Bad Samaritans

The story unfolds with an estranged couple, Carly and James, navigating through a suburban district on their way back home. They've just been at James' family residence and Carly is utterly disappointed with how James behaved towards her in front of his kin. Despite being in a relationship for three years, he's still hesitant to take the next step beyond cohabitation. He even had the audacity to joke about it with his dad in Carly's presence. As they drive home, Carly confronts him, emphasizing that she's 25 and yearning to settle down. However, he accuses her of being domineering. She should just be content with their current situation and stop pressuring him. Their argument reaches a climax as Carly demands to get out of the car, not wanting to be in his company any longer. He attempts to pacify her, but as they come to a halt at a stop sign, she alights and marches off in the opposite direction. James shouts after her briefly, then, in frustration, drives away. CUT TO TITLE PLATE Several blocks later, Carly is still on foot, arms crossed, tears streaming down her face. She halts to look back at the road. Damn him for not even turning around! He'll regret it when she gets home and breaks up with him. She mumbles to herself as she meanders through the unfamiliar neighborhood, clueless about her whereabouts, sweltering, and having left her purse and phone in the car. A dark SUV emerges from afar. As it approaches, it slows down until it's moving parallel to Carly. A well-dressed, attractive man rolls down his window, enquiring if she's alright. Embarrassed, she assures him she's fine and resumes walking. The man switches off his engine and asks her again. 'You seem to be crying!' Carly wipes her tears and tries to downplay it. 'It's fine... really,' she responds. 'Just had a quarrel with my idiotic boyfriend!' The man chuckles. 'Let me guess... did you walk off to make a point and, like a typical man, he just abandoned you here?' Carly affirms, a smile gradually appearing on her face. The man reciprocates with a smile. He extends his hand introductions himself as Adam. 'This area is quite shady, why don't you hop in and I'll take you home?' he suggests. 'Unlike your boyfriend, I don't feel comfortable leaving you stranded here!' Carly hesitates momentarily, glancing around. She knows it's unwise to enter a car with a stranger, but he appears genuinely concerned. Moreover, she's utterly lost, so she consents and climbs into his car. While driving towards her apartment, Adam is amicable and candid, sharing his background and past relationships with Carly. She can't help but feel somewhat captivated by this charming stranger, particularly when compared to her insensitive boyfriend. When he casually mentions he was heading to meet a friend, she jests about wishing she could accompany him. The last thing she wants is to go home now and confront James. Adam shrugs and invites her to join them. He even offers to drop her home afterwards or arrange a ride for her. Grinning at him, she bites her lip and accepts. It'll be fun! Cut to the doorbell ringing. Nathan, Adam's friend, opens the door, taken aback to see Adam there with a young woman. The men exchange a brief look before Adam explains how he found Carly stranded. 'Your boyfriend sounds like a jerk!' Nathan exclaims, extending his hand. Carly laughs and nods, feeling a bit overwhelmed, as she is welcomed in. CUT to the patio. Adam leads Carly outside while Nathan goes in to fetch some drinks. The sun is setting and the view at the back is breathtaking. Carly gazes around in awe while Adam shares how he and Nathan became friends in college. They were on the same football team and in the same fraternity. Now, they're business partners in a high-end audio-visual equipment company with a host of celebrity clientele. Carly imagines how successful they must be, considering the size of Nathan's house. 'Is he married?' She inquires. Adam shakes his head. 'No... Perpetual bachelor,' he responds. Suddenly, Nathan appears at the back door with a camera, aiming it at them. 'Say Cheese!' He jests. From the camera's POV, we hear him boast about the new model they just acquired and admire its excellent picture quality. Adam walks over, off-camera, to inspect it and the friends marvel at the tech specs while the camera discreetly zooms in on Carly. She awkwardly stands by the patio edge, occasionally making eye contact with the camera and fidgeting. Nathan teases her to smile... she looks so beautiful