(Both Carol and George enter backwards from the wings, and walk backwards to the sofa. They sit down.)

George

9 o'clock

Carol

9 o'clock

George

Every week

Carol

Every Sunday night

George

Every bloody Sunday

(George gets up and moves to the door)

Carol

Let's have another Saturday!

George

What, now?

Carol

Every day. All day, forever.

(George comes back to the sofa.)

(George leans over to take Carol in a full-blooded embrace. Stops himself in mid-grasp, then gives Carol a very restrained peck on the cheek.)

Carol

It's all right.

George

If I start, I might not stop.

Carol

That's all right.

(Pause. George contemplates the situation. Carol contemplates George.)

George

Nearly 5 past.

(George moves to the door.)

Carol

Will you think of me?

George

Of course I will.

Carol

Every day?

George

Every minute.

Carol

Phone me?

George

As soon as the cheap rate starts.

Carol

Cheap rate!

George

So we can talk for longer.

Carol

Longer than what?

George

Longer than... than... oh, you know.

Carol

Tell me.

(Carol leans forward, urgently.)

(George sits down on the sofa, then embraces Carol properly, with a long kiss. They disengage.)

George

Longer than that.

Carol

Not long enough.

George

It never is.

(Pause)

George

Well...

(George stands. Carol remains seated, takes him by the hand.)

Carol

Well...

George

I have to...

Carol

I know.

George

Give us a kiss then.

Carol

If I start, I might not stop.

George

That's all right.

(Carol tries to pull George back down onto the sofa. George braces himself and tries to pull Carol up off the sofa. Carol leans back on the sofa to make herself an impossible load tolift. George leans back, bracing his feet, determined to lift his resisting wife. Eventually George feints surrender, leans forward, then tickles Carol on the ribs. As she leans forward giggling, he is able to pull her to her feet. He embraces her and she kisses him. They separate and face each other. They walk away from each other, backwards, into the wings. Having reached the wings, they reverse and approach each other again, forwards this time, to their previous face to face position.)

George

Every bloody Sunday.

(George gets up and moves to the door)

(Carol takes a deep breath, then leans forward, embraces and kisses George. She holds the kiss for a long time. Eventually she breaks for air, breathing hard. She maintains the hug.

Carol

You don't have to...

George

(Beat) I do.

Carol

Tomorrow.

George

I'll be too late.

Carol

You could start early.

George

We'd be doing this all over again.

Carol

And if we start...

George

We might not stop.

Carol

That'd be good.

George

That'd be very good.

Carol

And you'd be late.

George

For the last time.

Carol

That could be good.

George

That would be bad.

Carol

You only need a little time, in the morning. Can't you make them give that much?

George

They won't budge.

Carol

You must be valuable to them.

George

Too many others, all hungry.

(George twists his head to look downstage. Looks back at Carol.)

George

It's gone ten past.

Carol

Tenpast, schmenpast. I want more.

George

Carol...

(George is interrupted as Carol presses home another heavy duty kiss.)

(She ends the kiss eventually.)

Carol

Yes?

George

Yes. I mean...

(Carol silences George with another kiss. Then...)

Carol

Yes?

George

Ohhhhhhhh...

Carol

That's better.

George

(Long pause) Darling, you know I need to...

Carol

But not now.

George

It's too far not to...

Carol

You shouldn't have to...

George

I wish I didn't.

Carol

Stop wishing. Make the change.

George

As soon as I can.

Carol

Tomorrow.

George

We'd be doing this all over again. (He looks downstage again.) It's nearly quarter past.

(They turn to face in opposite directions, standing shoulder to shoulder. They link their inner arms and extend their outer ones. They circle round each other clockwise whilst they recite the following three lines. [The whole movement is a stylised representation of the hands of a clock.])

Carol

(When facing downstage) It's nearly five past.

George

(When facing downstage) It's nearly twenty past.

Carol

(When facing downstage) It's gone ten past.

(They resume their embrace.)

George

Every week.

Carol

Every Sunday night.

George

Every bloody Sunday.

