BEDROOMS & BARS
A play in 19 scenes
By Charles Deemer
1/ The Bar, Saturday Night. Early 1980's.
(AT RISE: QUINN and DEADRA sit at a table.
Each has a fresh drink.)
QUINN:
Thanks for
the drink.
DEADRA:
You're very
welcome.
QUINN:
I'm Quinn.
DEADRA:
I know.
Deadra
QUINN:
I know.
Cheers.
DEADRA:
Cheers.
(They drink.)
QUINN:
Where's
what's-his-name?
DEADRA:
I'm not
sure who you mean.
QUINN:
The guy I
always see you with.
The guy you
go with.
DEADRA:
I don't go
with anyone.
QUINN:
You're in
here a lot together.
He's always
betting on games.
DEADRA:
George?
QUINN:
George,
right.
DEADRA:
He left
town last week. He got
a new job.
QUINN:
You two
aren't an item?
DEADRA:
Heavens,
no. We're just
buddies.
QUINN:
That's
encouraging.
DEADRA:
In what
way?
QUINN:
When you
make your move on me,
I can say
yes without a guilty
conscience.
DEADRA:
Sorry to
disappoint you,
Quinn, but
I won't be making a
move on
you.
QUINN:
Win a few,
lose a few.
DEADRA:
Are you
always so direct?
QUINN:
Always.
DEADRA:
At least
you're not "a
secretive
Scorpio." I have
this thing
about meeting
Scorpio
men. It always gets me
in trouble.
QUINN:
Bingo.
DEADRA:
Please tell
me you're
kidding.
QUINN:
Would I kid
about being the
sign of the
genitals? What
about you?
DEADRA:
Guess.
QUINN:
Actually,
I've never asked
anyone
their sign before.
DEADRA:
You've seen
me here a lot. You
should have
some impression
about me.
QUINN:
I haven't a
clue.
DEADRA:
Scorpio as
well.
QUINN:
Sex and
death meets sex and
death! I
think we're on a
roll.
DEADRA:
I am not,
repeat not, picking
you up.
QUINN:
Why did you
suggest we get a
table?
DEADRA:
I need a
favor.
QUINN:
Bingo.
DEADRA:
I can't
stay at my apartment
tonight.
QUINN:
Why not?
DEADRA:
I have
house guests. They're
driving me
crazy.
QUINN:
Then kick
them out.
DEADRA:
One of them
hurt his foot. I
think it's
infected. I don't
think John
should be moved
just yet.
I've been trying to
get him to
see a doctor.
QUINN:
Are you
sure you're a Scorpio?
You don't
seem selfish
enough.
DEADRA:
Not every
Scorpio is fixated
on sex and
death.
QUINN:
Then what's
the point of
astrology?
DEADRA:
It's about
acting in
accordance
with natural
energies.
QUINN (THEME FROM TWILIGHT
ZONE):
Dee-dee-dee-dee
dee-dee-dee-
dee.
DEADRA:
Energies
are very real.
QUINN:
Whatever.
Anyway, sure.
DEADRA:
Sure what?
QUINN:
You can
crash at my place.
I'll spend
the night with a
lady
friend.
DEADRA:
Thank you,
Quinn.
QUINN:
No problem.
Let me make a
phone call.
You ready for
another
drink?
DEADRA:
Absolutely.
QUINN:
My kind of
girl.
(He exits. Deadra watches him go.
BLACKOUT.)
2/ THE BAR, TEN MINUTES LATER.
(LIGHTS UP: ten minutes later, Quinn
returns with drinks.)
QUINN:
She wasn't
home. You can still
change your
mind.
DEADRA:
I'm not
trying to pick you up.
QUINN:
And here I
had you pegged for
a woman
looking for for Mr.
Right Now.
I suppose you're
waiting for
Mr. Right after
all.
DEADRA:
Hardly.
QUINN:
Spoken like
a graduate from
the school
of hard knocks.
DEADRA:
Aren't we
all?
QUINN:
How many
times have you been
married?
DEADRA:
Once.
QUINN:
Amateur.
Children?
DEADRA:
No.
QUINN:
I've been
married three
times.
DEADRA:
Three!
QUINN:
And lived
to tell the tale.
Actually
it's not as bad as it
sounds.
DEADRA:
You can
spare me the details.
(He ignores this.)
QUINN:
The first
wasn't supposed to
happen. I
was barely twenty-
one and
home on leave from the
Army. My
girlfriend and I were
at a
fraternity party when her
roommate
said she's running
off to Reno
with her fiancee.
They wanted
us to come along
to stand up
for them.
DEADRA:
My God -
and you ended up
doing it
yourself.
QUINN:
You got it.
DEADRA:
That's
terrible. And number
two?
QUINN:
I'm not
done with number one.
You ever
been to a wedding
chapel in
Reno?
DEADRA:
Hardly.
QUINN:
There is no
better cathedral
for
exhibiting the America
genius for
marketing. We went
to the
Little Chapel of Roses.
You walk
into something that's
part mail
order house and part
convention
booth. Brochures
and display
ads are
everywhere.
Suddenly this
"facilitator"
drops on you
like flies
on garbage and the
next thing
you know, you're
sitting
down looking at page
after page
of photos
illustrating
your options. Do
you want
the Simple Podium
Ceremony or
the Stained-Glass-
and-Organ
Model? A love sonnet
by
Shakespeare? An aria from
Tristan and
Isolde?
DEADRA:
So what did
you choose?
QUINN:
The Pinkie
and Blue Boy
Special.
DEADRA:
What was
that?
QUINN:
I don't
remember. Whatever it
was, we all
drove home
afterwards.
I went back to the
Army, and
everybody else went
back to
school. A month later,
we agreed
to an annulment.
DEADRA:
One down,
two to go.
QUINN:
Two was the
one that counted.
DEADRA:
But it
didn't last either.
QUINN:
Not my
fault. Not entirely,
anyway. She
left me for
another
woman.
DEADRA:
Ouch. How
did that make you
feel?
QUINN:
Like a
prickless piece of
shit.
DEADRA:
How did you
meet her?
QUINN:
I went back
to school after
the Army.
She was my
philosophy
professor.
DEADRA:
The plot
thickens.
QUINN:
We didn't
get involved until
after I
finished her class. We
ran into
each another in a bar
one night,
and it was love at
last gulp.
I was the first man
she met who
could out-drink
her.
DEADRA:
How long
were you married?
QUINN:
Five years.
And we lived
together
four before that.
DEADRA:
Nine years
is a long time.
QUINN:
Tell me
about it.
DEADRA:
Which
brings us to marriage
number
three.
QUINN:
The worst
of all. Absolute
insanity.
DEADRA:
What
happened?
QUINN:
I don't
remember.
DEADRA:
Quinn,
these blackouts should
worry you.
QUINN:
You don't
have blockouts?
DEADRA:
Never.
QUINN:
Amateur.
She was someone I
worked
with, and I think she
went on a
mission to save me.
You know
the type?
DEADRA:
Addicted
do-gooder? Butts into
everybody's
life but their
own?
QUINN:
Exactly. I
gave her a ride
home after
a party, she
invited me
in for a drink, and
I ended up
staying the three-
day
weekend. We were married a
month
later.
DEADRA:
You do move
fast.
QUINN:
It was
quickly obvious we
didn't
belong together. One
night I
found my belongings
boxed up on
the front porch. I
took the
hint.
DEADRA:
That's
quite a history.
QUINN:
I haven't
been married in five
years. I'm
on a roll.
(A pause.)
DEADRA:
George told
me you teach high
school.
