07x20 - Florence's New Job pt. 2

[bunniefuu]

In the sky

Of the pie

In the kitchen

On the grill

In the big leagues

It's you and me, baby

Nothin' wrong with that

Movin' on up

In the sky

Ta-da!

Well, what do you think?

Oh, Florence,
how smart you look.

Yeah, you don't look
nothing like you.

I went shopping last night.

Now that I'm an executive,
I'd better dress like one.

Well, you've been an executive
for two days now.

How does it feel?

I still can't believe it.

I wonder if I've died
and this is heaven.

No, can't be.

Let's face it, Florence.
It's for real.

You are executive housekeeper
of the St. Frederick Hotel.

This is the kind of job
I've always wanted.

I'm dealing with
interesting people.

Yeah, like dry cleaners,
for instance?

Making good money.
Well, you should.

It's your job to make sure
the sheets and towels

are sparkling clean.

Yeah, and making
challenging decisions.

Like who gets the hotel's
cleaning account?

George, you're being too subtle.
You think so?

Why don't you try skywriting?

Oh, by the way, we'll make a
decision on that contract today.

Oh!
But I gotta tell you,

some of those bids
are pretty close.

They are?

Yeah. Oh, I'll make you
some more coffee.

Oh, don't be silly.
I'll make it.

You've got a long day
ahead of you. Sit down.

Oh, where will I find
the coffee?

On the bottom shelf
above the sink.

Want me to give you a boost?

Oh, that must be Angie.

Angie?Mm-hm.

One of the maids at the hotel.

I met her two years ago
at a union meeting,

and now we're working together.

Oh, small world, isn't it?

Yeah, if you don't
have to clean it.

Hi, Angie.
Ooh-wee, girl,

that is some outfit.

Diana Ross, move over!

Oh, Mrs. Jefferson,
this is Angie Houston.

Hello, Angie.
Hi, Mrs. Jefferson.

Angie, Mrs. Jefferson
is the best boss

anybody could ever have.

Oh, I don't think
that's true.

I think Florence
is the best boss

anybody could ever have.

Oh, Angie.

Mrs. Jefferson, yesterday
Florence held a meeting

with all of us maids,
and she told us

that we would all
be treated with respect.

She said more,
but I couldn't make it out

because everybody
was screaming, "Hallelujah!"

Oh, Angie,
we'd better get going

before the boss
starts screaming.

Florence, you're the boss,
remember?

Nice meeting you,
Mrs. Jefferson.

Same here, Angie.

Did you hear that,
Mrs. Jefferson?

She called me "boss."

How come it sounds
so good on me

and so bad on Mr. Jefferson?

I'll see you later.

Well, I'd better go
get changed for work.

Okay.
Like they say,

"Another day, another penny."

Uh, that's "another dollar."
Honey, speak for yourself.

I'll see you later.Mm-hm.

Oh, good morning, Florence.

Oh, hi, Betty.
How you doing this morning?

Child, at my age,

any day that I wake up
and don't hear harps playing,

I'm doing fine.

Oh, I see I got Angie
on my floor again today.

Oh, yeah. Ain't she great?
Yeah.

Great at getting other folks
to do her work for her.

What?
Now, don't get me wrong.

I like Angie,
but she's got more excuses

for getting out of work

than my old man's got
for getting out of loving.

Are we talking
about the same Angie?

Yeah.

Yesterday,
I went into this room

where she's supposed
to be cleaning,

and there she was
laid up on the bed

looking at
The Young and the Restless.

Maybe you should have
a talk with her.

I tried.
She won't listen to me.

Okay.
I'll have a talk with her.

Good. Oh, and, Florence?

We are all very happy
to have you here.

Thanks, Betty.

Of course now,
after that last bozo we had,

we happy to have anybody here.

Hi, Elena.
Oh, Florence,

you should've seen little Ray

when I dropped him off
at school today.

I bought him a new briefcase,

and when he went to class
carrying that,

he looked just like
a little congressman.

