Dara comes storming out of the bedroom, Dudley close behind her.
Dara
This will NEVER happen again!
Dudley
But . . .
Dara
Promise me.
Dudley
But . . .
Dara
Promise me! Say the words, Dudley, say the WORDS.
Dudley
I promise . . . to love you forever and ever.
Short pause.
Dara
Those arent the RIGHT words, Dudley!
Dudley
I know.
Dara
Those ARENT the WORDS I wanted to HEAR, Dudley!
Dudley
I know, Dara, but . . .
Dara
Those words arent even CLOSE to the WORDS you should be saying to me RIGHT NOW!
Dudley
I know, but . . .
Dara
THOSE WORDS, those are the words that are fucking us up. It is those particular words that are at the heart of our problem, Dudley, those are the PROBLEM words. Now, I need you to listen to me, right now, because this is very important. Look at me. You cant ever, ever say that to me, ever again. Promise me that you will never speak those words to me, Dudley, please. Promise.
Dudley
I cant do that.
Dara
God DAMN it, Dudley!
Dudley
I cant and I wont.
Dara
Honey . . .
Dudley
I wont. Im done pretending.
Short pause.
Dara
Why are you trying to ruin this? We got a good thing going here, dont you think? Dont you enjoy our weekends together?
Dudley
I do enjoy them, more than anything else in the world.
Dara
Then why are you so bound and determined to fuck the whole thing up?
Dudley
Dara, I love you.
Dara
Stop it. Im going to pretend you didnt say that.
Dudley
And I know that you love me.
Dara
You dont know half of what you think you know.
Dudley
I feel it and I know you feel it.
Dara
You can feel it all you want, you just cant say it.
Dudley
Why cant I say it?
Dara
Because I cant do this then, Dudley, thats why. I cant.
Dudley
Why not? Its real, you know its real.
Dara
Well see, Dudley, heres the thing, if we dont say it, then we dont really know for sure, do we? You can suspect its real, and I can suspect its real, and in the back of our hearts and minds when were out having dinner or holding hands or making love, we can maybe even suspect and pretend that its real together, we can do that in a safe, unspoken way. We can do that. Its safe, because it might or might not be real. We can pretend it is and we can also pretend that it isnt. Thats very important. But once you say the words, once you put it out there, theres no pretending anymore. Once you say the words its either real or its not real.
Dudley
So?
Dara
So in order for me to do this, I need to be able to pretend.
Dudley
Pretend . . . pretend that it is or that it isnt?
Short pause
Dara
I need to be able to pretend that . . . it isnt. I have to.
Dudley
Thats why you want me to promise I dont even when I do.
Dara
You have to promise me.
Dudley
Im tired of promising that I dont and wont. I said it. I mean it. Its real.
Brief pause. Dara sighs.
Dara
Well. It is now.
Dudley
Where are you going?
Dara
Im leaving.
Dudley
But we have the whole weekend yet.
Dara
You should have thought about that before you opened your mouth.
Dudley
Youre leaving, does that mean . . . are you saying . . . its over, everything, the two of us?
Dara
What do you think?
Short pause.
Dudley
You dont want to go, you dont want to leave me.
Dara
I do a lot of things I dont want to do, Dudley.
Very brief pause
Dudley
Ill tell.
Dara
Who are you going to tell?
Dudley
Who do you think Im going to tell?
Brief pause. Dara lets out a scream.
Dara
Oh MY GOD, I cant believe this is happening, I am such a Goddamn fucking IDIOT, I should have KNOWN THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN! We should have never gone to the gym and worked out together that time, thats what did it, you in those workout tights, me and my endorphin rush. God damn it! I knew it would be a mistake, I knew it! Fucking younger men! FUCK!
Dudley
Im sorry, but I cant let you do this. This is too real to walk away from.
Dara
You are twenty-two years old, Dudley, twenty-two! The sum total of what you know to be real is jack fucking shit! Goddamn it, why am I such a dumb bitch, why!
Dudley
Youre not that much older than me.
Dara
The difference between twenty-two and twenty-nine is a lifetime, Dudley.
Dudley
You were twenty-two when I met you.
Dara
And like I said, the sum total of what a twenty-two year old knows is jack fucking shit. This is all my fault.
Dudley
Dont leave. Stay with me. Not just tonight or the weekend. Stay forever.
Dara
I cant leave him.
Dudley
He doesnt appreciate you. He doesnt treat you right.
Dara
Listen to me. I cant leave him.
Dudley
I dont think he even likes you.
Dara
Listen to the words coming out of my mouth. I cant leave him. I cant and I wont. Im ending this. I should have ended it a long time ago. I shouldnt have even let it start. Its my fault.
Dudley
You cant end it, you cant.
Dara
I have to, honey.
Dudley
No! Ill tell!
Dara
You wont tell him.
Dudley
I swear to God Ill tell him, I fucking mean it!
Brief pause.
Dara
And what do you think hes going to do, Dudley, clap you on the back and say, "Well hell, thanks for telling me you were fucking my wife, lets have a drink?" This is a confrontation youre proposing. Hes going to be angry. Hes going to be really angry.
Dudley
I can handle him angry.
Dara
I dont think youre ready for this kind of angry. Were talking anger of biblical proportions here, were talking the wrath of Moses on the Egyptians here. Thunder, lightning, locusts and plague, thats how hes going to descend on you and me, both of us. Thats the reality. He will never forgive you.
Dudley
Hell forgive me.
Dara
Hes a husband whos wife youve been having an affair with, he cant forgive you.
Dudley
Hes my father, he has to forgive me.
Short pause.
Dara
He wont. He wont forgive you or me.
Dudley
He will. Ill just tell him that were in love, real love.
Dara
And thats why he wont.
Dudley
He will. Ive thought about it. He will.
Dara
Dudley.
Dudley
What?
Dara
I dont love you.
Dudley
You do.
Dara
No Dudley, I dont. I dont love you.
Dudley
You dont mean that.
Dara
Listen to the words. I said it, now its out there and its real. I dont love you.
Dudley
Youre just pretending. This is one of your safe pretend things.
Dara
Its not pretend.
Dudley
You even said that you needed to be able to pretend that it isnt, which means . . .
Dara
Which means I had an excuse. Listen to me. I dont love you. I never did. This was just a fling, a Mrs. Robinson fantasy fling I had because I was bored and lonely. Im a miserable, sexually unfulfilled woman taking advantage of an attractive younger man. Im your stepmother for Christs sake! If I really cared about you at all I wouldnt have put you in this position. So dont do this. Not for me. Im not worth it. Telling him is not going to change the fact that I dont love you. Im sorry. I was pretending that I did because it was fun and felt . . . good, it felt really good. Pretending to be in love with you was a real rush and thrill, but the reality is that I am not. I am very sorry.
Pause. Dudley gets up and slowly walks toward the door. He stops and looks at her.
Dudley
I wont tell. I should but . . . I wont.
Dara
Dudley . . .
Dudley
Im just going to pretend the whole thing . . . never happened. Thats what Im going to do. Pretend.
Dudley slowly exits. Dara puts her head in her hands.
End of play
"Pretend It Is" IS COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL AND MAY NOT BE DOWNLOADED, TRANSMITTED, PRINTED OR PERFORMED WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR
"Pretend It Is" debuted January 17, 2003, performed by Peter Stoll and Christy Klein.