Two women are sitting in a living room. Staring at each other.
ONE … so.
TWO …
ONE Lemme understand this …
TWO Sure.
ONE Because it’s a little bit … you know …
TWO I know.
ONE It’s not what I expected you to say.
TWO I know it’s not.
ONE I came here ready to be all … whatever. To yell at you … to confront you …
TWO I get that. I understand. But …
ONE But now you’re … I don’t even know what to think about this. What you just said.
TWO Think what you want. It’s the truth.
ONE You’re … (Beat.) No. It’s not possible.
TWO You sure about that? You sure?
ONE I mean … that’s … anything’s possible … but why would you do that? Seriously, why?
TWO Exactly why I said …
ONE … yeah, but … if you really wanted to …
TWO I’m not making shit up, okay? I’m not trying to get out of this, saying “You don’t know what you’re talking about … you’re crazy if you think I’d ever try to sleep with your boyfriend” … I’m not saying that. At all. (Beat.) Am I?
ONE … no …
TWO Alright then. So?
ONE So … you … went after my boyfriend, like, aggressively after him for the last month or so … just so you could … then … what?
TWO You know.
ONE … no …
TWO You know exactly why. Yes, you do.
ONE For me?
TWO That’s right.
ONE To get me. To be with me.
TWO Yes. I slept with your boyfriend so I could be with you … so that I would eventually end up with you.
ONE That’s … no! NO!! That’s ridiculous!
TWO Still … that was the plan. (Beat.) And here you are, by the way.
ONE No! I’m here to yell at you, to tell you to “Fuck off!” and stay out of our lives, that’s why I’m here!!! Not for any other reason!!!
TWO We’ll see …
ONE I am!! I’m here for that!!
TWO And where’s your boyfriend?
ONE He’s at work … he’s … it doesn’t matter!
TWO Does he know you’re here?
ONE …
TWO Does he?
ONE No … I didn’t … I found out about this and I … I mean, I confronted him and he denied it … said It never happened …
TWO But that’s not true. Is it?
ONE I’m …
TWO Is-it?
ONE I don’t know now. (Beat.) I don’t know.
TWO What’s that mean?
ONE It means he says he didn’t do anything … that he barely knows you and would never hurt me or do that kind of thing to me, but then I come to you and you say the opposite … you say it did happen. (Beat.) Several times.
TWO That’s right.
ONE So … I’m … I’m … I’m …
TWO But no, that’s … I didn’t just say it … did I? That’s not completely true.
ONE No.
TWO No … I did more than that. I showed you that it happened … I gave you evidence that it did.
ONE Yes.
TWO Emails.
ONE Yes.
TWO And texts.
ONE Yes.
TWO Quite a few texts.
ONE Yes. That’s …
TWO And more, too … didn’t I? More than that.
ONE Yes.
TWO Just a few minutes ago. Right there … (Pointing.) On the coffee table.
ONE I guess you did. Yes.
WOMAN TWO points at a small stack of papers on a table nearby. Offers one or two of them up again.
TWO A hotel receipt. A hotel that I paid for but that he signed a room service ticket for at least twice … two different meals that we ate after having sex …
ONE Ok. Alright. Yes. (Beat.) Fine.
TWO So yeah … I think I did a little bit more than just “say” it happened.
WOMAN ONE doesn’t know how to respond. WOMAN TWO slides down to her and gets close. A hand on her knee. WOMAN ONE pulls away.
ONE But … you’re …
TWO What?
ONE I dunno! It doesn’t even make sense! None of this makes any sense at all …
TWO It does to me …
ONE How? How does doing that … with him … make any sense if what you want—if you really do honestly want to be with me—how is this a normal way of going about that? I, I, I, I, I don’t understand.
TWO Because you’re with him. I needed to get you away from him. (Beat.) Simple.
ONE But then why would I ever want to be with you … the person who ruined that? Hmmmmm?
