Sex with a Stranger

Finish that and we’ll go. This is fucking ridiculous.

She cries silently in her hands. He finishes his pint.

It’s not my fault you can’t handle your fucking drink.

Blackout.

RUTH and ADAM’s living room. They watch a DVD. Hold on this. TV audio plays – Mad Men, Series Three.

RUTH. So are you going for a drink first?

ADAM (annoyed). Ruth…

He pauses it. TV audio stops.

What?

RUTH. Are you going for a drink? Before the club?

ADAM. Yeah. I think so.

RUTH. Cool. That’ll be nice.

A beat.

Where you gonna go?

ADAM. I don’t know.

He goes to un-pause the DVD and she interrupts

.

RUTH. Because if you’re somewhere local maybe I should—

ADAM. It’ll be in town.

RUTH. Okay.

ADAM. Sorry.

RUTH. No.

He smiles and un-pauses it. TV audio.

I just thought it might be nice of me to say happy birthday to Robert.

ADAM. Well you’ve got your concert tomorrow haven’t you.

RUTH. Yeah.

He gestures for her to watch the TV. They do. She snuggles up to him. They sit there watching it. She kisses his cheek. He just looks straight ahead. Hold on this, the sound of the TV the only sound, her hand on his chest.

Blackout.

GRACE sits on stage in pyjamas, wearing her glasses. She’s just straightened her hair with her GHDs. Her make-up is on. Inspirational, light, happy, contemporary music plays that she doesn’t react to in any way as she turns her hair into the style it was in Act One. When this is done, she removes her glasses and checks herself, close to the mirror.

Blackout.

RUTH and ADAM’s bathroom. ADAM puts deodorant on, his jeans on but shirtless. RUTH appears with the perfectly ironed shirt

.

ADAM. Thank you.

RUTH. That’s okay.

ADAM. Sorry if I sounded angry.

RUTH. No. You didn’t.

ADAM. You know what I’m like when I’m late.

RUTH. Don’t worry. I know.

She smiles. He smiles.

You smell nice.

ADAM. Thanks. Yeah. It’s Lynx. Africa.

RUTH. Lovely. When did you get that?

ADAM. Erm. Dunno. During the week?

RUTH. You should’ve said. I’d’ve got that instead of the Nivea.

ADAM. It’s all right.

A beat. She removes a label from the back of the jeans.

Thanks.

He goes to put his shirt on.

RUTH. Are you gonna shave?

He stops putting his shirt on.

ADAM. I wasn’t going to.

RUTH. Okay. Cool.

ADAM. I thought I’d give myself a night off.

A beat as she looks at him.

What?

RUTH. I dunno. I quite like it when you shave—

ADAM. It’s not permanent.

RUTH. No I know.

ADAM. I just can’t be bothered.

RUTH. I just like it how it normally is. That’s all. But I also like it like that so it’s cool.

A beat.

Well anyway. It’s good to have a change isn’t it?

ADAM. Yeah.

RUTH. I might put some highlights in my hair.

No response. He puts the shirt on, doing up the buttons in silence. She watches him. When they’re all done up—

ADAM (scratching his hand). What d’you think?

RUTH. It’s a nice fit.

ADAM. D’you think?

RUTH. Yeah. It’s lovely. (With no gap.) Who else is gonna be there?

ADAM. What d’you mean?

RUTH. Who else is gonna be there?

ADAM. Tonight?

RUTH. Yeah.

ADAM. Oo. I don’t know. Erm. Me, Robert, probably Robert’s brothers, erm – (Quickly.) John, Dave, Mike and Alex – (Normally.) I guess some of the twats from the council. Dunno.

RUTH. That’ll be nice.

ADAM. Yeah.

RUTH. Very nice.

A beat.

And what’s Katie doing tonight?

ADAM. I dunno.

RUTH. Weird. You’d think she’d go out for her boyfriend’s birthday.

ADAM. Yeah. It’s a lads’ thing though isn’t it.

RUTH. They’re such a weird couple.

ADAM. I know…

RUTH. What about Debbie? I hope Dave’s not dragging her out clubbing in her condition.

ADAM. Of course he won’t. She won’t be there. It’s a lads’ thing.

RUTH. So none of the girls are going?

ADAM (a big laugh). Well I can’t promise you we won’t go to a pub with women in it!

RUTH. No but I don’t mean that do I. I know they’re a weird couple but it just seems really weird Robert wouldn’t invite Katie and her lot.