Games People Play

The OLD Bo and Nora are in bed early one morning.
Nora: Are we boring Bo?
Bo: "Yes" clutching his chest after Nora slugs him
Nora: No I mean it, are we boring? We go to work early every morning and come home late every night. We pig out and go to bed. There must be more to life than this!
Bo: The going to bed part isn't boring, is it?
Nora: Well... no
Bo: What do you mean, well...no?
Nora: No, Bo it's not, but...
Bo: But?
Nora: Oh I don't know. It just seems like we're in a rut.
Bo: I like our rut. Nora? What's really on your mind?
Nora: Oh I don't know.
Bo: You do know. What's bothering you?
Nora: Well...I was chosen
Bo: Ok I'll play. Chosen for what?
Nora: To be a contestant on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?"
Bo rolls around the bed laughing hysterically. He can hardly catch his breath.
Bo: You aren't serious?
Nora: Yea, yea I am. I've been calling in and yesterday I got a call. They want me on tomorrow's show! I have to call them back and be in New York tonight if I'm going. What do you think?
Bo starts laughing uncontrollably again.
Bo: Go for it!
Nora: Stop laughing - what did you say?
Bo: Go for it Red. Why not? You think your life is boring, then I think you should go. What have you got to lose?
Nora: My dignity for one. My clients for another.
Bo: You're smart, you're funny, you're gorgeous - heck, Regis will love ya!
Nora: But what if I make it to the hot seat and I bomb - it'll be so humiliating
Bo: You won't bomb - I know you and I wouldn't say to go if I didn't think you could do it - and besides, so what if you lose, we're millionaires already!
Nora: Good point. It's the challenge, it'll be good for me - right? You'll come with me - right?
Bo: I'll call the station right now and book off. I wouldn't miss this for anything!
Nora: Oh Bo, are you sure?
Bo: Sure I'm sure. Let's get the ball rolling
Nora: I don't know. Oh hell, why not? - let's go!

Nora and Bo make all the necessary calls and find themselves in New York that evening. Nora can't stop talking about the show as they sit in a restaurant after dinner.
Nora: Ok, so should I just walk away if I don't know the answer
Bo: As I always say, Go with your gut. It doesn't matter how well you do, just have fun OK?
Nora: Fun? I don't really think this is fun. What was I thinking?
Bo: You'll be fine. Remember to use your life lines. What did everyone say when you asked them to be your "phone a friend"?
Nora: I think they thought I was nuts but they'll all be waiting for the call. Hank for sports, Viki for current events, Kevin for geography, he travels a lot now for the Banner, Asa for history, he's lived through most of modern history, Joey for the arts, Larry for medicine and Rachel for literature. I always insisted that she read the classics - thank god. Now, you're sure my outfits are ok? I packed about 10.
Bo: I love what you wear. I love you!
Nora: I love you too. Thanks for coming with me and understanding why I have to try this. I'll never sleep tonight.
Bo: I'll make sure you are good and tired so that you'll sleep. Just leave that up to me.
Nora: Will you be my lifeline tonight?
Bo: You betcha. And that's my final answer.

