A short drama scene from the one-act play script, “Naked To The Eye,” wherein Antoine tries to get a rent payment extension.

MRS. BUGLEY: Antoine, is it? In apartment D9?

ANTOINE: Yes.

MRS. BUGLEY: If I let you pay me this Thursday, then every other tenant is going to expect the same sort of treatment…do you think that’s fair on me?

ANTOINE: No one would need to know.

MRS. BUGLEY: Are you expecting me to lie?

ANTOINE: Lie to who?

MRS. BUGLEY: Do you expect me to act like our little deals don’t happen?

ANTOINE: Who would be concerned about it?

MRS. BUGLEY: You haven’t been around long enough to know that the walls speak, they talk to one another and travel from room to room, they cross streets and travel on roads and public transportation and infect all the buildings I own with a virus and before long I will find myself experiencing a pandemic on my hands of nonpaying customers. I am an old woman, but I am certainly not dumb. This sort of thing, these favors if you will, they make everyone lose. You lose your stature as an honorable man, I lose mine as an investor…all because you asked for a miserable three day extension. The repercussions are detrimental to the flow of economics and it’s people like you who get in the way of its commerce. No, no, the best thing for us to do is to part ways. Besides, you are already given an extension by grace, which ends today, which means you are indebted to me and I can take you to court. I will have to do the filing today. It’s a good thing you called me this early in the morning so that I may contact my lawyer who handles such matters for me, specifically for people who cannot be upstanding citizens, such as yourself.

ANTOINE: I am an upstanding citizen. No need to insult me.

MRS. BUGLEY: The court will decide.

ANTOINE: Wait! Please. I will get you your money…today. It will be sent out today.

MRS. BUGLEY: I would receive it today?

ANTOINE: I will personally drop it off to you.

MRS. BUGLEY: I’ll give you until three this afternoon to do so, if not, I will be forced to call Mr. Matthews.

ANTOINE: Mr. Matthews?

MRS. BUGLEY: Best lawyer in town.

ANTOINE: I see. No need for that.

MRS. BUGLEY: Good.

MRS. BUGLEY hangs up her phone.

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In the one act eplay Naked To The Eye, Antoine has again failed to make his rent on time and he pleads with his landlord Mrs. Bugley to give him an extension to pay.  1 Woman, 2 Men.  Drama.

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