Dessi Blue
INTERIOR – SAVOY BALLROOM – NIGHT
TWO SHOT – Dessi and Tilda.They are in the employee’s coatroom, preparing for their shift as hostesses at the Savoy. Both wear loose ’30s era dresses. They hang up their coats. Tilda starts to walk out, but Dessi catches her arm and snatches the slouchy hat from her head.
DESSI
You gonna dance with that hat on?
She hangsthe hat on a nearby hook, looks around, checking for any witnesses, and pulls Tilda into her arms.
DESSI
And you forgot my kiss.
She cups Tilda’s face and kisses her, rubbing her back intimately.
TILDA (WHISPERING AND PULLING AWAY)
You crazy! You gonna get us fired, Bama.
DESSI
Buchanan don’t care ’bout two girls kissing.
TILDA (WHISPERING)
I’ll kiss you when we get home. I need to find a man to kiss tonight so we can make rent.
DESSI
Don’t say that, Till. Don’t do that. I told you we’ll figure it out. You don’t have to—
TILDA
Look, I been on my own since I was fourteen and I been knowing what’s what since then. Don’t make me no never mind if I gotta give a little something up to get a little something back.
DESSI
What about a rent party? Folks from the third floor raised all their rent in one night last month.
TILDA
You ain’t gonna find my hand out asking for something I can get myself. They oughta be ashamed, charging Negroes twice as much when we ain’t got half what they got.
DESSI
Well, we know shame don’t come in white.
TILDA
Sho don’t.
She gesturesto the red dress hugging her curves.
TILDA
But rent come in red.