MMaddie and Sharon walk back from the office smiling and laughing.
M= I swear, I don't know how I never fired him... actually, I must have fired him. I can't remember anymore...… and when did I make him a partner? I must have been someone very terrible in my last life!
Sharon laughs. They walk in together. Herbert immediately buzzes David's office. David walks out smiling and looking at Maddie and Sharon's faces.
D= Well, the girls are back from gossiping.
Maddie turns to Sharon.
M= Early afternoon is my favorite time to ignore him.
Sharon laughs and walks up to David and kisses him. Maddie does not look at David, but instead walks right into her office. Later that day Agnes walks in.
A= Miss Hayes.
M= Yes.
A= Good news about the Larry Rosner case. Herbert says that the word around his modeling agency is that he may be seeing more than one of the models.…
M= Oh Agnes! I don't like this case. This man is an old friend of mine. I feel like I'm betraying him. But I guess we'll have to look into it.
A= And I wanted to ask you for a favor.
M= What's that?
A= Herbert and I haven't been spending a lot of time together. He's been working hard and I've been going with you to the club.… I thought that maybe we can get off work early and go out or something.
Maddie looks up and smiles at Agnes. Sometimes Agnes is the only one she can talk to and the only one she can trust. And she fears that sometimes she forgets that.
M= Oh of course Agnes! You've been great to me... a real friend... without you, I don't know if I'd have the guts to be singing at a club or starting a new relationship. In fact, I want you and Herbert to leave now and take tomorrow off.
Agnes smiles with glee.
A= You're the best, Miss Hayes!
M= Agnes, we've known each other many years. Do you think you could call me Maddie?
A= Miss Hayes, you'll always be Miss Hayes to me.
Maddie smiles.
M= Agnes, how do I sound... on stage?
A= Great, Miss Hayes.
M= Sometimes I feel silly... at my age... looking like an old girl following a childhood dream or something.
A= Honestly Miss Hayes. Sometimes when I see you up there... I get a tear in my eye. You make things seem possible. You solve crimes during the day and sing at night. When you first came here, I thought you'd be out the next day. Here in the office, we all thought that you were too pretty to sit in this office helping people, solving crimes... and Mr. Addison... I don't think he ever thought you'd stay either.
Agnes stops when she says this. She is careful not to appear too sentimental about David. Sometimes it appears that Maddie and David are her divorced parents and she has to be careful not to bring up the past. But she can't help asking one more thing.
A= When do you think he'll see you sing?
Maddie looks up and contemplates, at a loss for words.
M= I don't know. I think if he sees me, it'll ruin his belief that he's the only fun I could ever have.
Agnes laughs.
A= I don't think he ever believed that.
M= Anyway, what do you think of Sharon?
A= She's okay. She really seems to like him... and hang on his every word.
M= Maybe she's still waiting for him to say something intelligent.
Agnes smiles.
A= Maybe.
Maddie can't help but bring up this topic of conversation. Agnes seems to be the only person that she can talk about David with and be completely honest... maybe even more than her shrink.
M= Do you know what Sharon told me?
A= What?
M= That Mr. Addison hasn't (long pause)... slept with her yet. Don't you find that unusual?
A= Yeah. A little.
M= They've been seeing each other for weeks... and they have a history and more than once, he's alluded to them having sex, but she told me that he's been nothing but a gentleman!?
A= That is a little strange. Are you wondering why?
M= Why what?
A= Why they're not...?
M= Well... a little.. Sharon seems to think that he's changed a lot since the last time they... that he's more mature... that he's trying to build something with her. I think it's nice.
A= What's nice?
M= That he's changed.
A= He hasn't changed. He's just... I don't know... he's always kinda... dedicated... when he's in love.
M= Agnes, you don't have to avoid certain topics with me. The truth is, I hope that David and I are both better people after knowing each other. When we were together, nothing was really that great. I don't think David ever acted like such a gentleman with me. I don't mean that in a bad way, but just... sometimes it just seemed like it was all about sex. Sharon seems like the girl he deserves.
A= I guess.
M= You guess what?
A= Oh nothing... just that I think you and Mr. Addison were a nice couple.
M= We were never really a couple.
A= I know. But you know what I mean. I think Mr. Addison has always been a gentleman.
Maddie smiles at first at the absurdity and then at the truth of Agnes' statement.
M= What do you think of Paul?
A= He's nice. He seems to really like you.
Maddie blushes.
M= Yeah he does. And I really like him. Does he ever remind you of...
She stops what she is about to say. Sometimes Agnes can't hide her feelings and she wouldn't want to keep bringing David up because then she might act weird around him.
M= ...of that action star? The one in that movie about the terrorists in that building.
A= Oh.. him? Yeah, a little.
M= I really like him Agnes. I thought at first that he was just cute. But he's... I never dated anyone like him... he's very romantic, but he's not fake about it. He genuinely likes moonlight dinners and things, but it's not just about that. He takes me to fun places too. And he doesn't just listen to what I say. He challenges me when he disagrees. So many men just pretend like they're interested to get you into bed.
A= Oh, I miss that.
Maddie is surprised.
M= You miss the single scene?
A= Oh, no! Sometimes I miss it, but most of the time I'm thankful I don't have to do it anymore. I mean... getting to know Bert was one of the best things, but sometimes... when I'm just tired and cranky... it's good to know we don't have to talk or pretend we're something we're not. Those are good times.
Maddie thinks about it as if she's almost jealous.
M= Enjoy your day off Miss DiPesto. And don't tell David or anyone in the office about what Sharon told me. It would ruin David's reputation.
