Sound of Waves, The (2023)

[bunniefuu]

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry that I didn't talk to you.

Maybe I thought avoiding the

issue was the thing to do.

I just didn't wanna scare you off.

But I did anyway.

It wasn't that I didn't love you

or that you weren't enough for me.

You were everything.

I just felt trapped.

Not by you, but by me and

by my own uncertainty.

I just thought that I

needed to experiment.

You know? I needed to

try different things.

What if I hadn't explored enough?

What if I hadn't been

everywhere that I needed to be,

or meet everyone that I needed to meet?

And if she was out there,

I needed to know.

But I should have just said all this.

I know that now.

I should have just trusted you.

And I'm so sorry.

Please,

tell me that you understand

and that you still love me.

I know that it's not fair,

and I know that I don't

deserve a second chance,

but I promise I know what I want now.

And it's you. It's always been you.

- Oh, bravo. Very well done.

- Thank you.

I think you really nailed

the character's motivation right there.

Don't you think so, Brian?

Hmm-Mhmm.

Where'd you say you studied again? UCLA?

Yes.

Didn't Ethan go to UCLA?

I assure you what Brian

lacks in conversation

he makes up for in stage

management skills.

I'm sure he's the best.

Well, we'd love to see you again.

Can you come back tomorrow

and meet the writer?

Yes.

Well, actually, he's going to be playing

the leading male now, right?

Oh, the writer is?

Yes. Everyone we auditioned

just didn't seem right.

He studied acting before

he started writing,

and he knows the character

better than anyone else.

So it seemed like a good fit.

Makes sense to me.

What do you say? Call back tomorrow?

I'd love to.

Okay, bye.

Hey, babe.

Oh, what you making? It smells amazing.

Oh, my world-famous pasta sauce.

The one I taught you how to make?

Yeah. But I perfected it.

I'll be the judge of

that. How can I help?

Just pour yourself a glass

of wine. I'm almost done.

Yes.

Oh, how did the audition go?

Really, really well.

I have a call back tomorrow.

Congrats.

Yeah, it's crazy.

I feel like the part was

written specifically for me.

Why?

Well, okay, first off,

she comes out in college,

then she gets ghosted by her boyfriend,

and she's even pursuing

a career in the arts.

As an actress?

No, as a painter or something.

Well, that's cool, though.

I mean, it sounds perfect for you.

I know. And it plays

downtown, eight shows a week.

Oh, that sounds like

a big deal. And it is.

I'm trying not to get

too excited about it.

But tomorrow I have a chemistry

read with the leading man.

Oh, that's right.

I forgot you have to play

opposite a boy. Gross.

I used to date boys. Remember?

Yeah, and I used to wear

overalls with a shoulder undone.

We all made mistakes.

Oh. Oh my...

Do you remember your...

Hey. Do you remember your

open-toed boot phase?

I really don't understand that.

If it was cold enough to...

I'll have you know

those were very stylish

back in the day.

Everyone was doing it.

Oh, okay. I'm sure.

Oh, speaking of footwear,

I had my wedding shoes.

What? Show me.

Ta-da.

Oh.

No heel?

They're really not

gonna go with my suit.

Are you sure that you

don't wanna wear a dress?

Not even for me?

No.

Okay, but don't be upset

when I look prettier than you.

Babe, you always look prettier than me.

And that's when I

realized our lead actress

completely blanked on our lines.

What'd you do?

Improvised.

The whole third act?

- Yep.

- And nobody noticed.

Oh, I'm sure somebody noticed.

Oh, no. I'd k*ll her.

No, I'm not even kidding.

I know places where I could hide a body.

Okay.

Sorry. I know I'm a little early.

No worries. Come on in.

Oh, right.

Jenna, this is Ethan. He's our

writer and now our male lead.

Ethan, Jenna. She gave us

a great reading yesterday.

Ethan, you still with us?

Yeah, sorry. It's nice to meet you.

Everything okay?

Yeah, it's just not how I

pictured the Julie character,

I guess

We can talk about this later.

No, she should be taller,

blonder, don't you think?

But we didn't discuss the look.

I don't know. She's just wrong.

She's just wrong.

I mean, the look is important

to the character, right?

I'm just the stage manager.

No, no, no, no.

What is important is that

we cast a good actress.

I'm just not seeing it. I'm sorry.

Well, let's at least hear her monologue.

Look, if this is going to

be an issue, then I can...

Oh, oh, no, no, no. Just

ignore Mr. Charm over there.

Show us what you did yesterday.

Okay.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry that I didn't talk to you.

Maybe I thought avoiding the

issue was the thing to do.

I just...

I didn't wanna scare you off.

But I did anyway.

It's not that I didn't love you,

and it's not that you

weren't enough for me.

You were...

You were my best friend.

You were my best friend.

And you just left me.

I was heartbroken and I was confused

and I needed my best friend,

and you just walked out on me.

Stop. Okay?

That's not even the right lines.

Yeah, I like it. I

think it's interesting.

Interesting isn't always better. Okay?

The character should be

feeling remorse, not hostility.

It's a female character

expressing something

other than sadness after a man leaves her.

Oh, okay. Do not make it about that.

Oh, how about if we make it about

it was just a great performance?

It's not right for the character.

