- Hi, - Hi,
Hang on a sec, hang on,
- Happy Thanksgiving, Greg! - Wow,
You scared me,
What are you doing here?
- Hello, again, - Hello, again,
- I'm back, - You are back, virtually on time,
Right on time, and I'm back for more, Greg,
Are you ready for more?
- Greg? - Yes, Es,,,
- Es,,, - Esmeralda,
Esmeralda,
It's very nice to meet you, Greg,
It's nice to meet you, Esmeralda,
Please, come in,
Thank you very much Greg,
My apologies,
Apologies, for what?
For being late,
Uh, are you late?
I am, two minutes late,
Aren't you going to let me in?
You're in,
Couple of minutes isn't even late,
Couple of minutes is well within the margin of error,
It's Thursday at eight,
- I'm aware, - Eight on the dot, oh,
8:02, so margin of error,
Esme,,, Ana, Ana,
- Hey, sorry, not sorry, - Shannon!
Mom, I am just saying that if everything
this weekend is going to be as tedious
as that ridiculous dinner was,
I'm going to call you to bail me out every time,
I'm not going to leave your commencement early,
Every time I turned around, somebody else
was congratulating me,
Congratulations,
Sounds traumatic,
It was like they were giving us
one last final exam, you know, it was a test
of endurance, make small talk,
reveal your plans for the future,
pin yourself down, as your college experience
flashes before your eyes,
Oh, it sounds rough,
On and on and on,
- Ana? - Really?
So, how was your week?
Was it on and on and on for you too?
I was having a nice time,
My graduation, now that was boring,
and it was hot, God it was hot,
School wrapping up?
Did I say I was in school?
You got a coatrack,
You shouldn't be here,
- I shouldn't? - No,
Hm, should have cancelled then,
Mom, where are we going?
I made reservations at that restaurant
that we went to when I visited you,
your sophomore year, La Bella Pascolo,
- It's on us, Ana, - Oh,
thank you so much, Ms, Cavana,
Stacy,
- Had to check in, - Check in, Oh, of course,
- no apology necessary, Check in with,,,? - My driver,
- No, never mind, it's,,, - It's okay,
- ,,,not any of mine,,, - It's okay, Greg,
I'm sorry,
I have to let him know when I'm here,
and when I'm leaving,
No pause for sorry,
Standard operating procedure,
It's still the appointment, Greg,
That's why I'm here, Greg, You've got a very
nice coatrack, Greg,
You could have cancelled,
You didn't call or email my booker
to cancel with at least 24 hours' notice,
I figured you,,, you'd be celebrating,
I can start tomorrow,
It can wait,
It'll still all be over tomorrow,
It's going to be fun, guys,
It's better than rubber chicken and steamed vegetables
- on campus, right? - I was having a nice time,
Were you good in school?
- You can't tell? - I can tell,
I just want to hear you say it,
Hear me say it, why?
Because I'm not sure you say you're good
at anything often enough,
I say it plenty,
Say it,
Say what?
Say, "I was good in school,"
I was good at school,
That's hot,
- Wine? - Please,
Wait!
- Ta-da! - Wow,
I brought wine,
Ana, allow this to be the first of several times,
over the course of this weekend, that I thank you
for being such a positive influence on my daughter,
Okay,
I try my best, but your reach across
the Atlantic is a lot longer than you think, Ms, Cavana,
Ana, please, Stacy,
Stacy, sorry,
I address my elders with their appropriate titles,
Well, thank you for joining us,
How do you feel?
- I told you, - Yes,
- but it bears repeating, - Okay,
I feel good,
I feel very good,
So, I assume you've already had Thanksgiving dinner?
Hm,
No, not really,
I'm home by myself during break,
You're all alone, huh?
Have you girls talked about extending your lease?
No, Not yet,
Oh, Ana, are you going to the beach
next week with everyone?
No, I'm afraid not,
Ana has to work,
I have to work, I have to work, I have to work,
I'm not blowing an internship
just to spend a week at the beach,
She's just not a big fan of fun,
Well, the absolute value of present no fun is future fun,
Nice, Ana, You know you should take a page
out of her book, Shannon,
Duly noted, duly noted,
La Bella Pascolo is the next left, Stacy,
Okay, text your guy, Let him know
everything's okay, right?
