Me, myself and I

"So why did you do it then, Suzan?"

"Do what, Brad? What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

"No I don't"

"Yes you do."

"I don't want to play this game, why did you do it again?"

"I'm tired of playing this game too."

"Then don't play it."

"I'm not playing a game, Brad. What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about. It's about him."

"It's always about him."

"Yes, I know. It's always about him."

"I'm sick of talking about him."

"Apparently not."

'What?"

"Apparently not."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Apparently not; he keeps calling and you keep talking to him."

"Well, what do you want me to do?

"You don't know?"

"What do you want from me?"

"It's always 'what do you want from me' when you change the subject. "

"Well, what do you want from me?"

Silence.

"You don't even know what you want from me, Brad."

"What I want from you is to stop talking to him on the phone."

"It's just talk."

"No it's not."

"What is it then? Just because he calls doesn't mean he wants to sleep with me."

"Oh yes it does. There is no other reason for him to call."

"Well, I don't want to sleep with him."

'Then why are you talking to him?"

"Oh please."

"No, not 'oh please'. Don't blow this off. "

"It's just talk."

"What I want from you Suzan, is for you to invest some time in this relationship."

"It's always about my past."

"You always say that."

"Well, it's true isn't it? I can't change my past."

"I don't want you to change your past; of course you can't change your past."

"You want me to be ashamed of it."

"No. You know that's not true.

"Good, because I'm not ashamed of it."

"I don't expect you to be."

Silence.

"Like you don't have a past, Brad."

"It's not about my past."

"Your past is a lot more extensive than mine."

"It's not about my past and don't turn this around."

"What is it about then?"

"My past doesn't constantly interfere with our present. Does it?"

"Look, I can't help if he keeps calling me."

"But you keep answering the phone."

"Look, you knew I wasn't a virgin when we got involved."

"It's not about that."

"What is it about Brad?"

"It's about the fact that you keep answering the phone when he calls."

"What am I supposed to do, not answer the phone?"

"Don't even go there with that stupidity."

"No, tell me, am I not supposed to ever answer my phone again?"

"I'm not saying for you to never answer your phone again."

"Good, because it's 1990, not 1890, women don't just automatically do what men tell them to."

"I'm not telling you what to do."

"You just told me to not answer my phone."

"When he calls."

"How am I supposed to know who's on the other end?"

"What?"

"How am I supposed to know who's on the other end?"

"What?"

"It's a simple question, how am I supposed to know who's on the other end?"

"I'm not saying to never answer your phone again."

"Are we in a time loop?"

"What?"

"Now, let me spell this out for you, how - am - I - supposed - to - know - who's - on - the - other - end?"

"It's not about that."

"Then what's it about?"

"You keep talking to him."

"He keeps calling me."

Silence.

"Just hang up on him."

"You want me to just hang up on him?

"Yes, just hang up on him."

"I don't just hang up on people."

"Because you like talking to him."

Silence.

"You like talking to him, don't you?"

"Is this an inquisition?"

"Now you're changing the subject. "

"I'm always on trial with you."

"That's it, Suzan, deftly change the subject."

"Deftly?"

"Yes, deftly, Suzan, you're deftly changing the subject."

"You speak to old girlfriends."

"Not since I've been with you and if I did it wouldn't be consistently. And stop changing the subject."

"I can't help if he keeps calling me."

"But you can help if you stay on the phone with him."

"What do you want from me, Brad?"

"I want you to stop talking to him."

"Look, it's you I love."

"You're changing the subject again. I want you to hang up when he calls."

"He never meant anything to me."

"You always say that. Think about it for a second."

"What?"

"Think about what you just said."

"What about it?"

"You just said 'he never meant anything to me'."

"He didn't."

"So, you're constantly hurting me over something that never meant anything to you. You're hurting me over nothing."

"That doesn't even make any sense."

"You're hurting me over nothing; so how much do I mean to you then?"

"I love you."

"If you loved me you wouldn't talk to him on the phone."

"I can't help if he calls me."

"Jesus, Suzan-"

"Don't get angry."

"Don't get angry?"

"Yes, don't get angry."

"How would you like it if an old girlfriend kept calling me?"

"You don't have a phone."

"You know perfectly well what I mean. If I did have a phone."

Silence.

"You'd lose your shit, wouldn't you Suzan?"

"Yes, I'd lose my shit."

"Now we're getting somewhere."

"Look, I think he just gets drunk and wants to talk."

"He has a girlfriend doesn't he?"

"Yes, I think her name's Bonnie."

"How do you know her name?"

"He told me."

"Why doesn't he call her when he's drunk?"

"I don't know. I think he just likes talking to me."

"How would you like- no, Jesus, how many times must we go down this road?"

"I'm getting tired of it too."

"Then stop talking to him.

Silence.

"Suzan, we've had this same conversation over and over again."

"I'm not sleeping with him Brad."

"But you did."

"Yes, I did."

"It's not about you sleeping with him."

"Then what's it about?"

"What are we doing here again? We're here again because he constantly calls you and you constantly take the call. Next time he calls I want you to hang up on him."

"I have and he calls back."

"Then hang up on him again."

Silence.

"Look Suzan, I'm at the end of my rope with this. How many times must we go down this road and have this conversation?"

"I'm at the end of my rope too."

"You say that every time we talk about this."

"It's true."

"Then stop talking to him."

"Maybe if I just met with him and had a face to face."

"You've said that before and it's out."

"Why does it have to be out? I can look him in the eye and end it once and for all."

"I thought he meant nothing to you."

"What?"

"You said he meant nothing to you but now he means enough that you need to meet him in person and have a face to face."

"Why do you say that so sarcastically?"

"What?"

"Face to face. You say that like you're making fun of me."

"Oh this becomes about me now. Again."

"You don't have to make fun of me Brad."

"I'm not making fun of you; and I'm sick of going down this road over and over again."

From down the hall there are footsteps. Brad listens as the footsteps make their way down the hall and stop at the door. The door opens and Suzan, blonde hair in a ponytail walks in. "Who were you talking to Brad?"

"No one. Sit down. We have to talk."