What do you think?

I thought it added depth

to the Julie character.

Huh?

Not that it wasn't

already deep as it is.

Okay. How about we try another scene?

I'm game

Ethan?

Yeah. Whatever.

Let's try a scene 23,

where Julie flirts with Tony.

It's the one I gave you last night.

- Yeah, I got it.

- Oh, great.

Ethan.

- Do you need a script?

- I know my lines.

Me too.

Whenever you're ready.

- Kneel down.

- What?

Tony is tying his

shoe. It's in the script.

She's right.

Nice shoes.

- Excuse me?

- I said nice shoes.

Thanks.

Did your mom buy them for you?

Are you six?

I thought I was a good

a pickup line as any.

You call that a pickup line?

Yeah. Got you talking to me, didn't it?

Seems more like a dirty

trick if you ask me.

Whatever works. I'm Anthony,

but you can call me Tony.

I'm Julie. And you can call me tonight.

Now that is a pickup line.

You know, if you play your cards right,

maybe I'll teach you a couple more.

And scene.

Well done. You guys look

so good up there together.

Oh, Jenna, thanks again for coming back

on such short notice.

We obviously have a lot

of things to talk about,

but I'll be in touch.

Okay. Thank you.

I like her a lot.

I do too, if that counts for anything.

Trust me. Ethan. She's the one.

So, right after I got

off my conference call,

Amanda pops by and just casually

mentions that the 1042 Ts

for the Brook Mayer

account hadn't been filed.

And guess who's gonna

get the blame for that?

And then I had to send an intern down

to file the paperwork in person,

which left us short-staffed.

And then Roger came by and

shoved a stapler up his a*s.

You're not even listening to me.

Oh, I'm sorry, babe.

I'm really distracted.

I noticed.

The audition?

Yeah.

I thought it went well.

It did, I think.

I'm sure you nailed it.

And there's nothing you

can do about it now anyway,

so why stress?

How is the leading man?

Oh, he was okay.

But not as good as you. Right?

Okay, you're right. I should

just stop thinking about it.

I know what we can do to

take your mind off things.

Mmm.

Not that. Behave.

You can help your fianc

make the seating plan

for the reception.

Oh, babe. Do we have to do that tonight?

Yes, we do.

The wedding is a few weeks away.

You've gotta stop procrastinating.

Okay. You're right.

You are right.

And I'm going to print

out the seating chart

as soon as we're done with dinner.

Answer it already.

Hello?

Yes, this is Jenna. Okay.

Okay. Okay, thank you.

I got the part.

Yes. Oh.

I knew you would.

- Congratulations, babe.

- Thank you.

You told them about the wedding, right?

You can take it off.

Yeah, I mean, I will

talk to them about it,

but I'm sure it's fine.

Great. Okay.

Well, enough of this cheap

wine. We're celebrating.

Hey, Jenna.

What are you doing here so early?

I remembered you like

getting to rehearsals

before everyone else.

Some things never change.

You still take your coffee

with cream and sugar?

Black, actually.

Oh. Uh.

But you know, relapse

is fine sometimes. Thanks.

Do Katherine and Brian know?

No, no.

Katherine has this weird thing

about people in relationships,

even if it did end like

a million years ago.

Well, thanks for not outing me, I guess.

The Julie character,

is she based on me?

- No. No.

- Really?

Because I mean, the few

scenes that I've read,

there are a lot of similarities.

Well, okay. Maybe a little bit.

I mean, I write from

what I know, so I guess

all of my girlfriends end

up in my work eventually.

Oh, all of your

girlfriends? The whole harem?

Shut up.

This is good coffee. Thank you.

Yeah, I got it from

a little mom and pop shop

up the street from my house.

Your house? So you must be doing well.

The bank owns more of it than I do.

If this play is a hit, it'll help.

When did you even start writing?

I mean, all those years

that we were together,

I wasn't even sure you could read.

Oh, funny. Maybe

three or four years ago.

Yeah, I got tired of

getting offered bit parts

and background stuff,

so I decided to write my own characters.

Well, it looks like it worked out.

This play is my first real break.

- Same here.

- Yeah?

Yeah.

You know, a few co-stars,

some commercials,

enough to help pay the bills,

but not much beyond that.

Well, then. To breaks.

So your current girlfriend,

how does she feel about your writing?

Is that your subtle way of

asking me if I'm seeing anyone?

No, I mean, I'm just wondering,

does she hear you clicking

away on the keyboard

at all hours of the night?

Or do you still wall yourself off

during a production like you used to?

I never walled off.

Hey, I was there. Remember?

Oh, how could I forget?

You would always insist that

we had to stay in character.

We had to find these Shakespearean ways

to say that we were out of mac and cheese.

"Oh, yellowy noodles of flavorful ecstasy.

Where art thou? Why do thou elude me?"

I don't really do method anymore.

Well, that's good.

Yeah.

And the girlfriend situation?

I'm married. Two years now.

Oh.

No ring.

I leave it at home during rehearsals.

Helps me distance myself

from the character.

Well, you still have your quirks, I see.

Do you have any kids?

No. No, not yet.

But what about you? You seeing anyone?

Yeah. Yeah, you could say that.

What's his name?

Her name is Tess.

A girl.

