Devon: female (or male if you're feeling creative), 20-30s
Please. I�m sorry, I just need to know. I don�t know why this is such an issue all of a sudden, but I feel like I need to live happily ever after and I need it now�
JOEL
Wow.
DEVON
I�m sorry.
JOEL
Don�t be sorry. That�s how you feel.
DEVON
What do you feel?
JOEL
Honestly, I like you. I like you a lot. But in the past, I�ve been known to jump to the �happily ever after� stage too soon. That, as you can see by the lack of a spouse on my arm, has never worked out for me.
DEVON
Uh huh.
JOEL
But, wait. I think it is too soon for us and �happily ever after��
DEVON
Mmmhmm.
JOEL
It doesn�t mean there might not be one for us. If there is, that would be sweet. But you know what? It took me forever to realize that �happily ever after� comes at the end of the book. Do you know what I�m saying?
DEVON
Yeah.
JOEL
I don�t want the book to be over. The fun part is how we get to �happily ever after.�
DEVON
I just want so badly for it to be with you.
JOEL
Let�s just go a chapter at a time. Right now, we�re on CHAPTER TWO: The Romantic Dinner.
DEVON
Sure, every romantic dinner should end with the phrase, �Pull my finger.�
JOEL
Hey, you can be funny, too!
DEVON
Yeah.
JOEL
Course, you�d probably be funnier after some proper nourishment. Can I offer you a paper napkin, madam?
DEVON
Please.
(JOEL places a napkin on DEVON's lap and opens the bag with a flourish. They sit across from each other and begin to eat.)
JOEL
You're still sad.
DEVON
No...Yes...A little.
JOEL
There's no need to be sad. I can't understand why you would be sad.
DEVON
I can't help it. I just had...envisioned this so much...so different. You know? I thought I'd tell you I loved you, you'd look me in the eyes and realize you loved me, too. Blue birds, floating hearts, violins...You know what I'm saying? I want to know that there will always be someone next to me when I wake up from a nightmare. I want someone to cuddle with on the couch during a thunderstorm. And whenever we're not together, I want to know deep in my heart that someone is still thinking about me. Maybe something makes them bring up my name in a nice way at least once a day when they're with other people. "Oh, Devon likes vanilla shakes, too." "That reminds me of a story Devon once told me," or "Devon would love that diamond necklace." That's the fairy tale I want. I honestly don't need more than that. There's beauty in simplicity. And I was joking about the diamond necklace thing.