QUINN:
True
enough.
DEADRA:
What
subject?
QUINN:
History.
You?
DEADRA:
I'm a
phlebotomist.
QUINN:
Fantastic.
What the hell's
that?
DEADRA:
I draw
blood.
QUINN:
I thought
that was a vampire.
DEADRA:
Cute,
Quinn.
QUINN:
Did you
know "vamp" comes from
vampire?
Are you a vamp,
Deadra?
DEADRA:
Weren't you
going to call your
lady friend
again?
QUINN:
I think I'm
changing my mind.
DEADRA:
About what?
QUINN:
I'll sleep
on the floor.
DEADRA:
Under the
circumstances, maybe
that's not
such a good idea.
QUINN:
You think
I'll be in danger?
DEADRA:
I'm
wondering if I will.
QUINN:
From what?
DEADRA:
The
question is, from who?
QUINN:
From me?
You think you're
dealing
with the King of the
Date Rape
here?
DEADRA:
I didn't
say that.
QUINN:
Fuck you
didn't. No pun
intended.
DEADRA:
I wouldn't
be comfortable with
you there.
QUINN:
Look, lady,
I can go pull
peter in
the bathroom if worst
comes to
worst.
DEADRA:
What a
colorful way to put
it.
QUINN:
Whatever
turns you on.
(A pause.}
DEADRA:
I'm sorry.
I owe you an
apology.
QUINN:
Damn right.
(A pause.)
DEADRA:
So do you
have family here?
QUINN:
My dad's in
Seattle. You?
DEADRA:
I have a
twin sister. She's
back east.
QUINN:
Really? I
can't imagine what
it would be
like to be a
twin.
DEADRA:
We're not
close.
QUINN:
Does she
look like you?
(Deadra stares at him.)
QUINN:
It's a
joke.
DEADRA:
She's the
success story of the
family. She
teaches biology at
Harvard. We
exchange Christmas
cards, and
that's about it.
(Quinn scribbles his address on a bar
napkin.)
QUINN:
You'll need
this.
DEADRA:
I feel
guilty kicking you out
of your own
apartment.
QUINN:
But think
how safe you'll be
from my
crazed Scorpio rapist
hormones.
DEADRA:
Okay, you
win. Sleep on the
floor.
QUINN:
I don't
want to sleep on the
floor.
DEADRA:
You're
sure?
QUINN:
Of course
I'm sure. If
Melinda's
not home, I'll head
for the
Dandelion Pub. I'll
find a
lonely lady to take me
home.
DEADRA:
You do that
often?
QUINN:
Not often
enough. So make
yourself at
home. Watch TV,
play tapes,
whatever you
want.
DEADRA:
Maybe we
could listen to a
little
music before you go
over to
your friend's.
QUINN:
Some other
time.
DEADRA:
I should
crash early anyway.
QUINN:
What would
you have done if
I'd said
no? Or put down
conditions,
like sleeping with
me?
DEADRA:
I don't
know. Ask somebody
else. I can
always stay with
my friend
Annie, but I'd have
to put up
with whatever guy
she drags
home tonight.
QUINN:
I need to
meet Annie.
DEADRA:
No, you
don't.
(A pause.)
QUINN:
I'd better
make that phone
call. Take
care.
DEADRA:
Thanks
again.
QUINN:
No problem.
(He leaves. Deadra watches him go.
BLACKOUT.)
3/ THE BEDROOM, THE NEXT MORNING
(AT RISE: Deadra is in bed. She's partially
dressed with a cover over her. Quinn
enters. He sees that she is still asleep.
He moves slowly into the room, grabs a
towel that is on the floor, and exits to
bathroom. BLACKOUT.)
4/ THE BEDROOM. FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER.
(LIGHTS UP: we hear a shower running.
Deadra wakes, sits up. She hears the shower
and is confused. She gets out of bed and
moves closer to listen to the shower.
Suddenly it goes off. She hurries back to
bed and under the covers. Quinn enters
wearing a robe.)
DEADRA:
Good
morning.
QUINN:
Good
morning. How'd you
sleep?
DEADRA:
Wonderfully.
Have you been
here long?
(Quinn studies her.)
QUINN:
All night.
You don't
remember?
DEADRA:
Of course I
remember.
QUINN:
It was
incredible, wasn't it?
(She doesn't reply.)
QUINN:
Maybe just
for me.
DEADRA:
No. I mean,
yes, of course it
was.
(Quinn starts laughing.)
DEADRA:
I don't see
what's so
amusing.
QUINN:
You don't
even remember our
wild sex,
do you? Be honest.
DEADRA:
No, not all
of it.
QUINN:
That's
really terrific,
Deadra.
Cosmic sex and you
can't even
remember it.
DEADRA:
I'm sorry.
I'm sure it was
wonderful.
(Quinn smiles and shakes his head.)
DEADRA:
I guess I
had too much to
drink.
QUINN:
No shit,
Dick Tracy. I'm
putting you
on, Deadra. Sexy
Lady of the
Blackouts. You got
on my case
about having them,
and you
have them yourself.
DEADRA:
You didn't
spend the night?
QUINN:
I said I
wouldn't, and I
didn't. I'm
a gentleman and a
scholar, in
case you haven't
noticed.
DEADRA:
You found
your lady friend?
QUINN:
Unfortunately,
no. I slept in
the car.
DEADRA:
In the car!
QUINN:
I don't
recommend it.
DEADRA:
Let me make
it up to you. Buy
you
breakfast?
QUINN:
I'll think
about it.
DEADRA:
It's the
least I can do. Let
me shower
first. If you don't
mind.
QUINN:
Be my
guest.
(She gets out of bed.)
QUINN:
Where shall
we eat?
DEADRA:
You decide.
(She grabs the rest of her clothes and
exits to the bathroom. Quinn watches her
go. BLACKOUT.)
5/ BEDROOM. HALF AN HOUR LATER.
(LIGHTS UP. Quinn is dressed. Deadra enters
from the bathroom, dressed.)
DEADRA:
I'm going
to put my foot down.
I've got to
get John to go to
the
hospital.
QUINN:
Or at least
go home.
DEADRA:
He doesn't
have a home. He and
Maggie have
been living under
a bridge.
QUINN:
You put up
homeless people?
That's
remarkable. There's a
bit of
Mother Teresa in you,
isn't
there?
DEADRA:
I can
sympathize with them. I
lived on
the streets myself
once.
QUINN:
Seriously?
DEADRA:
Just to see
what it was like.
It was
horrible, even knowing
I could
quit and go home
whenever I
wanted. It's one
thing to
have an intellectual
understanding
of what they go
through,
but try living it
yourself.
QUINN:
How long
were you out there?
DEADRA:
Three days.
That's all I could
take.
QUINN:
I'm
impressed. How often do
you put
these homeless people
up?
DEADRA:
Usually
only in emergencies.
Or when I
feel too guilty
about
having an empty sofa. I
know John
and Maggie from the
neighborhood,
I'm sure you've
seen them
around. I ran into
them during
the rainy spell
last week,
and John had hurt
his foot,
so I let them get
out of the
weather. When it
stopped
raining, they didn't
leave.
QUINN:
Because you
don't have the
heart to
evict them.
DEADRA:
Well, I
have to put my foot
down.
QUINN:
Damn right
you do. Deadra, you
can't save
the world. I hope
you know
that.
DEADRA:
I'm not
trying to save the
world. I
was just letting them
get out of
the weather for a
while.
QUINN:
I was going
to say you're a
person who
can't say "No" -
except you
said no often
enough last
night.
DEADRA:
That's
because you quit too
soon.
