“Why you in so much pain?” (scene excerpt) Miles is struggling to pay his bills & is confronted by the motel manager over rent for his room.

KAREN tosses a set of keys to MILES who doesn’t catch them. MILES bends down in pain and comes back up with the keys.

KAREN: Why you in so much pain?

MILES: It’s nothin’. Nothin’.

KAREN: Is that blood on your trousers?

MILES: What? Where? (he inspects his pants leg) Oh! Oh, I guess that’s from..yeah, they uh, I’ll be alright.

KAREN (sympathetically): Why don’t you go on up to your room and have a nice hot bath.

MILES: That’s music to me ears.

MILES gestures to take the stairs.

KAREN: You forgetting something.

KAREN sticks her hand out for the money.

MILES: Right, right…

MILES shuffles to the front desk and pieces together his cash to hand to her.

KAREN: All of it.

MILES: I need seomthing for food, don’t I?

KAREN: I’ll fix you some breakfast in the morning…give it all.

MILES: Okay, fine. With potatoes?

KAREN: Uh-huh.

MILES: Bacon?

KAREN: Yep.

MILES: Sausage?

KAREN: Fine. Now get lost.

MILES (he laughs): That’s my lady of the house! (he jokes)

KAREN: Go on upstairs ‘fore I change my mind.

MILES: I love ya. I do, I do, truly I do.

KAREN: There’s some hot tea over there if you wanna help yourself to some.

MILES: Tea? Since when we got tea in this slum?

KAREN: Since I decided it’d be a nice gesture.

MILES (teasing): You, nice?

KAREN (wisely): Quit while you’re ahead Mr. Miles.

MILES: I know it. How far ahead I am, one never knows…

MILES makes his way up the stairs.

MILES: Night lady of the house.

KAREN: Night Miles…

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In the one act eplay Better Days, motel owner Karen wants her money from live in room member Miles.  1 Woman, 1 Man.  Drama/Serio-comedy.

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