TWO True. (Beat.) That part was a risk …
ONE I don’t even like women! I mean, as … you know … in relationships, I’m saying.
TWO That can change. (Beat.) It can.
ONE Yeah, no offense, but … I doubt it.
TWO “Doubt” is not “no.” “Doubt” is not even close to “no.”
ONE Then “no.” I’m not a lesbian … I am not interested. There. (Beat.) NO.
TWO I’m not signing people up today, so don’t worry about it. This isn’t a rally.
ONE This is so frustrating! I mean … God!!
TWO All I care about is you … you being with me … I’m not here to convert you. (Beat.) We can “call” it whatever you want …
ONE I don’t want to have sex with a woman! Shit, do you not understand what I just said to you …
TWO And … have you ever done that?
ONE What?
TWO Had sex. With a woman.
WOMAN ONE pauses for a beat. Thinking. She finally says:
ONE No.
TWO Never?
ONE No! (Beat.) I mean …
TWO What?
ONE Just … stop! Stop it! I’m really fucking angry at you right now, ok, so just …
TWO That doesn’t mean you can’t answer that. It’s just a question.
ONE Once. In college. One time I … there was a girl in my dorm … she came on to me a few times.
TWO A few?
ONE Yes! A few. Over the course of a semester or, or … however long …
TWO I see.
ONE But we never did anything!
TWO No?
ONE No. I always … I stopped her. Before.
TWO Ok.
ONE Alright?
TWO Fine by me. (Beat.) Right before or, like, at the door? (Beat.) I’m just wondering … how long did you let her go before putting up a fight?
ONE STOP!
TWO I’m just asking …
ONE We never even kissed. Not once. So …
TWO So then how do you know?
ONE Know what?
TWO That you’re not one.
ONE I’m not! I’m just not … I like men. I like … that. I’m straight or, you know, whatever you’d call that. I’m sure you guys’ve got a name for it …
TWO Who? Which “guys?”
ONE You guys! Lesbians. Lesbian women.
TWO I’m not a lesbian …
ONE Oh really? No? You’re not?
TWO Nope.
ONE Okay, you know what … this is too …
TWO If I’m anything I’m Bi but I don’t get into “labels” all that much … I hate to be seen as just one thing. Something you can stick a post-it on, so no … I don’t really think of myself as anything but just “me.”
ONE Fine.
TWO Fine or not, that’s just who I am.
ONE Great, so, you go be the … super liberal … polymorphic bi-girl or whatever you are and I’m just gonna … I’ll … just …
TWO What?
A momentary pause until WOMAN ONE jumps up and shouts:
ONE I’m going! I’m leaving now and I want you to stay the fuck away from my boyfriend!
ONE Yeah?! Well … I hope so!
WOMAN ONE stands there waiting but WOMAN TWO does not engage with her. Finally she says:
TWO You can leave any time you want to …
WOMAN ONE is thinking, trying to decide her next move.
ONE No! That’s not … no!! You know what?! I’m not leaving until you apologize for … for all the shit you’ve done to me! To us!!
TWO “I apologize.” (Smiles.) Better?
ONE … no.
TWO Then what else do you want me to say? “I won’t do it again?” Something like that?
ONE I mean … yes! You won’t … will you?
TWO I don’t know yet.
ONE What does that mean?
TWO If I think it might help me … then yes.
ONE Help you what?
TWO Don’t be coy.
ONE Just … stop, okay? Stop-that. (Beat.) I am not into women … I don’t want that in my life … I don’t want “you.” Alright? Is it clear enough if I say it that way? (Beat.) Not interested. Not attracted. Not going to go there. WITH YOU.
TWO Maybe so.
ONE Oh my God!
