CAL
I couldn’t help but notice that you’re sitting alone here.RITA
Oh you couldn’t. You’re very observant. You with the FBI or somethin’?
(CAL grins and blushes. Pause.)
CAL
You married?
RITA
I was.
CAL
Me too, once. What happened?
RITA
That’s kind of a personal question to ask a stranger, don’t ya think?
CAL
Hey, ya gotta break the ice somehow.
(He moves over a few seats and sits next to her.)
CAL
So what happened?
RITA
Well, one night, he got real angry and he put his hand to me. (pause) So I beat him black and blue.
(CAL is surprised and laughs.)
CAL
That true?
RITA
You’re definitely not with the FBI. You’re way too gullible. No, he lammed off with my sister Suzanne. The bastard.
CAL
Always blame the man. You didn’t give your sister an earful?
RITA
How could I? They skipped town before I even found out about them!
(CAL laughs again.)
RITA
Yeah, funny to you. You’re not the one stuck with all his dirty laundry.
CAL
What, gambling? Was he a dope fiend?
RITA
No, I literally mean his dirty laundry. I have mountain of socks and underwear sittin’ in a corner that I haven’t touch since the day he left.
CAL
And when was that?
RITA
Two weeks ago.
CAL
Awe, I’m sorry to hear that. That’s rough.
RITA
Thanks.
CAL
So what are you doing here all alone this time of night? Were you out with your girlfriends or something?
RITA
Naw. I had a date.
CAL
A date?
RITA
Yeah. Right after Hank left, I went to see a lawyer about gettin' the divorce papers. Nice enough fella. Makes some dough, bein’ a lawyer. So he asked me out and I said “ok”.
CAL
So you were out with the lawyer?
RITA
Yeah. It was goin’ ok, but then after dinner, he starts puttin’ his mitts all over me, so I give him a kiss with my knuckles. For real, this time. He dumped me in front of my place but I was so wound up, there was no way I could get to sleep. So I came here to, you know, calm down.
CAL
Seems reasonable.
(RITA looks hard at CAL, trying to work something out in her head.)
RITA
There’s somethin’ funny about you.
CAL
Funny? How funny?
RITA
You seem familiar. I’ve seen you before, haven’t I? Maybe your picture somewhere? What’s your name?
CAL
Cal.
RITA
Cal. Cal what.
CAL
Bergman.
RITA
Cal Bergman. (She thinks.) Yeah, hey! I know you. You used to be a baseball player. Red Sox, right? And the Dodgers for a bit too.
(CAL smiles.)
CAL
That’s right.
RITA
My husband was a big Red Sox fan. He was from Boston. You were on that quiz show a bunch of times too, right? What was the name of that show?
CAL
Answer Please.
RITA
That’s it, Answer Please. You were somethin’ on the show. What was it that you speak, six languages?
CAL
Seven.
RITA
And you always knew all the answers about geography and politics. You were a real wise head.
(CAL blushes.)
CAL
Thanks.
RITA
Boy, if Hank knew I was here with you, he’d be so jealous. Cal Bergman. Now what are you doin’ in a dive like this, so late at night? Shouldn’t you be out at home hot club?
CAL
Naw. My buddies were gonna take me for a night out on the town – it’s my last night in New York - but I told ‘em I’d rather just sit somewhere by myself and have a coffee.
RITA
What did they say to that?
CAL
Nothing. They went out on the town anyway.
RITA
And you stopped here for a cup of joe.
CAL
Yeah.
RITA
So where you goin’?
CAL
Well...(He looks around the diner to make sure that no one is listening. He lowers his voice a bit and leans towards RITA.) About a month ago, I got called up by the OSS.
RITA
What’s the OSS?
CAL
The Office of Strategic Services.
RITA
Sounds kinda...stiff. Ya know, “strategic”. That some sorta government job?
(CAL nods.)
CAL
It’s an intelligence agency.
RITA
Intelligence, huh? Well, that would be you.
CAL
No, I mean...(He looks around again.) Information.
RITA
Oh! Information. So you are with the FBI.
CAL
No, no. I mean...yeah. Sort of. But it’s like international intelligence. For the war.
RITA
You mean like a spy?
(CAL lowers his voice a bit and leans towards RITA.)
CAL
They’re dropping me into Yugoslavia. I am supposed to rendezvous with some scientists who are Allied sympathizers. They’re going to give me information on some of the projects that the Nazis have been working on.
RITA
”Rendezvous”. Sounds like somethin’ out of a book somewhere. I never “rendezvoused” with anyone before. (Pause. She thinks.) Say, you’re kiddin’ me aren’t you? Droppin’ into some foreign country to get the goods on the krauts’ plans?
(CAL holds up his right arm, palm facing out, and closes his eyes.)
CAL
I swear to all that is holy and good, that is the complete and utter truth.
RITA
You don’t need to swear to all that. I believe you. (Slight pause. She drinks her coffee.) There are a lotta crazy things happenin’ in this world. Why wouldn’t you be workin’ some sorta secret mission. (Pause.) So this really is your last night in New York, huh?
CAL
It is, sadly.
RITA
Sadly? Boy, I’d give anythin’ to get outta this city. And here you’re goin’ off to see the world, and on the government’s dime no less. (She lowers her voice and leans into CAL.) And you’ll be on a secret mission.
(CAL smiles. RITA smiles back.)
CAL
I never asked your name.
RITA
Rita. Rita McAvoy.
CAL
Rita. I think I’ve had enough coffee for the night. What’d’ya say we catch up with my friends and paint the town red.
RITA
I thought you’d never ask.
(She pushes her coffee cup away from her. CAL catches the ATTENDANT’s eye.)
CAL
Hey. Check please.
ATTENDANT
Five cents.
CAL
Put her on there too, will ya?
ATTENDANT
That would be ten.
(CAL gets out his wallet and puts a quarter on the counter.)
CAL
(To RITA) Come on, let’s get outta here.
RITA
Yes sir!
(CAL and RITA get up from their seats. As they exit the diner, the MAN finishes his pie and coffee. The ATTENDANT takes note.)
ATTENDANT
Anything else for you sir?
MAN
(In a German accent.) No, that’s all.
(The ATTENDANT clears the dishes.)
ATTENDANT
Thirty cents.
(The MAN He takes out his wallet and leaves a five dollar bill. He stands up to leave.)
MAN
(in German) Danke schöen. Sie haben sehr behilflich gewesen.
(He tips his hat and exits.)
End of Scene