QUINN:
I did?
DEADRA:
Couldn't
you tell I wanted us
to come
here together? I
suggested
we listen to music.
QUINN:
I thought
that was just to
listen to
music.
DEADRA:
I was
warming up to you.
QUINN:
Now you
tell me.
DEADRA:
You were in
too much of a
hurry. Not
a good part of your
personality,
Quinn.
QUINN:
I'll work
on it as soon as I
catch up on
my sleep.
DEADRA:
Now you're
making me feel
guilty.
QUINN:
You do that
a lot. Would a
Bloody Mary
make you feel
better?
DEADRA:
I'd love
one.
QUINN:
Not here.
The Gypsy's open
this early.
They also serve
breakfast.
DEADRA:
Then the
Gypsy it is.
(BLACKOUT.)
6/ BEDROOM. TWO HOURS LATER.
(LIGHTS UP. Quinn and Deadra return after
breakfast.)
DEADRA:
I know I
left it here
somewhere.
(She's looking for something.)
DEADRA:
Maybe in
the bathroom.
(She exits - and quickly returns, holding
her lipstick.)
DEADRA:
Tah-dah!
QUINN:
Do you have
to run off?
DEADRA:
I'm
dreading it - but I do. I
have to
tell them to go.
QUINN:
So do it.
DEADRA:
I will. I
really will.
QUINN:
You want
help? Moral support?
I'll tag
along. Make sure you
do it.
DEADRA:
That'd be
fantastic.
QUINN:
When do we
leave?
DEADRA:
They sleep
even later than me.
That's
another problem. I have
to creep
around in my own
apartment.
QUINN:
Not good,
Deadra.
DEADRA:
I know.
QUINN:
So we'll
give them thirty
minutes, an
hour, and then we
drag their
asses to the
emergency
room. Sound good?
DEADRA:
Perfect.
We'll do it.
QUINN:
Absolutely.
(A pause: they look at one another.)
DEADRA:
What's the
matter?
QUINN:
I have this
sudden urge to
kiss you.
DEADRA:
I know.
QUINN:
How do you
feel about that?
DEADRA:
I think you
talk too much.
(They kiss. And again. BLACKOUT.)
7/ BEDROOM. TWO HOURS LATER.
(LIGHTS UP. Quinn and Deadra are dressing
after lovemaking.)
QUINN:
So tell me
something. Is this
a one time
deal or do we have
something
worth pursuing
here?
DEADRA:
Don't move
too fast for me,
Quinn.
QUINN:
Okay.
(A pause.)
DEADRA:
Yes.
QUINN:
Yes - as in
...yes?
DEADRA:
I want to
do this again.
QUINN:
Good. Me,
too.
DEADRA:
But don't
push it, okay?
QUINN:
One moment
of erotic ecstasy
at a time.
DEADRA:
Don't try
to verbalize
everything.
QUINN:
What I
meant is, you're a free
spirit. I
respect that.
DEADRA:
Good.
QUINN:
And I'll
promise you
something.
I won't ask you to
marry me.
DEADRA:
Good!
(A pause.)
DEADRA:
It's always
so great in the
beginning,
isn't it?
QUINN:
Beginnings
are better than
endings.
DEADRA:
What
happens? Why can't people
maintain?
QUINN:
The
beginning is simple. Man,
woman,
chemistry, lust,
satisfaction.
Now we have to
get up and
go out there and
take your
guests to the
hospital,
and who the hell
knows
what's waiting for us,
all ready
to pounce on this
wonderful
biological
simplicity
and turn it into
some
complicated head trip.
The mind
defeats the body
every time.
(A pause.)
DEADRA:
You're
different than I
imagined. I
thought you'd be
boring. Do
you realize how
many boring
people there are
in the
world?
QUINN:
Most of
them on a barstool.
DEADRA:
I thought
you dismissed me as
just
another stupid chick at
the bar,
like I never read a
book in my
life.
QUINN:
So what
have you read lately?
DEADRA:
"I'm
Dysfunctional, You're
Dysfunctional."
QUINN:
Don't
change the subject.
DEADRA:
That's the
name of the book.
QUINN:
Great
title!
DEADRA:
It's an
expose of the self-
help
industry.
QUINN:
Long
overdue.
DEADRA:
Today it's
"in" to be an
addict or a
victim - or both.
QUINN:
With a
tortured inner child.
DEADRA:
And abusive
parents.
QUINN:
Incest
victim.
DEADRA:
Date raped
in junior high.
QUINN:
Can't
express feelings.
DEADRA:
Especially
men.
QUINN:
That's who
I meant.
DEADRA:
Poor
self-image.
QUINN:
Post-menstrual
Stress
Disorder.
DEADRA:
Shrinking-dick
Disorder.
QUINN:
Like, shit
happens, right? I
hate
whiners. Why can't people
stop
wallowing in the past and
get on with
their lives?
DEADRA:
Exactly.
QUINN:
Of course,
everybody on the
goddamn
planet is in denial
about
something.
DEADRA:
Usually
about being in
denial!
QUINN:
Absolutely.
DEADRA:
What are
you in denial about?
QUINN:
You don't
want to know.
DEADRA:
Yes, I do.
QUINN:
You tell me
first.
DEADRA:
I asked you
first.
QUINN:
But mine's
heavier than
yours.
DEADRA:
Okay. I'm
in denial about -
how afraid
I am that this is
going to
end sooner than I
want it to.
QUINN:
Maybe
you'll be surprised.
DEADRA:
What are
you in denial about?
QUINN:
Falling in
love with you.
DEADRA:
No.
QUINN:
That I'm
bound to eventually
DEADRA:
No! Goddamn
it, Quinn! Why do
you have to
go and ruin
everything?
QUINN:
I knew you
wouldn't like it.
DEADRA:
Then why
didn't you just keep
it to
yourself?
QUINN:
Because
it's the truth.
DEADRA:
I don't
want to hear it.
QUINN:
Please
don't do this.
DEADRA:
You did it,
Quinn.
QUINN:
I was only
talking about
future
possibilities.
DEADRA:
Don't push
any of that
Valentine's
Day crap at me,
okay? No
flowers, no candy-
QUINN:
Deadra,
slow down! Just relax
a minute.
DEADRA:
I'm not the
marrying kind.
That's the
first thing you
have to
know about me.
QUINN:
You're a
free spirit. Got it.
DEADRA:
I don't
want you to lay any
expectations
on me, okay? If
we do this,
we do it one day
at a time.
QUINN:
I can do
that.
DEADRA:
Just don't
lay some commitment
trip on me,
okay?
QUINN:
I promise.
DEADRA:
You start
doing that, Quinn,
you just
set yourself up for
heartbreak.
Who needs it?
QUINN:
We don't
need that, Deadra.
You're
right.
DEADRA:
I just want
to feel happy for
as long as
I can.
QUINN:
No talking
about the future.
DEADRA:
Exactly.
QUINN:
One present
tense day at a
time.
DEADRA:
Right.
QUINN:
I can do
that.
DEADRA:
I hope so.
QUINN:
Deadra?
(He kisses her. At first she resists. Then
she gives in, and they enjoy a long,
passionate kiss.)
QUINN:
I want you
to hear something.
(Quinn puts on the Mulligan-Baker version
of "My Funny Valentine." It will begin
playing softly in the background.)
(Deadra embraces him. Then Quinn pulls
back, and they start dancing to the music.)
QUINN:
Today my
life feels very
simple and
very beautiful.
(A pause.)
QUINN:
May I ask
you something?
DEADRA:
Don't talk,
Quinn. Don't ask
anything,
and don't say
anything.