That's SOP?
That's right, it is,
Damn,
Yo!
I need a ride,
Hm, you need a car,
There is no guy, Esme,
Come on, bro,
Where are we going?
She needs help,
Right, there's nobody downstairs,
you don't have a booker,
You haven't checked in since August, so spare me,
How do you know that I didn't call
someone for this very occasion?
Because you're a tough guy, Ana,
Esmeralda, and you're here all alone,
You've been here all alone since August,
so theoretically I could decide to never
let you leave, if I was that sort of person, which I'm not!
- It's pretty fucking,,, - Which I'm not,,,
,,,dark, Greg,
Would you like a glass of wine?
Wine?
- You opened the bottle, Greg, - Yes, I did,
- No, thank you, no, - Oh,
- It's okay, - Really?
Really, don't worry about it,
Esme,
Yes?
Uh, how much wine have you already had tonight?
None!
None?
How much of anything have you already had tonight?
None, yet,
Really, I'm sorry,
Forget it,
I don't need anything,
Okay, What does that mean?
It means I'm happy, Greg,
Stop it, Ana!
No, no,
You don't use my name, you don't get to use my name,
You use my name,,,
It is ridiculous for me to use that name,
- when I know your name, - Wow,
"Wow" doesn't win an argument,
Maybe I should call a cop,
Relax, you've smacked me twice in the last two minutes,
so I think we both know how safe you feel,
Unclutch your pearls, tough guy,
I'd call it,,, sparse yet urbane,
- Urbane, - You know what urbane means, Greg?
Yes, I do, Esmeralda,
Urbane means,,, sophisticated,
Sophisticated?
I'll allow it,
Very good, Greg,
A lot of books, a lot of books, Greg,
It's not that many,
You read all these books?
Of course not,
But everyone who walks in here
assumes you have, right?
You bring people in here, your friends,,, a girl,
You bring her in here, and she sees all these books,
and she thinks, "Ooh, this Greg character
sure is urbane, isn't he?"
That might just be you,
And like always, you're ready,
What percentage do I say I've read?
- You could leave, you should leave, - But I'm here,
But I'm not saying, by standing mute, these girls,
women you bring in here, they think the percentage is 100%,
Standing mute?
Are you in law school?
No, no,
Grad school will be the year after next,
Biochemistry,
I wasn't even in the ballpark,
You weren't even within a tank of gas of a ballpark,
I'm embarrassed,
I could have sworn law school,
Why?
Because I say, "I'll allow it,"
Trust me, I spend half my time saying
"I'll allow it," or "I won't allow it,"
- All right, tough guy, - Tough guy?
Hm, I am a tough guy,
I'm here for the hour,
and don't fucking tell me to relax,
Okay, fine,
- Take it, - What?
Take it, if that's what you want,
- Take it? - You're here,
on time, within the margin of error,
so take it,
To new stages,
- Take it? - Take it,,,
and get the fuck out of here,
New stages,
Mm,
So, what shall we do tonight?
So, these girls, they see Willie Shakespeare, Billy Faulkner,
They see Eddie Conlon, Lorrie Moore,
Biochemistry, you must be smart,
Nah, just the one mistake they made,
They see all these and they think, "Ooh, hundred percent,"
It's a box, Ana,
You are aware that I also attended
- that school? - Oh, really?
Are you looking to get an alumni discount grade?
For next week?
- Does that exist? - No,
Who the fuck do you think you are?
I didn't know,
- You had no right, - I had no idea!
Bullshit,
I'm busy next week anyway,
Are you?
- No, - You knew the whole time!
- I did not, I did,,, - Yeah, the whole fucking year!
- I didn't, - Every time you looked at me, and then
you just show up, without any warning,
- I didn't have any warning, - You know how creepy that is?
What lines you crossed?
Rough order of magnitude?
You know what a rough order of magnitude is?
I know what a rough order of magnitude is, Esme,
Esme?
- You don't like Esme? - You don't like Esmeralda?
