Play #02

Skunk in Sugar Creek

__________________________

A short play

By Joseph Frost

Originally written as a part of

31 Plays in 31 Days

August 3, 2021

Contact:
710 Newland Dr
Jackson MS 39211
FrostJosephD@gmail.com
*member, Dramatists Guild
 A run-down diner. If there’s signage somewhere,
it’s called the Sugar Creek Diner.

A juke box plays old records.

LISA is a middle aged woman, in a waitress

uniform with a name tag. It doesn’t say Lisa.

She pours coffee into a cup on the counter in

front of PAUL, a man in a nice suit that has seen
better days.

JIM is a cook in the kitchen. Maybe we see

him, maybe not.

LISA
This makes four. You told me to cut you off at three.

PAUL
I guess that makes you not a good listener.

LISA
I listened when you asked for another.

PAUL
That makes you a special lady, then.

LISA
Why’s that?

PAUL
First woman who ever listened to me.

LISA
That can’t possibly be true.

PAUL
If only you were right, Lisa. If only you were right.

Paul sips his coffee as Lisa walks to the far end

of the diner to put the coffee pot back.
 2.

LISA
(shouting)
Jim! The french toast and bacon should be up by now.

JIM
(from the back)
I didn’t know you were an egg timer.

LISA
A what?

JIM
An egg timer. A timer for eggs.

LISA
Gee. I wonder what an egg timer does.
(to Paul)
It’ll be another minute or two.

PAUL
Sounds like it.

LISA
Sorry for the wait.

PAUL
Waiting is what I do.

LISA
That so?

PAUL
More than what it is I get paid to do.

LISA
And what’s that?

PAUL
What’s what?

LISA
What you get paid to do.

PAUL
Me? I get paid to do my job.
 3.

Paul looks over his shoulder out the window.

Lisa notices.

LISA
Ain’t it the truth.
(beat)
You like your bacon crispy or soft?

PAUL
Hm?

LISA
Your bacon. With the french toast.

PAUL
Doesn’t matter.

LISA
Soft is faster.

PAUL
I can wait. I’m a waiter.

Paul looks again.

LISA
Thought that was my job.

PAUL
Huh?

LISA
A waiter.

PAUL
I thought you was a waitress.

LISA
Same job.
(beat)
You looking for something?

PAUL
What’s that?
 4.

LISA
Outside. You keep looking.

PAUL
I do?

LISA
Couple times. You waiting for someone?

PAUL
Looking at my car. Making sure it’s still there.

LISA
Nobody wants to steal a gas guzzler like yours.

PAUL
That’s why I drive it.

Lisa studies Paul a moment.

LISA
He’ll be here in a minute.

PAUL
Who’s that?

LISA
Listen. It’s 2:15am. You drive that car up here. Dressed like that. With what you got
under your jacket. In your armpit.
(beat)
Your not here for Jim’s famous french toast.

JIM
(from the back)
Maybe he is.

LISA
I could be wrong.

A moment.

PAUL
It ain’t your concern.

LISA
Oh ain’t it now. Who all do you think is in here when the candles get lit?
 5.

PAUL
I have business.

LISA
Business. I thought your business was waiting.

PAUL
It is. Until the wait is over.

A moment.

LISA
This might not end well for you, my friend.

A moment.

PAUL
Coffee’s cold.
(beat)
Could use a warm up.

LISA
I’ll bring you some when your french toast is ready.
(beat)
I’m busy at the moment.

PAUL
That a fact.

LISA
That’s what I said.

A moment.

PAUL
Maybe I don’t have to wait anymore.

LISA
Maybe you don’t.
(beat)
Unless you like your bacon crispy.

They stare each other down.

Paul leans back and adjusts his jacket.

 6.

LISA
I wouldn’t.

PAUL
Oh no?

LISA
I’d wait.

PAUL
Why’s that?

LISA
Because he’ll be here in a minute.
(beat)
I’d go now, if I were you.

PAUL
Would you now?

LISA
Absolutely I would.

A tense moment.

A bell rings.

JIM
(from the back)
Order up!

Another moment.

PAUL
That might be my french toast.

LISA
Is it now?

PAUL
It could be.

Lisa goes to the order counter and grabs a plate

of french toast and bacon.
 7.

LISA
Is this what you ordered?

PAUL
It’s your job to know that it is.

Lisa carries it to the counter and puts the plate in

front of Paul.

PAUL
Got any syrup?

LISA
You didn’t ask for syrup.

PAUL
I’m asking now.

Lisa reaches under the counter.

Paul reaches into his jacket.

Lisa stops.

PAUL
Slow.

Lisa stands and puts a bottle of syrup on the

counter.

PAUL
That sugar free?

LISA
No.

PAUL
Good.

Paul relaxes and pulls his hand out of his jacket.

He grabs the syrup and pours it on his french

toast.

LISA
Careful. Don’t want to spill it on the bacon.
 8.

PAUL
Oh I do. I do.

Paul smiles at her. He grabs a piece of bacon.

Paul rubs the bacon in the syrup.

LISA
Your funeral.

PAUL
You know what I did ask for?

Paul eats the bacon.

LISA
What’s that?

He points to his cup.

PAUL
A top up on my coffee.

He licks syrup off of his fingers.

LISA
Did you?

PAUL
You know I did.

LISA
You know what? I do remember that.

PAUL
Off you go.

Lisa backs away from Paul.

Paul continues to eat.

Lisa grabs the coffee pot.

Paul coughs.
 9.

LISA
(loudly to the back)
Jim!

JIM
(from the back)
Yeah?

LISA
I think the bacon might have been too crispy.

Paul goes into a coughing fit.

JIM
That’s how he wanted it.

LISA
That’s how he said he wanted it...

Paul grabs at his throat.

He is choking.

Lisa walks slowly to Paul.

LISA
But I think he didn’t want it like that.

JIM
How’d he want it?

LISA
I’m not sure it matters any more.

Lisa pours the coffee.

She stares at Paul as he chokes, turns red,

maybe purple.

The coffee spills over the top of the cup.

Paul stops.

Paul flops forward onto the counter.

Lisa stops pouring.

 10.

Jim comes out of the kitchen. He wears a black

suit, and takes off a cook’s cap.

JIM
I told you.

LISA
You were worried I’d forget which syrup it was.

JIM
That’s why I took all the other ones away.

Jim takes a jacket off of a hook and puts it on.

LISA
It was helpful.

JIM
I try.

Lisa reaches into Paul’s jacket and pulls out a

gun.

LISA
Let him know we took care of the skunk.

JIM
He knows. He sent us.

Lisa takes off her apron and tosses it. She walks
over to Jim, putting Paul’s gun in the back of
her belt.

Jim grabs the other jacket on the hook. He

holds it out for Lisa.

LISA
Thank you.

She steps into the jacket.

JIM
You taking off the name tag?
 11.

LISA
I think I’ll keep it.

Lisa starts for the door.

JIM
We leaving him like this?

LISA
Why not. A skunk his in natural habitat.
(beat)
They’ll find him in the morning.

Lisa holds the door open.

JIM
Turn out the light.

Jim exits.

Lisa looks at Paul.

She turns out the light, goes out.

End.