Yeah. I like women too, remember?

Yeah. To be honest, I thought

that was kind of a phase.

I know.

One of the many reasons why we

couldn't stay friends after.

Is it serious?

Good morning, thespians!

You're here early!

Eager beavers, I guess.

Well, Brian's getting me coffee,

so why don't we just get started?

Maintain eye contact.

This is making me have to pee.

- It's supposed to relax you.

- It's distracting

Eye contact.

Listen to the sound of the waves.

Block out everything else.

Focus on each other. Your

characters are in love.

They're in sync with one another.

Aren't these mirror

exercises a little juvenile?

Then why are you

finding it so difficult?

Move closer.

Jenna, keep your eyes open.

Ethan's following you, so lead him slowly.

Sorry. I'm just...

Ugh, I'm feeling a little distracted.

No, no, no. It's okay.

You know what? I think

it's time we run a scene.

Just go for it.

I can't.

You mean you don't want to?

No. It just feels wrong.

What are you afraid of?

- Getting hurt.

- So you'd rather hurt me?

Should I turn around here?

Oh, no, no. Do it on the line.

Okay. Feed me the line again.

- So you'd rather hurt me?

- I don't want that either.

Tony, please.

I'm sorry.

It's fine.

Julie, please don't be upset.

I said I'm fine.

I'm sorry. I want to, I just have...

What?

Responsibilities? Obligations?

What excuse do you have this time?

It's not an excuse.

So what? I'm just

supposed to wait for you

to love me back after I have given...

I'm sorry. I improvised.

It just felt right. I

didn't mean to go off book.

No, no, no. It's okay.

Consider this room a

safe place to experiment.

With that said, Jenna, are you all right?

Oh, yeah. It just caught

me off guard, that's all.

Good.

But really, Ethan, come on. A kiss here?

I don't know. Maybe.

Maybe I just didn't want to

be yelled at anymore. Sorry.

It's fine. Really.

Won't it take away from the big kiss

at the end of the party scene?

Yeah. That's a interesting point.

I gotta think about that.

Yeah. What do you think?

Well, I think it

worked well in the moment

until Jenna looked like

she was gonna puke.

I was surprised.

Well, how does the

kiss work for you here?

Well, actually I don't know

because I haven't seen the full script.

Oh. All right, duh.

Oh my. You were supposed

to have that already.

I'm so sorry. Brian, what the hell?

- My bad!

- We'll deal with this later.

Just get her the script.

Thank you.

Oh. "Who's She?"

New title?

Yeah.

Felt a little less pretentious

than "The Other Woman".

Hey, could we run this again?

I promise I'll stick to the script.

I don't think we have the time.

We're out of time, aren't we?

Yeah.

Ethan, we got a lot of stuff

mull over before tomorrow.

You think we can grab a coffee?

- Yeah. Yeah, sure.

- Okay.

Thanks for today, Jenna.

You know, go over that script tonight.

I can't promise you there's

not gonna be changes.

Okay.

Thanks, guys.

Bye.

Twiddles.

Night, Ethan.

Night, Jenna.

Hey, how was rehearsal?

It was good. Making progress.

First day with the lead actress, right?

Yeah.

So, how was she?

All right.

I hope she's better than all right.

Where did you find her?

She came in for an audition.

I feel like Brian and

Katherine must have set it up.

- Is she pretty?

- I don't know. I guess so.

Good.

It'll helps sell tickets,

and make it more believable

that she could end up

with a stud like you.

Oh, yeah?

Just make sure she takes

it as seriously as you are.

I have a feeling this is the one

that's gonna rocket you to the top.

Yeah. It's a big opportunity

for everyone, definitely.

But let's not get ahead

of ourselves. Okay?

I'm not.

I just know you're gonna

be a big success someday.

Oh, yeah?

Or else I wouldn't have married you.

Oh, the truth finally comes out.

I gotta get to Paris somehow.

Oh, is that the first

thing we're gonna do

when we strike it rich?

We're gonna hop on a plane

and fly straight to Europe?

Uh-huh. What else are we gonna do?

I don't know. Maybe

pay off the mortgage.

Be responsible adults.

- Boring.

- Paris it is then.

Even if we do wind up

living on the sidewalk

when we come back.

At least we'll be together.

I'll start scouring the streets

for our new home tomorrow.

Quick question. Do we even

have any large cardboard boxes?

Or should I go out and get some?

Or you know what else we

could do, Mr. Responsible Adult?

Yeah. What's that?

Take that spare room of ours

and turn it into a nursery.

Didn't we already have the baby talk?

And we both agreed we're

not getting any younger.

Yeah, but we are getting a lot busier.

I mean, you just started your new job.

My show opens in a month.

Meaning we'll be making more money,

ergo, we can build a nursery upstairs.

Ergo, let's just

revisit this another time.

Give us both some time to adjust.

And for you to be ready?

Yeah. And for me to be ready.

But before all of this, I

have to work on this script.

- Hi.

- Hey.

I didn't know you were home.

Yeah, I got in a few minutes

ago. I like the script.

Oh, yeah?

Yeah. Well, from what I've read so far.

Yeah, I haven't had a

chance to really read it yet.

I was tired, so I came

home and took a shower.

Now I'm ready to dig in.

