Julie

by Polly Stenham

  Julie When? When did you feel like that?

  Jean I’d been driving your father for a few months. Then one day he invited me inside the house. He’d never done that before. Normally I’d wait outside but. This time he took me into the drawing room. From the window I could see the garden. It seemed to stretch forever. I thought how could anyone have so much land in a city. How is that possible?

  Julie The garden joins the Heath. It doesn’t all belong to us. That would be ridiculous –

  Jean The sun was so bright that day. The garden. The colours. It looked like Eden.

  Your father could see me staring. He told me I could take a look around the garden. I thought he’d come with me but then the phone rang and he waved me away. I walked out of the garden doors and down the stone steps. I walked down the path and I saw the summer house. I didn’t know what it was for, but I had never seen such a beautiful building. A building just for. Pleasure. The door was left open. I sneaked in and saw that the walls were covered with photographs. I felt strange being in there alone. As if I was hiding. As if the people in the photographs were watching.

  Julie Maybe you were.

  Jean What?

  Julie Hiding.

  Jean I stepped outside again. I thought I’d come to the end of the garden. I was about to turn back to the house but then I saw more steps. They were almost hidden. I stepped down them to see a whole second tier of garden more wildly planted then the first. And in the middle of this, almost secret garden. I saw you.

  The sunlight cut across your face.

  You were.

  Julie What?

  Jean Half smiling.

  I had never seen someone look so –

  Right.

  Julie When was this?

  Jean I told you. When I first started.

  Julie I never use the garden. I wonder what I was doing there.

  Jean There were pieces of paper haloing your head.

  Julie Ah. I was still writing.

  You should have said hello. Introduced yourself.

  Jean I didn’t want to ruin it.

  Julie Ruin it?

  That’s a strange way to put it.

  Pause. She comes closer.

  It must have been hard for you.

  He seems about to say something but doesn’t. Small pause. When he speaks he sounds almost amused.

  Jean Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality that guarantees the others.

  Julie Plato.

  Jean Aristotle.

  Julie Well-read too.

  Jean Is that a surprise?

  Julie No.

  Jean It is, isn’t it?

  Julie No, it isn’t.

  Jean Yes, it is.

  Julie Don’t.

  Jean I listen. I learn a lot from listening.

  Julie Do you sit there in the car listening to what we say?

  Jean Wouldn’t you?

  Jean Once I heard you and your friend …

  Julie Oh no –

  What did you hear?

  Jean That would be telling.

  Julie Oh God.

  Jean It wasn’t that bad.

  Julie Good.

  Jean Although it was a little loose.

  She’s hurt, he tries to backtrack.

  It made me think.

  Julie What?

  Jean Perhaps there’s not such a big difference between people as one thinks.

  Julie steps towards him seductively.

  Julie (under her breath) It’s all a construct.

  He steps back.

  Let’s go up on the roof and watch the sun rise.

  Jean No.

  Julie Why?

  He doesn’t reply.

  Why?

  Jean You should go to bed.

  Julie Is that an order, sir?

  Jean Go to bed.

  Julie Are you ordering me?

  Jean Go.

  There is a sudden eruption of noise outside. A gang of Partygoers have been swimming in the pool and are returning. They are calling for Julie.

  Julie Hide.

  Jean I’ll get rid of them.

  Julie No, I don’t want anyone to know I’m still here.

  Jean Why?

  Julie Because then they’ll want to stay.

  Jean I’ll tell them to go.

  Julie No. They’ll leave if they can’t find me. Just hide.

  Jean makes for the door.

  Julie grabs his hand and pulls him towards her.

  Please.

  Jean Promise –

  Julie I swear.

  She pulls him into another room. They kiss. The sex unfolds as the last of the Partygoers enter the kitchen. They raid the drinks and finish the drugs. Eventually one gets a text about another party. The door slams. The stage is empty for a few moments.

  Kristina enters. She sees that the kitchen is empty but Jean’s phone is on the table. One of Julie’s shoes lies abandoned on the floor. Kristina follows a sound into another room. She sees Julie and Jean. She re-enters the kitchen. After a moment she takes Julie and Jean’s glasses and washes them. She puts them to dry by the sink. She exits, taking her coat with her.

  It is starting to dawn outside. The room slowly fills with light over the rest of the scene.

  Julie enters. She sits down at the table. She reaches for her cigarettes; the pack is empty. She sees a halffinished one in the ashtray. She picks it out and lights it. Inhaling gratefully. Jean enters. She stubs it out.

  Pause.

  Julie What are we going to do?

  Jean I don’t know.

  Julie Maybe we should run away.

  Julie If this was a story we’d run away.

  She is searching the room for more cigarettes. No luck.

  Jean Where?

  Julie Far.

  Jean Cape Verde. Have you ever been there?

  Julie No.

  Julie Is it beautiful?

  Jean Very.

  Oranges on the trees.

  Julie (slightly mocking reference to earlier) Eden?

  Jean Close enough.

  Julie What will we do there?