Too many syllables,
Well, you just need to practice,
It is my name,
Esme is not the same as Esmeralda,
I'm streamlining it by 50%,
Ha, so you're a math guy, okay,
Math guy, what percentage?
Sixty three percent,
Sixty three percent?
Not 62,5, or, or five eighths?
Oh, I get it, you're rounding up,
Six three percent, Esme,
Whatever you say, Gre,
I've read some of them more than once,
- So more than 63%, - That doesn't work though,
because theoretically you can read
any book an unlimited amount of times,
so the number of possible books to read is infinite so,,,
so again the percentage would drop way down,
Way down,
Why don't you drop way down onto that couch, Greg?
Okay,
Have you been thinking of getting in touch
with me for a long time?
What do you mean?
Did you have to build up the nerve?
Did you start to contact me, then change your mind?
Were you scared?
Scared?
No,
You didn't go back and forth?
You didn't waver?
Maybe a couple times,
before finally going through with it?
You were scared,
- No, - So I'm wrong?
- Don't be too hard on yourself, - Oh,
Don't worry about that,
Why would I have to build up the nerve?
Because,,, this is pretty urbane, Greg,
- It is, - Well,,,
if it's not urbane now,
it's certainly going to be,
It's going to be rather urbane, Greg,
You think about me today?
Since you emailed me last night?
Since you texted me back,
That's right,
Since I texted you back,
Didn't know if you were for real,
if your pictures were real,
Well,,, here I am,
Am I for real?
It appears so,
I am real, and you couldn't think
about anything else all day,
You were out of the building exactly at five,
so you'd have enough time to prepare for me,
At six, but yes,
And now that I'm here, do I look
like my pictures, Greg?
You look better than your pictures, Esmeralda,
You can say my name,
You know, you look worried,
I'm not worried,
You have nothing to worry about,
- Okay, - Okay?
It is okay,
You've built up the nerve, and this takes nerve,
And now,,, we're going to have some fun,
It's very nice to meet you, Greg,
It's nice to meet you, Esmeralda,
And I heard, I mean, I heard it was really good though,
- Good evening, - Oh, good evening,
Good evening,
Uh, Cavana,
Cavana, four, eight o'clock?
Yeah, we're a touch early, I'm sorry,
- Four? - Has it entire party arrived?
- Uh, yeah, - Mom?
Um, he's coming up right behind us,
This was impromptu, Uh,
He's predicting 15 minutes,
We don't normally seat parties until everyone's arrived,
- Mom, you're kidding, - Shannon, relax,
Don't tell me to relax,
So, perhaps you could all wait at the bar,
until he gets here,
Thank you,
Look, I'm sorry,
Tell me, tell me Greg, what is it?
What is it that you're sorry for?
I mean if you didn't know,
if you did not know,
then what is it that you're sorry for?
You couldn't even get this off me,
You're horrible at this,
So, finals are wrapping up?
Yeah, yeah, they're, they're still going,
and then it's summer sessions,
So, lectures, labs, an internship,
Yeah, it's time management, is all it is,
And look at that, you got all that for free,
Uh, I'd say the economic calculus
we're working here is complicated,
Yes,
Math guy,
Okay,
I am in economics,
- Satisfied? - Never,
Are you?
With your work?
You analyze the past, you make predictions in the present,
the future makes you right or wrong,
Using real money?
I'm an economist, that's finance,
So, what does it matter if you're right or wrong?
It does to me,
Yeah, I'm sure you go around
apologizing to everyone,
Your sorrys are for shit,
Your apologies hold no currency,
Hey, cut me some slack, I'm trying
to get better every week,
Hey, are you trying to get better?
Or do you actually want to get better?
I actually want to get better, coach,
Okay, then, we're going to keep burning it until we get it right,
but not horrible,
Not horrible,
How do you know I haven't told her?
How do you know that I didn't tell her
the moment we walked out of the restaurant?
Or your wife?
