>>12910485
CARRUTHERS: Patrick, thanks so much for looking after Courtney. Dorsia, how impressive! How on earth did you get a reservation there?
BATEMAN: Lucky, I guess.
CARRUTHERS: That's a wonderful jacket. Let me guess, Valentino Couture?
BATEMAN: Uh huh.
CARRUTHERS (Reaching out to touch it): It looks so soft.
BATEMAN (Catching Luis hand): Your compliment was sufficient Luis.
Carruthers is distracted by a question from the colleague
on his left.
Paul Owen enters, carrying the Wall St. Journal under his arm. He is handsome, supremely confident and self-satisfied; he sees himself as a leader among men.
ALLEN (to Bateman): Hello, Halberstam. Nice tie. How the hell are you?
BATEMAN: I've been great. And you?Their conversation fades down as we hear Bateman's thoughts.
BATEMAN (V.O.): Allen has mistaken me for this dickhead Marcus Halberstam. It seems logical because Marcus also works at P&P and in fact does the same exact thing I do and he also has a penchant for Valentino suits and Oliver Peoples glasses. Marcus and I even go to the same barber, although I have a slightly better haircut.
During this voiceover the CAMERA WANDERS over to MARCUS HALBERSTAM, who is conferring with a colleague in the opposite corner of the room. He bears a superficial resemblance to Bateman.
ALLEN: How's the Ransom account going, Marcus?
BATEMAN (nervous): It's…it's…all right.
ALLEN: Really? That's interesting.
He stares at Bateman, smiling
ALLEN: Not great?
BATEMAN: Oh well, you know.
OWEN: And how's Cecilia? She's a great girl.
BATEMAN: Oh yes. I'm very lucky.
McDermott and Price enter.
McDERMOTT: Hey. Allen! Congratulations on the Fisher account.
ALLEN: Thank you, Baxter.
BRYCE: Listen, Paul. Squash?
ALLEN: Call me.
Hands him a business card
PRICE: How about Friday?
OWEN: No can do. Got a res at eight-thirty at Dorsia. Great sea urchin ceviche.
There is a stunned silence as he walks away and sits in a corner of the room, ostentatiously studying papers.
CLOSE-UP on Bateman's face, cold with hatred.
PRICE (whispering): Jesus. Dorsia? On a Friday night? How'd he swing that?
McDERMOTT (whispering): I think he's lying.
Bateman takes out his wallet and pulls out a card.
PRICE (suddenly enthused): What's that, a gram?
BATEMAN: New card. What do you think?
McDermott lifts it up and examines the lettering carefully.
McDERMOTT: Whoa. Very nice. Take a look.
He hands it to Van Patten.
BATEMAN: Picked them up from the printers yesterday.
VAN PATTEN: Good coloring.
BATEMAN: That's bone. And the lettering is something called Silian Rail.
McDERMOTT (envious): Silian Rail?
VAN PATTEN: It is very cool, Bateman. But that's nothing.
He pulls a card out of his wallet and slaps it on the
table.]
VAN PATTEN: Look at this.
They all lean forward to inspect it.
PRICE: That's really nice.
Bateman clenches his fists beneath the table, trying to control his anxiety.
VAN PATTEN: Eggshell with Romalian type.
(Turning to Bateman)
What do you think?
BATEMAN (barely able to breathe, his voice a croak): Nice.
PRICE (holding the card up to the light): Jesus. This is really super. How'd a nitwit like you get so tasteful?
Bateman stares at his own card and then enviously at McDermott's.
BATEMAN (V.O.): I can't believe that Price prefers McDermott's card to mine.
PRICE: But wait. You ain't seen nothin' yet.
He holds up his own card.
PRICE: Raised lettering, pale nimbus white…
BATEMAN (choking with anxiety): Impressive. Very nice. Let's see Paul Owen's card.
Price pulls a card from an inside coat pocket and holds it up for their inspection: "PAUL OWEN, PIERCE & PIERCE, MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS." Bateman swallows, speechless. The sound in the room dies down and all we hear is a faint heartbeat as Bateman stares at the magnificent card.
BATEMAN (V.O.): Look at that subtle off-white coloring. The tasteful thickness of it. Oh my God, it even has a watermark…
His hand shaking, Bateman lifts up the card and stares at it
until it fills the screen. He lets it fall. The sound returns to normal.
CARRUTHERS: Is something wrong? Patrick…you're sweating.