Tom sipped his tea and sighed. Sitting on his favourite couch with his feet up on the table, still wearing lounge pants, an old t-shirt and a comfy pair of socks. Not usually his well-groomed attire but today he could not be bothered.
He was just beginning to run through his mind if there was anything important he was supposed to do that day, when he heard the front door open.
"Tom? Are you here?"
Damn. He'd forgotten Julia was due over. And now she'd look at him and work out what was going on. He said nothing and waited for the inevitable.
"I've had an idea for a number to go in the middle, it should help with that transition from…" she walked through the door, caught sight of Tom and stopped. "Oh Tom. He broke up with you didn't he?"
Tom shrugged. "Yeah. Yeah he did."
"Oh sweetie, I'm sorry." Julia sat on the couch and put a hand on Tom's shoulder. "Are you ok?"
"Yes." he looked at her and gave a small smile. "I'm more resigned to the fact than anything else, really. I don't feel too upset about it."
"Tom you're sitting here in your your sleepwear at ten in the morning, so it's clearly effecting you. How many times have you listened to it?"
"Excuse me?"
"How many times, Tom?"
"Julia I don't do that any more I'm an adult…"
"Tom…"
"Only twice."
"Well that's a start." Julia patted his shoulder. "I seem to remember having to confiscate your Les Mis cassette when you broke up with Scott as I thought you were going to wear the thing out. And the 4th floor of the dorm were about to kill you if they heard "Empty Chairs At Empty Tables" once more."
"It's a good song"
"Not when you have to listen to it 36 times in a row it's not."
"You're funny. And this is an interesting way to console me over my relationship break up!"
"Ok ok." Julia took Tom's mug of tea from him. "Go shower and get dressed, and we will write. That always works."
"So, these extra lines will lead in to the song at the beginning of the second scene, it just seems to make more sense that way."
"That was my longest relationship."
"Pardon me?"
"Five months. That was my longest relationship."
"Oh." Julia sat in the armchair next to the piano. Tom turned to face her from his position on the piano bench.
"Julia, when you were 35 how long had you been married to Frank?"
"I don't know…10 years? Maybe more?"
"Exactly. And my longest relationship is five months. That's not good, right?"
"So what happened?"
"I don't know." Tom stood and began pacing the room. "The last month and a half were just…nothing really. I don't know why we even stayed together as long as we did, it just seemed to have already played itself out." He stopped and looked at Julia, his hands on his hips. "I'm bad at relationships."
"Sweetie," she said as she stood and walked towards him "you are not bad at relationships." She took hold of Tom's hands. "You are a kind, loving, sweet man. The right person just hasn't come along yet." Tom rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Tom, the guy you end up with will be lucky to have you. You just haven't met the one who deserves you yet." Tom smiled.
"That's incredibly corny but very sweet." He kissed Julia's cheek. "C'mon, let's get this thing written." He sat back down at the piano.
"Ok, but I'm taking you for cocktails later." She resumed her position at the side of the piano. He turned and smiled up at her.
"And that is why I love you."