Just hold me close.
Just dance.
QUINN:
I can do
that.
DEADRA:
Then shut
up.
QUINN:
I can do
that, too.
(Deadra stops dancing.)
DEADRA:
Quinn?
Please don't ruin it.
(Quinn raises both hands, a gesture of
surrender. He takes her in his arms again.
They start dancing.)
(FADE TO BLACKOUT as they dance.)
8/ THE BEDROOM. THE NEXT MORNING, 3 A.M.
(Dim lights. Deadra is in bed, asleep.
Quinn is sitting up at the bedside table,
eating something)
DEADRA:
Quinn?
QUINN:
Hmm?
DEADRA:
What are
you doing?
QUINN:
Umm-hmm!
DEADRA:
Is
something wrong?
QUINN:
Umm-UMM!
It's great!
(Deadra slides over beside him.)
DEADRA:
What're you
eating?
QUINN:
Peanut
butter and pickles!
Want to try
one?
(He prepares a peanut-buttered pickle for
her.)
DEADRA:
Couldn't
you sleep?
QUINN:
I'm
famished. This is
fantastic,
here.
(He shoves the pickle at her.)
DEADRA:
Quinn! What
is it?
QUINN:
I told you.
A dill pickle with
peanut
butter spread on it.
DEADRA:
It looks
sickening.
QUINN:
Don't judge
it. Try it. Open
up.
DEADRA:
No!
(He grabs her face, playfully trying to
open her mouth with one hand in order to
shove in the pickle with the other.)
QUINN:
Where's
your spirit of
adventure?
Just one bite!
(He holds out the pickle for her to bite.)
DEADRA:
Stop it!
Let me hold it.
(He gives her the pickle.)
DEADRA:
Just one
bite ...
(She takes a small bite. She tastes it,)
DEADRA:
Oh my God
...
(She takes another bite.)
QUINN:
Good,
right?
DEADRA:
Umm-hmm!
QUINN:
I'll make
more.
DEADRA:
Quinn, this
is amazing! This
is
incredible! Why haven't I
ever heard
of it?
QUINN:
Come and
get it.
(He holds the pickle in his teeth, half of
it sticking out for Deadra to take. She
comes to him and takes the exposed end into
her mouth. They start chewing their own end
of the pickle, their lips moving closer,
until they touch in a kiss. Suddenly they
are kissing passionately and falling back
onto the bed - as the LIGHTS FADE TO
BLACKOUT.)
9/ THE BEDROOM. MORNING, 11 A.M.
(Quinn sits up in bed, writing.)
QUINN:
You're
witnessing history
here. I
wrote my first
sonnet.
DEADRA:
Congratulations.
QUINN:
That's not
the historical
part. I may
actually read it
to you.
DEADRA:
Please do!
QUINN:
Sonnet for
an audience of two:
(He reads the sonnet with much energy:)
QUINN:
To take my
heart, please take
my warts as
well! / I'm not a
perfect man
- but still I grow
/ when most
men at my age
freeze what
they know, / and
growth
leads where not you or
I can tell.
/ Sometimes I
belch!
Sometimes I fart and
smell! /
Sometimes I wake you
up before
the dawn / and lead
you to the
kitchen arm-in-arm,
/ where
peanut-buttered
pickles
ring our bell. / I
don't mean
all the stuff in
marriage
vows. / I mean the
human truth
from A to Z, / and
if you
find, my dear, that
your heart
bows / this way -
then I'm
for you, and you're
for me. /
What is life without
a little
fun? / Let me know if
you think
you're the one.
(Quinn grins.. Deadra looks at him
seriously. BLACKOUT.)
10/ THE BAR, A MONTH LATER
(AT RISE: Quinn joins Deadra at a table in
the bar. He carries a drink. She already
has hers.)
QUINN:
Sorry I'm
late. How was your
day?
DEADRA:
It was a
day.
(A pause.)
DEADRA:
Quinn, I
need to go home
tonight.
QUINN:
Why?
DEADRA:
Because I
still pay rent and
it must
look like a pig sty
over there
by now. I need a
day to
clean it. I'm going to
let some
people stay there for
a while.
QUINN:
Homeless
people?
DEADRA:
Don't look
at me like I'm
crazy.
Maggie's pregnant. She
can't sleep
under a bridge in
her
condition.
QUINN:
What's this
Mother Teresa
complex
about?
DEADRA:
Pardon me
if I care about
people.
QUINN:
The
homeless problem is much
bigger than
your ability to
solve it,
Deadra.
DEADRA:
I don't
think in grandiose
terms like
that. I'm simple-
minded -
the rent's paid on an
apartment
nobody is using, and
other
people desperately need
a roof over
their heads. I
don't find
that very
complicated.
(A pause.)
QUINN:
Are we
still doing a weekend
in Seattle?
DEADRA:
Of course.
(They clink glasses. A pause.)
DEADRA:
Actually
today was different.
I got
fired.
QUINN:
What?
DEADRA:
I got
canned.
QUINN:
That's
terrible. What
happened?
DEADRA:
First, it's
not terrible. It's
probably a
blessing in
disguise.
The hospital belongs
in the
Middle Ages. This saves
me from
quitting.
QUINN:
What was
their reason?
DEADRA:
They pulled
a surprise drug
test a week
ago. I flunked.
QUINN:
Then
challenge the results.
DEADRA:
I flunked
it, Quinn. Fair and
square.
They found marijuana.
I usually
have a joint in the
can every
morning.
QUINN:
You smoke
pot at work?
DEADRA:
Don't look
at me like the
Moral
Crusader. I know you
drink at
lunch because I've
been there.
QUINN:
It's not
the same thing. Pot's
illegal.
DEADRA:
So's oral
sex in many parts of
this
wonderful country. Does
it stop
anybody? Does it stop
you?
QUINN:
I'm trying
to be supportive
here.
DEADRA:
I'll be
fine. I have two
interviews
Monday.
QUINN:
So that's
good, right?
DEADRA:
You have to
ask? Quinn, you're
not going
to support me
financially,
ever, if that's
what's on
your mind.
QUINN:
I didn't
mean to imply that.
DEADRA:
One
interview's with a clinic
I really,
really want to work
for. If
you're supportive,
cross your
fingers for me.
QUINN:
I will.
(A pause.)
QUINN:
Smoking pot
doesn't affect you
at
work?
DEADRA:
Do two
martinis at lunch
affect how
you teach in the
afternoon?
QUINN:
I don't
teach, Deadra. I sell
magazines.
(Deadra is shocked to hear this. She waits
for more but none is coming.)
QUINN:
Everybody
in here thinks I
still
teach. I got fired two
years ago.
I never got around
to telling
anybody.
DEADRA:
What
happened?
QUINN:
They found
a pint of vodka in
my desk.
Actually they were
pretty nice
about it. I
resigned,
and it stayed out of
the papers.
DEADRA:
Why didn't
you tell me?
QUINN:
I just did.
DEADRA:
Why didn't
you tell me
before?
QUINN:
I didn't
want to disappoint
you. Who
wants to go with a
guy who
sells Sports
Illustrated
and Better Homes &
Gardens?
DEADRA:
Oh,
Quinn...I bet you're a
great
teacher.
QUINN:
Killer
teacher.
DEADRA:
You can
find another
position.
QUINN:
Probably.
Just haven't had the
energy to
look yet. You really
don't want
to stay at the
hospital?
DEADRA:
No way.
Ever since it was
sold, they
run it like a
business.
To hell with the
patients.
I'm glad to get out.
I should be
celebrating.