TWO The problem is … you just said the exact same thing that your boyfriend said to me, first time we met up for coffee. (Beat.) Mind you, he didn’t have to meet me … I called him, asked him to but he had absolutely no actual reason to do it. He spent the whole first evening telling me about all the reasons that we couldn’t be together, every great thing about you and what he wanted to happen for you guys in the next couple years. All that crap. He said it to my face … he slapped his hand down on the table a few times. Everything you should do when you’re in a relationship with a person. He did it all. (Beat.) Then I paid the check and he walked me home—again, didn’t need to but he did—came up for a drink and then he fucked my brains out. A few times. (Beat.) Next visit or two he didn’t say very much … in fact, nothing about you.
ONE Please don’t tell me all this …
TWO I’m not doing it to hurt you. I’m just saying … as a fact … that because you look at me right now and tell me that there’s no chance for the two of us … but you’re still standing here while you say it, instead of throwing that drink in my face and shouting it at me from down the stairs … I somehow feel like I’ve still got a shot here. So forgive my apparent confidence but I need to go with my gut on this one …
WOMAN ONE stands and starts to gather her things. Coat and purse and stuff like that.
ONE Then I’ll go. I’ll get out of here … I’ll take my stuff and just … go home.
TWO Alright. It was nice to see you.
ONE That’s … (Turns to her.) Why me? I just don’t even … out of all the people out there … people who would find you great and attractive and, and, and … why would you pick someone like me? (Beat.) Huh?
TWO You think I’m attractive?
ONE Agghhhh! You know what I mean! WHY?!
TWO Of course I know … but I’m interested in the other thing you just said …
ONE God, you know what? Forget it …
TWO No, come on. Just answer that. Answer it and I’ll stop bugging you. I promise.
ONE What? (Stops.) Answer what?
TWO Do you find me attractive? At all?
ONE That’s … not … who cares?! WHO FUCKING CARES RIGHT NOW?!!
TWO I do. I care. (Beat.) Isn’t that obvious?
ONE You’re … yes, obviously. You are a very pretty … whatever. A beautiful girl or, you know … I don’t know! It doesn’t at all matter what I think! (Beat.) You did an awful thing to me … to my boyfriend and me … and I’ll never forgive you for that! Ever! So it doesn’t really matter if I think you’re good-looking or not … I couldn’t never be with you now so what do your care if I like your face?!!
TWO Well …
ONE What? (Beat.) What?
TWO I just … people can forgive so much in life … like, I mean, really horrific stuff sometimes … things like rape or, you know, the Holocaust and shit like that … growing up Catholic … I do feel like it’s possible …
ONE What is? Me forgiving you?
TWO I do, yeah. I think you could. Given enough time I do think so …
ONE Well, I don’t want to … so …
TWO No, ok, maybe so, but that’s different. I’m just saying … I think you could. If the right circumstances came along … if you realized that I’d actually done you a favor … then yeah … maybe you could.
ONE A “favor?” You think what you’ve done for me is a favor? Splitting me up from a guy I really care about? That’s a good thing?
TWO I think so, yeah …
ONE Really? You do?
TWO Yep … and so will you. In time. I really do believe that.
WOMAN TWO looks at the other woman for a beat, then says:
… are you gonna marry him? This guy of yours?
ONE What?!
TWO I’m just asking …
ONE That’s none of your business!
TWO I didn’t say it was … I just asked if you were going to …
ONE Maybe! Yeah, yeah … maybe I will …
TWO Which means …
ONE Which means ‘maybe!’ (Beat.) We’ve talked about it, yes we have, but I don’t know when or what month, anything like that …
TWO Even with what you know about him and me now? About what we’ve done?
ONE I don’t know! I-DON’T-KNOW! STOP IT!
TWO You know what? Maybe you were right … you should go now because you’re not ready to talk about this. It’s too raw right now.
WOMAN TWO walks away, leaving WOMAN ONE to stare at her from behind. She finally says:
ONE Oh, ok, now you don’t wanna talk about it because I yelled at you …
TWO No, I don’t mind that. I kinda liked it, actually … gave me the chills …
ONE Stop doing that! Stop talking to me like that!
TWO How? How am I talking to you?
