GRACE GOULD
Give me some more whisky, will you, darling?

DAVID ASHTON
Look, you haven't forgotten we're going out, have you?

GRACE
Well, if I can't walk, you'll just have to carry me, won't you? I like getting sloshed in the afternoon. Reminds me of before the war.

DAVID
(with a mischievous look)
Hey! What do you reckon he'd say if he walked in here now?

GRACE
Who?

DAVID
Your daddy.

GRACE
(laughing)
He'd throw nine pink fits, and Mother would retire to Bognor...especially when she saw I hadn't made the bed.

DAVID
You're taking a bit of a chance, then, aren't you?

GRACE
Good God! They wouldn't dream of coming without making a phone call first. They wouldn't actually want to walk in on something.

DAVID
You take a lot of chances, don't you, Grace?

GRACE
(a little resentful)
I'm not sure I like that.

DAVID
You know, I used to dream about somebody like you.

GRACE
(effecting a yawn)
Trying to make me jealous, darling?

DAVID
No, no. I mean, you know...
(pointing to his head)
...in here. A dream, not somebody you could actually touch.

GRACE
(giggling)
How very unsatisfactory.

(She leans against him, suggestively rubbing his chest.)

DAVID
Why are you laughing at me?

GRACE
Because you're so sweet.

DAVID
I mean... I mean, I'm just another chap to you, aren't I? Hey? I mean, don't you ever want to just...you know, talk to me?

GRACE
(exasperated)
Now you're...

DAVID
(pointing to himself)
No, just to me.

GRACE
Now you're getting possessive again.

(Grace stands up and walks behind David, who continues to sit on the sofa.)

DAVID
(insistent)
Well, yeah, of course I'm bloody well possessive. I mean, what's wrong with that?

GRACE
Nothing, darling...with houses and horses and land and things. But with...not with people. Hmm?

(The doorbell rings.)

DAVID
(annoyed)
Ah! Who's that?

GRACE
(smiling)
The great American dream... Our friend, who's going to entertain us.

DAVID
(angrily)
Well, what's he coming here at this bloody time for?

GRACE
(very forcefully)
Because I told him to.

(Having met his match, the best David can do is answer with a frown.)

 

(from "I Wanted to Be with You" by John Finch)