June sat on the couch, with a tray on her knee finishing her dinner.
Jim in the armchair nursing a mug of tea.
�That was delicious, what�s wrong with you tonight, you�ve been awfully sulky.�
�Sorry.�
�See what I mean, sulky.�
June passes by him, out of the room then returns a moment later with a glass of red wine and slumps down onto the sofa, kicking her shoes off and curling her legs up beneath her.
Jim picks up the remote and turns the TV on, flicks through the channels then switches it back off.
�Nothing on?�
�You wanna see for yourself?�
�No, I�m fine without it, we can talk for a while.�
�What about?�
�Why are you so snappy, I thought you�d be in a good mood. Did you talk to Tony?�
�Yes��
�And, are you friends again?�
�Not exactly.�
�Oh Jim tell me you haven�t messed it up.�
�Why does it naturally have to be my fault � because I�m the loser right and good old reliable Tony never does a thing wrong, I knew you�d take his side.�
Jim storms from the room. June follows him into the kitchen.
�What the hell are you on about? Am I supposed to be psychic or something or do you just want an argument tonight? Is that it, because if it is I think maybe you should go back to your flat for the night.�
�Fine, fuck this.�
Jim picks up his jacket and makes for the door. She follows him.
�Why do I need this anyway, half a bloody relationship? Half your attention, devotion, just sex to you that�s all this is.�
�Jim, please stop muttering to yourself and talk to me properly. What do you mean this is half a relationship � because I want to keep it quiet? That�s not fair I told you my reasons for that right back at the beginning and you agreed to it. You can�t turn it on me now. I don�t want to argue with you, this isn�t just sex, and I am��
�What, you�re what June? You can�t even say it, you can�t even say you�re devoted to me or that you care for me, I�ve given up the idea of you loving me.�
�Don�t be ridiculous, so melodramatic. Why are you being like this you were fine this afternoon? I was looking forward to the weekend, and going out and�Jim?�
Jim sits at the bottom of the stairs, June stands over him.
�I went to talk to Tony, like you said, ready to accept his apology and finally move on with this mess. But instead I�m greeted with a threat, if you ever hurt her, I�ll hurt you.�
�Oh Jim.�
�It was the tone in his voice. Not necessarily the words. So raw, so full of malice, it wasn�t the Tony I know, not vindictive like that. Not waiting for me to mess this up. The old Tony would be happy for me, happy I�ve finally found someone like you, what I�ve always wanted.�
�Jim whatever he says, whatever he tries to do it won�t change us.�
June bends down in front of him taking his hand.
�It can�t, I told Tony that I want to keep things quiet so I can see how it works out, so we can work through this, we both have so much baggage and relationships aren�t easy at the best of times. I know what people will think � that we�ve made do, settled for each other after all this time because there�s nobody else around. That isn�t true; I�m with you now because of how I feel about you, because of how good you make me feel, how happy. I�ve spent time with the wrong man, I�ve spent a hell of a lot of time alone and I know how painful love can be, but not this time� this time my full attention is not on what could go wrong but on how I will prevent that happening. Forget Tony, if he doesn�t have the decency to support his oldest friend then perhaps he isn�t the man he used to be. I can�t believe he�d try to come between us.�
�I love you.�
�I know��
�I�m sorry.�
�I know.�
She bends to kiss him.
Time grabs you by the wrist,
directs you where to go.
So make the best of this test, and don't ask why.
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time.
It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right. I hope you had the time of your life."
