How do I know you ain’t settin’ me up?
In the dramatic scene Crimson, Chuckie tries to convince Holly to go out with him for a cup of coffee before their business exchange.
HOLLY: And what if you don’t end up liking me?
CHUCKIE: We part ways then.
HOLLY: You’ll follow me.
CHUCKIE: What for?
HOLLY: If I don’t like ya, you’ll want to know me to find out why I don’t like ya.
CHUCKIE: Listen, how ’bout this? I won’t expect nothin’ from you, and you don’t expect nothin’ from me, no harm will be done.
HOLLY: I should be getting back. I shouldn’t have come here.
CHUCKIE: Wait, wait. I’m glad you did. I’ll charge ya half for the piece…if ya have one cup of coffee with me…I’ll only charge ya half price.
HOLLY: I don’t trust you.
CHUCKIE: That’s okay.
HOLLY: It’s not okay.
CHUCKIE: You’ve got nothin’ to lose.
HOLLY: I’m not afraid of you.
CHUCKIE: Okay.
HOLLY: I read minds.
CHUCKIE: …Even better.
HOLLY: Is it now?
CHUCKIE: Yeah.
HOLLY: Why’s that?
CHUCKIE: We can make money together.
HOLLY: I’m being serious.
CHUCKIE: So am I!
HOLLY: I’m not making any money with you.
CHUCKIE: Hold on! What am I thinkin’ now?
Chuckie closes his eyes and then opens them.
What’d ya get?
HOLLY: You’re asking me for a cup of coffee.
CHUCKIE: Wow!
HOLLY: ‘Cause you think I’m pretty.
CHUCKIE: That’s right.
HOLLY: That the only reason?
CHUCKIE: I’d, I’d like to get to know ya, maybe find other reasons.
HOLLY: Why?
CHUCKIE: Curious about you.
HOLLY: WHY?
CHUCKIE: Well, you stand out. You don’t seem like someone who fits in with Pedro’s world, or my world for that matter. Where you from?
HOLLY: Idaho.
CHUCKIE: I rest my case.
HOLLY: You’re not so funny, you know.
CHUCKIE: I’m the one on the hook. I’m selling you the goods. How do I know you’re not tapped?
HOLLY: Tapped?
CHUCKIE: Wired. How do I know you ain’t settin’ me up?
HOLLY: I don’t even know you.
CHUCKIE: Perfect excuse. If you look at it from my perspective, I oughta walk away from you here and now. I never seen ya before. I’m goin’ off Pedro’s word, which isn’t sayin’ a lot. You could be the sting.
HOLLY: The sting.
CHUCKIE: That’s right. Sting of the operation.
HOLLY: You have quite the imagination.
CHUCKIE: I’ve seen it happen too many times before.
HOLLY: OVER A GUN?!
CHUCKIE: SHHH! SHHH! Not so loud!
HOLLY: Who cares? I’ll take my business elsewhere.
CHUCKIE: All I’m sayin’ is that I have a bigger risk trusting you than you do trusting me. Maybe you’re tryin’ to get your boyfriend a lower sentence.
HOLLY: I don’t have a boyfriend.
CHUCKIE: Maybe you got caught with some stuff, and you wanna reduce your own sentence by getting’ me locked up.
HOLLY: I don’t do drugs.
CHUCKIE: Whatch ya want a gun for, huh? Clean cut gurl like you. What trouble you mixin’ in?
HOLLY: None of your business.
CHUCKIE: I know things, too.
HOLLY: What things do you know, boy?
CHUCKIE: Chuckie.
HOLLY: What?
CHUCKIE: My name is Chuckie. You’re Idaho Holly, right?
HOLLY: That’s right.
CHUCKIE: They told me about your brother.
HOLLY: What’d you hear?
CHUCKIE: I heard some things.
HOLLY: What did you hear?
CHUCKIE: He’s on the lam.
HOLLY: He is.
CHUCKIE: Know where he’s hidin’?
HOLLY: You think I’d tell ya?
CHUCKIE: I’m not askin’ cause I’m a rat. Ain’t nothin’ lower than a rat. I was only askin’ ya is all.
HOLLY: Why do you care so much?
CHUCKIE: I don’t.
Holly walks away.
HOLLY: I was right about you.
Chuckie pursues her.
CHUCKIE: Forget the coffee, alright?
Holly stops.
Forget it. I know I ain’t ya type, so why bother?
- To read the full one-act ePlay, find purchase link below:
In the one-act eplay Crimson, Holly meets with Chuckie in order to make an exchange, but Chuckie wishes to take her out for a cup of coffee. 1 Woman, 1 Man. Drama.