She's not my wife, and besides,
I could tell the two of you were kind of,
you know, altered,
Oh, don't you fucking dare judge me,
I'm not judging you,
I could have told her whenever I wanted,
After the ceremony on Sunday, that night,
whenever I wanted, and I still could,
Or,,, maybe I already have,
You wouldn't be here,
You don't fucking know me,
I'm going to tell her,
Easy as a cup of coffee,
"Hey, girl, you want to grab a cup of coffee?"
"Sure,
- I have to tell you something," - "What is it?"
"It's pretty bad," "What is it?"
"It's pretty fucking bad,"
Wow, you really drag it out, huh?
And then she would know all about you,
Then she'd know all about you,
She already does,
No, she doesn't,
Nobody does,
You're a tough guy, and you're not going to tell
anybody about me, because you don't want anyone
to know about you, because if people know about you,
and the things you're involved in, then people might worry
about you, and where does anyone
get off worrying about you? So,
Relax, because nothing's going to happen, okay?
We did a nice job polishing this table though,
You could probably give your maid the week off,
I can't afford both you and Lupe, so I chose you,
Oh, and do you think that all maids are Latina, Greg?
That came out horribly, I'm sorry,
You just suck at banter,
I'm serious, that was stupid,
Did you mean anything by it?
No,
Then don't worry about it,
How long have you known?
As long as you,
- Right, - Look, I'm sorry that it happened at all,
Oh what is this? Is this, is this empathy now, Greg?
No, I'm involved in this situation too,
Oh, you're in it too? So then it,
so then it's not empathy, so then, so then what is it?
- Look, - Oh, it's self-pity then,
I'm sorry that it happened,
But you didn't know,
- Of course not, - So you're sorry
for something that you have no control over,
and you're apologizing for,,,
,,,the random chaos of the universe,
That's a pretty fucking healthy ego, Greg,
Still a shitty thing to say though, I'm sorry,
Well, do you make that racially
insensitive joke to every Latina
courtesan you have over here?
- No, - Wait, what?
No, I don't,
Oh, well,
what racially insensitive joke do you make
to every Latina courtesan you have over here?
That question assumes certain facts
simply not in evidence,
Better,
Not that you know you're not free to have whom,,,
Oh, stop,
I mean, do whatever you want,
We won't see each other anymore,
Oh, you're not going to see her anymore?
Oh, you won't see me,
Well,,, she's my friend,
- She is, - What does that mean?
You've been trying to purge her from your life,,,
Yeah, and you've been taking notes,
You keep saying how you can't wait to be rid of her,
And you acted so concerned, so empathetic,
- I am empathetic, - Acting so interested in my life,
Ana,
Okay, relax, I believe you,
I just wanted to talk,
Okay, fine,
You've been having fun,
Yeah,
Been enjoying it all week,
Did you always used to cook big Thanksgivings?
Yeah, I did, back when, when I did,
So, turkey sandwiches with wine?
Perfect, I asked the guy in the liquor store
specifically if this wine went well
- with leftover turkey sandwiches, - What did he say?
"Buy something or get out!"
What am I, a fucking weirdo, Greg?
- A fucking weirdo like you? - Of course not,
Stop being so awkwardly polite, you fucking weirdo,
How can you tell the difference between me being
awkwardly polite, and me just being polite?
Because your politeness gets awkward
when you know you're about to get in trouble,
not that you were awkward last week,
No?
No, not awkward, not at all,
I mean I saw you,
and it was wild, It was,
it was fun seeing how it was all going to play out,
How you were going to play it,
And I was good, huh?
Almost like you were testing yourself,
I wasn't, trust me, I was as shocked as you were,
Cool under pressure, not awkward,
I guess that when the chips are down,
back's against the wall,
and you're about to get in trouble,
you managed to hold it all altogether,
I guess so,
Like when you know your narcissism
- is about to get you in trouble, - Narcissism, huh?
Well, I'm no psychologist, but if it's not narcissism,
it's something,
You were pretty cool yourself,
Occupational hazard,
Sounds rough,
Ego in the guise of empathy, but,,, I can't abide
anyone empathizing with me, right, Greg?
How about people just wanting to know how you're doing?
Even if it means you can't have fun
because you're working,
Have to work,
Trip go okay?
