Daily Dialogue — May 5, 2017

Jack: Blimey, I’m not that late, am I? Somebody threw themselves on the track again. I don’t blame them, there’s so many delays. Hey, what a great way for us to recognize each other. What a great idea. Although I think it would have been hard to miss you under that huge clock.
Nancy: No, no, no…
Jack: What do we do in terms of saying hello? I never know where to pitch it. Is it a handshake? Is it a hug? Is it formal? You know what, we’re adults.
Let’s just go in… Too soon for that?

Nancy’s phone rings. She starts to answer it.

Nancy: Hello, there.
Jack Oh, my God, that’s not your emergency exit phone call already? I haven’t had a chance to use any of my best lines yet. That wasn’t one of them, if you were worried. Listen, I’ll handle this. (takes phone) Hello, caller. Yes, we have met. I am not a complete psychopath and we’ve really hit it off. She will call you later with all the gory details. So thank you for calling and goodbye. (clicks off phone) There, done. All right! So, book, check. And clock, check. And blind date. Check!

Nancy stunned by the situation, unable to say anything.

Jack: Usually in this situation I would say something and you’d say something back. And then we’d talk about what we’re gonna do and exchange ideas. You know, sort of “quid pro quo, Clarice”. In hindsight, that wasn’t the best impression to do on a first date because it… it brings to mind… Anyway, I’m talking a lot and I know you can sense it. So I’m gonna just keep going and I’m gonna start the bidding with a drink on London’s
fashionable South Bank. So, as the book says, what are you waiting for?

A very long pause, then —

Nancy: I am waiting for you.

— Man Up (2015), written by Tess Morris

The Daily Dialogue theme for next week: Meet-Cute. Today’s suggestion by Billy Mernit.

Trivia: Jack and Nancy make multiple references to The Silence of the Lambs (1991). A pivotal scene in that film involves a misdirection in which the viewer is led to believe Clarice Starling is knocking at one door when, in fact, she’s knocking at a different door some distance away. The same trick is used with Jack near the end of ‘Man Up.’

Dialogue On Dialogue: Billy Mernit suggests this is an example of the “Unconscious-Conscious Meet Cute Combo Platter”. Check out my post later today with Billy’s analysis of meet-cutes.