Yeah, well, in that case,
all he needs

for his little briefcase
is a little bribe.

See you later, Florence.
Oh, just a minute.

Hmm?
I want to talk to you.

I was just talking to Betty
and she told--

And she told you about me
watching television

in one of the rooms, huh?
Well, yeah.

Hold it, Florence, say no more.
I get the message.

Good.
No more soap operas.

From now on, I'm gonna be
the hardest-working maid you got

if for no other reason
than to make you look good

as the new executive
housekeeper, honey.

Thanks, Angie.
All right.

Hope I wasn't
too hard on her.

Hello, Florence.
Oh, hi, Lyle.

Uh, am I interrupting anything?
Of course not.

Well, I should be.
A little something called work.

Florence, are you aware
that rooms through

haven't been cleaned
yet today?

No, Lyle.
Ahh.

Then you're probably
also unaware

that occupying those rooms are
some very important kangaroos.

Kangaroos? Well, no wonder
those rooms need cleaning.

Florence,
which one of the maids

was assigned
to clean those rooms?

Let's see.

Angie Houston.

Well, have you have any
complaints about her before?

Well, I had a talk
with Angie this morning,

and she's promised to do
a good job from now on.

Oh, how nice.

Well, I want you to talk
to her again and tell her

that if she messes up
one more time, she is fired,

gone, ed.

Hi, chief.

Earl, don't you know
how to knock?

Sure.

Like that, chief.

Yeah, like that, Earl.

Florence Johnston, right?

Right.
Right, heh.

Y-you want to know
how I knew her name, chief?

Uh, you saw her nameplate.

No. I never even noticed that.

Well, how did you know
her name, Earl?

I met her yesterday.

Earl, why did you come
barging in here anyway, huh?

I just wanted to tell you
not to worry, chief,

that New York's number-one
house detective

has solved the case.

Oh, did we hire that guy
from the Waldorf?

Hey, chief...

Okay, Earl, okay.
What case is it this time?

Okay.

The case of the missing tips.
Ah.

Missing tips?
Oh, yeah.

For the past couple of months,

some the maids have been
complaining about tips

that the guests say they left
but the maids can't find.

So, what's been happening
to the tips, Earl?

Okay.

Someone's been stealing them.

Who?

One of the maids,
Angie Houston.

Angie Houston? Are you sure?

Oh, yeah.
You see, I observed her

entering and leaving room .
So?

So, Ms. Houston isn't assigned
to clean room .

So?

So I walked up to her
and I asked her

if she could give me a $ bill
for five ones.

So?

So-- So she gave me this.

You'll notice the bill

has a blue mark in the corner.

LYLE & FLORENCE:
So?

So it's a specially marked bill
I left on the pillow

in room as bait.

Oh, I see!

And Ms. Houston took the bait.

Hey, that's good, chief.

Earl, I think
we can handle this.

Right, chief.

Oh, by the way, chief,
I found out how that pole

in the parking garage
got bent.

How?

Okay.

A car ran into it.

Well?

Oh, Lyle, I really can't believe
Angie's been stealing tips.

I have the proof right here.
Yeah, but--

Stealing is grounds
for dismissal.

Yeah, but--
So call her into your office

and fire her immediately.

Yeah, but, Lyle--
Me, fire her?

I've never fired anybody before,
especially not a friend.

I don't even know
if I can do that kind of thing.

Florence,
you're an executive now.

You just have to realize
that firing people

is part of your job.

And I like to think of it
as one of the fringe benefits.

Well, Florence, I bailed you out
with the kangaroos

who complained
about Angie's work.

Oh, and how did you
do that, Lyle?

Well, I personally delivered
a bottle of champagne

to each of them.

Really?
Mm-hm.

I did that two hours ago.

Oh.

Was yours, uh,
domestic or imported?

Domestic.

Ha-ha!

Well, now that you fired Angie,
we won't be having

any more problems
with kangaroos.

Uh, Lyle--
Mmm?

well, you did fire her,
didn't you?

