The Curse of Curves

SCENE 2

At RISE:          [Upscale restaurant. Evening/night, around 7:00 p.m. on a Friday in October. EVA and SEAN are sitting facing each other at a table. Menus are in front of them.]

EVA
What should we do this weekend? I think there are some new movies out that looked good. We could get a newspaper and see.

SEAN
I was thinking about doing something a little more… social?

EVA
Like what?

SEAN
Like, say… going to Kensington to meet my family?

EVA
[EVA has a look of surprise on her face.]
You want me to meet your family?

Only if you want to. I asked-- well, I thought— but if you’re not ready, I don’t want to pressure you into doing it.

EVA
[Laughs excitedly.]
Oh my gosh! No, it’s no pressure. I would love to meet your family! I— this is-- it’s good, right? That we’re taking this step?

SEAN
[Takes EVA by the hands and laughs softly.]
Yeah, it’s very good. I’ll call my parents tonight when we get back to the apartment and let them know we’re coming.
[Squeezes EVA’S hands.]
I’m really excited for this.
EVA
[Smiles.]
Me too.
[ACE enters upstage left. ACE is escorted to a table by server. EVA sees ACE enter, and squints looking at him.]
Is that… no, it couldn’t be.

SEAN
What?

EVA
That man that just walked in looks an awful lot like―
[ACE looks around and sees EVA staring at him. He smiles at her.]
Oh my gosh, it is! My ex, Ace just walked in.

SEAN
[Laughing.]
The “we’re a reflection of each other” guy?

EVA
That’s the one. What do I do?

SEAN
Uh… just casually look away like you were looking at something else that was near him.

EVA
[Becomes wide-eyed.]
Oh no.

SEAN
What?

[ACE gets up from his table and walks towards EVA.]

EVA
He’s coming over!
[Messes with hair.]
How do I look? Is my hair okay? My make up splotchy?
[ACE stands next to their table.]
Hi Ace!

ACE
Hey Eva, it’s good to see you.
[Takes one of EVA’S hands and gently kisses it.]

EVA
You too. My gosh, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?

ACE
Almost 2 years.

EVA
That long? Wow, time sure does fly!
[Giggles uncomfortably. SEAN coughs loudly drawing attention to himself.]
Oh, how rude of me. Ace, this is my boyfriend Sean. Sean, this is my-- this is Ace.

ACE
Nice to meet you Sean. You’ve got a real catch on your hands.

EVA
[Giggles.]
Oh stop it, Ace.
[Looks past ACE like she is looking for someone.]
So, are you here with anyone?

ACE
No, tonight I’m flying solo.
[Clears throat.]
I’m in a pretty serious relationship though. My girlfriend and I just moved in together last week.

EVA
Congratulations. How long have you two been going out?

ACE
Three weeks.

SEAN
Three weeks? You sure you know each other enough to be moving in together? That’s kind of a big… leap, don’t you think?

ACE
We’re both in a really comfortable place right now and we thought it would be to drag things out, so we went for it. We bought a condo down near Providence.

EVA
That’s a nice area.
[Begins moving chair closer to SEAN’S.]
Since you’re already over here and we haven’t ordered yet, why don’t you join us?

SEAN
What?

ACE
I wouldn’t want to impose…

EVA
It’s really no problem.

SEAN
Maybe for you.

EVA
[Shoots SEAN a glare that silences him.]
He can eat with us Sean. It won’t hurt.

ACE
Thanks.
[EVA moves her seat closer to SEAN’S. ACE takes a chair from an empty table and sits where EVA was.]
So, what have you been up to, besides the… new boyfriend?

EVA
Well, I took a position at Melvont Middle School teaching the sixth grade.

ACE
Really? Whatever happened to you going into psychology?

EVA
Oh well, it wasn’t as interesting as when I first started. Teaching sounded fun and rewarding. In all honesty though, at the time I made the decision, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go through the hassle of switching majors.  Luckily, I had Sean here who gave me the extra push I needed. I love teaching and working with the kids. You can really make a difference, you know?

ACE
Can’t disagree with happiness. What about you Sean? What’s your line of work?

SEAN
Psychology.

ACE
If you don’t mind me asking, why are you in psychology and Eva’s teaching now?

SEAN
Like she said, the passion wasn’t there for her anymore. I still love it though, so―

ACE
[Punches SEAN in the arm jokingly.]
You sure it wasn’t that you didn’t want a little competition?

SEAN
No, I’m not like you.

[ACE and EVA both become noticeably tense. SEAN remains calm. There is an awkward silence. EVA is the first to speak.]