The next day, Bo and Nora arrived at the studio right on time. Bo had spent the whole morning reassuring Nora - almost wishing he hadn't talked her into this. Nora took her seat as assigned and Bo sat behind her in the audience. The show was beginning. Nora wanted to hurl but remembered Bo's advice, no hurling - deep breaths. Regis was introduced and in turn introduced the contestants. So and so from such and such a place.... then Nora Buchanan from Llanview, Pennsylvania - Nora weakly raised her hand and waved - as he announced the next person she remembered she hadn't smiled - Damn.
The fastest finger question: Put the following TV shows in order from when they were first aired starting with the earliest.
a) L A Law
b) Perry Mason
c) The Practice
d) Law and Order
Nora quickly thought - lawyer shows - I can't miss this - b, a, d, c
In a blurr, Nora heard her name being called and she rose to walk over to Regis. Her legs were shaking so hard she thought she would keel over. She muttered something as Regis talked to her then took her seat in the challengers' chair. Good thing she had those long legs as it was hard enough to get herself up onto the seat.
Regis: So, who did you bring with you today?
Nora: My husband...ummm
Bo shouted...:Bo!
Nora: Oh yea, Bo.
Regis made a smart remark about her forgetting her husband's name and actually Nora started to relax. She was gonna enjoy this for everything it was worth! After the first few ridiculously easy questions she had the audience in the palm of her hand. They loved her and she matched Regis's humorous remarks, one to one.
Regis: I have an idea - Regis and Nora Live! I'm looking for a co anchor - how about it?
Nora: Sure, if you want to share cold pizza and root beer with me every morning
Regis: Easy come, easy go! Ok Nora this is for $32,000. Get this and it is the least you can go home with, lose it and you go home with $1000.
Nora: No pressure huh. Throw it at me.
Regis: For $32,000 - On what date did the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor?
a) Dec 7, 1940
b) Dec 7, 1941
c) Dec 7 1942
d) Dec 7, 1943
Nora: Well I can safely say it's Dec 7 ...hum the year? Hummm.... I'm gonna call a friend
Regis: And that would be who?
Nora: Oh lord... Asa Buchanan
Regis: Who is this?
Nora: My father in law
Regis: Ok, we've got him on the phone. Hello Asa, this is Regis Philbin from I Want to be a Millionaire"
Asa: Mr Buchanan to you - and I want to be a billionaire - again!
Regis: Oh, sorry, Mr Buchanan and I know how you feel! I have your daughter in law here, Nora, and she needs your help.
Asa: Everyone needs my help, so what else is new?
Regis: I see, well...Nora is going to read the question and give you 4 possible answers. You have 30 seconds to help her answer the question. Ready?
Asa: Shoot
Nora reads the question and waits for Asa to help
Asa: Hi honey, how are you?
Nora: Asa! Answer the question - 20 seconds
Asa: I knew you'd call me - I just knew it
Nora: ASA!
Asa: 41
Nora: You're sure Asa?
The line goes dead. The time has run out.
Nora reads the question over and over again - trying to figure out the year. Could she trust Asa? Would he
intentionally lie to her? She didn't want it to end yet, so she decided to go for it.
Nora: B final answer
Regis: So you are going to trust your father in law?
Nora: Oh no, maybe I should think about it. Nope, B final answer
Regis: You're right!
Nora drew a huge breath and they continued. She was up to the million dollar question and the sweat was rolling.
Regis: Ok Nora this is it. And you still have 2 lifelines left. For 1 million dollars -
What popular Motown singing group made the song "Tears of a Clown" popular?
a. Diana Ross and the Supremes
b. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
c. The Shirelles
d. The Four Tops
Nora: Oh, I'm sure I know this - oh oh - let me poll the audience Regis
Regis: Sure - ok audience, help her out
The audience chooses Diana Ross 30%, Smokey 35%, Shirelles 20%, 4 Tops 15%.
Pretty close Nora - Smokey wins by just 5%
Nora: I think I'll take my 50/50
Regis: Ok computer, take out two wrong answers leaving one wrong answer and the right answer.
The result: Diana Ross and Smokey and the Miracles
Well Nora - you can walk away with $500,000 or pick one of those two - if you're wrong, you'll go home with
$32,000.
Nora: I'm pretty sure that it is Smokey...ummm...oh no....it's a sad song, maybe it's the Supremes. Oh geez Regis
Regis: So what will you do with the money you win?
Nora: Well, there's a nice little Jag with my name on it, and the rest will go to my favorite charities.
Regis: Excellent...Well, what will it be Nora - the audience loves you but I think the other contestants would like to try to get up here - no pressure though
Nora: Ok I'm going for it. My husband will kill me if I get this wrong - we're BIG Motown fans. Bo this is for you honey - B. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - final answer
Regis: Nora you've been great - consider the co host job, will ya. Now let's see. The answer is.........B. Smokey
Robinson and the Miracles. You've just won 1 million dollars.
The balloons and streamers fall from the ceiling and Bo runs over and hugs Nora. Bo shakes Regis's hand and then Nora hugs Regis. Nora and Bo leave the stage together and are attacked by the off stage staff. After about an hour of paper work they leave the building.

They go off to a small restaurant in the village and laugh their way through dinner reliving almost all of the questions and what Nora almost answered for some of them. Back at the hotel, they make a few calls and finally sit down with a glass of wine and unwind.
Nora: Thank you Bo. I wouldn't have done it without you, you know.
Bo: Are you ready to go back to our boring lives?
Nora: Our lives aren't boring at all - all I really need is you and the occasional game.
Bo: I love games too - I can think of lots of games we can play in that jacuzzi in there
Nora: What do I win with these games?
Bo: Me!
Nora: Is that all? - oh alright, let go
Bo helps Nora out of her clothes as they walk towards the bathroom.

D'End