Trash Town TWO

Set in Blackpool, England, the story focuses on the lovelives of a group of gay and lesbian characters, namely Steve, a bisexual man and Lou, a lesbian woman in her thirties.

Steve and Lou arrive at the entrance to the club, Lou pulls out the twenty pound note, they pay to get in.

Steve: Ah s**t Lou, there’s James. Head up to the doubles bar, quick before he sees me.

Lou: I thought you were going to tell him about Stella?

Steve: I will, I will but not right this minute, give me a break Lou, here we go, there’s f*****g Cara.

Lou: S**t, do I look OK Steve, quick check me over, do I look alright?

Steve: Yes you look fine but you shouldn’t give a s**t. I thought we weren’t going to have any more of that Cara crap tonight?

Lou: I know but I still wanna look alright just in case she spots me. Ah she’s with f*****g Nat and Beast. B***h. How can she walk around with Nat as if nothing happened?

Steve orders two vodka’s from the doubles bar

Steve: Leave it Lou, I mean it or I’m out of here, I’m not going to say it again. Get it into your head that it’s over. Hey there’s one, over there, two o’clock, she’s fit, can you see her?

Lou: Yeah yeah Steve, she’s pretty hot but I’m just not feeling the love.

Steve: You haven’t even spoken to her, how on earth can you not be feeling the love? You’ve got to get Cara out of your system, if you go home with someone tonight it’ll do you good, do it for god’s sake. You’re no company when you’re like this. They say it takes half the time you were with someone to get over them so you should be there.

Lou: Well then that gives me a whole other month to be a crap miserable mate then doesn’t it.

Steve: Jesus, stay there, don’t move anywhere near that godforsaken no good lezzer right? I’m going for a slash.

Lou: Right, I’m here, not moving, hurry up though, I’ll lose my cool.

Steve: At the moment Lou, you haven’t got any cool.

Steve heads over to the men’s.

James is standing over a urinal and looks over as the door opens.

James: Alright Steve? You’re out on a Friday again huh? I thought you might have text me.

Steve: Yeah I was going to James, erm look, I need to tell you something. I don’t think you’re gonna like it. Well … you see,  I’ve got a girlfriend, not been with her long but … well … she’s great actually, she doesn’t know I like guys and I wanna keep it that way. I’m sorry mate but she’s good for me.

James: Mate? You’re calling me mate? I’m not your f*****g mate Steve. I’m somebody I thought you liked, why didn’t you say so before you got me in bed? We were in Trades for at least an hour before you got us a room. I really thought you liked me?

Steve: I do like you James, I just, I just can’t be with a guy fulltime, I don’t do relationships, most of my mates think I’m straight and well I like it that way. If they thought I was queer then … then they’d … well they wouldn’t like it, they wouldn’t like it all, get it? It’s just easier to be with a woman, I like it that way.

James: Steve, you’re kidding yourself, you can’t just turn it off. I saw it in your face; you’re not straight, not even nearly, by any stretch.

Steve: Look James, I’m not getting into this, it’s the way I like it and that’s that. I’m sorry if you wanted more, it’s just the way it is.

James: Don’t be sorry to me Steve. Be sorry for yourself, you wanna live a lie, that’s your prerogative. It’s ridiculous. If you change your mind you know where I am.

Steve: I won’t change my mind.

Steve walks out of the men’s toilets, looks back once at James and slams the door behind him.

Lou: What’s up with you all of a sudden? I didn’t move an inch? I didn’t, I didn’t even look over at Cara and I winked at the fit one. I thought you’d be impressed?

Steve: What? Oh … I bumped into James. I told him about Stella.

Lou: Well what you looking so sore about, you did it, was he upset? You look upset, how has that got to you after all that spiel?

Steve shrugs his shoulders and glances over at James who is now stood over in the far corner with another couple of guys laughing.

Lou: I thought you weren’t bothered about him, you say you’re never bothered about them?

Steve: I’m not … just, oh I don’t know. So … did the fit one see you looking?

Lou grins

Lou: Yeah I think so, she smiled at me.

Steve: Good and Cara hasn’t seen you?

Lou, Nah, she’s gone upstairs to Pink Parade with Nat and Beast. I saw them all go up. How can you be with someone one minute Steve and then be strangers?

Steve: I dunno Lou, that’s just how it is.

Steve watches James and two guys head downstairs to the dance floor.

Lou: Well it sucks, hey; you can’t go on at me about Cara, if you’re going to have a face on all night, that’s not fair. I’ve done what you said. What should I do now Steve, Fit knows I’m up here?

Steve: We’ll go back down to the bottom floor after we’ve finished these. I can see some seats over in the corner.

Steve points to a couple of seats and looks over at James again.

Steve: See? If we sit there then we’re near Fit for you and well I can keep an eye out for Cara so you can avoid her if she comes back down.

Lou: OK, shall I go over to her or wait to see if she comes over to me?

Steve: Look, lets just get down there and sus it out.

They knock back their drinks and head back downstairs towards the empty seats in the corner. Steve and Lou sit down eyeing over the dance floor. Fit is still stood by the floor bar.

Lou: Hey look, James is getting off with someone.

Steve: Don’t let him think you’ve noticed Lou, look away for god sake. I’m gonna get us a round in.

Steve walks over to James and grabs his arm roughly.

Steve: what the f**k do you think you’re doing? Are you trying to play games with me James? Are you trying to upset me … Because if you are, it’s working.