Well, I thought I'd let her
finish out the day.

Oh, how admirable.

I mean, in fact,
why stop there?

I mean, let's give her a gold
watch and a going-away party!

Oh, excuse me.

Um, it's about
the cleaning contracts.

I narrowed down the bids
to those who do quality work.

The I looked to see which one
had the lowest bid, and...

Oh, lord. Don't tell me.

Mr. Jefferson's bid
wasn't the lowest.

You told me.
Are you sure?

I double-checked all my figures.
See for yourself.

Blue Sky Cleaners
is the lowest bid.

Oh, how am I gonna tell
Mr. Jefferson

he didn't get the account?

Well, you could--
Hold it, hold it.

I mean, you're an executive
at this hotel

and you can't tell some cleaner
his bid was too high?

Lyle, you don't understand,
he's a friend.

Oh, I understand, all right.

There are a lot of things
about this job you can't do.

Oh, but, Mr. Block--
Elena, go sit at your desk

before we find someone
to sit there for you.

Oh, and another thing, uh,
contact Angie Houston

and tell her that Florence would
love to see her immediately.

Yes, sir.

Florence,
you may not realize this,

but I'm a very
understanding man.

And I understand
what you're going through.

You do?
Oh, of course.

It's hard for you to fire
Angie Houston

because she's a friend, right?
Right.

And it's hard
to tell this Jefferson fellow

he didn't get
the cleaning contract

because he's a friend too,
right?

Right.

Yeah, well, tough noogies.

What?

Florence, you're too soft!

I mean, if you want
to make it to the top,

you gotta be hard as a rock,
cold, ruthless,

a mean, lean executive machine!

I don't want to be like that.

Oh, well, then maybe you
don't want to be an executive.

Well, maybe I don't.
And maybe you made a mistake

taking this job.
Maybe I did.

Maybe you'd be happier
somewhere else.

Ain't no maybe about that.
Mm.

Maybe I should tell
Mr. Claymore how you feel.

Maybe you should!

All right.

I mean, he will be
so disappointed to hear this...

as I am.

Well, I guess I won't
be needing this anymore.

Florence?
Angie's on her way down.

Well, I just might not
be here when she get here.

What do you mean?

I mean,
maybe Mr. Block is right.

Maybe I do belong
behind a vacuum cleaner

instead of a desk.
Oh, but, Florence--

Hey, Florence, Elena,
heh-heh, how's it going?

Ah, not too well.
Florence?

Mr. Jefferson,
if you're here to talk

about the cleaning contract,
you might as well talk to Elena.

What? But you're
the executive housekeeper.

Not anymore I'm not.

What?

Florence is thinking
of quitting.

Quitting? But you said
you loved your job here.

Well, I do, but I don't like
some of the things I gotta do.

She has to fire
one of the maids.

Well, that ain't no big deal!

Just call her in your office
and say, "You're fired."

But she's a friend.

Well, then say,
"You're fired, friend."

Well, firing Angie ain't the
only the only thing I gotta do.

I also gotta tell
one of my very best friends

he didn't get
the cleaning contract.

No problem.

You just sit him down here
and you--

Say what?

I'm sorry, Mr. Jefferson.

I wish there was
something I could do,

but Blue Sky Cleaners came in
with a bid lower than yours.

Uh, ahem.

Excuse me a minute, Elena.

Okay, I'm leaving.

But, please, just promise me
you won't start throwing things.

Hey, come on, Elena, do I look
like that kind of a guy?

Okay, I promise.

Florence, please!

Brace up, Mr. Jefferson.

Okay, I'm braced.

Pretty please?

Now, see? I can't go around

hurting people like this
all my life.

I mean, I know how much you
cared about that contract.

Well, damn right
I care about the contract!

See?
But...

But not as much
as I care about you.

What?
Me and Weezie were talking

about you last night.
I mean, she misses you,

but she's real proud of you.

She thinks that you
can do anything you want

if you set your mind to it.

What do you think?