  Jean Buy some land. Build something. A restaurant maybe.

  Julie A restaurant?

  Jean Why not? New faces all the time, never a minute looking for something to do. It wouldn’t be boring. There’s always something to do when you run a restaurant –

  Julie Do you say this from experience?

  Jean I’ve worked in a lot of places.

  Julie What would I do? At this restaurant?

  Jean You’d be the face of the place.

  Julie Oh really …

  Jean You’d lure people in with your beauty. You’d suggest drinks and choose the music. You’d never get a single song wrong. You’d be the soul, the beating heart. Every morning we’d walk straight from the kitchen on to the beach, then to the boats to choose fresh fish. You’d choose the most beautiful. The biggest. The heaviest. Pearly-scaled and dripping in my arms. Sand. Flashes of sun. You. Barefoot. A queen.

  Julie You’ve thought about this, haven’t you?

  Jean We could get a plane in a few hours. We could be there by tonight.

  Julie Do you love me?

  Jean I want to.

  Julie What does that mean? I thought you were ‘sick’ from the heartbreak of not having me? What the hell does that mean, you ‘want to’?

  Jean It means I can’t love you in this house. Not properly.

  Julie Why not?

  He gestures around him.

  Explain.

  Jean Your father.

  Julie What about him?

  Jean It wouldn’t work.

  Julie What do you think he is? Some sort of …

  Jean What?

  Julie Tory?

  Jean raises his eyebrows.

  He’s socially liberal.

  Jean It just wouldn’t work.

  Julie Why?

  Jean We could all pretend it would. But it wouldn’t. Not
really. Not properly.

  Julie Then I do have a better opinion of people than you do.

  Jean Are you surprised?

  She doesn’t respond.

  Look. Today I’m this. But by next year we could have a successful restaurant, then ten years after that we could be living off my investments.

  Julie God. You’re serious.

  Jean Do you think I’m happy to settle just for this? This job is only a step. I’m saving money to buy land. Once I buy land I’ll build, once I’ve built I’ll employ people, once I employ people –

  Julie You’ll be like me.

  Jean I’ll never be like you.

  Julie Why?

  Jean Because I’ll have earned it myself.

  Julie If that wasn’t so utterly true I’d be offended.

  Jean Why did you think we came here? For the weather?

  Julie Honestly, I hadn’t given it much thought. I was too busy gagging on my silver spoon.

  Jean Tell me what you thought.

  Julie I don’t know, I thought maybe you were sending money home to family or something.

  His eyes widen.

  What?

  Jean Flies on the face. Dust. Is that what you imagine?

  Julie That’s not what I said.

  Julie Stop looking at me like that.

  Jean Like what?

  Julie I don’t know. Like that.

  Jean We could do something real together, you know. Make something. Build something.

  Julie How much have you thought about this?

  Jean I’m allowed to plan my future, or do you employ my imagination too?

  Beat.

  Julie Could you love me?

  Jean Yes.

  They move towards each other. A moment’s pause.

  What do you think?

  Julie Of what?

  Jean Of my suggestion? Of leaving tonight.

  Julie It was my suggestion actually.

  Jean What do you think?

  Julie I like it. I like it very much.

  Beat.

  We could go before he gets back. Before she wakes up.

  He nods, she smiles, a flash of excitement between them. It’s all possible.

  How much money would we need? To start this place?

  Jean Not that much. Compared to here. It’s cheap there.

  Julie Have you got any?

  Jean Land?

  Julie Money.

  Jean I have other capital.

  Julie What exactly?

  Jean My skills, my experience –

  Julie You can’t buy a plane ticket with ‘experience’.

  Jean Which is why I seek a partner who can advance the funds.

  She realises. Small pause.

  Julie Where will you find one at such short notice?

  Jean You must have –

  Julie What? Have what? Ready cash? Connections?

  He says nothing.

  Why do you think I’ve moved back home? Do you think I’m back sleeping in my childhood bedroom because I’m such a success? Do you think this is a choice? Do you think if I had any money of my own I’d still be here?

  Jean You can’t have nothing at all.

  Julie He’s not stupid. Anything I’ve inherited is in a trust. I can’t touch it. I need permission.

  Jean Can’t you get permission? Ask for some. If it’s your money –

  Julie The entire point of a trust is to stop me doing something rash. And this might be the dictionary definition of ‘rash’. Besides the process takes weeks. At least.

  Jean Well then …

  Julie Then?

  Jean Things stay as they are.

  Julie But we can’t. This can’t continue. If we stay here. It wouldn’t be …

  Jean What?

  Julie Realistic.

  Jean Because I’m …?

  Julie Because you have a girlfriend. Sorry, a fiancée.

  Jean That’s not what you meant.

  Julie It is.

  Jean You meant something else.

  Julie No I didn’t.

  Jean You did. What did you really want to say?

  Julie Nothing.

  Jean That’s not true.

  Julie IT FUCKING IS.

  Jean Calm down.

  Julie Excuse me?

  Jean We need to calm down.

