Five Plays. Samuel D. Hunter
TAMMY: Dad, where are you going?
COLE: I’m not allowed to go to the bathroom by myself?
TAMMY: Don’t get snippy, I was just asking.
(Cole makes his way out of the room.)
EDDIE (To Tammy): Enjoy the rest of your lunch.
(Eddie exits. Becky goes to Tammy’s table.)
TAMMY: Well this is nice, isn’t it! For once you’re the one waiting on me. Maybe we should try this at home.
(Becky takes Tammy’s plate of pasta.)
I’m not finished with that.
BECKY: I don’t care.
(Becky exits with the dishes.
Tammy sits for a moment in silence. The bad Italian music plays in the background.
She takes a few bites of a breadstick, then begins to look around the room. She notices a half-empty carafe of wine on another table.
She looks at it for a moment, then goes back to eating. She looks at the wine again, and then, eyeing her surroundings, moves toward the other table. She stops, grabs her half-empty coke off her table, then goes to the carafe, pouring the remainder of it into her glass of coke.
Troy enters, unseen by Tammy. She finishes pouring, then turns around, facing Troy.
She looks down at first, ashamed, then thinks better of it, and looks up at him. She defiantly raises the glass to her lips and takes a long drink. Troy stares at her, motionless.
Max enters with Tammy’s soda and Cole’s coffee. Troy and Tammy continue to stare at one another. Awkward pause.)
MAX (To Tammy): Um. Here’s—. Here’s the diet.
(Max puts the soda down on Tammy’s table.)
TAMMY (Still looking at Troy): Bring me a bottle of the rosé? Thanks.
MAX: Um. Sure.
(Max exits. Silence.)
TROY: I’m taking Becky.
TAMMY: Of course you are.
(Pause.)
TROY: I’m calling County Care, I’ll have them come and pick up Dad / and you—
TAMMY: Don’t you have some tables to wait on?
(Pause. Troy exits.
Tammy falters, struggling to collect herself. Cole reenters.)
COLE: Lydia, just take me back to the home.
(Pause. Tammy goes back to her table.)
TAMMY: I’m not Lydia.
COLE: What?
(Pause.)
TAMMY: You just called me Lydia. I’m Tammy.
COLE: I didn’t call you Lydia, I’m not an idiot.
(Becky comes out of the kitchen to clear a table, notices the carafe of wine is now empty. She looks at Tammy.
Nick and Kelly enter. Nick goes to Becky.)
NICK: Hey, could you let Eddie know his brother’s here?
BECKY: Okay. (Points to a table) You can sit there if you like.
NICK: We’re fine, thanks.
(Becky exits.)
KELLY: You okay?
NICK: Yeah, I just—. I hate being late to the airport, I don’t like worrying / about—
KELLY: We have plenty of time, what are you talking about?
(Eddie reenters.)
EDDIE: Hey! You guys made it, I’m so glad!
NICK: Hey, Eddie.
(Eddie motions to an empty table.)
EDDIE: Here, take a seat.
NICK: Oh, we—. I mean you’re busy, we don’t want to / bother you—
EDDIE: It’s like three thirty, the place is almost empty, it’s fine. And I made something special for you guys.
KELLY: I’m hungry.
NICK: Kelly—
KELLY: Well I am! I want to eat something before the flight anyway.
EDDIE: Okay, just—take a seat.
(Eddie moves to the table, pulling out a couple of chairs. Kelly sits.)
NICK: All right, we just—we don’t have much time, okay?
EDDIE: This’ll be quick?
KELLY: That’d be great.
(Eddie exits.)
We’ll be quick.
NICK: We really don’t have time for this, we’re going / to—
KELLY: Nick. This is important to him, you know that. (Pause) Look I know this isn’t fun for you, but you can’t keep / just—
NICK: You don’t really—. Kelly, you don’t understand.
(Max enters with the bottle of rosé and a wine glass and pours a glass for Tammy.)
TAMMY: Thank you.
MAX: Sure.
(Pause.)
NICK: I’m sorry, okay? I just—. I don’t want to be here.
(Pause. Max finishes pouring, exits.)
KELLY: He’s really just trying, you know?
NICK: I know he’s trying, he’s always trying.
(Doris enters, sees Nick and Kelly, and approaches their table.)
DORIS: Hello Nick, hello Kelly. I thought you had a flight this afternoon.
NICK: Hey, uh—what’s going on?
DORIS: I don’t know what you’re asking me.
NICK: Eddie told you to come here too?
DORIS: He called me last night, I think he said it was your idea.
NICK: My idea?
DORIS: Well I don’t know, he just told me to come here and I’m here, I’m just doing what I’m told!
KELLY: We get to see you before we leave, I think this is nice.
DORIS: Sure.
(Isabelle enters, brings them glasses of water.)
ISABELLE: Welcome back, guys! Eddie’s really glad to have you all back here.
DORIS: I suppose you’re still out of gluten-free pasta.
ISABELLE: Sorry!
DORIS: Honestly.
ISABELLE: Can I get you anything else to drink?
KELLY: I’d / like—
NICK: We’d just like to order I think.
(Kelly looks at him.)
ISABELLE: Oh. Actually—Eddie’s got something special for you, I just wanted to see if you wanted any wine or pop or / coffee—
NICK: We’re not—. We’re actually on our way out of town, is this gonna take a while?
ISABELLE: I don’t—think / so?
KELLY: I’m fine with water, thank you.