EVA
[Laughs nervously.]
So, enough about me. What have you been up to?

ACE
I’ve been working at my father’s firm as junior partner. Actually, I’m working on a pretty high profile case right now. You might have heard about it. It’s the Lawson case.

EVA
That sounds familiar, but I can’t place it.

SEAN
It was on the news. Jake Lawson murdered his wife after she found out he was cheating on her.

EVA
I remember hearing about that now. What a strange twist. It’s tragic, of course. Very tragic.

SEAN
Are you prosecution or defense?

ACE
Defense.

SEAN
Why such a high profile case?

ACE
Those are usually the cases that my father’s firm works on.

SEAN
Just because your dad does it doesn’t mean you have to.

ACE
I guess I just haven’t had a problem with taking those kinds of cases.

EVA
It must be an honor to work on something as big as this.

ACE
It is, and that’s why I if I sink the case, I’ll get senior partner.

EVA
Oh, how wonderful! You’re father must be feeling very—

SEAN
Guilty?

ACE
Excuse me?

SEAN
Is he guilty?

ACE
I’m not in the position to share that information.

SEAN
[Sarcastic.]
Well, if he really is guilty of killing his wife, why would you, a truthful, moral, justice seeking guy defend him, right?

ACE
[Hesitantly.]
…Right.
[ACE’S beeper goes off. Takes it off his belt and looks at it.]
Looks like they need me at the office. I’m going to have to cut this short.
[Puts his beeper back on his belt and gets up from the table. He kisses EVA on the cheek.]
It was wonderful seeing you again, Eva, and… good meeting you, Sean.
[Reaches out his hand for SEAN to shake it.]

SEAN
[Stares at ACE’S hand, but doesn’t shake it.]
Bye.

[ACE slowly puts his hand in his pocket, embarrassed. Turns and exits upstage left.]

EVA
What was that all about?

SEAN
[Picks up the menu in front of him and looks at it.]
What was what all about?
[Puts menu back down on the table. Stares at EVA.]
What did you want me to say to him?

EVA
A decent goodbye would have been nice.

SEAN
Yeah, well I don’t think he was too hurt by my refusal to shake his hand.

EVA
[Sighs.]
Just because he wasn’t the most likeable person to have a conversation with didn’t give you reason or right to act the way you did.

SEAN
[Puts down my
I knocked him down a few pegs, so what. Humility is an excellent quality. You’d figure with all that education he’s got, the guy would know that.

[SEAN picks menu back up and looks at it. EVA sits back in her chair and fold hers arms across her chest.]

EVA
I see what’s going on here. You’re jealous.

SEAN
[Puts menu down.]
Of who, Ace?


EVA
Why else would you act like that?

SEAN
Maybe because I found it a little strange how cuddly you were with a guy you haven’t spoken too highly about since we’ve been together.

EVA
Don’t you dare put this on me. I’m not the one who acted like a jerk.

SEAN
At least I didn’t play nice with one.

EVA
What was I supposed to do, Sean?
[Pauses then shakes head at SEAN.]
I wasn’t going to ignore him!

SEAN
Why not? It wouldn’t have been that hard.

EVA
He saw me looking at him. If I would have ignored him, it would have come off like I was rude!
[Takes a deep breath, calming herself.]
What am I doing? I don’t have to explain myself to you. And I’m not going to get into an argument over some guy who isn’t even in my life anymore. I’m more mature than that. So, if you can’t get past this, then maybe we should just go home… our own homes.

SEAN
Fine by me. I’ve lost my appetite anyways.

EVA
Fine.
[She gets up out of her chair, pushes it in roughly, and begins walking upstage left.]

SEAN
[Grabs EVA’s elbow.]
Wait— I’m sorry. You’re right. I acted a little—

EVA
Immature?

SEAN
Yeah.

EVA
Are you really sorry? Because I’m serious about us Sean. I want us to work, but the way you acted there with Ace is just how Ace used to act when I talked other guys. That’s the reason why… I dumped him. I can’t be with another guy like that. I just can’t.

SEAN
I want to be with you too, Eva. I only acted like that because-- well, because I love you. He hurt you before and I didn’t want him to hurt you again.

EVA
It means a lot that you’d do that for me, but I’m a big girl. I can handle myself.


SEAN
How about we make a deal. If you forget about how stupid I acted, we can go home-- together-- and I’ll make us dinner. Deal?

EVA
[Kisses SEAN on the cheek.]
Deal.

[BLACK OUT.]