Heh-heh, Florence,
you may not have noticed,

but I'm not the easiest person
in the world to work for.

No!

It's true.

Now, look, if you could put up
with me for six years,

you can do anything.

Mr. Jefferson,
you said it all.

Excuse me, Florence.
Uh, Angie's here to see you.

Uh, should I send her in?

Why not? I mean...

I am
the executive housekeeper.

Okay!

Hey, thanks, Mr. Jefferson.

Don't mention it, Florence.
I'll see you tonight.

Oh, you know,
I think I'll rush home tonight

and cook you and Mrs. Jefferson
a big dinner,

just like I used to.
Oh, come on, Florence.

I've had
a bad enough day already.

Hey there, Florence.

Oh, girl, I just love
what you done with this office.

Now, what'd you want
to talk to me about?

Um, Angie, I might as well
come right to the point.

I hear
you've been stealing tips.

Who told you that?

Doesn't matter who told me.
Is it true?

Well, sure.

You mean, you admit it?

Sure.

But I don't understand.
Let's not beat around the bush.

I know what you're gonna say.

You do?

Sure.

Okay, how much do you want?

What?
How about %?

Angie!
All right, all right, %.

Angie, we're talking
about stealing.

Oh, come on, Florence.
Oh, "come on" nothing.

You've been stealing tips
from the maids.

I can't let you
get away with that.

Hey, look, Florence,
I know you gotta make

a good impression on whitey,
but you could level with me.

I mean, after all,
we are sisters, heh-heh.

Well, maybe in your book,
but where I come from,

sisters don't go around
ripping each other off.

So, um, what are you saying?

I'm saying you're fi--

I'm saying you're fi--

I'm saying you're fi--

Fired?

You heard me.

You're serious, aren't you?

Yes, I am.

Oh, wow.

Florence, you are a trip.

I mean, honey,
you are really a trip!

Now look, Angie--
Who do you think you're fooling,

sitting behind that desk?

You ain't nothing but a maid,
just like me.

So while you're sitting there
gloating

over what a hot number
you think you are,

why don't you try
remembering that, honey,

you are still Black.

Hold it, little bit!

Now, I have worked
just as hard as you have,

but I ain't never took nothing
that didn't belong to me.

So don't be running down
no guilt trip on me,

because in the Black race
I belong to,

self-achievement comes in
way ahead of stealing.

You know, baby, I bet you
would've changed your tune

if I had offered you
%, huh?

Well, I'll just take %
for the maids who earned it.

Now, I done fired you once,
and if I have to fire you again,

it's gonna hurt you
far worse than it does me,

'cause you are going to be
the only person

standing in the unemployment
line with a mop for a tail!

Wait a minute--
Get out right now!

Get out! Out!

Florence, are you all right?

I will be as soon
my blood stops boiling.

I'm so glad you're staying.

I am too.

Florence!

Oh, hi, Mr. Claymore.
How are you?

Hello, Mr. Claymore.
Hello, Elena.

Florence, Lyle came to me
a few minutes ago.

He was in a very good mood.

I should have known then
something was wrong.

He told me you said
you weren't happy here.

Why, Mr. Claymore,
I'm very happy here.

But I thought
you were going to quit.

Quit? Why, why in the world
would I quit, Lyle?

Hold it. Uh, hold it,
Florence. Uh...

Did you fire Angie Houston?

Yes.

Uh, well, did you take care
of the cleaning contract?

Yes.

Good, heh-heh!

Oh, I knew my instinct
was right.

She's a real gem, huh, Lyle?

Oh, yes, sir. Sir, yes!

Keep up the good work,
Florence.

Thank you, Mr. Claymore.

Florence,
you made a fool out of me!

Oh, go on, Lyle, you deserve
the credit for all that.

Florence, today you got lucky.

But one of these days,
your luck is going to run out,

and when it does,
pardon me when I gloat.

Oh, Lyle?
Hm?

Let me show you something
I learned

from my last employer.
Yeah, what's that?