QUINN:
To getting
the job at the
clinic.
DEADRA:
To you
finding another
teaching
job.
QUINN:
When I'm
ready.
(They clink glasses and drink.)
QUINN:
To a
weekend in Seattle.
(They clink glasses and drink.)
DEADRA:
To us. May
we always be able
to talk
openly to one
another.
QUINN:
To telling
the truth.
DEADRA:
All of it.
QUINN:
And nothing
but.
DEADRA:
No matter
how much it hurts.
QUINN:
No matter
how much.
(They clink glasses. BLACKOUT.)
11/ THE BAR, 10 DAYS LATER
(AT RISE: Deadra and Quinn sit at a
table.)
QUINN:
Happy
birthday.
(He takes a present out of his sportscoat
pocket, a ring box.)
DEADRA:
You
remembered.
QUINN:
There's a
first time for
everything.
Open it.
DEADRA:
I don't
want a present.
QUINN:
Come on. I
went to a lot of
trouble to
do this.
DEADRA:
This is not
a good surprise,
Quinn.
QUINN:
What's the
matter with you?
DEADRA:
I can tell
what's going on
here, and I
don't like it one
bit.
QUINN:
You have no
idea what's in the
box.
DEADRA:
A ring.
QUINN:
Deadra-...
DEADRA:
Goddamn
you, you have no right
giving me a
ring!
QUINN:
It's not a
ring, okay?
DEADRA:
You always
have to screw
everything
up!
QUINN:
Hello? It's
not a ring!
DEADRA:
You always
make everything so
complicated!
QUINN:
Calling
Deadra! There is no
ring in
that box.
DEADRA:
It looks
like a ring.
QUINN:
It's a box
I found in a
dumpster,
for God's sake.
DEADRA:
It's a ring
box, Quinn.
QUINN:
Fine, it's
a ring box - but
it's not a
ring! Now will you
open the
goddamn thing so we
can move on
with our lives
here?
(A pause. Then Deadra opens the box. She
takes out a folded sheet of paper. She
looks at it.)
DEADRA:
You wrote
me a poem?
QUINN:
Another
sonnet.
DEADRA:
I'm sorry I
got angry. Do I
get to hear
it?
(She hands the paper back and Quinn
prepares to read:)
QUINN:
It's not as
good as the other
one.
DEADRA:
Quinn...
QUINN:
The skyline
hangs above the
bay, a mist
/ of mystery as in
a dream,
and we / stand close
upon the
ferry's deck and
kiss, / and
I feel all the
world as it
should be. / These
are moments
that my heart
holds dear.
/ When you are
near,
somehow I am alive /
more than
I've been, and
everything
is clear / to me: I
know for
what I want to
strive. /
Yet I don't want my
love to
burden you, / a chain
around your
heart, presumption
of / your
time. The things
that I
would hope to do / for
us are full
of caring and my
love. / I
love you for each
moment that
I have / and ask
from you
such love as you can
give.
(A pause. Deadra is very moved.)
QUINN:
I kept
thinking of our ferry
ride in
Seattle, and this what
came out.
DEADRA:
It's
beautiful. Goddamn it.
QUINN:
"Goddamn
it"?
DEADRA:
Yes! You
have no right to give
me
something so beautiful.
QUINN:
Holy
Christ.
DEADRA:
Quinn, when
you do this, it
makes me
feel like I'm
supposed to
do something in
return.
QUINN:
That's your
problem, Deadra.
I'm making
no demands here.
DEADRA:
That's not
true.
QUINN:
I'm not!
DEADRA:
You want
romance, Quinn.
QUINN:
Doesn't
everybody?
DEADRA:
No! I
don't.
QUINN:
Come on.
DEADRA:
I'm
serious. You write this,
and I'm
expected to live up to
some
romantic image of how it
was in
Seattle, for just a
moment, on
a ferry ride.
QUINN:
Deadra,
listen to what I
wrote:
"I love you for each
moment that
I have, and ask
from you
such love as you can
give."
Get it? "Such love as
you can
give." That is not a
demand.
That leaves you a free
spirit,
Deadra, so get off
this
fixation of being
pressured
to do something,
okay?
DEADRA:
You're
asking me to love you.
Isn't that
what you wrote?
"Such
love..." You want me to
love you.
QUINN:
Of course I
want you to love
me.
DEADRA:
I told you
how I feel about
that.
QUINN:
That the
word "love" is hugely
misused. We
agreed about
that.
DEADRA:
So we
weren't going to use it,
remember?
QUINN:
I was
writing a love poem,
Deadra. The
word "love" is
usually
included.
DEADRA:
You had no
right to write me a
love poem.
It puts me on the
spot.
QUINN:
Well,
excuse me!
(He tears up the poem and drops the pieces
on the table.)
QUINN:
There.
Happy birthday anyway.
How about a
different present?
How about a
triple Vodka
Collins?
DEADRA:
Every time
I'm honest with
you, you
get mad.
QUINN:
Deadra, did
you enjoy
Seattle?
DEADRA:
Of course I
did.
QUINN:
And the
ferry ride?
DEADRA:
It was a
really magical
night.
QUINN:
Then what's
wrong with trying
to
commemorate it in a sonnet?
It's a very
old tradition.
DEADRA:
Quinn...
QUINN:
You know
what I think? You, my
dear, are
afraid to be happy.
You're
afraid of how good I
make you
feel. You're afraid
of all
this.
DEADRA:
Don't do
it, Quinn.
QUINN:
But why?
Why would somebody be
afraid of
happiness? Man, I
have been
asking myself that
for a few
weeks now. Why is
Deadra so
afraid of happiness?
Because
she's been hurt.
Because
she's been hurt really
badly. So
badly that she's
spending
all of her energy
making sure
she never gets
hurt again,
and one way to do
that is not
to let anyone get
too close
to her because if
they can't
get too close, then
they can't
touch her, and if
they can't
touch her in her
most
intimate places, in her
heart of
hearts, then that
means they
really can't hurt
her. You've
got a bullet-proof
shield
around your heart,
Deadra. And
when I get too
close, when
my love starts
bouncing
off the shield, then
you panic
and lash out at me.
(A pause.)
QUINN:
Am I close?
DEADRA:
I didn't
want to have to tell
you this,
Quinn. You're
forcing my
hand here.
QUINN:
Good. No
secrets, Scorpio. Put
all the
cards on the table.
DEADRA:
I hate
doing this. It's going
to sound so
goddamn maudlin.
QUINN:
I'll bear
that in mind.
DEADRA:
You
bastard. It didn't have to
be this
way. If you'd just
respect my
space and stop
trying to
go so fast.
QUINN:
Deadra, I
love you. Everything
that you're
about concerns
me.
DEADRA:
I don't
want you to love me.
QUINN:
That's
clear enough. Do you
have
something new to add?
DEADRA:
This is
going to sound so
goddamn
sappy.
(A pause.)
DEADRA:
About five
months ago I went
in for my
routine physical and
they found
some things that
weren't
good. Don't ask for
details
because I'm not going
to tell
you. I shouldn't be
telling you
this much. The
point is,
there's really
nothing
they can do for me, so
they figure
I have six months
to a
year...I'm like a ticking
time bomb
here, Quinn. That's
why I can't
be in a serious
relationship
with you. When I
explode, I
don't want to take
anyone with
me.
QUINN:
Deadra...
DEADRA:
I'm sure
this is much harder
for you
than it is for me. I
just got
dealt a bad
biological
deck or something.
It happens
to people all the
time.
QUINN:
Is it
cancer or what? There
must be
some kind of
treatment.
