Speed Life
(Story) Jeanine is 30ish, attractive, and sipping a glass of soda as she sits at a table in
a restaurant. She glances at her watch and shakes her head. She grabs for the
propped up menu on the table and glances through it continuing to look up as if she
were waiting for someone. David is also in his 30’s; he’s handsome and approaches
Jeanine carrying a martini and stands next to her table.
“Hello.”
“You’re late.”
David sits down. “Sorry. I was held up.” He then picks up the menu.
“With another girl, no doubt.”
“Jealous?”
“Not particularly.”
“Are you angry?”
“Waiting around makes me nervous.”
“How about if we start over? Nice dress.”
“I just bought it.”
“My mother picked out my suit.”
“She’s still buying your clothes?”
“I’m sorry I’m a mama’s boy. Aren’t you daddy’s little girl?”
“Let’s change the subject.”
“So what’s good here?”
“Robert says the swordfish is excellent.”
“Robert? Who’s he?”
“He’s just a co-worker. Now who’s jealous?”
“Why should I be jealous?”
“That’s the most unflattering thing anyone ever said to me.”
“Can we start over?”
“You already did. This will make three.”
“Three times is a charm.”
“More like three strikes and you’re out.”
“Strikes occur only when the batter swings and misses the ball. You’ve hit me
with each pitch since I sat down. According to the rules of baseball that puts me on first
base.”
“Trust me you’re still in the dugout.”
“Can’t kick a guy for trying.”
“Try hitting one for a change.”
“How about tossing me a nice slow one?”
“Do you see this relationship going any further?”
“That’s slow?”
“It’s direct and to the point.”
David looks at his watch. “We have only been dating for a very short time.”
“You should be able know whether or not you think there is the slightest
possibility that you’d want it to be something more.”
“Trust me, I do.”
“I’m not talking about sex.”
“What were you talking about?”
“Marriage.”
“Are you proposing?”
“I always dreamed of marrying a doctor.”
“I just happen to be going to medical school.”
“Sold. Now about the wedding…what colors, how many bridesmaids, and whom
should we invite?”
“Let me make this easy on you, I really don’t care. Why don‘t you take care of
the whole thing? Besides, doesn’t the father of bride pay for it?”
“He won’t. We’ll both have to pay for it.”
“It’s going to have to be a small affair; I’m still in medical school. My mother will
be more that willing to help.”
“Your mother is controlling. She’ll try to take over.”
“Don’t let her. And don’t get too mad when we have to move in with her until we
get back on our feet.”
“Do we have to move in with her?”
“And you have to continue to work at your office until I graduate.”
“I have to put you through medical school?”
“Only if you want to get married and by that house that you’ve always dreamed
of.”
“The one with the swimming pool, water gardens and stables?”
“If that’s what you want.”
“I guess I can make the sacrifice. How many children should we have?”
“You pick.”
“Four is a nice round number.”
“Actually it’s the number of sides of a square.”
“Why do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Make me feel so inferior to you just because you went to college.”
“No one told said that you couldn’t go to school.”
“When was I supposed to go back? When you were still in school and I was
having your four children?”
“I told you it wasn’t the right time to start a family.”
“I couldn’t have an abortion. Are you sorry I didn’t?”
“Don’t put words in my mouth. I love my child.”
“Children.”
“Why are you bringing up the past? You have everything you ever wanted.”
“You’ve been spending too much time after hours at the hospital.”
“I’m on call. I have no control over it.”
“The least you can do is come home and spend time with your family. I don’t
understand why you need to spend so much time there.”
“Because I have to work to keep you in the lifestyle you have come accustomed.”
“You’re chief of staff. You don’t need to work all the time. Why don’t you just
admit it that you do not want to come home.”
“All right. I don’t. The last thing I need when I come home is a house full of noisy
kids and you harping on my back about how much time I spend there. Sometimes I
need to get away.”
“And get drunk.”
“It helps kill the pain.”
“And screw that blond intern from the hospital no doubt.”
“Now wait a minute.”
“Don’t try to deny it. Robert saw the two of you holding hands with her in a
restaurant.”
“Oh, Robert. I knew there was something more to that relationship.”