Well, we do need to tackle

the centerpieces tonight.

Fine. But first tell

me about the script.

Well, it's called "Who's She?"

Thank you, babe. I didn't know that.

Wow. Great.

Okay, what else?

Well, it's clever.

It's touching without

being too cheesy. Yeah.

Will you read some to me?

- From where?

- Wherever you want.

Okay.

Tony...

Tony says, "Don't tell me

you actually loved him."

Julie, "So what if I did?"

Tony, "It's gross. He

should be in prison."

Julie, "It wasn't like

that. He was good to me.

Made me feel special." Tony...

Wait, wait, wait. What

are they talking about?

Oh, the Julie character is

talking about her first love,

and it pisses the Tony

guy off for some reason.

I think she slept with

her high school teacher.

- Go back.

- Okay.

So yeah, they're talking.

Yada, yada, yada.

Oh, here we go.

"It didn't start until junior year.

We had to keep it secret

because of my age.

I was sad when he left

for another position.

But then I met Steve. He was

sweet but dumb, and no secret."

Let me see this.

Okay, she's talking about

having sex with her teacher.

Yeah. That's kind of

what the script implies.

Oh, this is such bullshit.

He has no right to do this.

What are you talking about?

Ethan, the writer. I mean,

he can't write about this.

Why not? It's his story.

Okay, I can't explain. It's just wrong.

Okay?

Well, yeah, that a

teacher is taking advantage

of a student, yeah.

See. No, it wasn't taking advantage.

Well, that's pretty much

what the script is implying.

Well, that's the problem.

The script is so black and white.

I mean, it's all just one-sided.

Okay. But you haven't

read the whole script.

So maybe he goes into

more detail later on.

So I take it story time is over?

Dinner?

I'm not hungry.

All right. Well, I'll do that myself.

I'm hungry, so I'll just eat alone again.

- What a nightmare! Ugh.

- What's going on?

sh*t, Ethan, I meant

to call you last night.

- What's wrong?

- Jenna bailed.

She quit? Are you kidding me?

I was up all night last night

just arranging another round of auditions.

Oh, Ethan, I'm glad

you're here. Can you stay?

Why?

Well, to read against the new girls.

We gotta get this recast.

No, no, no. Why did Jenna quit?

- Issues with the script.

- The script?

Are you kidding me? The

part's perfect for her!

Oh, we'll go with someone

taller. Blonder was it?

No, nevermind that. Have

you tried talking to her?

Of course I tried to talk to her.

"Irreconcilable differences"

are the words she used.

Ugh. I don't have time to

convince her otherwise.

I'm gonna talk to her.

No, there's no point. Trust me.

This is bullshit.

Organize these. First

girl's gonna be in any minute.

Go away!

I'm not leaving.

We need to talk about this.

What?

I don't know why you left,

but I have a feeling it has to do with me.

Still your favorite?

Come in.

If I'm gonna yell at you, it

might as well be in private.

Look, if this whole

quitting the play thing

has to do with me trying to

kiss you the other day...

- It doesn't.

- Really?

No, this isn't my first show, idiot.

I know what it's like to get caught up

in a moment during rehearsal.

Yes, exactly.

So what's your problem?

My problem is that

you are taking my life

and you are putting it up on the stage

for the world to judge.

That's kind of an exaggeration.

I'm sorry. Look, let me start over again.

What's all this?

Getting married.

Oh. Didn't realize it was that serious.

Yep. Wedding's in six weeks.

Less, actually.

- Congratulations.

- Thanks.

Look, it seems you have

issues with the script.

So let's talk about them.

It was really hard for me coming out.

And when I told you that I

was questioning my sexuality,

you dumped me.

What, did you want me to

stay together with a l*sbian?

You didn't even wanna be together.

Yeah, well, not according

to Julie's big depressing monologue.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, world.

I'm so sorry, Tony."

Blah, blah, blah.

Come on.

And for the record, I did

still want you in my life.

You were the person that

I was the closest to.

And then when I needed

you the most, you bailed.

What, you want an

apology? It's been 10 years.

No, I just want you to recognize

that you are taking a very

difficult time in my life

and you made it a story all about you.

Okay, let's not forget that

this is a big opportunity

for the both of us.

Not me. Because I'm out.

Do you really think it was easy?

Finding out the girl you love

isn't even sure she likes guys?

I can't help the way that I feel.

And besides, that doesn't give you license

to air my dirty laundry.

- I'm not.

- Yeah?

Okay, how about when Julie sleeps

with her high school teacher?

I never told anybody that. Not even Tess.

- Why not?

- Well, I don't know.

Maybe you were such an about it

I was afraid to tell anyone else.

You can't put that on me.

See, this has always been your problem.

You run away from your

problems instead of...

- I do not run away!

- No?

Then what do you call quitting the play?

You are taking advantage of me.

You are using my story

and you're using it to

bolster your career.

And you're filling in the blanks

with your own distorted fantasy.

Okay. First off, it's

not your story, it's ours.

And secondly, I'm writing

it the only way I know how.

Even though it's not accurate.

It's fiction!

Okay.

Okay, well, you know,

then I still can't do it

because the Julie

character's a complete twit.

- Excuse me?

- Yeah.