DEADRA:
I said
there's nothing they
can do.
QUINN:
I wish
you'd've told me
earlier.
DEADRA:
We
shouldn't have gotten
involved.
I'm just going to
hurt you.
QUINN:
Hurt
happens. I'm going to
take time
off from work.
DEADRA:
Quinn,
don't.
QUINN:
I can get a
loan, I can borrow
money.
We'll take a trip. Go
to Mexico
or someplace.
DEADRA:
Listen to
you.
QUINN:
I'm
serious.
DEADRA:
I know you
are. That's the
problem.
QUINN:
Goddamn it,
I love you! I want
as much of
you as time will
let me
have.
DEADRA:
Where were
you five or ten
years ago?
QUINN:
In this
bar, Deadra. Where
were you?
DEADRA:
In
Nebraska.
QUINN:
Does your
sister know?
DEADRA:
No.
QUINN:
I'm glad
you told me.
DEADRA:
Nothing can
ever stay simple,
can it?
QUINN:
This is
getting very simple,
Deadra.
We're down to the
nitty-gritty
here.
DEADRA:
We don't
have to decide
anything
right now, do we?
QUINN:
Of course
not.
DEADRA:
Good. I've
had enough of this
for one
night.
QUINN:
No problem.
DEADRA:
What time
is it?
QUINN:
Eightish.
DEADRA:
I told
Annie I'd stop by.
QUINN:
Meet you
here later?
DEADRA:
Sure.
QUINN:
How long
will you be?
DEADRA:
I don't
know. Not long. See
you later
then.
(She gets up to go. Quinn stands.)
QUINN:
Deadra?
We'll do the best we
can, okay?
(Deadra looks at him. BLACKOUT.)
12/ THE BEDROOM, LATER THAT NIGHT.
(AT RISE: Quinn is finishing dialing a
number on the phone.)
QUINN:
Annie?...This
is Quinn. Is
Deadra
there?...She said she
was coming
to see you....Hours
ago. Around
eight. ...Listen -
do you know
where else she
might be?
Some other
girlfriend's
or something? ...
Thanks...No,
I'm all right.
Talk to you
later.
(He hangs up. He stares across the room.
BLACKOUT.)
13/ THE BEDROOM, THE NEXT AFTERNOON.
(AT RISE: Deadra is putting clothes she's
left at Quinn's apartment into a large,
plastic garbage bag. She carries it out of
the apartment. BLACKOUT.)
14/ THE BEDROOM, A WEEK LATER.
(AT RISE: Quinn is on the phone.)
QUINN:
Seattle?...Did
she give you
her return
address?...Annie, I
have to get
in touch with
her....I'm
worried about her,
Annie--...Annie,
listen to me.
I just want
to get in touch
with her,
okay? Just to see
how she's
doing.....Because
I'm worried
about her!.....I
didn't know
you knew....What
do you
mean?... No.... No
fucking
way. She wouldn't do
something
like that to me....I
don't
believe you....Annie, I
don't know
what trip you're on
here, but
that's bullshit.
Deadra
would never lie to
me....No
way! She'd get an
Oscar if
that was
true....Bullshit!
(He slams down the phone. BLACKOUT.)
15/ THE BAR, FOUR MONTHS LATER
(AT RISE: Deadra sits at a table, sipping a
drink. Quinn appears behind her. He looks
at her, trying to gain his composure. He
comes to the table and sits down.)
QUINN:
Deadra.
DEADRA:
Hello,
Quinn.
QUINN:
Long time,
no see and all
that.
What's it been? Three,
four
months?
DEADRA:
Too long.
QUINN:
I'm
surprised you let me know
you were in
town.
DEADRA:
I wanted to
talk to you.
QUINN:
Well, I'd
suggest picking up
where we
left off, but I don't
exactly
remember our last
conversation.
Something about
you
stopping by Annie's and
meeting me
later.
DEADRA:
Don't make
this harder than it
has to be.
QUINN:
You never
showed. Worse, you
disappeared.
I stop by your
apartment,
it's being lived in
by your
homeless friends. Next
thing I
know, Annie tells me
you moved
to Seattle. No
explanation,
no goodbye,
nothing.
DEADRA:
I'm so
sorry.
QUINN:
Pardon me
if I take that with
a grain of
salt.
(A pause.)
DEADRA:
Can I buy
you a drink?
QUINN:
No thanks.
DEADRA:
You're
turning down a drink?
QUINN:
I haven't
had a drink in three
weeks.
DEADRA:
That's hard
to believe.
QUINN:
My doctor
didn't give me much
choice.
DEADRA:
What's the
matter with you?
QUINN:
I have a
problem with my
liver. Oh,
I'm sorry. You
control the
market on that
one, don't
you?
DEADRA:
Quinn,
please.
QUINN:
We're not
here to talk about
my health.
DEADRA:
You're
right, we're not.
QUINN:
So why the
phone call?
DEADRA:
I thought
we should talk.
QUINN:
Why?
DEADRA:
Quinn - I
hardly know where to
begin. It's
so good to see
you. It
really is.
QUINN:
Cut the
crap, Deadra.
DEADRA:
Okay. I
left because I was
falling in
love with you.
QUINN:
Falling in
love is that
terrible?
DEADRA:
For me, at
the time, yes. For
you, who
can't remember
getting
married, maybe that's
hard to
understand. Loss of
memory is a
wonderful gift
sometimes.
Unfortunately, I
don't have
it. I remember what
it was like
being in love, and
I promised
myself never to go
through
that again.
QUINN:
You're not
the first person to
get hurt in
a relationship,
Deadra.
DEADRA:
Don't
patronize me. I was
happily
married, and I
remember
it. I remember my
wedding,
which was everything
I imagined
it should be, which
was
straight out of my little
girl's
dreams. We honeymooned
in Hawaii,
in Maui, and it was
more
romantic than I thought
possible.
QUINN:
So what
happened?
DEADRA:
I need you
to know this,
Quinn.
Maybe it will help you
understand
a few things.
QUINN:
You've got
the floor.
DEADRA:
I was doing
part-time work for
the Red
Cross. Tim taught at
the
University in Eugene, in
the English
Department. We
gave the
most incredible
parties,
filled with bright
and
interesting people. My job
occasionally
took me out of
town, and I
was going to be on
the road
for our fifth
anniversary.
It didn't seem to
bother Tim,
but it bothered
me. So I
made arrangements to
get home
early, surprise him.
I had about
a three hour drive
to get back
and I left after
work,
expecting to get home in
time to
take him to dinner,
maybe go
out dancing
afterwards.
But I had car
trouble on
the way, and to
make a long
story short, it
was past
midnight before I got
home. But
now I was determined
to surprise
him more than
ever, so I
went to an all-
night
supermarket and bought
champagne
and flowers, and I
let myself
in and tiptoed into
our bedroom
and lit a candle -
and that's
when I saw her. She
must've
been one of his
students,
she looked so young,
she was on
my side of the bed,
asleep in
his arms, and he had
his mouth
open but for some
reason
wasn't snoring,
together
they looked like the
happiest
couple on the face of
the earth.
Quinn, I didn't
know what
to do. I just stared
at them for
the longest time.
Then I
leaned forward and blew
out the
candle and walked out
of the bedroom.
I never went
back. I got
in my car and
drove back
to southern Oregon.
I filed for
divorce the next
day.
QUINN:
You didn't
talk to him first?
DEADRA:
I didn't
see the point. I was
lifeless,
Quinn. I had nothing
to say to
him. I had nothing
to say to
anyone.
(A pause.)
QUINN:
How do I
know you're telling
me the
truth now?
