"Jimmy and the Nest" (One Page Version)

A one-page play by Barry Martin. Copyright by the author August 13, 2012.

(An elevator. A man wearing business dress  is in it. The doors open and a woman gets on. She has voluminous long hair and wears a scarf and a knit beret. She is bright and lovely and he smiles at her and she smiles back. She turns to face the front and stands in front of him. He looks at her and thinks. She keeps smiling. A long pause.)

                                                            HE

So, are we going to fuck tonight or what?

(She keeps smiling, does not respond. Another pause.)

                                                            HE

Ok, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. That is not like me at all to say that. I just went with a gut feeling there. Felt like something transpired between us when you got on. (Pause) Maybe not. (He looks to her for a response. She keeps smiling.) Jesus, that was a dumb thing to say. I was trying to play it real cool, you know, like this friend of mine who is really direct like that with women, but that is really not me at all. You have to believe me, I’m really sorry, ok? (He leans around enough to see that she is still smiling.) I find it really hard to – get started, you know? To talk to a woman? When you smiled at me I felt something I haven’t felt in so long. Something I thought maybe I would never feel again, you know? Some magic happening, a moment, a flash of – whatever. I felt that. Did you feel it? (Pause) I mean, it was like, between the moment the doors opened, and the moment you turned around, there was this – moment. It was, what, two seconds? Less? I could see you and me walking in the park, holding hands. My arm around you on the couch, watching a movie with subtitles. Having a baby! You know how romantic those movies with subtitles can be, right? Ok, it sounds really crazy, but do you believe in love at first sight? I think I do, I believe in it. There was that moment, that two seconds, and I just saw it all, my life flashing before my eyes, but in forward, not in reverse like I was dying. I don’t think I’m dying. I think I’m living. At least I was living in that moment. (Pause. She does not respond. She keeps smiling.) Did you – did you feel something? Did you have a moment there? (She does not respond. He touches her shoulder lightly. She turns still smiling, looks at him. She reaches up under her hair and hat and pulls earbuds from her ears.)

                                                            SHE

I’m sorry, were you talking to me?

                                                            HE

Oh, I…uh…there was – a moment – I thought there was a bug on you. (He brushes at her shoulder.) There was something there, just for a moment. I thought so, but maybe not.

END OF PLAY