I mean, she's spend half

to play crying over a guy

who doesn't even wanna be with her.

How else is she supposed to react?

She just got broken up with.

Well, I don't know.

Maybe she's excited or relieved

to finally admit who she is.

Maybe she's pissed off at her best friend

for abandoning her.

Maybe Julie doesn't see this

as the end of something,

but as the beginning.

Yeah. Well that...

That's an interesting point.

Yeah, I know. It is.

It's weird I miss fighting with you.

God, you're such an idiot.

Yeah, there's not

much time for a rewrite.

And if we take out the

background stuff on Julie,

the whole second act kind of falls apart.

Wait, wait. You rewrite the thing?

Yeah. Well, what's best for the show.

Okay.

Okay, maybe I can live with

some of the personal stuff,

but I just want Julie's

reactions to be realistic.

Okay. Think we could

tweak it by tomorrow?

Tomorrow?

I sat in auditions all day.

I can't picture it with anyone else.

Really? Not somebody taller, blonder?

I'm serious.

So you're saying that you need my help.

If it will get you to stay, then yes.

And is that the only reason?

And it will make the play

better. Blah, blah, blah, blah.

Okay. And in this one, Julie

is crying the entire scene.

She just got broken up with.

Okay, yeah.

Well, you know, when you

dumped me, I was sad,

but then I was angry, like really angry.

Like chop your ba*ls off and

toss them in a river angry.

- Really?

- Really.

Okay.

How about Julie storms

into one of Tony's classes

or something?

Or she hooks up with a stranger.

Is that what you did?

None of your business.

Was I the last guy that you slept with

before you realized you were a l*sbian?

No, you weren't. And I'm not a l*sbian.

I just...

I fell in love with Tess.

But you prefer women.

Yeah, most of the time.

- Hey.

- Hi.

I didn't know we had company.

Hi, I'm Tess.

Oh, Ethan.

Ethan.

Yes, I'm doing the play

again. With a few adjustments.

Good. It was too good of

an opportunity to pass up.

It's a really great script, by the way.

Oh, thanks. Oh, and

congratulations on the engagement.

Thank you.

Oh my God. I totally

forgot about dinner.

I am so sorry. We just lost track of time.

It's fine. What about pizza?

Ethan, you like pizza?

I should get going.

Please don't leave on my account.

No, no, no.

It's getting late and we're

pretty much done here.

I have to tell Katherine

about the changes.

She's either going to

love me or she'll k*ll me.

Okay, so win-win then.

Oh, win-win then.

Nice to meet you, Tess.

Nice to meet you too, Ethan.

Okay. I will

see you tomorrow then.

- See you.

- I'm excited.

Me too.

- He seems nice.

- Yeah, he is.

Shame he didn't leave me any wine.

Yeah, sorry about that. That's my bad.

Take it you didn't

finish the centerpieces.

No, I got a little distracted.

Well, I guess I know what

we'll be doing tonight.

Okay, okay! Oh, okay.

It was not bad. Good.

I think we need to build

up that bit to the kiss,

but the energy between the

two of you guys is flowing.

Isn't it flowing, Brian?

Yeah. Flowing.

Yeah. I think what my

outspoken stage manager is trying

to say over here is we're

just happy to have you back.

- Thank you.

- Yeah.

And I'm really sorry. I was

just a little overwhelmed.

No, no, no. Forget about it.

No, we're just...

It's good that you're here now. You know?

I mean, just imagine if...

Yeah, I'd love to run

some of the new scenes.

You mean the surprise rewrites?

I thought you liked them.

Oh, I love them. We love...

I love them.

Just wish I would've had

a little earlier, sooner.

How are we doing on time?

Good.

Good.

You know, we aren't gonna

try the new stuff right now.

I have a little exercise

I wanna try with you guys.

Reach out and find each other's hands.

Okay.

You need to be intimately

familiar with each other.

The blindfolds are a nice touch.

Oh, come on.

Oh.

You should be so physically

aware of each other

that you don't have to rely on sight.

Your senses need to be

on the same wavelength.

Your movements synced.

Now find each other's waists.

Jenna, find Ethan's cheek.

Find each other's hands.

Ethan, move up Jenna's arm.

Hey, wanna get a drink

Now?

Yeah, we can go over the script.

No, I have to get home.

We have a lot of wedding planning to do.

Ah, wedding plans, they never end.

I should probably get home too.

All right. Well, rain

check on that drink?

Yeah. Yeah.

Hey.

Yeah?

Can I ask you something?

It's bothered me for years.

Okay.

When we split, did

you take my gray shirt?

The one with the little camo pocket?

That's what keeps you up at night?

My gosh. I loved that shirt.

And you wore it all the time.

Well, it was very comfy.

But no, I didn't keep

anything when we broke up.

Did you?

Just the beautiful memories.

You're such an a*s.

I'll see you.

You can't expect us to stay together.

What are people gonna say about me?

It's not about you.

Oh, it's not about me,

it's you. Is that the line?

That is such horseshit!

Can't you see...

See that I still want you in my life?

We just can't be in an

intimate relationship anymore.

It isn't fair.

Fair to who?

I just feel different. Everything does.

I need some time to think.

Time away from me, you mean.

Are you even listening

to me? I need you.