“So what if there is? You’re not there. He filled a void in my life and I have
grown to love him very much. He makes me feel wanted. Not like you. You’re just like
my father.”
“They say women want to marry their fathers.”
“Well, I didn’t. My father ignored me because I wasn’t a son. I married you
because I thought you were different. But I was wrong.”
“So are you saying that everything is over between the two of us?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
There is a sound of a bell and a voice is heard over a microphone. “Ladies and
gentlemen. That was our last speed date of the evening. I hope you enjoyed
yourselves and that you have made many new friends and acquaintances. Please fill
out your forms with checkmarks next to those individuals that you would like to have a
date. If two people have a match we will supply you through email with information on
how to contact one another. Once again, thank you coming and have a wonderful
night.”
Both David and Jeanine take out slips of paper. David hurriedly takes out a pen
and checks off a box and stands. “That was fun. We should do it again sometime. And
by the way, I checked yes next to your name.”
Jeanine reluctantly responds. “Great.”
David turns to leave. Jeanine watches as he exits then takes a pen as she
pensively looks down at the paper. She positions the point of the pen on the paper and
begins to violently scratch off David’s name. Jeanine takes out her cell phone out of her
purse up and dials a number. “Hello Robert? It’s Jeanine. About the office party on
Friday night… I think I would love to go with you.” (1124)
(Essay) In my attempt to write a third story, I had it in my mind that I should have only
two characters who were equally matched emotionally. I also wanted them to each
have a different premise that would be easily proven as well as definite objectives and
characters that would propel the rising action forward. What soon developed was a
story about a couple on a speed date that would take this new idea of meeting Mr. or
Mrs. Right to the extreme by having the characters play out a possible future of a
relationship if it were to continue into a long term commitment.
The premise for Jeanine is materialism leads to destruction. As the story
progresses we see her objective is to find a rich husband. He strength on character is
also apparent when we see what lengths she would go to attain her objective by
agreeing to move in with David’s mother and putting him through medical school.
Though the future is hypothetical, both characters react to each new development within
their “so-called” marriage with total honesty. As the actions plays
out we see although Jeanine may attain everything she wanted she ends up having a
miserable life with David. The other side of this premise is that love leads to happiness.
Jeanine realizes at the end of the story that she would probably be better off if she let
her heart decide who would truly make her happy as she decides to go to a company
function with Robert.
For David, I have chosen the premise that immaturity leads to loneliness. In this
story I made his objective to find his next sexual conquest. He is more than willing to
have the women in his life support him as he goes to medical school. He definitely does
not care for children very much and believes he has a right to come and go as he
pleases. As we see Jeanine make sacrifices to obtain her goal, we see no attempt on
David’s side to sacrifice anything to obtain his goals.
The formula for the character of Jeanine’s bone structure would be attractive x
loneliness = low self esteem divided by the pressure of trying to find a man that will love
her. Although she is attractive, the inability to obtain her father’s love and attention has
made her doubt herself enough to the point where she feels the need to avoid having
love as a needed ingredient to a happy marriage. However, this is all a façade as we
see her hypothetical marriage quickly decline when she discovers a loveless marriage is
not worth anything.
The bone structure of David’s character is attractive x spoiled= irresponsibility
divided by the pressure of getting married. David is used to being taken care of by his
mother and would expect his future wife to do the same. Jeanine’s willingness to
sacrifice love to marry a doctor would fit nicely into his scheme of things. However, a
home, children, and a nagging wife is more than he is willing to bargain for and lets it
slip out that he would probably look for sex outside the marriage if the opportunity
presented itself.
My idea of the hypothetical marriage created a continuous wave of crisis and
resolutions as we see a long-term commitment deteriorate in a matter of minutes. The
quickness of the change does not allow each of the characters to hide their true
feelings. In all actuality, Jeanine does want a marriage based on love and all David
really cares about is screwing around.
The sound of the bell not only denotes the end of the speed date; it acts as the
bell that is heard at the end of the round when the fight is over. Both fighters are in their
neutral corners. The catharsis occurs because this fight was only make believe. We
just have to see if Jeanine will use it as a warning, which she gladly does as she
scratches off David’s name and chooses to call her co-worker Robert for a date.