Daniel comes in carrying the paperweight, Rachel is packing. He sits on the bed and puts the paperweight beside him.
RACHEL Don't put that there.
DANIEL What? Geez.
RACHEL That's our bed.
DANIEL Not anymore, apparently.
RACHEL Not anymore for you either.
DANIEL Well, people get tired of things.
RACHEL Yes, I know.
DANIEL If you would just be reasonable, allow a man the occasional fling.
RACHEL She's more than a fling. Take that off the bed.
DANIEL Not everyone can be like you. We're not all professionally monogamous.
RACHEL A little part time monogamy is all I wanted from you.
DANIEL It's stifling. Where are you going?
RACHEL Somewhere I can sleep.
DANIEL Sleep here.
RACHEL You know what it does to me? Thinking of you with her?
DANIEL Baby, why would you do that to yourself?
RACHEL I imagine the two of you together, sharing the most intimate thing.
DANIEL It's just sex.
RACHEL I hope for her sake that isn't true.
DANIEL Sometimes it is just sex.
RACHEL No. It never is.
DANIEL You never want it anyway.
RACHEL Yes I have.
DANIEL Not for years.
RACHEL It's not just the lack of sex between us. Take that off the bed.
She takes it off and puts it in his hands. As they talk, he plays with it and eventually sets it back down.
DANIEL They took my keys today.
RACHEL You knew they would.
DANIEL Yeah.
RACHEL Why don't you clean up?
DANIEL I'm clean.
RACHEL They love you there. You know the dean loves you. And Sandro.
DANIEL I'm through with Sandro.
RACHEL Since when?
DANIEL Today.
RACHEL You call him right now and make up. You've known him forever.
DANIEL No.
RACHEL Baby.
DANIEL He crossed a line.
RACHEL Consider cutting him some slack right now. He's trying to help you.
DANIEL When you help people, you have to respect them at the same time.
RACHEL We are all of us clumsy around someone who demands so much.
DANIEL What? Only one thing, that's loyalty from my friends.
RACHEL You've got yourself in such a state right now.
DANIEL Congratulations to you on staying calm.
RACHEL I'm trying to maintain my sanity.
DANIEL This world favors the insane.
RACHEL That may very well be.
DANIEL I have to stop.
RACHEL I'll help.
DANIEL From where?
RACHEL From here. Just stop with that girl and we'll work on the drugs together.
Rachel picks up the paperweight. Daniel gets up from the bed, crosses, looks out the window. He comes back to his wife.
RACHEL We can stay here. I know you love this house.
DANIEL What about my job?
RACHEL They'll let you back.
DANIEL No.
RACHEL If you want, I'll move anywhere in the world with you.
DANIEL I can't.
He takes the paperweight.
DANIEL I can't.
YOU ARE READING
A Simple Love Story
General FictionDramatic play about a teacher and a student who fall in love with drugs.