  Julie Okay. Yes. Okay.

  Jean Be rational. Practical. Make a plan.

  Julie Rational? You want a rational experience, do you? Nothing about any of this is rational, you’re through the looking-glass now, and so am I –

  Jean Sit down.

  Julie Don’t talk to me like that.

  Jean Here, have a drink.

  He pulls out the hidden wine.

  Julie Where did you get that wine from?

  He doesn’t respond.

  Is that my father’s Château Latour? You didn’t buy that.

  He doesn’t respond.

  Even I don’t touch that.

  Jean Which just proves you have no taste.

  Julie (light) Thief.

  Jean (light) If I’m a thief so are you.

  Julie (light) Excuse me?

  Jean What we just did to her is theft. Is it not? In a way.

  Julie doesn’t respond.

  You don’t agree?

  Julie Do you think I treat her badly? I do not treat her badly.

  He raises his eyebrows.

  Aside from tonight. I have not, I have never. I’ve treated her as much like a friend as I … I mean we’re practically the same age, I’m aware, I try to be aware of –

  Jean She’s not your friend.

  Julie Well, no one is my friend according to you.

  Jean I don’t think you read people very well. Or maybe it’s that you choose not to. I can’t work it out.

  Julie People are just people –

  Jean And staff are just staff.

  Julie gestures around her.

  Julie (desperate) This. This is not my fault.

  He suddenly notices their two glasses have moved and are now washed up on the side of the sink.

  Jean Did you move those?

  Julie What?

  Jean Those, our glasses, did you move them to the sink?

  Julie I don’t know. Maybe.

  Jean Did you or didn’t you?

  Julie I was looking for cigarettes. I moved some things. I don’t know.

  Jean Could she have …

  Julie No. I’m sure it was me.

  Jean Are you?

  Julie You could have asked him, you know. For the wine. If you wanted it so badly. I’m sure he would have –

  Jean Stop talking. Please.

  She does.

  Are you sure it was you?

  Julie Yes.

  Beat.

  Jean You know I wouldn’t ever take something someone had only a little of. I wouldn’t take something anyone would even notice being gone.

  Julie You don’t have to excuse it.

  Jean Why?

  Julie Because I get it –

  Jean No, you don’t –

  Julie I get doing something you shouldn’t just to feel a little better, a little more yourself. I’m practically Olympian at it.

  Jean Why are you so unhappy?

  Julie Goodness. Could that sentence drip with more contempt? You didn’t even try and hide it.

  Jean I’m curious.

  Julie No, you’re not. You’re just looking for more reasons to find me pathetic and ridiculous and therefore absolve yourself of any responsibility –

  Jean Responsibility for what?

  Julie Of fucking me for my money. Shake me and I rattle. Is that what you think? Go on. Try. Shake me.

  Jean Stop –

  Julie Shake me –

  Jean Acting like that.

  Julie Like what?

  Jean Like there’s something wrong with you.

  Julie I don’t understand what you –

  Jean It justifies your selfish behaviour if th
ere’s something wrong with you, doesn’t it? It gives your actions some meaning and there’s nothing worse than no meaning, is there? That’s when the real fear starts. Because you’re shapeless, aren’t you? Sort of pointless. And it’s terrifying.

  Julie (heated) Is that your opinion?

  Jean Yes.

  Julie Is that your armchair analysis?

  Jean Yes.

  She’s close to him now.

  Julie Did it ever occur to you?

  That maybe I slept with you –

  Even closer.

  (Practically spits the words.) Because I wanted to.

  Beat.

  I think you’re afraid of me. Of this. You’re afraid. You’re afraid and it’s pathetic.

  Jean I’m not afraid.

  I feel sorry for you. I actually do.

  I felt sorry for you then, too.

  Julie When?

  Jean Lying at the bottom of the garden. You thought you looked like you were in some sort of painting, didn’t you? One of the oils in your father’s study. Pre-Raphaelite. When actually you looked like any other lazy overgrown woman child. Asleep with her mouth open and a cigarette burning. Asleep on a Monday afternoon.

  Julie You’re lying.

  He doesn’t reply.

  Stand up when I speak to you.

  Get up.

  GET UP.

  Jean (urgent, glancing at the door) Lower your voice.

  Julie I’m your employer. Stand up when I speak to you.

  Jean Your father’s my employer. Actually. Either way though, I could tell on you.

  Julie For what?

  Jean gestures at the drugs.

  Jean It could make the papers. With a name like yours. See. We can both pull rank.

  Beat.

  Darling.

  Julie You wouldn’t dare.

  Jean Wouldn’t I?

  I’ve seen how you’ve looked at me. Over the years. You look at me like I’m simple. Like I’m an animal. Like you know what I want. So you play with it. Me.

  But it’s never occurred to you, has it, that I can play with you too?

  And you act like I’m the crude one. I’ve never met anyone who acted like you did tonight. I’ve seen animals with more dignity …

  He tails off.

  Julie (crushed) Go on.

  Finish.