You're my best friend and

I don't wanna lose you.

It's your line.

I know.

Can we take it again?

Maybe put a little bit of emotion into it.

Okay.

Aren't you...

Are you even listening to me? I need you.

You're my best friend. I don't wanna...

Why don't we do something else?

Watch some TV. Go for a walk?

I don't have time.

Clearly.

What's that supposed to mean?

I've hardly seen you.

And when I do, your head

is buried in the script.

Yeah. We open in less than a month.

I know. You've told me, many times.

I thought you were happy for me.

I am happy for you.

Then why aren't you taking this serious?

I am taking it serious.

Then read the lines with some emotion!

Why don't you just

rehearse with Jenna then?!

Pass the glue?

Hey, remember when the centerpieces

were going to be your job?

Well, yeah, but that

was before I got this part

and I thought I'd have a

lot more time on my hands.

Well, I work full time too.

You think I wanna do any of this?

I hate this minute detail

crap, but we have to do it.

Okay, but you don't have to

bring your work home with you.

Would you like some help, dear?

I'm fine.

You know, since you're

such a great actress,

you could at least act

like you give a sh*t about our wedding.

We are forking out 10 grand for a venue,

400 for an officiant.

Who knows what our bar tab is going to be.

I call that giving a sh*t.

Well, just think about

how much money we're saving

on the honeymoon we scrapped so you can be

on stage every night

for the next two months.

Are we really having

this argument again?

This is a huge opportunity for me, Tess.

And we're not scrapping the honeymoon,

we're merely postponing

it until the show is over.

I know.

Then what do you want from me, babe?

Some help.

An indication that you care

about a single detail of our wedding.

I care. But I have a

lot of lines to learn.

And I'm sorry, but it's

hard to get chassed up

about centerpieces.

Can we just take one night off

from all this wedding stuff?

Please.

No.

No, we can't, because the

wedding's a few weeks away

and there's still a million things to do.

What were the last three

weddings that you went to?

- What?

- The last three weddings.

Picture them.

Are you picturing them?

Yes.

Okay.

Now, can you tell me what any

of the centerpieces look like?

Exactly. Because no one gets

a sh*t about centerpieces.

You just feed people

and give them free booze

and they're gonna have a good time.

Nothing else matters.

Okay, well don't do that.

Tess!

sh*t.

May

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry too. I just...

miss you.

I miss us.

Well, I'm here now.

The only thing at our

wedding that will be prettier

than the centerpieces is you.

You're so stupid.

I'm sorry. I care about our wedding.

And you know I care about you.

I will be more attentive to the details.

For real this time?

I promise.

If every time I closed my eyes

I dream of you

If every time I fell asleep

I'd be with you

I'd hold you close

I'd be sleeping always

I'd stay in bed forever

Exploring worlds of wonder

And when I catch my slumber

I'd catch up to you

Hear me in silence

See me when light is gone

I know you're there

I know your love's still there

If every I closed my eyes

I dream of you

If every time I fell asleep

I'd be with you

I'd hold you close

I'd be sleeping always

Good morning, sunshine.

Hey.

Rough night?

Yeah, I just...

I didn't get that much sleep. That's all.

I know the feeling.

Oh. Okay.

- Are you all right?

- Yeah. We'll see.

You wanna run some lines?

Sure.

You know, I was kind of

hoping you'd call last night.

Oh, well, I figured you were asleep.

I wasn't.

Well, you could have called me then.

I would've, but I...

sh*t. I know I should

have stopped for coffee.

I'm functioning on like two

hours of sleep right now.

Oh, well, don't tell me you stayed up

watching movies all night.

No, I am too old for that.

Although I do seem to

remember someone joining me

for those marathons.

Obviously, if Brad Pitt was involved.

Or maybe I liked spending time with you.

Those were fun times. Back

when we were young and stupid.

Do you wanna run it from the top?

Nah. Katherine will make

us run it enough times.

Tell me about your wedding.

- Do I have to?

- Aren't you excited?

I am. I just...

Oh, it's a lot of work.

You know, all the time we were dating,

you never really struck me

as the wanting to be married type.

Well, if I'm being quite honest,

I'm still not sure I see the point.

But it means a lot to Tess,

and so I'm not gonna let my

stubbornness stand in the way

of something that is so important to her.

You know, as cheesy as it sounds,

our wedding day was one of

the best days of my life.

Really?

Imagine another time when

all the people you love

and all the people your wife loves

are all gonna be in

the same room together.

My funeral.

Wow.

No, I know. I know

what you mean, though.

I just...

I don't know, I feel maybe

a little rushed into it.

And Tess is just planning

out every little detail

and I don't know, I'm a little

worried that she's gonna

plan out the rest of our lives.

Is that such a bad thing?

Yeah, I mean, imagine

having it all mapped out,

marriage, work, children, death.

It just, ugh, seems so boring

When you put it like that.

I guess I just...

I want more out of life.

Like what?

I don't know, but I like not knowing.

You know? That's exciting.

Tell that to May.

She's already got our

kids' colleges picked out.

Oh, baby fever, huh?

Big time.

I've still got some things

I want to do for myself

before I focus on having a family.

Sounds kind of selfish

when I say it out loud.

No, no. I get it.