Oh, yeah, not horrible, thanks,
Not as quick as yours though,
I dropped what I was doing,
Thank you for texting,
So, they keep the dorms open during the summer?
I live off campus,
Got a roommate?
Yeah,
She sticking around for the summer?
Yeah, part of it anyway,
Sounds like you're not too thrilled with her,
What the fuck are you doing?
Reinforcements,
Oh, my God, stop it,
You're actually like a baby, get it together,
I'm not acting like anything,
He's an asshole,
He was an asshole when he bailed on my mother,
and he is an asshole now,
How do you know?
Because everything worked out fine for him,
She was alone with a kid halfway
around the world, and for a few years,
it really did work for us,
And here you are, doing pure blow,
about to graduate from one of the best
schools in the fucking world,
Whatever,
You think this is pure?
What,,, Uh, fuck you,
You need something too,
Yeah, I need an Uber,
You're lucky I'm not falling out of that window
and sprinting down the front while they're looking for us now,
You're not allowed to, not in my shoes,
These are my shoes,
Fuck off,
This is a fucking ambush,
My mother's going to have an aneurism
when he just waltzes in here,
Your mother is going to be fine,
And of course he just lets him just walk right in,
My God, what did he do to you?
- He left my mother, - That's it?
You make him seen like he's some kind of monster,
Not a monster,
Why does he always have to be seen as a monster?
I don't know, maybe cut him some slack,
You don't understand,
People leave every day,
Things change,
People leave all the time, trust me,
Yeah, well,,,
that sucks,
Well, yeah, maybe he's trying to make it up to you,
That's what you think,
I mean I don't know him,
but I think he's your father,
I think he's not a monster,
I think even your mother can let shit go,
And I think that you need all the good relationships
you can get right now,
Hm,
I think,,, that you need to do a bump,
Fuck off,
Be my friend,
God damn it,
He steps out of line,
Hey, you know what, maybe this is going to be good,
Not all relationships have to stay the same,
The good ones do, stay the same,
No, the good ones change too,
You are a cynic,
So we're going to skip over things like,
"Are you healthy? Are you starving?
Do you have a roof over your head?"
Well, for now,
I don't know for how much longer,
Wait, what do you mean?
Well, my roommate threw a little soiree last weekend
that has Miss, Colette, my landlady, up in arms,
- Up in arms upset? - Up in arms going to get a shotgun and chase
both of us bitches back to Hayward,
You grew up in Hayward?
No, Richmond,
But,,, Hayward's probably the closest
we're going to get to without getting our credit checked,
Wait, are you behind on your rent too?
She is, couple of months if you add
the bits and pieces, since the start of the year,
when I don't cover for her,
But fun's being had by all,
Yeah, it's okay, I don't like the beach anyway,
By all, huh?
How much fun, exactly?
Relax,
Don't tell me to relax,
She's going to be fine,
If you say so,
Have you spoken with her?
Left a voicemail Sunday night,
You'll hear from her soon,
I know, she's busy having fun,
- Does she work? - Uh,
Define work?
Does she have a job?
Currently,
Doing what?
- Waitress, - So, she pays rent?
Yeah,
Yeah, but?
Yeah, but see, the perks of being
a waitress is that you make a lot
of cash under the table, and nobody knows
how much you're really getting paid,
including your roommate,
You work under the table too,
Yeah, but I pay my bills,
I don't know, Miss,,,
Miss, Colette is old, and she's got
nothing to do, and it's just bits and pieces,
It wouldn't be such a big deal if,,,
she wasn't observing that we were maintaining
our recreational budget,
Uh, but I thought you said it wasn't we?
Hey, sometimes I want to have fun too, dad,
That came out horribly wrong,
- Consider us even, - I would like her
to be busy not having fun, at a certain point,
Well, just because you haven't been around her
24/7 for the past few years,
doesn't mean your work ethic hasn't rubbed off,
She has a work ethic, huh?
