Please Do

Bobby: I suppose I do.

Elaine: Suppose? So, once again you’re not at all certain.

Bobby: I don’t know. I don’t really want to be having this conversation. Not really. Let’s play some pool or go get ice cream or something like that. This is…. Well, it’s making me feel awkward. I don’t want to…. I don’t know. It’s not easy.

Elaine: Could you be any more vague?

Bobby: Well, yes, but I won’t because… Ok, I’ll stop being immature and belligerent for a moment. I obviously like you or we wouldn’t spend as much time as we do together. But, I don’t know if I can ever say “I Love You” to you. Three words, simple words, I’m aware, but so much else goes along with them. If I say them I want to be sure that I mean them, and that we can…. Spend all that time together and know it wasn’t a waste of our time.

Elaine: Bobby, what are you so tortured about? What has you withdrawing further and further into the shadows of obscurity every time we talk?

Bobby: I don’t know what you mean. I’m just very…. Maybe I overanalyze too much…. I never learned proper social skills…. I’m dull or too shy….. Or, how about some darts? Or we could just snuggle for a while. That’s always fun.

Elaine: Not right now. Maybe later after you can adequately explain to me why you cannot say those words to me. I’ve said them to you, and I know I mean them. True, I don’t know why I do but maybe we don’t always have to know why we feel or do some of the things we do and say. I like you, I love you, dear, and I know it’s true. It doesn’t matter how long it’s been. Every once in a while someone comes into our life and we know that we love them and that the times we have together will be great. Maybe it sounds too clichéd and fairy-tale-like to be true, but maybe those clichés exist for a reason. Namely so when two people meet and love one another, they can simply say it to each other, and stop hemming and hawing about reality and existence, and the afterlife. You’re exhausting and you constantly get on my last nerve with your whining, you stubborness and your plethora or neurotic tendencies, but, baby, I really love you.

Bobby: Okay, well, that’s….. Wonderful feeling, obviously. I’m…. But I’m….. It’s a lot of commitment and I’m terrified and I have, as you said, so many insecurituies and neroses that it could cause many issues that may lead as far as death… too extreme, perhaps, obviously is more like it. But, there may… possible, that you really love me because you see past all my faults and such and see that I have the potential or really am a nice, funny, caring, sweet sort of guy who may be able to provide for you as soon as I get the memo that I need to be doing better. But at this moment I’m feeling that going that far, by saying, well, you know what, could be taking everything a little too far. I’m terrified as I said earlier and I think we need to figure out a few more things before we go too much further with all this. But, maybe darts or cake would do the trick… A convenient little diversion….

Elaine: Ok, let’s go out. We’ll talk about a few other things. But, then, we must return to this topic because its really what all of this is about.

Bobby: Ok… now to decide what to do.

Elaine: Movie. Play. Concert. Eating. Bar. No. Yes. What do you say?

Bobby: I could… well we have the TV here, but there’s never anything on these days. Not that there ever has been ,but that’s a story for another day. As I said we could snuggle or we could make out, but I don’t know, we need a little more interaction than just necking every moment we see each other.

Elaine: Why are you so terrified to say it?
Bobby: Ummm well… No, that’s not to be…. I can’t do it… I’m not ready. I wasn’t even sure I was ready for this relationship but I must say you really made me feel that I needed to start becoming more affectionate and open with all the feelings and inner torments I had been battling with well since I was a child because I couldn’t get out of all of those inadequate little monsters and vampires that were persistent in their attacks on my psyche and all.

Elaine: Bobby, you’re still just…. Talking in circles, avoiding, avoiding, avoiding everything that’s supposed to being discussed here because…. Well I don’t know why. I realized a while ago that as much as I loved you I can’t say with any honesty that I know much about you. And I find that very sad because I like you… Love you so very much but maybe you’re too far gone in fear and insecurity to ever see any of this, and maybe you’re right maybe both of us are wasting our time constantly because… again, I don’t know because I thought we had something special and real… whatever those words mean, and we were going to go places, do things and constantly enjoy each other’s company instead of always questioning the validity of the feelings we had for each other. But you want to believe that maybe everything you’re feeling and I know you’re feeling it, that it is wrong, misguided, silly, plain wrong, whatever, but maybe you need to stop all these doubts and just realize that for whatever reason what we have right now is very wonderful and will continue to be so for a long time to come because that’s just the way things are.

Bobby: Nothing profound to say. When nothing profound has been said, nothing new, nothing exciting. I have been told when those times occur that’s when the real wisdom of the ages, all the true universal truths have truly been spoken and we must listen, take note and then put them into action… that’s what I’ve been told and that is what I want to believe. It is. I don’t want to continue to feel that I am deserving of being unwanted nor do I want to deprive you of a person you sincerely believe cares for you and gives you what it is you believe you need in this world, whatever that may be. Whether it be confidence, assurance, love, support, tough love, whatever. I think so many times words can only take us so far and this is definitely one of those times. I cannot express anything in words. No three words is ever going to make anything more true if it already true. Again, nothing profound or importanty is being spoken,, well maybe it’s important, maybe it’s special, but you know where I’m going with this. This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when we chose to hang out tonight and do whatever it is we’re going to do, or maybe it is what we would have done now. I’ve said too much, perhaps I’ve already lost you. Hey, don’t look like that…. I really want to say that….. Words, semantics, what would they prove or…. Elaine, come on… Elaine……

Elaine: Bobby, I love you and you love me…. And……

Bobby: Yes, but…

Elaine: But nothing. I’m not going to be like all the others. I’m not going to get sick of you or tell you what you should be doing and give you advice on how you can improve yourself. Those things never work. I’m just gonna give you the confidence and the ambition and motivation to want to do better, and to go farther and to not give up so easily, and I really want to take you out of that shell you’ve been in for so many years because I love you…. And I have felt all your kisses, all your hugs, all the talks we have had over these last few months and I know there is something between us that… yeah we love each other, ok? I just know it. As you said words can only take us so far, and now… I think… (Kisses him.)

Bobby: (He kisses back.) Yeah. Yeah. You could be right. Maybe.

Elaine: I guess I can’t expect you to be saying it right now. You’vce never rrally had the opportunities or reasons to say it to a girl because, well we know the reasons, but don’t be scared. You can’t be afraid all your life, please you deserve better and I want the one I know I love to be happy and to do as well as he possibly can.

Bobby: Yeah. Okay. Yeah.

Elaine: Oh, Bobby, please, please, please….

(End.)