Sure Thing - Gillian Lines

Bill: Excuse me. Is this chair taken?

Excuse me?

Bill: Is this taken?

Yes, it is.

Bill: Oh. Sorry.

Sure thing. (A bell rings softly.)

Bill: Excuse me. Is this chair taken?

Excuse me?

Bill: Is this taken?

No, I’m expecting someone in a minute.

Bill: Oh. Thanks anyway.

Sure thing. (A bell rings softly)

Bill: Excuse me. Is this chair taken?

No, but I'm expecting somebody very shortly.

Bill: Would you mind if I sit here till he or she or it comes?

(Checking her watch) They do seem to be pretty late…

Bill: You never know who you might be turning down.

Sorry. Nice try, though.

Bill: Sure thing. (Bell.) Is this seat taken?

No, its not.

Bill: Would you mind if I sit here?

Yes, I would.

Bill: Oh. (Bell.) Is this chair taken?

No its not.

Bill: Would you mind if I sit here?

No. Go ahead.

Bill: Thanks. (He sits. She continues reading.) Every place else seems to be taken.

Mm-hm.

Bill: Great place.

Mm-hm.

Bill: What's the book?

I just wanted to read in quiet, if you don’t mind.

Bill: No. Sure thing. (Bell.) Every place else seems to be taken.

Mm-hm.

Bill: Great place for reading.

Yes, I like it.

Bill: What's the book?

The Sound and the Fury.

Bill: Oh. Hemingway. (Bell.) What’s the book?

The Sound and the Fury.

Bill: Oh. Faulkner.

Have you read it?

Bill: Not… actually. I’ve sure read about it, though. It's supposed to be great.

It is great.

Bill: I hear it's great. (Small pause.) Waiter? (Bell.) What's the book?

The Sound and the Fury.

Bill: Oh. Faulkner.

Have you read it?

Bill: I’m a Mets fan, myself. (Bell.)

Have you read it?

Bill: Yeah, I read it in college.

Where was college?

Bill: I went to Oral Roberts University. (Bell.)

Where was college?

Bill: I was lying. I never really went to college. I just like to party. (Bell.)

Where was college?

Bill: Harvard.

Do you like Faulkner?

Bill: I love Faulkner. I spent a whole winter reading him once.

I’ve just started.

Bill: I was so excited after 10 pages I went out and bought everything else he wrote. One of the greatest reading experiences of my life. I mean, all that incredible psychological understanding. Page after page of gorgeous prose. His profound grasp of the mystery of time and human existence. The smells of the earth… What do you think?

I think its pretty boring. (Bell.)

Bill: What's the book?

The Sound and the Fury.

Bill: Oh! Faulkner!

Do you like Faulker?

Bill: I love Faulkner.

He’s incredible!

Bill: I spent a whole winter reading him once.

I was so excited after 10 pages that I went out and bought everything else he wrote.

Bill: All that incredible psychological understanding.

And the prose is so gorgeous.

Bill: And the way he’s grasped the mystery of time --

-- and human existence. I can’t believe I’ve waited this long to read him.

Bill: You never know. You might not have liked him before.

That's true.

Bill: You might not have been ready for him. You have to hit these things at the right moment or it's no good.

That’s happened to me.

Bill: It’s all in the timing. (Small pause.) My name’s Bill, by the way.

I’m Betty.

Bill: Hi.

Hi. (Small pause.)

Bill: Yes, I thought reading Faulkner was … a great experience.

Yes. (Small pause.)

Bill: The Sound and the Fury … (another small pause.)

Well. Onwards and upward. (She goes back to her book.)

Bill: Waiter? (Bell.) You have to hit these things at the right moment or it's no good.

That's happened to me.

Bill: Its all in the timing. My name’s Bill, by the way.

I’m Betty.

Bill: Hi.

Hi.

Bill: Do you come in here a lot?

Actually I’m just in town for two days from Pakistan.

Bill: Oh. Pakistan. (Bell.) My name’s Bill, by the way.

I’m Betty.

Bill: Hi.

Hi.

Bill: Do you come in here a lot?

Every once in a while. Do you?

Bill: Not so much anymore. Not as much as I used to. Before my nervous breakdown. (Bell.) Do you come in here a lot?

Why are you asking?

Bill: Just interested.

Are you really interested, or do you just want to pick me up?

Bill: No, I’m really interested.

Why would you be interested in whether I came in here a lot?

Bill: Just … getting acquainted.

Maybe you're only asking for the sake of making small talk long enough to ask me back to your place to listen to some music, or because you’ve just rented some great tape for your VCR, or because you've got some terrific unknown Django Reinhardt record, only all you want to do is fuck – which you don’t do very well – after which you’ll go into the bathroom and pee very loudly, and pad into the kitchen and get yourself a beer from the refrigerator without asking me if I’d like anything, and then you’d proceed to lie back down beside me and confess you’ve got a girlfriend named Stephanie who's away at medical school in Belgium for a year, and that you’ve been involved with her – off and on – in what you’ll call a very “intricate” relationship, for about seven YEARS. None of which interests me, mister!