ONE You know! You know what you’re doing … in a slinky sort of way … with that sound in your voice and, and … these insinuations and this kind of … I don’t know what it is but I do know what you’re doing!
TWO Yeah? What’s that?
ONE You’re seducing me! That’s what you are trying to do … you’re seducing me! (Beat.) Aren’t you?
TWO Am I?
ONE See?!
TWO What?
ONE Every question … you say another one … you answer all my questions with another question …
TWO Do I?
ONE YES!
TWO So?
ONE Just like that!
TWO Like what?
ONE Please … stop it …
TWO Why? Why should I stop? Do you want me to stop? I mean, really?
ONE Yes.
TWO You do?
ONE Yes. I do.
TWO Are you sure? I mean, one-hundred-percent-sure?
ONE …
WOMAN ONE gives up for a moment. WOMAN TWO notices this.
TWO See?
TWO That was “silence.” That wasn’t “I’m one-hundred-percent-sure.”
ONE No … that’s … no. I’m just confused.
TWO Really? Why?
ONE Because I came here to … to …
TWO I know, I know, you came here to chastise me … to say what an awful person I am …
ONE … yes … I mean, sort of … yes.
TWO And you’ve done that now. So?
ONE Yeah, but … I don’t even think you care.
TWO Does that matter?
ONE I mean … it’s always better if what you say to someone has an impact … that it means something …
TWO And it did. I heard you.
ONE Ok.
TWO I’m not saying it’s going to change me … make me live my life differently, but …
ONE But you did hear me, right? Correct?
TWO Yes. I heard you. Loud and clear.
ONE Alright. (Beat.) Then …
TWO And me? Did you hear what I had to say to you?
ONE About what …?
TWO You. Your boyfriend. Who you are.
ONE I mean …
TWO How many boyfriends have you had in the last … say … ten years? Since you started dating, even.
ONE I’m … look, I need to get home …
TWO Why? You can’t even answer a question for me now? One question?
ONE Fine! I’m not sure … actual boyfriends? Or just …?
TWO Yes. Slept with. Loved. Thought about in a long-term kind of arrangement way. That sort of guy.
ONE Maybe … like … five.
TWO …
ONE Seven. Or so.
TWO And how many of those ended?
ONE What?
TWO “Ended?” Like finished … at some point?
ONE Ummmmmmmmm …
TWO I mean, all, right? All of your relationships ended … even this one, that you’re in now … look what he’s done. With me.
ONE So?
TWO So I’m saying it’s going to end.
ONE No! No, it’s not …
TWO Yes, it is. Maybe not because of this … maybe it’ll take until after you marry and have kids … but it’s going to end.
ONE You don’t know that! (Beat.) You don’t.
TWO I promise it will. I-PROMISE.
ONE That’s … and so what? What if it does? What the hell does that prove?
TWO Something. About you.
ONE That’s not even … what’re you saying? If a person can’t find happiness with someone of the opposite sex then they’re …?
TWO Maybe.
ONE That’s ridiculous! That is so … come on! That’s just … whatever. Ridiculous.
TWO Is it?
ONE Yes! I mean … what? Liz Taylor? Lesbian? Cary Grant? Gay? (Beat.) Okay, that might be a bad example … but …
TWO It’s possible, that’s what I’m saying. All I care about is the possible …
ONE If people don’t stay in one relationship or … or find the right person … then that person is gay? Is that what you’re trying to tell me here? I mean …
TWO I’m saying it’s possible. I’m saying that it’s highly possible—probable, even—the person we’re talking about should take a really good, long look at themselves and see if they are who they think they are.
ONE You’re just one of those people who take things … you want what you want when you want it and if you don’t get it you ruin people. Families. Lives. You ruin stuff when you’re not happy or can’t have what you want or think you want! (Beat.) You want me. I say you can’t have that and so you’re willing to rub my nose in the fact that my boyfriend is weak, he’s a shit, and like thousands of other guys who would sleep with a beautiful woman if given a chance. So what? SO-WHAT? I probably already knew that about him … I mean, of course I did … he’s a guy … of course I did! Thank you for showing me exactly what I already feared and I already knew about men in general and my partner in particular! THANK YOU SO SO VERY MUCH!!