When the chips are down,
She's got a stack of chips,
You do too,
Thanks,
She's slippery,
Be tougher,
It's your apartment, throw her out,
Well, she's on the lease,
or she'll disappear for four or five days,
and I get to worry about her,
as she ignores my texts, before she blows back in
with the same clothes she left in, five pounds lighter,
dick on her breath, and maybe a bruise or two,
acting like nothing is wrong,
She was happy to see you,
- If you say so, - I do,
I just would like to have more of an idea,
Sometimes I get to tour the local emergency rooms,
Wait, what, really?
Sure,
Bad?
Emergency is right in the title,
I'm her friend,
And she's been through a lot,
She has?
Well, that's all relative,
It's like my grandmother says,
People say, "My hangnail is more painful than your cancer,"
All right, hang on,
People will tell you my pad,,, padra,,, padrastro,
Hangnail,
- Hangnail? - Mm-hm,
People will tell you my hangnail
is more painful than your cancer,
Mm-hm,
My Spanish blows,
No, she is not my mom, she is my grandmother,
- Sounds rough, - Mm, sounds rough,
It does,
How is she?
Your grandmother?
She's fine,
She does yoga,
She's younger than you,
Good, wait, what?
How,,, that, that's, that's not possible, right?
How old do you think I am?
I don't know,
You certainly are meaner than your pictures,
Oh,
You look terrific,
Being an expat suits you,
Thank you,
The salt and pepper suits you,
Oh, come on,
Are you still deflecting compliments
like you think it's charming?
You're right, thank you,
So, you have to stick around for school, huh?
Yeah, I have labs due,
and exams in two weeks, and yeah,
I'm, I'm sorry I brought it up,
You didn't bring it up,
I brought it up,
Still,
It comes up, it pops up,
you can't stop it from popping up,
I suppose,
First holidays after something like that happens
is always,,, rough,
and,,, and it just happened,
It happened like a month ago,
It just happened,
Almost two months ago,
Come on,
She was 74,
Esme,
Okay,
It just happened,
And the first holidays after something like that
happens is?
We don't have to talk about it,
- It's okay, - No,
It's okay, Greg,
How've you been?
Pretty good, Busy,
You got promoted again, right?
Yeah, more weekends gone, but it's,,, it's good,
It's really good,
Good?
How about you?
How about me?
How are you?
I'm fine,
Are you fine?
Sure,
Are you happy?
What do you mean?
Greg,
I'm fine,
It's still the first question I want to ask you,
- Is that a compliment? - Yes, it is, actually,
Don't worry about me,
Oh, it's not the most unpleasant thing I do,
Thank you,
It is good to see you,
It is?
Christ!
You're right,
It's good to see you,
So, you are talking to people about your grandmother?
Sure,
Really?
The roommate?
Yeah, my roommate,
My roommate's actually not that bad to talk about it with,
- Really? - Yeah,
You know, she's behaving,
Problem is I feel like it's just a window,
Besides, I don't have any other relatives, so,
I'm sorry,
Why? She wasn't your grandma, hangnail,
Oh, come on, it sucks to be alone,
I'm not alone, you're alone,
Yeah, I guess I am,
That sucks,
Sometimes it does,
You have to remind yourself that it's just for today,
that you're just fighting through the darkness today,
and that tomorrow is a new,,,
Happiness is a choice,
Sure, and you keep reminding yourself
that you're going to get through it,
that you are getting through it,
And then you take a pill,,,
,,,or two,
And the pill helps,
They do sometimes,
Okay, enough of that,
Though should you maybe go check up on her?
No, I'm not doing that, relax,
Long time,
She's in the bathroom, Greg,
she didn't flee the premises, I think,
So do you think you're going to stick
around next year after school?
Maybe,
Maybe not,
You're going to be fine wherever you go,
but don't stay here just because it's easier,
Always do the harder thing,
She seem okay to you?
What do you mean, okay?
I mean does she have anything lined up for next year?
Does she have anything lined up for this summer?
Anything at all?
No, no yet, from what I gather,
Does she know where she's going to live?
Is she going to come back and live with you?
- Is she going to live,,, - My God, take a breath,
- so many questions, - Yeah, she's,,,
,,,she's going to live with Ana,
Oh, yeah, Ana,
Yeah, certainly, why wouldn't she?