Agnes smiles.
M= I swear, I don't know how I never fired him... actually, I must have fired him. I can't remember anymore...… and when did I make him a partner? I must have been someone very terrible in my last life!
Sharon laughs. They walk in together. Herbert immediately buzzes David's office. David walks out smiling and looking at Maddie and Sharon's faces.
D= Well, the girls are back from gossiping.
Maddie turns to Sharon.
M= Early afternoon is my favorite time to ignore him.
Sharon laughs and walks up to David and kisses him. Maddie does not look at David, but instead walks right into her office. Later that day Agnes walks in.
A= Miss Hayes.
M= Yes.
A= Good news about the Larry Rosner case. Herbert says that the word around his modeling agency is that he may be seeing more than one of the models.…
M= Oh Agnes! I don't like this case. This man is an old friend of mine. I feel like I'm betraying him. But I guess we'll have to look into it.
A= And I wanted to ask you for a favor.
M= What's that?
A= Herbert and I haven't been spending a lot of time together. He's been working hard and I've been going with you to the club.… I thought that maybe we can get off work early and go out or something.
Maddie looks up and smiles at Agnes. Sometimes Agnes is the only one she can talk to and the only one she can trust. And she fears that sometimes she forgets that.
M= Oh of course Agnes! You've been great to me... a real friend... without you, I don't know if I'd have the guts to be singing at a club or starting a new relationship. In fact, I want you and Herbert to leave now and take tomorrow off.
Agnes smiles with glee.
A= You're the best, Miss Hayes!
M= Agnes, we've known each other many years. Do you think you could call me Maddie?
A= Miss Hayes, you'll always be Miss Hayes to me.
Maddie smiles.
M= Agnes, how do I sound... on stage?
A= Great, Miss Hayes.
M= Sometimes I feel silly... at my age... looking like an old girl following a childhood dream or something.
A= Honestly Miss Hayes. Sometimes when I see you up there... I get a tear in my eye. You make things seem possible. You solve crimes during the day and sing at night. When you first came here, I thought you'd be out the next day. Here in the office, we all thought that you were too pretty to sit in this office helping people, solving crimes... and Mr. Addison... I don't think he ever thought you'd stay either.
Agnes stops when she says this. She is careful not to appear too sentimental about David. Sometimes it appears that Maddie and David are her divorced parents and she has to be careful not to bring up the past. But she can't help asking one more thing.
A= When do you think he'll see you sing?
Maddie looks up and contemplates, at a loss for words.
M= I don't know. I think if he sees me, it'll ruin his belief that he's the only fun I could ever have.
Agnes laughs.
A= I don't think he ever believed that.
M= Anyway, what do you think of Sharon?
A= She's okay. She really seems to like him... and hang on his every word.
M= Maybe she's still waiting for him to say something intelligent.
Agnes smiles.
A= Maybe.
Maddie can't help but bring up this topic of conversation. Agnes seems to be the only person that she can talk about David with and be completely honest... maybe even more than her shrink.
M= Do you know what Sharon told me?
A= What?
M= That Mr. Addison hasn't (long pause)... slept with her yet. Don't you find that unusual?
A= Yeah. A little.
M= They've been seeing each other for weeks... and they have a history and more than once, he's alluded to them having sex, but she told me that he's been nothing but a gentleman!?
A= That is a little strange. Are you wondering why?
M= Why what?
A= Why they're not...?
M= Well... a little.. Sharon seems to think that he's changed a lot since the last time they... that he's more mature... that he's trying to build something with her. I think it's nice.
A= What's nice?
M= That he's changed.
A= He hasn't changed. He's just... I don't know... he's always kinda... dedicated... when he's in love.
M= Agnes, you don't have to avoid certain topics with me. The truth is, I hope that David and I are both better people after knowing each other. When we were together, nothing was really that great. I don't think David ever acted like such a gentleman with me. I don't mean that in a bad way, but just... sometimes it just seemed like it was all about sex. Sharon seems like the girl he deserves.
A= I guess.
M= You guess what?
A= Oh nothing... just that I think you and Mr. Addison were a nice couple.
M= We were never really a couple.
A= I know. But you know what I mean. I think Mr. Addison has always been a gentleman.
Maddie smiles at first at the absurdity and then at the truth of Agnes' statement.
M= What do you think of Paul?
A= He's nice. He seems to really like you.
Maddie blushes.
M= Yeah he does. And I really like him. Does he ever remind you of...
She stops what she is about to say. Sometimes Agnes can't hide her feelings and she wouldn't want to keep bringing David up because then she might act weird around him.
M= ...of that action star? The one in that movie about the terrorists in that building.
A= Oh.. him? Yeah, a little.
M= I really like him Agnes. I thought at first that he was just cute. But he's... I never dated anyone like him... he's very romantic, but he's not fake about it. He genuinely likes moonlight dinners and things, but it's not just about that. He takes me to fun places too. And he doesn't just listen to what I say. He challenges me when he disagrees. So many men just pretend like they're interested to get you into bed.
A= Oh, I miss that.
Maddie is surprised.
M= You miss the single scene?
A= Oh, no! Sometimes I miss it, but most of the time I'm thankful I don't have to do it anymore. I mean... getting to know Bert was one of the best things, but sometimes... when I'm just tired and cranky... it's good to know we don't have to talk or pretend we're something we're not. Those are good times.
Maddie thinks about it as if she's almost jealous.
M= Enjoy your day off Miss DiPesto. And don't tell David or anyone in the office about what Sharon told me. It would ruin David's reputation.
Agnes smiles.