The buzz of the New York streets never gets old. The constant whirring of cars zipping by outside.. Even at 1 in the morning everything is still moving out there. Does it ever stop? Is there any one point where everyone in this god forsaken city is completely sound asleep? Is there ever silence. Even if there is, no one's ever around to hear it.
This is what i mean by weird thoughts, if you're wondering. I'm sure i'll have plenty more before we're through. But this is what i mean.. Scrambling for my keys while contemplating deep, philosophical ponderings. It's 1 in the bloody morning, for fucks sake.
And I'm 35.
Hell, like i need reminding! The silver balloons knocking against my head with all the subtlety of a herd of elephants is enough. I have to clamp the string under my arm as i fight with this door.
This damned fucking door-
Finally! I stumble through the door like a drunken half whit. Seems close enough.
Door. Slam. Fuck.
Fucking balloons. I snatch the wretched things inside and toss the weighted ends carelessly into the corner of my room. Alas, my chair awaits. And more importantly, my bourbon.
Daddy's calling.
Hell.. Am i that romantically and sexually deprived that i'm calling a bottle of alcohol daddy? Happy birthday, Bobbie- i can already tell 35 is gonna be your year. Not.
Even as i'm thinking this- thinking about the pathetic excuse of a human i am, I've poured it into a tumbler. Joanne would be proud.. At least I think she would. You can never tell with her.
Speak of the devil- I'm sure i saw her caller ID flash up earlier while i was... not... drinking.
Flicking through my phone... and- ah! 5 missed messages?
Well, when you've got friends like mine!
Now, lets see.. the first..
Heavy breathing emminates from the tinny speakers on my phone.
"Hi... This is a dirty phone call.." wait for it... "Larry and I are going to be in the country so we'll miss any birthday celebrations." There she is. Joanne. In all her glory- though she seems a bit.. reserved.. Even for her.
"Anyway, you're thirty five- who wants to celebrate being that old?!" nope- nope, there she is. The Joanne i know and.. love?
"Well i only hope i look as good as you when i'm your age!" yup. Know and love, definitely.
The line cuts... Next message.
The first thing i hear this time is the sound of a sobbing child; now that narrows the playing field its Su-
"Hi Bobbie, it's Susan-" called it.
"Get those guys out of your bed," god, i wish, "and pick up the phone will you?!"
Just when i think it's over, i hear a child-like whine again, but this time from Susan.
"God- I'm so envious i can't even talk! Call me!"
She can't mean that- Peter is an angel-
Line cuts, next message.
"Hi Bobbie, it's Andy!"
Oh, sweet Andy.. Sweet... Slightly ditsy, loving, caring, handsome- fucking HANDSOME- did i say handsome...? Andy..
Well- no- i'm being rude! He's not ditsy at all! He's just sweet and innocent.. I like that kid..
That line's been silent for a while... Hasn't it..?
"Oh... I forgot what i was going to sa-" I hastily hang up.
No time to think, next message..
"Hi there, it's Jamie-" Oh Jamie! God, i'm glad to hear from him... We've been best friends since school.. I've seen him grow from a goofy little kid, to a goofy.. still quite little adult. He's just happier now. And.. Prouder- but with a husband like Paul at your side, why wouldn't you be.
Jamie is my best friend, we never keep anything from each other- we used to say we were each other's secret journal, and only we knew the passwords...
God, how did we not work out he was gay and i was a hopeless romantic so much earlier on..?
"-I just called to say that if i'm late to the party tonight please tell Paul I'm running-"
Silence.
I know that silence.
That's the "oh shit i left my homework at home" silence.
He's let it slip. I knew it. A surprise party.....
"oh wait.." he's mumbling now, to himself ".. you're not supposed to know there's a party-"
Jamie break down in 3... 2... 1..-
"Judy? JUDY?? Oh goodness! I'm afraid I've dialed a wrong number- ignore this call-" he garbled, clearly panicked as he tapped at the screen so hard it was audible.
I'm killing myself laughing over this one, especially as you hear him call
"Oh god- you're not going to believe what I just did-"
The line cut. Bloody Jamie...
Next message.
"Yo Bob-" PJ. I consider hanging up straight away. Oh sure- he was fun.. But... God..
"Long time, no hear~" ... fun and has an incredibly hot British accent. Call me a whore but it does things to me.
"Listen- just to let you know i've got the all clear from the doctor-"
I grimace.
"We're all good." No.
"So.. feel free to return my calls, huh?~" NO.
Line cuts.
No new messages.
I sigh. and, taking another swig from my glass, start scrolling through the options on my voicemail... Until... Aha!
"Record New Message." the automated voice states "Speak after the beep and press hash to finish your message. To re-record your message, press 1 at any time."
A beep.
Speak, Bobbie. Let 'em have it.
"Hi, this is Bobbie" solid start, i thought "Yes, today's my birthday-" I should get a prize for stating the bleeding obvious, shouldn't I? "And yes you may leave a message about how happy you are that I'm turning thirty five.." My thumb hovers over the hash key... before I add.
"And whatever you're calling about? My answer is... Yes."
YOU ARE READING
Company, Westend- a novel..isation?
RomanceSo I'm in love with Company Westend. I was lucky enough to see it twice before it closed :( BUT! I've been lucky enough to receive the full revised script... and well, i thought it would be nice to share the story i love so much in a novelised form...
