Thank you so much for joining me.
How could I not?
I thought creating our own reality for just a little while might give us the opportunity to embrace the spirit of who we are, rather than trying to storm the ramparts of our working-world facades.
Which means?
No outside interference. No one influencing what we say to one another. Just you and me telling the truth to each other. No promises, no expectations. Just two souls uniting in purity.
Wow.
What truth do you want to know?
Your name.
Mary Beth.
Oh, I like that much better than Nunyo. Yes, I like that name. I can see that it only works in combination for you. You certainly aren't a Mary or a Beth. MB doesn't work, either, I'll bet.
Only on very rare occasions.
Oh? When would those be?
We're not ready for that, yet.
Oh, OK. You probably don't remember, but I'm Dylan-
I remember.
I'm flattered.
Don't be. I just have an exceptional memory.
I have a question for you.
Shoot.
Why is it important to you that I'm not a model. I thought guys like that sort of thing.
I don't know what guys like. I suppose I'm looking for something different. Someone who may be beautiful, but doesn't feel like she has to push it on the rest of the world. Someone who can direct that energy in a more personal way. A more attractive way.
In a more personal way? Do you mean more personal to her or to you?
Maybe that would be the same thing.
Sounds like a Fifties housewife, to me.
No, that's not what I mean at all. I think that vital energy should flow both ways. I thinks that's what should be important in the world. Everything else should be secondary.
I'm not sure where you're going with this, but I can tell you what my priorities are at this stage in my life.
Please. I'd love to know.
For me, career is very important. I like the idea of putting myself out there, even, to use your phrase, push myself on the world. I like money and what it can do, what it can buy and how the world is controlled by it. I like things that people make and things that are made well. I like the idea of trading money for those things. I like comfort and good food and I like to be treated well. Being on the edge of things, not knowing how they'll turn out, that's important to me.
Nothing very romantic in that list.
Romantic is something spontaneous, like bumping into the man of your dreams among the throngs of people on Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras and recognizing each other in a kiss. Romantic is having a long lost love that was presumed dead at the hands of New Guinea cannibals suddenly appear by your side as you stand on the rear deck of a Princes Cruise Line at sunset looking into the churning water leaping with dolphins contemplating whether or not to jump.
Either of those happen to you?
No. But, that's just my point. You can't plan them. They either happen or you read about them, but you can't set them up.
What you've done here is very charming, but it's not romantic. I don't know you and you don't know me. We have no history to be romantic about.
This was supposed to be the start of our history, not culmination of it.
Dylan, you're a sweet guy.
I think you can see that forcing our paths to cross can't create something that's not there to begin with. I'm really flattered that you went out of your way to put all this together, and the champagne is really good, but I have to stand by what I said before, and I don't mean to be cold, but...
But, what?
But, I'm just not interested.
Well, I think the message finally got through. I hope you don't think me the fool.
No, Dylan. I don't think that.
Then, thank you for coming.
My pleasure.
I'll walk you home if you like.
Dylan.
Just being chivalrous.
Goodbye, Dylan.
Goodbye, Mary Beth.