DEADRA:
You can't
imagine how much it
hurts me to
hear you say
that.
QUINN:
Look at the
line you gave me,
Deadra. An
incurable illness,
of all
things. It proves the
old saw,
doesn't it? If you're
going to
lie, go the whole
hog. Nobody
will believe you
could
possibly make up
something
that extreme.
(A pause.)
DEADRA:
So what do
we do now?
QUINN:
That
depends on where we are.
And I have
no idea where are.
DEADRA:
Can we
start over?
QUINN:
Deadra, you
live in Seattle
now. Don't
you?
DEADRA:
No.
QUINN:
Jesus.
DEADRA:
I told
Annie to say that so
you
wouldn't come looking for
me. I moved
across the river.
I got the
position I wanted at
the clinic.
QUINN:
Well,
fucking
congratulations.
DEADRA:
I was
hoping we could start
seeing each
other again. I
miss you.
QUINN:
Where the
hell are you coming
from now?
DEADRA:
Desperation.
I want you back
in my life.
QUINN:
I don't
know if I can do
that.
DEADRA:
Can you
think about it?
(A pause.)
QUINN:
I can think
about it.
DEADRA:
I'm trying
to tell you I made
a mistake.
(Quinn stands up to go.)
QUINN:
You
rejected me, Deadra.
DEADRA:
No. I never
did that. I ran
from you.
It's not the same
thing.
QUINN:
It felt
like rejection.
DEADRA:
I want to
make it up to you.
QUINN:
I have to
think about all
this.
DEADRA:
It's
wonderful seeing you
again.
Please call me.
QUINN:
I phoned
every hospital in
Seattle
looking for you.
DEADRA:
Lucky you,
it's only a local
call after
all.
(She stands up. Quinn offers his hand.
Deadra embraces him.)
DEADRA:
I love you,
Quinn.
(He breaks the embrace and leaves. She
watches him go. BLACKOUT.)
16/ THE BEDROOM. DEADRA'S BIRTHDAY.
(AT RISE: Deadra is in bed, sleeping. Quinn
is surreptitiously dressing. Deadra opens
her eyes.)
DEADRA:
Quinn?
What're you doing?
QUINN:
It's not
working, Deadra.
DEADRA:
How can you
say that? I had a
wonderful
birthday. Wonderful
dinner, we
made wonderful
love.
QUINN:
I don't
trust you.
DEADRA:
About what?
QUINN:
About this.
About what's
happening
here. I don't
exactly
know what's happening
here, is
the problem. The past
few weeks
have been ... weird.
I don't
know how else to put
it.
DEADRA:
Weird? You
could've fooled
me.
QUINN:
We can't
recapture the past.
DEADRA:
I thought
we were doing a
pretty good
job at it.
QUINN:
I've been
thinking a lot about
what I
want, Deadra. The first
thing I
want to do is get
healthy.
That requires a lot
of change,
and sitting in a
bar
watching you get drunk
isn't
cutting it. Maybe the
person I'm
becoming isn't
someone you
want to be
around.
DEADRA:
That should
be my decision.
QUINN:
I can't
party the way I used
to.
DEADRA:
I can't
either.
QUINN:
You did a
pretty good job last
night.
DEADRA:
It's my
birthday, for Christ's
sake. So
what are you saying?
Suddenly
you don't want to be
around me
because I drink?
QUINN:
That's part
of it.
DEADRA:
Then I'll
quit.
QUINN:
Don't be
ridiculous.
DEADRA:
I'm willing
to make sacrifices
here,
Quinn. Accommodations.
It would be
nice to see you do
a little of
that in my
direction.
QUINN:
You don't
really want to quit
drinking,
Deadra.
DEADRA:
Quit
telling me what I want.
(A pause.)
QUINN:
I wrote you
another sonnet.
I've been
writing a lot of
them
lately. It was supposed
to be your
birthday present.
DEADRA:
Why didn't
you give it to me?
QUINN:
Because it
says goodbye.
DEADRA:
I see. You
wanted to make sure
you got
laid first. So let's
hear it.
Read the goddamn
thing to
me.
QUINN:
I didn't
bring you here to get
laid.
DEADRA:
Read the
sonnet, Quinn. You
owe me that
goddamn much.
(He takes a folded piece of paper out of
his pocket, unfolds it and reads:)
QUINN:
If our lips
should never meet
again; / if
your arms should
not around
me wrap / in such a
way to tell
me of your ken;
(He stops and crumples up the poem.)
QUINN:
You drink
too damn much.
DEADRA:
Spare me
the sermon, Quinn!
QUINN:
We're
alike, Deadra - a couple
of
barflies. It's like a
prolonged
suicide.
DEADRA:
Don't
lecture me about dying.
I think I
know a hell of a lot
more about
the subject than
you do.
QUINN:
Whatever
you say.
DEADRA:
Quinn, look
at this.
(She takes her purse from the bedside
table, opens it and takes out bottles of
pills.)
DEADRA:
Here's all
the crap I have to
take to get
through the day.
QUINN:
What's all
this?
DEADRA:
They're
supposed to make my
last few
months more
comfortable.
QUINN:
What are
you talking about?
DEADRA:
I told you
the truth the first
time,
Quinn. I'm a time-bomb.
QUINN:
Bullshit.
DEADRA:
Think what
you want.
(He's reading the bottles of pills.)
QUINN:
I never
heard of this stuff.
DEADRA:
I'm trying
to tell you how it
is with me.
QUINN:
That you're
dying?
(She nods her head, yes.)
QUINN:
Christ.
Don't you know Annie
told me the
whole story? You
give guys
that line to keep
them from
getting too close.
DEADRA:
Annie told
you exactly what I
asked her
to tell you.
QUINN:
Bullshit.
DEADRA:
Believe
what you believe,
Quinn. All
I can do is tell
the truth.
QUINN:
Why would
you tell me and then
change your
mind?
DEADRA:
I told you
because I wanted
you to know
me. To know me
truly. But
I wasn't prepared
for your
reaction, Quinn, and
I panicked.
The only way I
knew how to
change your energy
was to make
you believe I was
lying to
you. So that's what I
did.
QUINN:
You're a
total fruit cake.
DEADRA:
Don't hate
me for telling you
the truth
now.
QUINN:
I'll be
back tomorrow morning
at ten. I
want you out of
here. I
want you out of my
life.
(He turns to leave.)
DEADRA:
How did it
go? "If our lips
should
never meet again..." I
bet it was
a beautiful sonnet.
(Quinn doesn't respond. BLACKOUT.)
17/ THE BEDROOM. FIVE WEEKS LATER.
(AT RISE: Quinn is on the phone.)
QUINN:
Annie,
listen to me. I'll say
it again as
clearly as I can.
I don't
give a shit. She's not
a part of
my life any more. I
don't want
to know what you're
telling me.
Do I make myself
clear?....Is
this like before,
you're just
saying what she
wants me to
believe?... Okay,
then,
what's the name of her
doctor?....Do
you have his
phone
number?....
(He writes down a telephone number.)
QUINN:
I don't
know what I'm going to
do. I'll
think about it.
(He hangs up. He stares at the phone. He
picks up the phone number he wrote down and
stares at it. He starts dialing. BLACKOUT.)
18/ HOSPITAL ROOM. THREE DAYS LATER.
(AT RISE: Deadra is in bed, napping. Quinn
sits in a chair nearby. Deadra stirs.)
DEADRA:
Was I
sleeping long?
QUINN:
Half an
hour.
DEADRA:
And you
stayed. You're sweet.
