92 Days Before- Scene 7

Mark and Elizabeth are sat at the bar.

Elizabeth: Well I think that’s everything.

Mark: You sure. You don’t want to ask me what I had for breakfast this morning? who my high school crush was? What lurid things I get up to in the darkness of night?

Elizabeth: No I think…

Mark: Its messed up stuff

Elizabeth: My readers are fine just getting hints towards your next book.

Mark: I’m sure they are.

Pause as Elizabeth puts her laptop away. Mark takes a sip out of his drink.

Mark: So you’re a media journalist?

Elizabeth: Yeah, it helps pay the bills.

Mark takes a sip out of his drink.

Mark: Go to university?

Elizabeth: Five years for my sins.

Mark: Five years?

Elizabeth: The first three were just studying journalism but I majored in film and media

Mark: My sisters doing that actually. The film and media part, not so much the journalism.

Elizabeth: Is she good at it?

Mark laughs.

Mark: Not really. Her idea of media journalism is whether an actors hair looks good.

Elizabeth: Sadly that does seem to be what it’s all about.

Mark: So do you read a lot of scripts?

Elizabeth: Mostly pre-views for finales that sort of thing.

Mark reaches into his rucksack and pulls out some sheets.

Mark: This is something I’ve been working on. Would you mind having a read?

Elizabeth: Sure

Elizabeth begins to read the script. Smiling every so often.

Elizabeth: This is incredible. Adapted from your book I’m guessing?

Mark: I’ve found you have a lot more freedom to develop the story on a screen play.

Elizabeth puts it down and looks up at Mark

Elizabeth: How long have you been working on that?

Mark: Since about ten o’clock this morning

Elizabeth looks shocked.

Elizabeth: You are a freak.

Mark: So they tell me.

Elizabeth looks at him and smiles.

Elizabeth: You know I half expected you to be some Eton snob but the whole crazy background is true isn’t it?

Mark: I might have been an Eton snob had my parents lived long enough

Elizabeth: Oh, I’m sorry.

Mark: Liz I’m joking. I don’t even remember them. It’s nice to not need to play the intellectual though. People expect me to behave in a certain way, talk a certain way and if I’m honest that’s not the real me.

Elizabeth picks up her glass and clinks it onto Marks.
Elizabeth: Well here is getting to know the real you.

End scene