SETTING: PEOPLE WALKING IN AND OUT OF STORES AND ALONG SIDEWALK IN GREAT HURRY. BACK DROP OF STORES.
(two women, carrying large bags, both in a rush, run smack into each other as they look at their phones)
Denise: (not looking up) Oh, excuse me. Sorry.
Juliet: My fault. Excuse- (looks up for a second, and grabs Denise's shoulder.) Oh my god, Denise! I haven't seen you since we graduated!
Denise: (looks up, confused) wha-
Juliet: We shared a dorm in freshman year, and then saved up money to share an apartment...
Denise: (shocked) Juliet?
Juliet: The one and only!
Denise: Oh my, long time no see!
Juliet: You know, I thought you went straight to New York after college!
Denise: (glumly) I did. I starred in a musical: “chocolate kisses,” about a girl named Jenna who dates men for their money.
Juliet: Why Denise, that’s wonderful!
Denise: The New York Times gave it one star. One!
Juliet: But it was a start! Imagine the things you could have done! You were on the way to living a dream.
Denise:(far off) Yes. It was my dream once. But what did I know? I was a little girl lost in a big city.
Juliet: You would have found your way, with time. I can see you now in my mind, on a big Broadway stage, belting out the opening number to an enraptured crowd. Boy, could you sing.
Denise: (sighs, displeasured with direction of conversation) That was a long time ago, Juliet. I have a little girl and a husband, and I am as happy as I ever dreamed of.
Juliet: You don’t sound happy.
Denise: You have a lot of nerve to come here and tell me how I should have run my life. We don’t even know each other, not anymore.
Juliet: We were best friends once, Denise. We did everything together. You would sing and dance, while I filmed you and edited it. We were two girls with big dreams of fame and fortune.
Denise: (eager to change subject) Oh, yeah! I almost forgot! How did your dreams of filming and directing movies workout?
Juliet: Wonderfully, actually. I don’t work in Hollywood, but I film documentaries here.
Denise: Sounds like your life fell right into place, the way you always imagined it.
Juliet: Not exactly. My apartment gets cold and lonely at night...
Denise: You still haven’t found a man that suits you?
Juliet: No... I’m working on it. I’ve been seeing a man named Darren lately. It’s nothing serious, but I’m hopeful that it will bloom into something more.
Denise: I hope so too, for your sake.
(The two women look at each other for a moment.)
Juliet: I think we’re blocking the sidewalk, but I’d love to catch up with you more. Do you want to go for a coffee?
Denise: I’d love to, but I have to go watch my daughter’s dance recital.
Juliet: (wistfully) Things sure have changed since college...
Denise: Yeah, they really have.
Juliet: I’d better get going.
Denise: Me too. (hands Juliet piece of paper) Call me. We should make a time to catch up. I could introduce you to my husband and daughter.
Juliet: That sounds nice.
Denise: Can’t wait!
(the two women bustle off in different directions)
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