Giraffes - Act One, Scene Six.

This isn't going to make much sense unless you start at the beginning - Giraffes - Act One, Scene One.


SCENE SIX.

(Kirsty's house. Kirsty is sitting with a book, but not reading. She puts the book down and picks up a pad of paper, finds a pen, and sits down again. She does not write. A knock at the door. Kirsty gets up to answer it. Enter Anna.)

KIRSTY. Anna! Salvation!

ANNA. Kirsty.

(They settle down. Anna is exhausted. She rests her legs on Kirsty's lap.)

ANNA. Good day?

KIRSTY. Not until now. Everything that I had to do seemed to be impossibly tricky, so I didn't try to do anything. How about you?

ANNA. I think that I worked too hard today. Made a lot of mistakes that I usually wouldn't.

(Pause.)

KIRSTY. What do you fancy doing tonight?

ANNA. I feel really tired... But I'm also really nervy. Jumpy.

KIRSTY. Have a bath.

ANNA. No, that would just make me fall asleep.

(Pause.)

KIRSTY. I like watching you when you're asleep.

ANNA. Thank you. Even so, I feel like doing more tonight.

KIRSTY. Have a bath with me.

ANNA. That sounds... lovely.

(Pause.)

ANNA. But I do need to do something else first. If I was a businessman I'd go and play squash.

KIRSTY. But you're not.

ANNA. Thank God.

(Silence.)

ANNA. Dancing!

KIRSTY. Dancing?

ANNA. That's what I feel like doing tonight!

(Pause.)

KIRSTY. Dancing?

ANNA. Mm. Have something piping hot to eat, go out, promenade out into the frosty night, dance a bit, drink a lot, go home, bathe, fall into each others' arms.

KIRSTY. Well, if you put it like that -

ANNA. I do.

(Pause.)

KIRSTY. Do you often go out dancing?

ANNA. No.

(Pause.)

ANNA. Actually, I haven't done it for years. I just suddenly felt like it.

KIRSTY. Fair enough then.

(Pause.)

ANNA. Is that alright with you?

KIRSTY. Yeah! Fine fine.

(Pause)

KIRSTY. Where shall we eat?

ANNA. I'll cook.

KIRSTY. I haven't got much in.

ANNA. That's okay. I can manage. I like cooking.

KIRSTY. Do you?

ANNA. Yeah!

KIRSTY. Always?

ANNA. Usually.

KIRSTY. Don't you get bored with having to do it every day?

ANNA. I don't.

(Anna goes offstage.)

ANNA. (Off) Simon does a lot of it.

(Pause.)

ANNA. (Off) In fact Simon's been doing all of it recently.

KIRSTY. Why?

ANNA. (Off) Pardon?

(Anna returns, bearing food.)

ANNA. Pasta. Tomatoes. Sweetcorn. Not the most interesting of meals, I'm afraid, but I used to live off this stuff.

* * *

(Anna and Kirsty return home.)

KIRSTY. Sorry, Anna, but I am not going to do that again.

ANNA. No. It wasn't my best idea, was it?

KIRSTY. No!

(Pause.)

KIRSTY. What's happened to music these days?

ANNA. Too bleepy!

KIRSTY. And those people!

ANNA. - Stuck up, self-serving -

KIRSTY. Weren't they?

ANNA. Those drinks!

KIRSTY. - So expensive!

ANNA. Watered down.

KIRSTY. Were they?

ANNA. I thought so.

KIRSTY. Doesn't surprise me.

(Pause.)

ANNA. Do you like clubs?

KIRSTY. I like the idea of clubs.

ANNA. What way?

KIRSTY. I like the idea of sipping vivid cocktails in the company of a mysterious girlfriend in an elegant room full of sophisticated people.

ANNA. Have you ever been to a club like that?

KIRSTY. No.

(Pause.)

ANNA. I meant dancey clubs.

KIRSTY. I never really go to them.

(Pause.)

KIRSTY. What about you?

ANNA. Mm.

KIRSTY. 'Cause I thought that I enjoyed that more than you did.

ANNA. Once in a blue moon I'll go out and have the most fantastic time.

(Pause.)

ANNA. But not often. And it doesn't always work. It didn't tonight. Sorry about that.

KIRSTY. No it was... interesting.

ANNA. You could say that.

(Pause.)

KIRSTY. And it was with you. That was the important thing. You do dance well, Anna. And the way that you dealt with those drunks was brilliant.

(Pause.)

KIRSTY. And I was with you. All the time. That was enough for me.

(Pause.)

ANNA. Shall I run a bath?

KIRSTY. Can I come?

(Anna offers her hand.)

ANNA. It's your house.

(Kirsty takes it.)

Next - Giraffes - Act One, Scene Seven.