Carol

What do you do up there?

George

Drink with the lads. Dominoes on Monday...

Carol

Dominoes!?

George

Don't knock it.

(Carol gives a weak smile.)

George

And the cinema...

Carol

What was the last movie you saw?

George

What? I don't know. Just another braindead film.

Carol

What about the rest of the week?

George

Reading. Books, newspapers...

Carol

You!? You can't even colour the pictures in!

George

I know, but I'm learning.

Carol

I think you've got some other entertainment.

George

What do you mean?

(Carol releases her hold on George.)

Carol

I think I'm sharing you with someone else.

George

What!? It's not like that.

Carol

No? Then tell me how it is.

George

There's a club. After the pub...

Carol

How could you?

George

Nooooo! It's just a few laughs. (Beat) With the lads.

Carol

A laugh?

George

With the lads.

Carol

And?

George

That's all.

Carol

Is it?

George

Yes.

Carol

I don't believe you.

(George makes a gesture of exasperation. They turn away from each other. Each walks a short distance away from the other. They stand with their backs to each other, occasionaslly looking over their shoulders. When they catch each other looking they instantly look away. Both have expressions of dejection tending to despair, combined with deep worry.)

George

We could lose everything.

Carol

I already have.

(They turn to face each other, then walk backwards into the wings.)

Carol

(From the edge of the stage) Every week.

(They return to the stage and stop, each about half way to meeting in the centre.)

George

Of course! It's so simple!

(George advances on Carol, enthusiastically selling his idea.)

Carol

What is?

George

Come with me! You can save me from a life of debauchery playing dominoes!

Carol

Well, err. ummmmmm...

George

Come on, it'll be like a 5 day honeymoon, every week!

Carol

Every week?

George

Just grab a toothbrush...

Carol

Wait a minute.

George

You won't need anything else.

Carol

What about the shop?

George

Stuff the shop!

Carol

I can't just drop everything. Julie depends on me.

George

I'm depending on you. And dropping everything...

Carol

What will Julie do?

George

She'll find someone else.

Carol

But the money...

George

Darling, what you earn in a week, I'll have earned by lunchtime tomorrow. The money doesn't matter.

Carol

What about the house?

George

Lock it up. We'll be home again Friday.

Carol

What about mother?

George

What about that... your Mother?

Carol

I go to see her on Wednesdays, after work.

George

Give her a phone call on Wednesday, then see her at the weekend.

Carol

But she depends on me.

George

She's quite able to look after herself.

Carol

She's not ready yet.

George

Christine has to start again, now Roger's gone.

Carol

George! How can you say that?

George

She has to start sometime.

Carol

It's too soon.

George

The phone...)

Carol

It's... being here for her.

(Carol looks at George for a long time, considering the situation.)

Carol

I can't.

George

(Why not?)

Carol

I can't just drop everything, and Mum's not ready yet.

George

Is that all?

Carol

What do you mean, is that all?

George

Did you think I'd been playing away, so you went and got yourself a bit on the side?

Carol

You bastard! How can you say that?

George

Because you won't come with me.

Carol

I can't!

George

You won't!

Carol

Mum's not ready!

George

You're not ready to give up your fancy man!

(Carol slaps George, bursts into floods of tears and then runs to the corner of the stage furthest from the dor.)

George

Right, that does it!

(George stalks to the door, opens it, hesitates. His hesitation becomes a long pause. He looks at Carol, who is still sobbing downstage. His hand goes to his slapped face, and he turns to go out. He pauses in mid-stride. Looks back at Carol. She ends the kiss eventually.)

(Carol looks at George, then falls back to crying, then stops herself by a visible effort of will, then looks at George again.)

(George turns away from the door and closes it.)

(Carol and George together. They slowly move towards each other, at an accelerating pace. They embrace with equal passion, holding onto each other for a long time.)

Carol

I'll get my toothbrush.

George

I'll call in sick. Tomorrow.

(Carol and George exit into the wings opposite the front door, hand in hand.)

(BLACKOUT.)