Permission Page #2

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about this the whole time?

- No.

- About... About...

- No, I just...

- ...my crush on Teddy Fredricks?

No, I'm just curious.

I was just curious.

- What do you mean?

- Hmm?

What do you mean

you're curious?

- Yeah.

- Are you asking asking?

Hmm?

I don't know.

No, I...

I'm just...

Maybe.

I'm just...

I don't...

[Scoffs]

[Car alarm wails in distance]

[Door closes]

Will:
Why'd you say

that sh*t last night?

I don't know.

I'm sorry.

It was f***ing stupid.

I was very drunk. I'm sorry.

Sorry about Reece last night.

He had a...

- Oh, whatever.

- Yeah.

He had a lot to drink

before we went out.

- No. Really?

- [Laughing] Yeah, he did.

How many guys were you

with before Hale?

I have no idea.

Well, like, a number.

More than you, considerably

less than a thousand.

- And Hale was the best?

- No.

Anderson Cooper...

avarice bottom.

It doesn't bother me.

I know he was joking.

Will:
You never think about

being with anyone else?

No, not really.

Not seriously, no.

I mean, with Hale,

it's comfortable.

There's common cause.

That's everything.

It's not like I feel like

I'm missing out or whatever.

Will:
Shotgun in your mouth,

if you live till you're 90,

Hale is the last person

you'll ever f***?

Yeah.

Gun in my mouth,

I say absolutely.

Ow.

Ooh.

- Yep. Yeah.

- Ooh.

There's

a little more to go.

[Both grunting]

There you go.

Good job.

[Piano music plays]

[TV news chatter]

You think it's, like,

fate, what we have?

Hmm?

What?

Nothing.

[Sighs]

Will:

How's the sushi?

Am I holding you back?

What?

Do I...

[Sighs]

Are you satis...

satisfied w-with... with me?

I'm sorry. [Chuckles]

I don't understand.

[Sighs]

Look, you have one life,

and I would never, never,

never want to stop you

from doing something

if, when.

Theoretically,

it would be okay, I think.

It would be...

I think I would be okay.

Can you say what you mean?

[Mid-tempo music plays

on stereo]

I think that you should

sleep with other women.

I mean, just if we're...

if we're

gonna be together

forever...

You think I want to?

[Clears throat]

Look.

I know how much you love me

and always will,

so why shouldn't you,

right?

I mean, if I love you

as much as I do,

then I shouldn't

be threatened by that.

- I couldn't be. I mean, I know it's just...

- Do you want to?

I don't know.

[Glass shatters]

[Somber music plays]

- Monogamy is stupid, okay?

- Uh-huh.

That is... That is the part

of what you said

- that makes sense, okay?

- Right.

Not that I... I mean, no,

but you...

- [Siren wails]

- You're... You're right.

- It's... It's bad design.

- Sure.

At least,

it defies all logic.

It's just... It's just crazy

that w-we've never

- talked about this, that's all, you know?

- Right.

I mean, we just did

what we were supposed to.

- Yeah, 'cause we were so youn.

- Right. How did we know?

I don't want you to want me

because you have to, you know?

I want you to want me

because you want to,

not because

I-I own your body.

Well, you can own

a little bit of it.

You think I want

to own a little bit of it?

[Melancholy piano music

plays]

[Dog howls]

[Espresso machine hissing]

[Pleasant music plays

on stereo]

Okay, so, look.

Last night, that was weird.

Yeah.

Are we gonna try it?

Okay, if we were gonna

do it, what we...

what would

we even call it?

An open relationship?

No.

The relationship's not open.

- No. No.

- The relationship's just you and me.

Right.

That's what I meant.

You can just f***

other people.

Ah.

As could you,

obviously.

I don't think

it's gonna work.

Well, why not?

Uh, human nature,

thousands of cautionary tales

preceding you.

That's not us.

How come this

has never come up before?

Been with each other

for, like, a billion years

and never thought about

f***ing someone else?

Well, no, of course

I've thought about it.

I've been attracted

to other people.

God, you've only been with,

like, one person

your entire life.

Ugh! It's biblical.

It's Shari'a.

Fidelity has value.

It's why it's such

a common measure

- for evaluating a relationship.

- [Sighs]

I get that you want

to evolve beyond jealousy.

I don't think it's possible.

You want to be with Reece

forever.

Is that a question?

Do you?

No.

I would like

to be with Reece

for as long as we make

each other happy.

But yes, given that,

forever is ideal.

You remember

Shannon and Jeremy, right?

They had, like,

an open relationship.

Yeah, in college.

Yeah, and they're still

together.

They have kids now

and everything.

- Doesn't count.

- [Scoffs]

- You're still attracted to Will, right?

- Yeah, of course.

- Anna?

- Yes.

And the sex

is still good?

Yes.

I mean... I think.

- [Sighs]

- You think.

Will:

You are saying

that with all the years

you've spent with Hale,

everything you...

you have together,

the love,

the trust between you,

the intimacy,

shared belongings,

your life, everything,

is so fragile

that if he were to sleep

with someone just once,

it would erase

everything you've built?

- Yes.

- That's ludi... That is ludicrous.

Why is it such a threat?

'Cause he's mine.

You sound like a child.

That is a child's answer.

William,

I love you dearly.

This is very stupid.

I'll see you tomorrow.

[Hale whistles]

Go get him.

- What's his name?

- Oh, it's Bowzer.

He's a little rowdy,

but he's a good boy.

I meant, um...

- Oh. Yeah, Aidan.

- [Laughs]

- He's darling.

- Thank you.

This is actually

the only place he sleeps,

but Bowzer likes it,

too.

Mm.

You got any kids?

Uh, no.

No.

Uh, too busy.

I run a garden center.

- Oh.

- Plants.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

It's like having

a bunch of kids, right?

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, well,

your dog's like a kid.

Axel, yeah,

he's my sister's.

Oh.

I'm Hale.

- Hi. Glenn.

- Hey.

[Machine clanks]

Sh*t.

Again?

Third time this year.

I hate this machine.

[Upbeat music plays on stereo]

Hi, there. Let me know

if you have any questions.

It's incredible.

The smell.

Oh, that? That's cedar.

He's, uh... He's sanding.

Well, I can smell it

all the way down the block.

Oh, really?

I have an exceptional nose,

though.

Oh.

Looks like it.

That's a...

It's a great nose.

[Laughs]

Did you make this,

this table?

Yeah, the two of us

make everything

right here

in this store.

Pretty impressive.

Thank you.

Is that your boyfriend?

That?

No, that's my... my partner.

My... My business pa...

He's my best friend.

- [Machine whirs]

- That's very cool.

[Chuckles]

Very, very beautiful.

Wait.

Uh...

Want to take

a piece of this?

You know, you can burn it

like... like incense

if you need a fix.

[Laughs]

That's very sweet.

[Sniffs]

Thank you.

- All right.

- I'll do that.

I'll see you around.

Enjoy.

Thank you.

You too.

Bye.

Yeah, I want you

to understand...

Reece:

I loved that.

Of course.

What?

It was great!

There was so much talking.

I cried twice.

[Laughing] I know.

You're so emotional.

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