First Scene, Untitled Play

7 comments (closed), posted on september 22, 2005, tags: fiction, plays

WILL. (Between two large bites.) How's the fish?
TINA. It's okay. Not great. (She puts her fork down.)
WILL. I told you to get the steak. (He takes a large bite, some food falls out of his mouth, he snaps it back up.) This steak is great.
TINA. Looks like it. (Silence.) Will. (Pause.) Will.
WILL. (He looks up.) What?
TINA. Are you going to talk to me, or are you just going to keep chomping away on that meat like an animal?
WILL. Sorry. (He puts down his fork and looks at her.) I'm sorry. (Pause.) What do you want to talk about?
TINA. Why do you always ask me that?
WILL. I don't know, I just—
TINA. Isn't there ever anything you want to talk about, without having to ask me first? I swear to God, you can never just start a conversation anymore.
WILL. You don't have to get so mad, I—It's not that I don't have anything to talk about, it's just I never know what you want to talk about.
TINA. I'll talk about ANYTHING! You make it seem like I'm some crazy person who can only talk about specific things, like I'll freak out if we're not talking about EXACTLY what I want to talk about. I don't care, I'll talk about anything. Just tell me something. Tell me something that happened today.
WILL. I'm sorry, I'm not trying to piss you—
TINA. ANYTHING, Will. Please!
WILL. (Pause.) Well, I found twenty bucks in the bathroom at lunch.
TINA. Really? See, that's great. Where?
WILL. In the bathroom.
TINA. No, I mean where—at a restaurant?
WILL. Uh, at work. In the bathroom at work.
TINA. Oh. But don't you think—isn't that money probably someone else's? Someone you work with?
WILL. (He shrugs and resumes eating.) What do I care? I found it. Finders, keepers.
TINA. (Silence. Tina looks at Will, hard.) Will, I want a divorce.
WILL. (Food in his mouth.) What?
TINA. I mean it, I want a divorce. I don't—
WILL. Because I found a twenty, you want to divorce me?
TINA. It's not because of—
WILL. I'll give it back, okay? It's not a big deal! I don't even need—
TINA. It's not the money! (Pause. Quietly.) I slept with him.
WILL. What?
TINA. I slept with Ted.
WILL. Ted? Who's Te—my dad? You slept with my dad?
TINA. Yes. (Silence.)
WILL. But... (Pause.) Why would you do that?
TINA. I don't know. I'm sorry. It just—it just happened. I didn't plan it.
WILL. But, I mean, my God, Tina. My father? What the fuck is wrong with you?
TINA. I know. (Pause.) I know, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—
WILL. You're damn right you shouldn't have!
TINA. I'm sorry, Will.
WILL. I don't care how sorry you are, Tina. I don't care. You can't take this back. (Pause.) My dad is 75 years old, Tina!
TINA. I know, I—
WILL. 75!
TINA. Keep your voice down! I know how old he is.
WILL. I will not keep my voice down! You're fucking my dad, who's old enough to be your grandfather, and you're telling me to keep my voice down? You're sick!
TINA. I'm in love with him.
WILL. Oh, God. I knew it! I knew you were sick. I could feel it when we first met. I thought to myself, don't do it, Will, she's—
TINA. You couldn't feel anything, don't make stuff up just because you're mad at me.
WILL. I did feel it! I should have known you would do something like this. I'm 10 years older than you, it was only a matter of time before you moved on to an even older guy. You're going up the ladder toward WWII veterans, you sick—
TINA. Oh, give it a rest, Will! You know damn well this has nothing to do with his age. Or yours!
WILL. So what is it, the money? You going to marry him and then wait for him to die?
TINA. Your dad doesn't have any money, Will. Either do you.
WILL. We do just fine! I never heard you complaining before.
TINA. And I'm not complaining about it now. Money isn't the problem.
WILL. (Silence.) Then what is?
TINA. I'm in love with him, Will. I'm sorry.
WILL. (Silence.) Fuck. (He picks up his fork and starts eating again. Long silence.) You're paying for your own dinner.
TINA. Fine. (They eat in silence. Blackout.)