I don't know,
Who's Ana?
Her roommate, Greg,
Shannon's in good hands,
Three exams in one day, idiot,
Well, I hope you learned your lesson,
That's what my girlfriend at the time said
when I tried to have coffee with her
between the first and the second exam,
"You could have changed the schedule,"
Girlfriend? Mm,
At the time,
Future wife, current ex-wife,
Current ex-wife?
- Try two, - I could barely hold the mug,
I was so wound up,
"Welp, I hope you learned your lesson," she said,
Welp, did you? Learn your lesson?
Welp, we were married for ten years,
Ten years?
Should have been married for three,
Not everyone has your patience, Stacy,
Sometimes I think I showed too much patients, Greg,
That's not,,,
I think you showed just the right amount,
Any kids?
No?
No,
That's good then,
Need any help?
Not a chance,
Uh, sorry,
What are you sorry for?
I ask you too many questions,
- Hey, - Hey,
Are you okay?
Mm-hm,
And your roommate is gone for break,
Yes, the nightmare is half way across the planet,
My God, finally,
So, ten minutes means half an hour now,
Like probably been 15,
Hold up, we had to get dressed,
You invited both of them?
Yeah, you didn't want that?
I just thought that you wouldn't
want to be like a fifth wheel,
Safety in numbers, Ana,
Think, think about it this way,
there's no like fifth wheel,
What?
She just said that, Ellery,
You guys smoked before you got here, didn't you?
- Jesus, - Assholes,
Why, you want some?
- Ellery, - Whatever, you're saved,
- Relax, - We did not
need saving, okay?
We just needed reinforcements,
So, drinks!
Shan, we got to get to the table,
They can wait,
But are you worried about her?
Or are you worried about how she feels about you?
Both, Jesus,
Ego in the guise of empathy,
Just keep leaving voicemails, you'll be fine,
And are you going to be fine?
Fuck you, I am fine,
And she's going to be fine, you'll both be fine,
She tell you that?
She's not exactly over it like that Greg,
but you're her father,
How much time do we have left?
Fifteen minutes or so,
Careful,
You'll get your hair wet,
You're a nice guy, Greg,
All right,
Waterboarding with compliments,
Why does that bother you so much?
Because I really don't think I'm that nice a guy,
because I don't think you should be
so special to be a nice guy,
I mean, would a nice guy do something,,,
Well, I've seen my fair share,
Your bar is low,
No, it isn't,
Okay, thanks,
You're welcome,
Wash my back?
Sure,
See? Nice guy,
Yeah, right,
- That was a trick, - Yes,
Well, now that we're done yelling,
since we're talking now, can I?
- Oh, - Yeah,
You want that back?
I did give it to you,
That wrapping paper though,
I always outsource my wrapping,
You're too hard on yourself,
Maybe other people aren't hard enough,
- On you? - Ha!
That too,
No, on themselves,
Both things can be true,
Both of those things usually are true,
Wait, did you just say that you don't think people
are hard enough on you?
I was kidding,
Bullshit,
You believe it,
I think you think you only have
a right to be happy when you're miserable,
Pretty philosophical for a biochemistry major,
Hey, biochemistry graduate,
You're going to tear your rotator cuff,
Nice picture,
And I'm sure it doesn't help you to carry it so tightly,
Carry what?
Oh,
Guilt,
You carry it like a gun, or a prize,
Nice picture, Greg,
Thanks,
In a way, I suppose, I've convinced myself
that by always being so hard on myself,
people can't think that I'm being too easy on myself,
Why do you care so much
about what other people think about you?
Because people who don't care
what other people think about them
at all are animals,
Aren't you supposed to care what people think,
at least to keep from murdering them?
It's a pretty sentimental picture, don't you think?
- Ana, - It's a pretty
fucking sentimental picture,
for such an urbane apartment, Greg, don't you think?
Yeah, but you care too much,
You carry it too much,
If you think you're a nice guy,
then that's what matters, right?
If you think it,
I guess so,
So, do you?
No, I don't,
I'm very complicated,
Bullshit, complicated,
You just need to relax,
Don't tell me to re,,,
I'm complicated,
You're a prisoner,
Please, tell me that you just put it there,
you just put it there, didn't you?