QUINN:
I'm here
for the duration,
Deadra.
We'll take it one
moment at a
time. I brought
goodies.
(He'll get up and go to his backpack on the
floor. He'll take out a small bottle of
vodka, a can of mix, and a glass. He'll mix
Deadra a drink.)
DEADRA:
You spoil
me.
QUINN:
That's the
idea. I probably
shouldn't
be doing this, but I
figure a
couple more won't
phase your
liver one way or
the other.
One Vodka Collins
coming up.
DEADRA:
What if the
nurse comes in?
QUINN:
What's she
going to do? Kill
you?
DEADRA:
I love you.
QUINN:
Here we go.
DEADRA:
Aren't you
joining me?
QUINN:
I think I
quit.
DEADRA:
Good for
you.
QUINN:
Let me
rephrase that. I hope I
quit.
DEADRA:
I hope so,
too. Cheers.
(She drinks.)
QUINN:
Okay?
DEADRA:
Perfect.
QUINN:
We aim to
please.
DEADRA:
Quinn,
you're incredible.
QUINN:
I have my
moments.
DEADRA:
I like to
imagine what you'll
be like as
an old man. Very
distinguished
looking, I bet.
QUINN:
I imagine
things, too. What it
would've
been like to meet you
five, ten
years ago.
DEADRA:
You
wouldn't've liked me then.
I was a
mess. More than now,
as hard as
that is to
believe.
QUINN:
Being a
mess is part of your
charm.
DEADRA:
Messes
aren't pretty, Quinn.
QUINN:
In your
case, messy is sexy.
DEADRA:
Only you
would think that.
QUINN:
You look
beautiful.
DEADRA:
I'm so
tired.
QUINN:
Go back to
sleep if you want.
DEADRA:
Will you
hold my hand?
QUINN:
With
pleasure.
DEADRA:
Can I save
the rest of this
for later?
QUINN:
Of course.
(Deadra gives him the glass, which he puts
beside the bed. He takes her hand.)
DEADRA:
Quinn, I
want you to do
something
for me.
QUINN:
Name it.
DEADRA:
I want to
be cremated. I want
you to take
my ashes on that
ferry and
put me in the Sound.
Don't let
Megan do anything
else. It's
really important to
me. Will
you do that?
QUINN:
Promise.
DEADRA:
Whenever
you take the ferry,
you can say
hello.
QUINN:
I'll be
taking it often.
DEADRA:
I'm
glad....I'm so tired.
QUINN:
Take a nap.
I'll be right
here.
DEADRA:
I love you,
Quinn.
QUINN:
I love you,
Deadra.
(She closes her eyes. Quinn holds her hand.
BLACKOUT.)
19/ FERRY BOAT DECK. A WEEK LATER.
(AT RISE: Quinn has just finished dumping
Deadra's ashes into the Sound. Her twin
sister, MEGAN, looks on.)
MEGAN:
May I have
the box?
(Quinn gives the box that held the ashes to
Megan.)
MEGAN:
Are you
okay?
QUINN:
Not really.
MEGAN:
I don't
know how I feel. She
brought so
much destruction to
herself.
QUINN:
She did the
best she could
under the
circumstances. She
was a
remarkable woman.
MEGAN:
Had you
been together long?
QUINN:
No.
MEGAN:
When you
told me where she
wanted her
ashes spread, I was
surprised.
I didn't realize
Seattle was
so special to
her.
QUINN:
We had an
unforgettable time
here. We
took this very
ferry.
MEGAN:
I see.
QUINN:
I wrote her
a poem about it, a
sonnet.
"The skyline hangs
above the
bay, a mist of
mystery as
in a dream..."
MEGAN:
The skyline
is beautiful,
isn't it?
QUINN:
The weather
was different.
There was a
layer of fog on
the ground,
making the skyline
look like
it was hanging above
the water.
(A pause.)
MEGAN:
It's so
senseless. Everything
that
happened to her, she
brought on
herself.
QUINN:
I don't
think that's true.
MEGAN:
She started
abusing her body
in junior
high and never
stopped.
QUINN:
What are
you getting at?
MEGAN:
She was an
alcoholic, and she
died an
alcoholic's death.
QUINN:
Deadra had
a lot of pain to
cover up.
MEGAN:
She gave me
that same crap for
years. It
was one of her many
excuses to
drink.
QUINN:
You never
caught your husband
in bed with
another woman.
MEGAN:
She told
you that happened to
her?
QUINN:
I'm sure
she never confided in
you. She
told me you two
weren't
close.
MEGAN:
She brought
on the destruction
of her
marriage just like she
brought on
everything else.
QUINN:
I don't
believe you.
MEGAN:
Her husband
and I were very
close. As a
matter of fact,
for a while
I was a little
jealous
that she'd met him
first. He
told me everything.
QUINN:
Like what?
MEGAN:
How he
caught her in bed with
one of his
students.
QUINN:
Bullshit.
MEGAN:
He'd gone
out of town to a
conference
to deliver a paper.
He was
scheduled to be gone
for their
anniversary, but was
able to
move himself up on the
program so
he could come home
and
surprise her. He walked
into the
house with champagne
and flowers
and found her with
one of his
students, both half-
naked and
passed out on the
sofa. That
was the beginning
of the end.
QUINN:
She told me
it was the other
way around.
MEGAN:
Deadra
lived in her own little
fantasy
world. She'd say
whatever it
took to feed it
and keep it
alive. I'm sorry
to be the
one to tell you.
QUINN:
No, you're
not. You're
enjoying
this.
MEGAN:
She was a
drunk. Alcohol
doesn't
encourage clear
perception,
Quinn. That's all
I'm trying
to point out here.
QUINN:
I'll tell
you how clear
Deadra's
perception was. She
let
homeless people stay in
her
apartment. She couldn't
stand the
thought of them
living
under bridges,
especially
in bad weather,
especially
when she learned a
homeless
woman was pregnant.
So she
opened her door for
them, no
questions asked, and
gave them a
dry, warm place to
stay. If it
takes a drunk to
do that,
then we need more
goddamn
drunks in the world.
Who the
hell are you to
criticize
her?
(No reply.)
MEGAN:
This isn't
easy for either of
us.
(No reply.)
MEGAN:
Will you be
going right back
to
Portland?
QUINN:
I have to
be at work
tomorrow.
MEGAN:
What do you
do?
QUINN:
Does it
matter?
MEGAN:
I'm just
curious.
QUINN:
I teach.
MEGAN:
Really?
(A pause.)
MEGAN:
High
school?
QUINN:
No, I teach
in a goddamn
university,
just like you do.
I have a
Ph.D., just like you
do, and I
teach American
literature.
I'm also writing a
book on the
history of the
sonnet.
Anything else you want
to know?
MEGAN:
I didn't
mean to make you
angry.
(A pause.)
MEGAN:
Very well
then. Have a safe
trip home.
(She starts away.)
QUINN:
Megan?
MEGAN:
Yes?
QUINN:
Give her
some slack. She did
the best
she could.
MEGAN:
Deadra
never did the best she
could.
QUINN:
She wanted
the world to be a
much better
place than it is.
She
suffered that it wasn't.
MEGAN:
You're a
hopeless romantic if
you believe
that.
QUINN:
What's
wrong with being a
romantic?
MEGAN:
Goodbye,
Quinn.
(She starts away again. Quinn calls after
her.)
QUINN:
Wait a
minute.
(Megan ignores him.)
QUINN:
I said,
what the hell's wrong
with being
a romantic?
(Megan is gone. Quinn turns and stares out
at the audience. BLACKOUT. The play is
over.)