Lovers and Other Strangers Page #4

Just your type.

- I don't like to gamble. - Why don't you

take her for a drink tonight?

- Okay, if you think I can score.

- That's entirely up to you.

- What's up to him?

- Where they meet.

She can meet you tonight.

She better not be a dog.

There's 10,000 chicks waiting for my body.

Where?

You tell her where. Here's Brenda.

Hello, Jerry. This is Brenda.

- Hello, Brenda. This is Jerry.

- Where?

- The action place.

- Where?

Alan's on Greenwich Street. 9:00 sharp.

Fine. Bye, Jerry.

He has a strong voice.

Very masculine.

What'll it be?

A gin and coke.

- Together?

- Yeah.

Smooth.

- Jerry?

- Brenda?

Come on. Let's go over to the bar.

- All right.

- All right, Brenda?

It's very nice of you to ask me for a drink

when you don't know me.

A man's got to gamble.

Excuse me.

- What are you going to have?

- Same as you.

Same.

So you're Susan's cousin?

We're close. We went through

the Columbia riots together.

- You went to Columbia?

- No, I was just an outside agitator.

That's heavy.

There's a table.

Come on, we'll be more comfortable.

I'll get the drinks.

Excuse me.

Excuse us.

Here we are.

This is much more intimate.

I love out-of-town weddings, don't you?

The ride over, the sleepover...

- Mike and Susan are really lucky.

- In a way...

but I'm not sure if I dig

the whole marriage scene.

It's all right for some people, I guess.

But I don't know if it's today.

You know what I mean, "today"? Today.

Today is, you live free. Man, woman, love...

You don't need a diploma, do you?

In a way you might be right.

This friend of mine was going

with this Cuban guy...

who knew this girl who had a friend

who used to date Che Guevara.

He was really down on marriage, too.

- Did you see the movie?

- No.

- Me, neither.

- I think he made a mistake.

- Che?

- No, the bartender.

- He put in gin instead of rum.

- No, that's what I ordered. Gin and coke.

Have you always been single?

Name me one married couple

you know that's happy.

The Burtons.

- You know the Burtons?

- Not exactly...

but one day

I was sitting in Ryker's Restaurant...

and her chauffeur came in

to get her a container of coffee...

and I saw her sitting in the limousine.

Let me tell you something.

She looked very content.

I never take a blind date. Never.

But this time I'm glad I did.

You're even better than Mike said you were.

You know what you are?

- You're not disappointed?

- Not me. No, sir.

- My God.

- What's the matter?

I left the gas on in my apartment.

The whole apartment is liable to blow up.

Do you mind?

I don't know how I could have done that.

- Did you read this month's Cosmopolitan?

- No.

Helen Gurley Brown

says that if you go to a man's apartment...

after just beginning a relationship,

you're just asking for trouble.

- Really?

- But I don't agree.

How can you generalize

about a thing like that?

Right.

Who you are, who the person is,

and what your particular needs are...

can't help but color your true feelings.

- That's why I'll wait for you out here.

- What?

- I'd rather wait for you out here.

- Why?

I don't feel like going

to a person's apartment...

when I hardly know the person.

Not that anything's going to happen.

It's just the idea of the thing.

- You know what I mean.

- But I told you, it's just the gas.

Gas. Really, how corny can you get?

Corny? You smoking? No smoking inside.

Move out of the way.

Cover yourself.

The whole building could blow up.

You ready?

My God! It is gas.

It's lucky we came back.

- I'm sorry. I thought...

- No, I understand.

What a nice decor.

Sends off very good vibrations.

Very masculine. How much?

- $165.

- Gas and electric included?

Yes.

As long as we're here,

why don't we sit down for a while and talk?

- About what?

- Life.

Life? Okay.

- Can I make you a martini?

- No, thanks. I had enough at the bar.

How about some pistachio nuts?

They're very good.

- How do you feel about pot?

- Pot?

I definitely think it should be legalized.

The only reason

I personally don't take it...

is because I don't think

a person should use an outside stimulus...

when they could be turned on by the world.

Brenda, let me tell you something about pot.

When you take it...

your taste buds become so vividly sensitive

that a grapefruit tastes like caviar.

Your whole ability to touch, to love,

to see, to understand...

to feel, to know, is magnified...

till you could split the universe open

like a walnut...

and know its secrets.

- Okay, let me have some.

- I don't have any.

I had some. I used it this morning

when I was cooking.

Because of the fuzz. Didn't want them

to catch it. I made an omelet.

Do you believe the man is the love object

and the woman is the other?

What?

Did you read

The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir?

- No.

- That's what Simone says...

but I don't agree.

Why do I have to be the other?

I have as much right

to be the love object as the man does.

- What do you think?

- Okay.

- Is your building rent-controlled?

- No.

- How much do you pay?

- $150.

Could you please take your hand off?

I'd like to cross my legs.

Brenda, take off your clothes.

Take off all your clothes.

- What? You kidding?

- I'm kidding. Of course I'm kidding.

Can I speak frankly?

This friend of mine was going with this chap

she picked up in Central Park, at the zoo...

and she spent the whole weekend with him.

It was a very full two and one-half days.

You know what I mean by full?

Full? Yeah. You mean full.

Right. The sexual thing was there...

but don't get me wrong,

so was the spirituality.

- Did you read The Prophet by Khalil Gibran?

- No.

"I am you, and you are me, and we are one. "

They were one.

At his house, her house,

all over town, they were one.

He was supposed to call her Monday.

A whole week goes by and he doesn't call.

So next Friday she bumps into him again,

same place, in front of the snake house.

So he says, "Let's go to my place. "

Can you imagine?

When he hadn't even called?

- Terrible.

- It was a very full two and one-half days.

But you want

to hear something really depressing?

Not only didn't this guy call her,

he never even bought her a coke.

I could never respect a man like that.

- You know what I mean, Jerry?

- Yes.

- Do you?

- Yes.

Brenda, where are you going?

What are you doing? What's the matter?

- Will you take me home, Jerry?

- But why?

I don't want to end up like my friend,

the one in the zoo.

But we were having such a nice time.

Okay.

- You don't have to take me home, Jer.

- No, that's all right. That's okay.

I do like you, but this is our first date...

and I don't believe

in fooling around on the first date.

That may be old-fashioned,

but those are my values.

- You understand?

- Of course I understand. I respect them.

After all, there are more important things

in life than sex.

Thank you, Jerry.

I know we met just a couple of hours ago,

but just what do I mean to you?

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