117.

They part.

The GENTLEMAN CALLER turns away.

START: The Gentleman Caller
Shit...

Stella
What’s wrong?

Oh god, J—what’s wrong, what did I—

The Gentleman Caller

No—no, it isn’t you, it’s just—
Shit.

Stella
Talk to me.

The Gentleman Caller

I mean—

He laughs.

Then, he becomes serious.

I mean I have a girlfriend, Stella.

 118.

Stella
I—I don’t think I understand.

The Gentleman Caller

I’m sorry—

Stella
You—you came back with Blanche, /and—

The Gentleman Caller

/That was different.
We’re open, but—
but that was different; this, this is different, this is cheating—

Stella
What?

You’re saying—you’re saying you’re in a relationship—but it’s open—but this is

cheating?

The Gentleman Caller

Yes, because emotionally—emotionally, it’s cheating; with Blanche, it’d be—well,
you know—but with you—

Oh, fuck.

He begins to hit himself.

Oh fucking fuck fuck fuck—

Stella
Hey—

She grabs his hands to stop him.

Hey, don’t do that.

The Gentleman Caller

I’m sorry—I’m just—angry.

Stella
It doesn’t mean you have to hit yourself.
 119.

He shrugs.
Then, he starts to laugh.

The Gentleman Caller

Oh god. Oh fucking god, why?

STELLA shrugs.
She shakes her head.

If I had just met you two years, three years ago, no brainer—
But Tash—
From the moment I saw her in that bar, I just
I knew.

She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen in my entire life, and it was
like—
like we had known each other for our entire lives, even though we had just met.
And she knew—she said she knew, too, and it was—
it was beautiful.

And yeah, okay, so maybe it’s been hard since then, sure, but—
but so’s everything, right? Everyone has their own
priorities and wants and needs and—and it’s a struggle—everything, every
relationship is a struggle, but—
But you work through it, right?
Because whatever it is, it doesn’t matter,
not really;
not when you love each other.

And she’s beautiful—really,

you should really see her, Stella; she’s—
like she just stepped out of my dreams.

Oh—oh god.
God, I’m an asshole.
You must think—
But I’m not, Stella—you know that; you know me, you know I’m not—

I swear to you; I swear to you, Stella; if I hadn’t—

if I hadn’t met her, or if I’d met you, if this had happened 2, 3 years ago, /I—

Stella
/I get /it
 120.

The Gentleman Caller

/I swear to god, Stella; but now; now, /I—

Stella
/J, I
I get it.

The Gentleman Caller

Okay.

Can we still be friends?

Please?

Or—can you promise me you’ll write, at least; at least promise me, promise me
that—

Stella
I don’t think I can promise that—

The Gentleman Caller

Not to me—fuck me, I meant in general.

Stella.
 121.

Stella—

Stella
It’s late.
You should call your girlfriend.
She’s probably wondering where you are.

The Gentleman Caller

Oh, no. She uh, she hates going on these tours with me.
That’s why...
yeah.

So
so actually, she’s asleep, uh
in Brooklyn. In our—

I’m sorry.

I’m so fucking sorry, /I—

Stella
/J.

The Gentleman Caller

Yeah?

Stella
You should go.
END
The GENTLEMAN CALLER nods.

He starts gathering his things, slowly.

He gets to the door.

Looks back—

and then thinks better of it, and exits.

STELLA is alone.