into the waiting room, Nick gives her a Coke and a Twix from the vending machine. She thinks about how she could get used to having someone there for her, but thinks about how that would only result in them eventually leaving her. Nick asks if she wants to go home and she says yes. He drops her off and she waits until he is gone before she heads to her own car. She drives to Mikey’s place and bangs in the door until Fred answers. She asks where Milo is and he tells her he has been asleep since he got home. Chloe goes back to his room and wakes him up to yell at him. She reminds him how he was supposed to be on dad duty that night and let her down. He tries to apologize, but she won’t let him because he isn’t aware of how much he has let her down. He says all she does is tell him how he has failed her. She doesn’t think he cares because she and their dad needed him and he flaked again. He says both he and their mom cares. She asks if he talks to her. He says he does and “they” are living in Columbus again. Their mom is afraid to reach out to Chloe. Chloe tells him to forget it. She has been fine the last few years and she will go in doing the same. She leaves the house through the pouring rain and gets in her car. She doesn’t want to go home hit doesn’t have anyone to call or go home to. She starts the car and starts driving.
24. Chloe goes to Nick’s place above the coffee shop. She rings the bell and starts to think she should have called first. He answers the door and sees her standing in the rain crying. He pulls her into a hug and takes her upstairs. He gives her dry clothes and feeds her lasagna. She tells him about what happened with Milo and learning that her mom is in town. He notices she is shivering and he takes her to his bed. She tells him to get in with her to keep her warm. She asks what happened between him and the girl who gave him her number. He says he never called. She asks about the dating apps and he says he won’t go out with them either. He says he only wants her, but wants to know what she wants. She tells him to kiss her and they have sex.
25. The next morning, Chloe wakes up and is happy to be in Nick’s bed. When he says they can do that forever, she starts to think about how some day she wants to get court if Columbus and go somewhere she doesn’t have to take care of anyone. She showers and tells Nick she has to go home and change clothes. He gives her a piece of toast with strawberry-rhubarb jam he made. She goes to work and can feel Nick’s presence through his office door. When she goes home, she realizes he has missed a class assignment that was due that day. She also miscalculated what she would need to have done to complete Annie’s Pom-pom wall. By the time she gets to her dad’s, she is tired. Tracey asks what is going on with her and Nick and Chloe tells her they had sex. Tracey is surprised by her lack of enthusiasm, but Chloe says she is just tired. Tracey says her dad is tired too from family bingo. Chloe cannot believe she missed it. Tracey tells her Milo was there. She goes down to her dad’s room thinking about how she has been dropping the ball in a lot of things because of all the time she has been spending with Nick. She gets a text from him, but decides not to answer just then.
26. Chloe spends the next week avoiding Nick and trying to focus on catching up on everything. When he asks her about it, she tells him she isn’t doing well, but handling it because that is what she does. He tells her he wants them to be partners in the business. He has the money that his dad left him when he died, but the shop is floundering and she has the ideas that could turn it around. She says she can’t handle taking anything else on until she doesn’t have to take care of her dad, and then she doesn’t want to be tied down. He starts to understand what she is saying. She says their sleeping together was a mistake. He tells her that is fine and goes back to treating her like any other employee. Chloe leaves. She got what she wanted but feels like crying.
27. Another week goes by with Chloe trying to avoid Nick and do everything herself. She is baking a pie and folding pins when she smells the pie burning. She goes to get the pie out of the oven, but it is ruined. The smoke alarm goes off and she tries to wave a cloth at it to get it to stop and falls off the chair. She goes to Nick’s and asks him to help her with the pins, but he says no. He tells her he doesn’t want to be her friend because he is in love with her. He can’t take her only coming to him when she needs something. She apologizes and starts heading home. He calls after her asking if she needs help and she says she is fine. She walks home and runs into Annie who is outside with the dog Uncle Don and Tyler recently adopted. Annie invites Chloe inside.
28. Inside, Chloe ends up telling Annie what has been going on. Annie tells her she needs to accept help more often and puts on a movie for them to fold poms to. After the movie, Annie gets her to talk more. Chloe doesn’t like ti accept help because she doesn’t want to feel like a burden to people. She thinks people like her because she is helpful. Annie explains all the reasons they all love her. Chloe goes on to say she has strong feelings for Nick. Annie suggests a grand gesture, but Chloe is against it. She doesn’t want her life to be a rom-com. Annie points out she may not have a choice.
29. Chloe goes to pick up her dad for a doctor appointment and is surprised to find Milo there. They watch an episode of MASH before she takes him it into the hall to talk. Milo apologizes and says he is going to do better. He and Fred got an apartment and are in the process of buying furniture. They are staying. When Chloe goes back in to get her dad, he asks her about Dave. He says he can tell they are really in love and describes how love should be. He tells her that her mother always felt like she had one foot out the door and that isn’t how love is. He helps her without knowing it and she feels great about their father-daughter heart-to-heart. After taking him to his appointment and back, she finds Milo left their mom’s number in her purse. She sends a text saying she is not ready to talk and will probably always be mad at her, but maybe someday. She realizes her mother showed her exactly what not to do and decides she is going to have to go big with her attempt to win him back.
30. The girls get ready in Nick’s office because it is so close to the wedding loft. Chloe makes sure it’s okay that her grand gesture will happen at her wedding. Annie is more than thrilled about it. Tyler comes over to get them and they make their way to the loft. She explains how she will signal them to walk. Chloe, Annie, and Uncle Don are left to their little family moment. Chloe thinks about how weird it will all be now that they won’t all be living together now and she will have to move out of the carriage house some day. The wedding starts and Vhloe walks down the aisle keeping her focus. When she gets to the front and turns to face Annie, she sees Nick staring at her and can’t take her eyes off him. She is distracted through the entire ceremony until they are announced as married. The scramble starts for pictures and setting up for the reception. Chloe takes a Quick Look back into the crowd, but she cannot find Nick and figures he is probably already bartending.
31. After pictures at a few different places (including the Book Loft and Shiller Park), they go back to eat. Uncle don ends up taking the microphone and proposing to Tyler. She says yes and Annie can’t help crying in joy. Gary is the DJ and uses sound effects to announce the speeches a bit later. Drew’s brother says Annie came along and taught him being hot isn’t everything. Chloe makes her speech about love and then goes into her confession about how she loves Nick and hopes he still loves her back. When she looks up at him, his face is blank. She drops the microphone and runs down the stairs and out onto the sidewalk as fast as possible. Nick catches up quickly and tells her he has always loved her. She tries to warn him that she doesn’t want to get married or have children or even stay in Columbus forever. He tells her to stop trying to scare him away. He promises to go where ever she wants. The kiss. Chloe starts to drag him back to the shop because she has been fantasizing about having sex with him on his desk in the office.
32. Chloe tries to fix her hair after sex. Doug and Shivan arrive at the coffee shop and knock on the door until Nick opens it. They can tells they just had sex and are happy for them. Nick invited them back to the wedding with them and they all go. When they walk in, Nick goes to check on the bar. Annie is so exhausted that she seems drunk. Nick comes over to ask Chloe to dance and she marvels at how much better life is than movies.
Epilogue
A few years later, Annie and Drew are in town with their toddler, Nora. They are visiting Chloe and Nick in what used to be the coffee shop and is now the Butterfly Cafe. The restaurant is doing well. Chloe is glad she took a chance on having a partner because Nick is always there for her. She realizes there is Jo place she would rather be.