(Will and Alice are dining together in pub on an autumn's evening.  Will is sitting hunched over a bar stool waiting for Alice to arrive drinking a local ale.  The pub is quiet and the barman is stood behind the bar polishing wine glasses.  Will is looking down over his beer, wondering when Alice will arrive.  The barman sees Will looking down over his beer and begins to talk to him.)

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BARMAN: What's up with you Will? I haven't seen you this quiet in months.

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WILL (looks up at him and sighs): What do they say hey? Life's made up of shattered moments we can never keep hold of.

 

BARMAN (sighs and looks at him): Don't you start talking like that, Will.  You'll end up in a place where life doesn't matter anymore.  Existence isn't momentary, but comes from those we've met and the moments we've shared with them.

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WILL (looks up at him): Yeah, and the acquaintances we've made all last forever? (He sighs) I wish I could believe it.  (He looks up at the barman)  Everything I've ever known has faded away like the dust in the wind.  

 

BARMAN (puts down his wine glass) :  I'll tell you why.  It's because you're only looking at what's lost out there.  When you think about it all our experiences are like an array of mountains.  We only reach each pinnacle at certain moments.  Here, (He leans forward) I knew a man once; he was like you; he would roam from bar to bar, hotel to hotel, every night, looking for something he could never find.  One day he wound up in the place he hated the most.  Only then could he see what he'd been missing all that time.

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ALICE (Interrupting) : Will?

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(Will turns around and looks at Alice who has walked in through the door.)

 

WILL: Alice, you came.

 

ALICE: I thought you weren't gonna be here.

 

WILL: Why not?

 

ALICE: Well, you know, because of before.

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WILL:  Alice, I'm sorry.  I hate myself for it.  Let me make it up to you.  I'll buy you a drink.  (He turns and looks at the barman)  Rick, a bottle of the Pinot Noir please.

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(The barman uncorks a bottle of Pinot Noir and pours out a glass for them both)

 

WILL: These aren't the times to get bogged down with petty squabbles.  Times are changing.  Before long we won't recognise this place.

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(Alice takes a sip from her glass of wine then looks around her)

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ALICE: I like the wallpaper.

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WILL: It's popular with the locals.  People come from all around here to drink.  You know this bar table here is grade one listed.  It's one of the last remaining oak tables in the country.

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ALICE: You don't get places like this around my parts.

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WILL: The food's good too.  They do a vegetable curry on a Thursday and butternut squash stew on Mondays.  Here, (he turns his back and picks up one of the menus)  take a look at the menu.

 

(Will hands Alice the menu.  Alice starts reading the menu.)

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ALICE: This one looks nice. Fried lentil burgers.

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WILL:  The food's nice, I'm telling you.  Hey, do you wanna eat now? We can take a seat in the restaurant?

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ALICE: Yeah let's go.

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(Alice and Will make their way to the restaurant and sit down on a table for two.  They both order a local ale.  They order and their food arrives at the table.  Alice and Will eat and drink as the restaurant bustles around them.)

 

WILL: I read your article on the future of European markets post-Brexit in the Observer.  It's fascinating how you see trends in foreign trade developing in the future climate.  Tell me, do you see a move towards a shifting overseas market?

 

ALICE (takes a sip of wine): I'm undecided either way.  The market will stay the same if the EU allow access with control over immigration.  We await the outcome of the Brexit negotiations to decide either way.

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WILL: It's a turbulent time in British politics for sure.  You must be inundated with evasive words from the Conservative elite.  I don't envy you guys in the press.

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ALICE: Of course the first rule is to stay clear of taking the political rhetoric at face value.  You're left sifting through bull crap otherwise.

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(Alice looks down over her plate)

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WILL: How's the soup anyway?

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ALICE: Delicious.  You know I could dine out here every night.

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WILL: You thought about whether you'd like to move closer to these parts?

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ALICE (her face grimaces and she seems awkward): I don't know if I'm ready, Will.  It's such a big commitment.

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WILL (looks nervous): I don't wanna push you into something you don't wanna do, but this place would sure look brighter with you around.

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ALICE: I dunno, Will.

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WILL: What do you reckon?

 

ALICE (pauses and grimaces before finally speaking): I think it's gonna be a no, Will.

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WILL (looks sad): Oh, ok, that's fine.  I don't mind.

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ALICE: Look, Will.  Tonight's been nice but I think I'm gonna go.

 

WILL: Do you want me to help you?

 

ALICE: No, you stay there.  I'll be alright on my own.

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(Alice gets up to leave.  Will gets up to try and help her)

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ALICE: No, honestly.  I'll be alright on my own.

 

WILL: Was it something I said?

 

ALICE (turns around and looks at him): Look, Will.  Did you really think we were ever gonna be together.  This was just some stupid dream we thought of long ago.  That was all it ever was.

 

WILL: Yeah well maybe it was real to me.

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ALICE (looks back at him): It's over, Will.  The truth is you were nothing but a job to me.

 

(Alice storms off leaving Will alone.  Alice walks through the restaurant and out the front door.  She walks off down the street towards her car.  Will strolls despondently towards the front door.  Alice is conflicted and can't get Will off her mind.  She pauses momentarily in the middle of the street on several occasions .  At last, she can't bring herself to desert Will and turns back towards the pub.  Will is standing outside the pub entranceway.  She appears walking towards him in the darkness.)

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ALICE: Will!  Are you there?

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WILL: Alice! You came back!

 

ALICE: I couldn't do it, Will.  I couldn't leave you.

 

WILL: I couldn't be without you, Alice.  Don't ever leave me.

 

ALICE: Come here, Will. 

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(Alice and Will slowly approach each other in the darkness and they kiss in front of the pub.)