Bill: Okay. (Bell.) Do you come in here a lot?

Every other day, I think?

Bill: I come in here quite a lot and I don’t remember seeing you.

I guess we must be on different schedules.

Bill: Missed connections.

Yes. Different time zones.

Bill: Amazing how you can live right next door to somebody in this town and never even know it.

I know.

Bill: City life.

Its crazy.

Bill: We probably pass each other in the street every day. Right in front of this place, probably.

Yep.

Bill: (looks around.) Well, the waiters here sure seem to be in some different time zone. I can’t seem to locate anyone anywhere… Waiter! (he looks back) So what do you -- (he sees that shes gone back to her book.)

I beg pardon?

Bill: Nothing. Sorry. (Bell.)

I guess we must be on different schedules.

Bill: Missed connections.

Yes. Different time zones.

Bill: Amazing how you can live right next door to somebody in this town and never even know it.

I know.

Bill: City life.

Its crazy.

Bill: You weren't waiting for somebody when I came in, were you?

Actually, I was.

Bill: Oh. Boyfriend?

Sort of.

Bill: What's a sort-of boyfriend?

My husband.

Bill: Ah-ha. (Bell.) You weren't waiting for somebody when I came in, were you?

Actually, I was.

Bill: Oh. Boyfriend?

Sort of.

Bill: What's a sort-of boyfriend?

We were meeting here to break up.

Bill: Mm-hm… (Bell.) What's a sort-of boyfriend?

My lover. Here she comes right now! (Bell.)

Bill: You weren't waiting for somebody when I came in, were you?

No, just reading.

Bill: Sort of a sad occupation for a Friday night, isn’t it? Reading here, all by yourself?

Do you think so?

Bill: Well, sure. I mean, what's a good-looking woman like you doing out alone on a Friday night?

Trying to keep away from lines like that.

Bill: No, listen -- (Bell.) You weren't waiting for somebody when I came in, were you?

No, just reading.

Bill: Sort of a sad occupation for a Friday night, isn’t it? Reading alone on a Friday night anyway? No offense, but…

I’m out alone on a Friday night for the first time in a very long time.

Bill: Oh.

You see, I just recently ended a relationship.

Bill: Oh.

Of rather long standing.

Bill: I’m sorry. (Small pause.) Well, listen, since reading by yourself is such a sad occupation for a Friday night, would you like to go elsewhere?

No…

Bill: Do something else?

No thanks.

Bill: I was headed out to the movies in a while anyway.

I don’t think so.

Bill: Big chance to let Faulkner catch his breath. All those long sentences get him pretty tired.

Thanks anyway.

Bill: Okay.

I appreciate the invitation.

Bill: Sure thing. (Bell.) You weren't waiting for somebody when I came in, were you?

No, just reading.

Bill: Sort of a sad occupation for a Friday night, isn't it? Reading here all by yourself?

I guess I was trying to think of it as existentially romantic. You know – cappuccino, great literature, rainy night…

Bill: That only works in Paris. We could hop the late plane to Paris. Get on a Concorde. Find a cafe…

I’m a little short on plane fare tonight.

Bill: Darn it, so am I.

To tell you the truth, I was headed to the movies after I finished this section. Would you like to come along? Since you can’t find a waiter?

Bill: That's a very nice offer, but…

Uh-huh. Girlfriend?

Bill: Two, actually. One of them’s pregnant, and Stephanie -- (bell.)

Girlfriend?

Bill: No, I don’t have a girlfriend. Not if you mean the castrating bitch I dumped last night. (Bell.)

Girlfriend?

Bill: Sort of. Sort of.

What's a sort-of girlfriend?

Bill: My mother. (Bell.) I just ended a relationship, actually.

Oh.

Bill: Of rather long standing.

I’m sorry to hear it.

Bill: This is my first night out alone in a long time. I feel a little bit at sea, to tell you the truth.

So, you didn’t stop to talk because you’re a Moonie, or you have some weird political affiliation –

Bill: Nope. Straight-down-the-ticket Republican. (Bell.) Stright-down-the-ticket Democrat. (Bell.) Can I tell you something about politics? (Bell.) I like to think of myself as a citizen of the universe. (Bell.) I’m unaffiliated.

That's a relief. So am I.

Bill: I vote my beliefs.

Labels are not important.

Bill: Labels are not important, exactly. Take me, for example. I mean what does it matter if I had a two-point at -- (Bell.) three-point at -- (Bell.) four point at college? Or if I came from Pittsburgh -- (bell.) -- Cleveland -- (Bell.) -- Westchester County?

Sure.

Bill: I believe that a man is what he is. (Bell.) A person is what he is. (Bell.) A person is… what they are.

I think so too.

Bill: So, what if I admire Trotsky? (Bell.) So, what if I once had total body liposuction? (Bell.) So what if I don't have a penis? (Bell.) So, what if I once spent a year in the Peace Corps? I was acting on my convictions.

Sure.