Tea: I am not. I’m trying to get away from the cold.
Todd: If you say so.
Tea: I’m going in. You can stand out here and argue with yourself. But why would you want to?
Todd: Everybody needs a hobby.
Tea: Well, snow and cold are not included in my hobbies. I’m going in.
Todd: I guess I could do that.
Tea: Suit yourself. I wouldn’t want you to ever do anything you didn’t want to do.
Todd: Yeah, right.
Tea: What’s that supposed to mean? (she enters the cabin door)
Todd: (following right behind her) It’s supposed to mean (pausing) that (pausing) you’ve spent your entire life with me trying to get me to do just that.
Tea: Just what?
Todd: You really do need things explained fully to you these days, don’t you?
Tea: Assuming I understood what you meant, in the past, has only gotten me hurt or confused or both. I want full explanations. I want full disclosures.
Todd: Fine, but that works both ways, Delgado. Status quo.
Tea: My life’s an open book. Whatever you want to know, just ask.
Todd: Fine, what were you writing out on the porch?
Tea: Wait a minute. We were talking about something here.
Todd: Already trying to welch out on our deal?
Tea: No. I just want answers to MY questions.
Todd: Well, I want answers to MY questions.
Tea: So how do we do this?
Todd: You answer a question I ask and then ask a new question of me. I answer, maybe, then ask you another question. Deal?
Tea: Deal. What were you talking about before? Out on the porch? What is it that I am always trying to do?
Todd: You’re always trying to get me to do things I don’t want to do. You’ve made it your life’s work, Delgado. Now who were you writing to? Excuse me, whom?
Tea: (hesitantly) I wasn’t doing it to be a secret Todd. I wanted you to help me write them, but you were gone, or so I thought. I was writing letters to Roseanne and…
Todd: RJ?
Tea: Yeah.
Todd: And what is it exactly that you think you need to say to RJ that you can’t say in front of me?
Tea: Todd. I told you that I wasn’t trying to hide the fact that I was writing to him. I’d be more than happy to let you read the letter.
Todd: Fine, hand it over.
Todd reads the letter, intently. Tea has basically said that she enjoyed their time together, blah, blah, blah and that she had to follow her heart, because her heart knew it’s own truth, whatever the hell that meant. But the letter just ends so uneventfully. She’s not asking him to come and rescue her. She’s not telling him that she is in the cabin in the woods and he could come and find her. She hasn’t left any clues whatsoever about where she is, but it was obvious who she is with.
Todd: I don’t understand why you wrote this letter, this way.
Tea: Because I had to let him know that I was truly happy where I now am. I had to make sure that he and Roseanne didn’t worry about me and that they didn’t think that anything bad had happened to me.
Todd: So you’re basically saying that you needed to make sure that they knew you were still alive and that I hadn’t killed you…yet!
Tea: I wanted them both to know that I was where I belong. And hopefully, they could learn the lesson, through me, (looking into his eyes) through us, that I’m where I belong. That I’m happy.
Todd: You’ve only been with me two days. Are you sure you want to declare yourself happy this early in the deal?
Tea: No deals this time Todd. Not where the heart is concerned. I want this to be based on wants and desires this time, not on deals and renegotiations.
Todd: Whatever.
Tea: Whatever.
Todd: You’re letter needs some punch.
Tea: No bombs, Todd.
Todd: (chuckling) No bombs. I promise.
Tea: Then what?
Todd: It needs a Manning touch. Something to really show him that we’re together. Something that shows him a touch of, well, me.
Tea: If you think it’s necessary.
Todd: Write him a check. Give him some money to pay him for his services rendered.
Tea: I won’t prostitute myself for you or for him.
Todd: Don’t think of it as prostituting yourself. Think of it as reimbursing him for falling for MY woman.
Tea: I don’t…(pausing) It’s a great idea Todd.
Todd: I don’t think I’ve ever liked it when you change your mind so quickly.
Tea: It’s a good idea, sort of. The meaning should be different, but the act itself is a good idea. With a little start up money, RJ could have a new club that could give him the opportunity that I made him miss out on. Thank you Todd.
Todd: Glad I could be of service.
Tea: Well, that takes care of RJ. What about Roseanne’s letter?
Todd: I think you need to do something similar to her. Give her something. Some money or something. I know you, Tea. You’ll be worried and feeling sorry for her in less than a week.
Tea: Probably.
Todd: So if she had a place to live, would that take care of that?
Tea: I would feel better knowing that Roseanne is taken care of.
Todd: Then that settles it. Where do you keep your copy of the deed to the PH?
Tea: Actually, I had it on me. (Todd looks at her puzzled.) I was making some final changes to it and I had it in my purse.
Todd: Hand it over.
Tea: Why, Todd? What are you going to do to it?
Todd: I must not have been speaking English. Do I need to translate this into Spanish for you?
Tea: I’m quite capable of understanding English, when it’s spoken in a way that makes sense to most normal people.
Todd: There you go with that normal stuff again. I’m far from normal. You know that!
Tea: What WAS I thinking?
Todd: That’s the problem. You were. You should leave that to me today.
Tea: Just tell me what you’re planning.
Todd: Is this where I get to say, “Trust me?”
Tea: These leaps of faith are hard, aren’t they?
Todd: I’m glad you think this is so funny.
Tea: Fine. (Reaching inside her purse and handing him the deed.)
Todd: Do you happen to have a pen in that purse as well?
Tea hands Todd the pen. Todd sits down at his mother’s desk and writes a few sentences on the deed and then signs it.
Todd: Will that do?
Tea: What have you done Todd?
Todd: I signed over the PH to Roseanne. I thought that would make you happy.
Tea: Todd, I’m more than happy. I’m touched.
Todd: I just wanted to make you happy. Why must everything end in a touch with you?
Tea: Prepare yourself Todd. Because I’m about to touch you.
Todd: Why can’t you just touch me the way I just touched you, without touching, you know?
Tea: Here I come.
Todd: If you must.
Tea bends over Todd who was still sitting at his mother’s desk, signing the papers. She gives him a soft kiss on the cheek. He allows her this, but uses his shoulder to wipe it away. Uncontent with how this has just turned out, Tea reaches over him again and kisses him lovingly on the lips. Almost frightened that he’s going to get ready to wipe this kiss away as well, Tea is shocked when Todd pulls her down onto his lap in the chair and leans her all the way back, reaching in for a kiss of his own. He literally takes her breath away. In one quick movement, he spins her back to her feet. Her legs are wobbly, but she manages to stay on her feet. Todd smiles to himself, not wiping away anything, including the new smirk that has just taken over his face. He seems actually pleased with himself.
Tea: Now what?
Todd: I don’t know.
Tea: Watch out Todd. You’re actually resembling a man who’s enjoying himself.
Todd: Bologna! Food. I’m hungry. I’m going to eat!