Neil: Who’s this James, your boyfriend?

James turns to Neil.

James: Just leave it a minute will you, this hasn’t got anything to do with you.

Neil shrugs and leaves James’ side shaking his head.

James: You’re upset?  I’m a free agent Steve and besides you don’t do relationships remember?

Steve: Look James, I do like you, I like you a lot but things are complicated, you don’t need to rub my nose in it, can’t you just do it out of sight … do it where I can’t see you?

James: No I can’t Steve, well I could but I won’t, go home to Stella, it was Stella right?

Steve: Yeah that’s it. Look, don’t give me a hard time.

James: No Steve, don’t you give me a hard time. You’re the one with your head up your arse.

Steve moves closer so their faces are only inches apart.

Steve leans forward to kiss him and James responds. After a long kiss, Steve pulls away.

Steve: Look I got to get back to Lou, she’s not so on form at the minute after the whole Cara fiasco. Please try and understand James. I need some breathing space … space to think.

James looks at him sadly and nods.

James: OK, like I say, you know where I am.

Steve skulks to the bar, buys two drinks and returns to his seat

Lou: What the hell was that? Hello! Pot … kettle! You go on at me about Cara and then you make a beeline for James and snog his face off. What the hell was that?

Steve: I dunno Lou. I like him, I just can’t do it, I can’t take it any further.

Lou: Well then leave him be Steve, you’ll hurt Stella if she finds out and you’ll hurt James if you pick him up and chuck him away like he’s worth jack s**t.

Steve: Yeah, yeah, hey quick, Fit’s coming over!

Lou widens her eyes at Steve

Lou: F**k!

Fit: Hey, I noticed you up at the doubles bar …

Fit grins widely at Lou

Lou: Er … Er … yeah, I … I did look over, you on your own?

Fit: Yeah, I was at kickboxing and then round at my mate Sophia’s, it’s been a pretty hectic day so thought I’d bob in for a few drinks … you?

Lou: Yeah, er we just bobbed in too … this is my mate Steve.

Fit turns and shakes Steve’s hand.

Fit: Pleased to meet you Steve.

Steve: Yeah likewise.

Lou: We had a couple of pints in Price’s and decided on the club, we normally bob in here on a Saturday but we sometimes hit the odd Friday. Er … oh I forgot to ask,  what’s your name?

Fit: My name is Jayne but everybody calls me Jay or JD and you?

Lou: Louise, well Lou …

Fit/Jay/JD: Well Lou, you mind if I sit down and join you both?

Lou: No … no … not at all, er … here I’ll move up a bit, here, sit here.

Jay: Thanks, great.

Lou scooches up and Jay sits on the end of the sofa next to Lou opposite Steve.

Lou fiddles with her hair nervously.

Lou: So Jay, what is it you do?

Jay: I’m a full time mum, not so typical eh for a gay woman!

Lou: laughs out loud.

Lou: No not so typical, sperm donor then or …?

Jay: No it was a sperm donor, tried two or three before the last one, with the last one I got pregnant on the third go, his name is Joe, completely changed my life being a mum but I couldn’t live without him now. Its hard work but I have a big family and friends to baby-sit when need be. What about you?

Lou: Well I’m an artist, not really made it yet, making it is hard work too … and Steve, he’s an electrician.

Jay: So you paint?

Lou: Yeah I paint, draw, sketch, I do a bit of everything really but mainly I paint, I’ve got a few for sale up on Parish Street. Not sold any yet, Della will take a cut obviously.

Jay: Della?

Lou: Yeah, a woman called Della owns the place but I’m trying to get my work up in East Coast Rock, you know, the little food place upstairs on the corner of Parish Street?

Jay: Yeah, yeah I know it, great steaks, I’ve been in there a few times. Good plan, I’m not very arty I’m afraid, I don’t think I’ve put brush to paper since I was at school but I do get the crayons out with Joe. He’s going through a phase of drawing on the walls, mare!

Jay laughs again and turns to Steve

Jay: So you’re an electrician, you gotta card then, I could sure do with someone to give me an estimate for my basement. Just moved and the cellar needs electrics.

Steve: Yeah sure

Steve rummages around in his back pocket and produces a card.

Steve: Yeah … here.

Jay: Excellent, right I got to be heading home, my mum’s got Joe tonight but got things to do at home before I get him back in the morning, nice to meet you both … Lou, you reckon I could get your number? We could go out one night, in fact we could go to East Coast and you could tell me about your work before you possibly get to show it in there?

Lou: Yeah, you got your phone on you?

Jay pulls out her phone.

Lou? OK, it’s 07739227141, call me and I’ll have yours

Lou’s phone rings and she saves the number.

Jay smiles at Lou, she winks and turns to leave. Steve notices Cara is stood on the second floor by the doubles bar watching. Lou hasn’t noticed in her excitement.

Jay: See you guys.

Steve/ Lou, Yeah see ya!

Lou: Wow, did you see that Steve? Was I cool? Was I cool?

Steve laughs

Steve: Yeah, yeah you were fine, surprisingly fine. Look we should probably go too; I’ve got a job in the morning.

Lou: Ah OK, let me just finish this.

Lou swigs back her vodka and cranberry.

Steve ushers Lou out before she catches on Cara is watching her. He looks up at Cara and then looks back at James. Lou and Steve leave the club.