WOMAN TWO goes to her and turns her around. Face to face.
TWO So prove it then …
ONE What?
TWO Prove that you’re not what I say you are. That you’re not what I want you to be … that you aren’t the person I’ve been looking for all of my life.
ONE …
TWO Because I think you are … I thought that the minute I saw you at that party last summer. You know what I’m talking about. The party. In the summer. You were there with you-know-who and I was there with you-don’t-know-her—or want to know her, frankly—and we met going in and out of the house … I was going in to use their bathroom, you were just coming out … we passed in the doorway … at the very same moment …
ONE … the French doors …
TWO Yes. Those. (Smiles.) You remember.
ONE Yeah … we passed each other. We smiled.
TWO Exactly.
ONE We, we looked at each other and we … so what?
TWO You know what.
ONE No, I honestly don’t. No.
TWO That’s not true! You’re not being honest!
ONE I am too!! I did not feel anything!! Not anything for you, anyway! It’s not true!
TWO I don’t believe you.
ONE Why?!
TWO Because it hit me like a thunderbolt. I’m a woman who has done a lot in my relatively short little lifetime … been with many people … seen many things … traveled the world a bit … and nothing has stopped me in my tracks like that smile from you … That tiny glance you gave me. Time froze. My life changed. Everything I’ve ever wanted or felt or needed—and I don’t use a word like that one very often, need—all of it changed the moment, the very second, in fact, I met you … saw you. Became aware of your existence in this cold, crazy, terribly arbitrary but yes … occasionally beautiful world of ours …
ONE … stop … please …
TWO I think you could be everything to me … all that I can ever imagine in my life. I have to have you. HAVE-TO. (Beat.) Just so you know …
TWO I don’t care what you’re not. I want you to find out what you are. Who you are.
ONE You’ll never know who I am … not ever. You can’t. I won’t let you.
TWO Yes, you will.
ONE No, I won’t. NO.
TWO I already do./ I know you.
ONE No …/ No, you don’t.
TWO Yes, I do./ I do, too.
ONE No, you don’t!/ YOU DON’T!
TWO Of course I do …/ YES, I DO!
ONE You can’t!/ You can’t know me … who I am or what I want!! You’re just saying what you want, that’s all!! This is what YOU want!!/ It’s all about YOU!!!
TWO Of course it is./ I want you, yes, I do! I want you! I WANT YOU! I WANT YOU! Have you ever really been wanted … wanted the way I want you?!/ No, I don’t think so!!
ONE That’s …/ I don’t know …
TWO You never have and you never will! NEVER, NEVER, NEVER! DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?!
ONE …
TWO This is it. This is everything …
WOMAN ONE has nothing to say in return. WOMAN TWO speaks:
One time.
ONE What?
TWO Kiss me one time. Touch me once. My face, my arm, my shoulder. Some part of me. Do that. Tell me you don’t feel what I do … say that and I’ll never bother you again. I will disappear from your life. Promise. (Beat.) I promise.
ONE That’s … what’ll that prove?
TWO That anything’s possible. Any-thing.
ONE …
WOMAN TWO moves closer to WOMAN ONE. Only inches apart now.
TWO Dare you. (Beat.) I-dare-you.
ONE Once …?
TWO Just once. (Beat.) Just one time …
WOMAN ONE doesn’t move. WOMAN TWO finally moves to her. Kisses her. Slowly at first but it builds. Finally they both pull away. Looking at each other.
… and?
WOMAN ONE stares long and hard into the eyes of WOMAN TWO before she softly says:
ONE … don’t rush me …
WOMAN TWO smiles at this. WOMAN ONE moves closer to WOMAN TWO and they kiss again. It doesn’t look like this will be ending any time soon.
Silence. Darkness.