Maybe I'm not ready to have

my life mapped out either.

Good, you are already

here. Let's get started.

Oh, it's not me, it's

you. Is that the line?

What a bunch of horseshit!

Can't you see that I still

want you in my life? We just...

We can't be in an intimate

relationship anymore.

It's not fair.

Oh, yeah. Fair to who?

Fair to you!

I feel different. I

need some time to think.

Time away from me, you mean.

No, no. No.

I need you. I can't lose you.

You are my best friend.

And I can't lose you.

You can't tell me you wanna

sleep with other people,

no, not just other people, other women,

and then expect me to be

your shoulder to cry on.

Tony, please don't be like this!

Well done. Very well

done, I must say.

How'd it feel for you guys?

Felt good. Felt really good.

Fine.

How much time do we got?

We got a meeting with the

costume designer in an hour.

It is on the west side, though.

So give or take 20 minutes?

Ugh.

You guys wanna run the new

lines for the first fight scene?

We can finally come to a decision

whether or not that

big kiss makes the cut.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

Don't be upset.

I said I'm fine.

I want to, believe me. I just have...

Jenna, turn here.

- What?

- Get in his face.

Obligations? Responsibilities?

What excuse is it this time?

- It's not an excuse.

- Right.

So you just want me to wait here

until you're ready to love me back.

Even though I gave you everything.

- And then we'd kiss.

- Right.

Thoughts?

I think it'd be better if we wait

until the party scene for the kiss.

Well, look who has an

opinion all of a sudden.

What say you, Mr. Writer?

It feels a little awkward, right?

Yeah. I don't like it.

Ah, decision's made. No kiss.

We'll just stick to

Julie's verbal beat down

and Tony's storming off

like a big sulky baby.

Big sulky baby, eh?

He is a touch dramatic right here.

- I can always rewrite it.

- Oh, no, no. Please don't.

Drama is good. This is

the theater after all.

We gotta go.

Oh. Oh, right, right.

Okay. Oh, great work today, guys.

- Thanks.

- Night, guys.

Plans tonight?

More wedding stuff, probably.

Of course.

Though I don't think Tess

is home for another hour.

Yeah. May's running late too.

Hey, I was thinking if you don't have

to be home for a while...

Yeah?

Yeah. Maybe we could run

the scene a couple more times.

I mean, we do officially

have an ending for it now.

- Sure. That's a good idea.

- Yeah?

You know, you don't

usually have good ideas.

So what, you just want me to wait

until you're ready to love me?

After I have given you everything.

I told you from the start,

I'm not ready for a big commitment.

Then just go! Leave!

Ugh. I just...

God, I feel so one-note.

Yeah.

Okay. Okay, I have an idea.

Can we take it from the apology?

- Yeah.

- Okay.

I'm sorry, I didn't wanna hurt you.

It's fine.

- Don't be upset.

- I said I'm fine.

It's not that I don't want to.

I just have...

What?

Responsibilities? Obligations?

What excuse is it this time?

It's not an excuse.

So you just want me to wait

until you're ready to love me back?

Even though I have given you everything.

Oh, crap. That's Tess.

Hey.

Yeah. No, no, no, I'm so sorry.

I had no idea how late it was.

Okay. All right.

Okay. I love you too.

- Everything okay?

- Yeah, that was Tess.

It's getting really late. I should go.

Oh, yeah.

Maybe there's something

I'm meaning to say

But I can't chance the loss

So I'll keep it this way

Yeah, I love who you are

But I loved who you were

And you know that I'm proud

It's just so well-deserved

And I'm not going down, not going down

Won't go without you

It's so stupid

How so stupid now I feel without you

I'm not going down, not going down

Won't without you

It's so stupid now

You should've stayed

I should've kissed you

When I had the chance

When I had the chance

And I won't sit here

Feeling sorry for myself

Sometimes you find love is someone

Who's busy loving someone else

I'm not going down, not going down

Won't go without you

It's so stupid

How so stupid now I feel without you

Don't be late tonight.

We're meeting with the officiant at five.

I've already told

Katherine all about it.

I will see you tonight. Okay?

Oh, I'm so excited.

Mom is gonna freak out.

Okay. Love you.

Bye.

Guess what?

You're gonna be an uncle

again. Sarah's pregnant.

- Wow. That's great.

- We should go and visit them.

Yeah. I might have some

time when the show's over.

You know that makes me the only one

in the family without a baby?

I think that's my cue to leave.

I'm just stating a fact.

Right. Yeah.

We have a plan, so

let's stick to it. Okay?

I gotta go.

Okay.

Hey, do you want a pull

an all-nighter with me?

We'll make some snacks,

marathon a bunch of movies.

- Seriously?

- Yeah, it'll be fun.

We're still young enough to enjoy it.

Wish I could, cowboy. I need sleep.

I have an early couple of days coming up.

Come on. We'll even throw

in a rom-com or two for you.

Sorry, I'll have to pass.

Fine. Rain check?

- Go. Or you're gonna be late.

- Okay.

Oh.

Did I mention that I have to leave early?

We're meeting with our officiant

to finalize the ceremony.

Oh, yep. Brian mentioned it.

Another thing to cross off the list.

Yes. A million more to go.

- It'll be over soon.

- That's just it.

