Fleshpot on 42nd Street

Dusty Cole:
Well, what do you want to do now?

Cherry Lane:
Let's go out to dinner tonight. Then we'll take in the double horror bill at The Lyric. Torture Dungeon and Bloodthirsty Butchers, okay?

Dusty Cole:
Who watches those movies in the first place?

Cherry Lane:
Didn't your mother ever tell you that you shouldn't go out with strange men?

Dusty Cole:
Bob's not strange. He's dull.

Dusty Cole:
When I moved in with you, you said they're be no trouble between us. You said we'd shack up together and that's all. And I said I'd help out with the money as soon as I get a job. Don't think I don't apreciate what you've done for me, Tony. I do... but you get more then your fair share of ass. There isn't one night where you don't come home from that shithole where you work and wake me up in the middle of the night because you want a piece of ass. I do my part so get off my back!

Tony:
All right, I'll make a deal with you. The minute you start bringing some money into his house I woun't lay a finger on you. I didn't know you didn't like me to touch you. I always thought you like to have sex with me.

Dusty Cole:
I do. I do like it with you. I just thought that was enough. There's not much else I can give you.

Dusty Cole:
How's your mother?

Cherry Lane:
She threw me out. I guess she got tired of me using all her hairspray.

Dusty Cole:
Where are you living now?

Cherry Lane:
Some hole in the wall on the Lower East Side. It's not much to look at but it's rent controlled. I don't keep much food over there because ever time I do the cockroaches mug me for the food I bring home.

Dusty Cole:
How much rent do you pay?

Cherry Lane:
40 a month. I've been so desperate for cash that I've been trying to make the landlord make me live rent free for the past two months. I figure that if I can corner him once I could live rent free until my lease expires.

Dusty Cole:
Always working don't you?

Cherry Lane:
Listen honey, you've got to get what you can out of this life. I don't want to wind up like my mother without a pot to piss in when I'm her age. America ain't no place for old folks. I'll bet in 10 or 15 years they'll be building camps for the aging. But if Nixon gets re-elected it'll probably be a police state anyway, so what difference does it make?

Dusty Cole:
Listen, have you seen Hal around anywhere?

Cherry Lane:
Hal? Didn't you hear?

Dusty Cole:
Hear what?

Cherry Lane:
He's in jail. He got five years.

Dusty Cole:
For what?

Cherry Lane:
He hit a cop!

Dusty Cole:
Hal?

Cherry Lane:
Yeah! One night we were all standing around in front of Grants minding our own business when all of a sudden this cop comes along and tells us to move along. We say that we aren't doing anything and Hal comes up and tries to be nice to the prick. Then the cop, for no reason, gives him a shove. You know that Hal can't stand for anyone to give him a shove... let alone a cop. Before you know it, Hal is shoving the cop and the cop goes down and we are all trying to get Hal the hell out of there. All of a sudden, these other cops show up from out of nowhere and they beat the sh*t out of Hal and threw him into the backseat of one of their squad cars. Those sons of b*tches, they wouldn't even let us see him in jail. One of the queens who was in the jail at the time later told us that they messed him up good. A broken jaw, broken left cheekbone. He was so delirious that he didn't even recognize Pinky. Remember Pinky? That colored drag queen who I used to run around with?

Dusty Cole:
Where's Hal now?

Cherry Lane:
Upstate somewhere. They never would tell us where. Now... what other good news have I got for you?

Dusty Cole:
Nothing. I was hoping Hal could pimp for me. He's so good at that.

Cherry Lane:
Yeah. Unlike the other pimps, he had real class.

Dusty Cole:
What are the house rules?

Cherry Lane:
You have to try to stay out at least 'til 12 during the week and I'd like it if possible to be able to bring tricks back here til around two. That all right with you?

Dusty Cole:
Sure, honey. Say, I got an idea. Why don't we sort of join forces? We could both turn quite a few each night if we play our cards right.

Cherry Lane:
Fabulous. You know I gotta a lot of numbers that want girls... instead of me. I mean, maybe I could introduce them to you. I bet you get much more than I do.

Dusty Cole:
Do you want to clean house tomorrow?

Cherry Lane:
Sure. It'll be much easier to keep this place clean with the two of us here. Maybe I'll come home once in a while. We could have some of the kids over for dinner, maybe...

Dusty Cole:
I don't know about that. You know how most of them are. One of them gets thrown out for not paying the rent and the first thing you know they are banging on the door. I don't think it's such a good idea to have anyone here.

Cherry Lane:
Yeah, I guess you're right. And friends are a great deal of work.

Cherry Lane:
[opens the front door] Jimmie. What are you doing here?

Jimmie:
I got a hard-on. You were supposed to take care of me.

Cherry Lane:
We were supposed to meet tomorrow night. Did you forget?

Jimmie:
I got a hard-on! What do you want me to do? Slam a window on it?

Cherry Lane:
I got a guest right now. I can't really talk... you know what I mean.

Jimmie:
Does he suck?

Cherry Lane:
It ain't a he. It's a she... like me. See?

[Cherry opens the door wider and Jimmie enters and sees Dusty standing in the room]

Jimmie:
You've been holding out on me. You didn't tell me about her. You didn't tell me anything about her.

[to Dusty]

Jimmie:
My name is Jimmie.

Dusty Cole:
Yeah, I gathered as much.

Cherry Lane:
She ain't too friendly, is she?

Dusty Cole:
I am... with gentlemen.

Jimmie:
What's that supposed to mean?

Dusty Cole:
Take it for what it's worth.

Jimmie:
[to Cherry] Hey, I like her.

Cherry Lane:
She's my competition.

Jimmie:
It ain't the same thing.

Cherry Lane:
Says who?