I don't want my wedding to be something

I have to get through.

Oh, I didn't mean it like that.

No, I know.

I guess I was just hoping I'd

be a little bit more excited

the closer that we get to it.

You know, is it bad that I

would rather just be here

with you?

You know, acting and rehearsing.

Oh.

I could always have Katherine schedule

a last-minute rehearsal

on your wedding day.

Okay. And you could be

the one to deal with Tess.

The hard pass.

Oh, it's Katherine.

Oh, she's canceling rehearsal.

- Oh, is everything okay?

- Her kid is sick.

Aw, that sucks. Poor kid.

Well, hey, it's a day off for us then.

Back to wedding plans?

Unless you wanna stay

here and run a few scenes?

I mean, we already have the space.

Great.

I think Katherine had that big party scene

planned for today.

- Well, let's party.

- Okay.

You wanna go upstairs?

Sure.

Oh, hey, I thought you

left this thing at home

during rehearsals.

Oh, yeah. I guess you're right.

Must have forgot. You wanna run it again?

Actually, I have a question.

Why did you change our first kiss?

What do you mean?

We snuck upstairs at

Matt's homecoming party.

True. But I coaxed you upstairs,

not the other way around.

What's the difference?

The difference is in real

life I made the first move.

Bullshit.

You took forever to catch a hint.

Okay. You weren't exactly obvious.

I took my top off

the first night we met.

Because I spilled my drink on it.

- A bill you still owe me for.

- Oh, my gosh.

And now you're trying

to steal my thunder.

You're making it seem like you initiated

our first kiss, and you didn't.

This is a work of fiction.

Merely inspired by real life.

Oh, inspired my a*s.

Are you gonna bust my ba*ls all day

or are we gonna run this?

Because I am starving.

Oh, relax. I'll order you a pizza.

Wait, aren't you gonna be late?

Oh, no, I just have

to go home to change.

It won't take long.

And pizza won't spoil your appetite.

No, we're actually going

to this terrible vegan place,

so I'd rather fill up here.

Okay. Well, the pizza

place around here sucks.

So how about Chinese?

- Okay. Sounds good.

- Okay.

Oh, my gosh. You still

get stuff all over you.

You know, I remember when

you wouldn't eat anything

that wasn't deep fried.

- Yeah, I've matured a lot.

- Sure. Aha.

Actually, May made me

change my entire diet

when we got engaged.

Did you ever think

about us getting married?

Of course.

Really?

Yeah.

Believe it or not, there

was a point in my life

that I really did love you.

This has been really nice. Reconnecting.

Looking back, I know

it wasn't easy for you.

And the fact that I just

left and didn't talk to you.

I'm sorry I was such a d*ck back then.

You good?

Yeah. Just more wedding stuff.

Do you wanna run the scene again?

You sure? It's almost three.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll just...

I'll go straight to the

restaurant from here.

You wanna do it?

Yeah. Okay.

It's half the excitement.

What's the other half?

And we kiss

And we kiss.

Do you want to run it again?

Does Tess ever get upset

when you do romantic scenes?

Well, if it's with a man, she does.

But if it's with a woman, it turns her on.

Really?

No, you pervert, I'm just kidding. God.

I mean, obviously she doesn't like it,

but, you know, she gets

that it's part of the job.

Yeah. May's not that

big of a fan either.

Especially if it's a role I wrote myself.

Yeah. That's so weird.

You writing all these scenes

with you making out with

all these hot chicks.

Oh. And instead we cast you.

Oh. Is that why you're

so afraid to kiss me?

No, I thought...

I'll call them back. You were saying?

No, let's run the scene again.

Okay.

That dress looks great on you.

You brought me all the way

up here just to tell me that?

No, I brought you up

here so we could be alone.

I thought you'd wanna hang

downstairs with your friends.

The only reason I came

here was to see you.

Funny.

I wore this dress for you.

Yeah, I had a feeling.

Don't get c*ck.

Now I see it, what I needed

So I'm leaving now, I'm letting go

It's taking everything in me

You have time to go again?

Yeah, I can be a little late.

Just to whisper, just to sleep

I'm giving in to what I need

Come on, pick up.

Now I know I have to leave

Yeah, now I know I have to leave

So I said it, so I said it, oh

I'm letting go

Goodbye, oh goodbye

So I let it, so I let it go

So it goes

Dress looks nice on you.

You brought me all the way

up here just to tell me that?

No, I brought you up here to be alone.

You don't wanna hang

downstairs with your friends?

The only reason I came

here tonight is to see you.

Funny. I wore this dress for you.

Am I afraid of never knowing

Or just afraid of

what I've gone through

Am I seeing hope or holding onto dust

I should trust myself

It's nice to finally be alone.

Someone could walk in any minute.

Half the excitement.

What's the other half?

So I see it, what I needed

So I'm leaving, now I'm letting go

Goodbye, oh goodbye

I not giving up, I'm giving in

I'm not moving on just to play pretend

You can't dig your heels in

And get where you're going

I'm not giving up, I'm giving in

I'm not moving on just to play pretend

You can dig your heels in

If you want to keep growing

So I said it, so I said it, oh

I'm letting go

Goodbye, oh goodbye

So I let it, so I let it go

So it goes