Yes,
You're so full of shit,
- I did, - You're a fucking liar,
How do you even know it's her?
Because it looks exactly like her,
except shrunken down by 12 years,
and without her abandonment issues spackled on,
And the same nose, and the same dogshit,
smug sense of entitlement,
I didn't want you to know I had a daughter, big deal,
You're a fucking psycho,
That's proportionate,
What did you do?
Did you put down the picture
every Thursday night when I came,
and then stow it in a safe place,
and then put it back after I left?
So, is this why you're not married anymore?
No family,
Were you off being urbane, Greg?
Oh, no, I don't think I could do this
if I were married, I don't think,
If you say so,
- How long,,, - How long were you,,,
We don't have to do that part,
Let's talk about your face,
Why?
Because I like it,
It's nothing compared to your face,
Can one quantify faces, math guy?
Something tells me you know that one can,
One can quantify anything,
What a chore, the logistics,
the weekly reminder on the phone,
Put the picture away every Thursday at 7:58 p,m,
No, eight, you were never on time,
Oh,
Well, we both have nice faces,
Only one of us looks better than our pictures though,
Oh, he's a charmer,
So, you can still get charmed?
You have never done this before,
Grow up,
Me, grow up? Wow!
That's one for the win,
Jesus Christ, no wonder she doesn't
want to fucking talk to you,
You're off center, dude,
What did you do?
Did you look me up?
Search me on the internet, so you could request me?
Yeah, with your booker,
Fuck you,
Did you stake out your daughter,
so you could stake out her friends to see
which one to befriend?
What?
What you're saying makes no sense,
it is not rational,
Or was it easier to see me when you went
to go ambush her when she didn't return
any of your voicemails,
I do pay rent on the place,
Half the rent, motherfucker,
Only half?
You better back up again,
It was very nice to meet you, Greg,
Did you Google me and then follow me?
And then, after you discovered me,
after all your research,
You're delusional,
You're a fucking asshole,
Lighten up,
I pieced it together, I tried not to make it personal,
So, next Thursday?
Looking forward to it,
Looking forward,
Did you order yet?
No, not that we shouldn't have,
Sit down, You're being rude,
Oh, I'm being rude?
It's okay,
Um, and who might these three be?
These three might be my friends,
Oh, I figured since you invited your own guest,
I could have some guests of my own,
Sorry we're late, we came as quick as we could,
No, forgiven, this was impromptu,
No worries,
Dad, this is Ellery Hughes,
And this is Shannon's roommate,
Ana Izquierdo,
- Izquierdo? - Uh-huh,
May I?
Ana, nice to meet you, Ana,
It's very nice to meet you, Mr, Hagen,
Nice to meet you, sir,
And Gabriel Armijo,
Nice to meet you all,
I am going to need another mojito, please,
Of course,
What? I'm a grownup,
You don't need another mojito,
She's a grownup?
Yeah, you might have missed that,
I'll give you all a minute or so?
No, it's okay,
We're late, we can catch up,
We are all business, and I am famished,
- Dude, - No, it's, it's okay,
- Take your time, - Thank you, Ms, Cavana,
Oh, um, one of those, all business,
Certainly, anyone else?
No, I'm good with my wine, thank you,
I'm good,
Oh, come on, these are so good,
I said I was good,
Two more mojitos, two?
No?
It's your life,
It is her life, so Shannon,
looks like you and your boyfriend will just have to be
in the minority with the exotic cocktails,
Well, okay, so that's just wrong,
I'll come back,
Ellery's not Shannon's boyfriend, Gabriel is,
Oh, ah, my mistake,
And just so you know, he's not her brother either,
- Really, Shannon? - What?
When did you two start dating?
Uh, four months?
Five months,
We have been dating for five months,
not that you would know that,
or are you just surprised
that I would date somebody like Gabriel?
Minority choices, or something like that?
- Whoa, - Shannon,
I'm not surprised you would date anybody, sweetheart,
What does that mean?
What does sweetheart mean?
Look, I made a mistake, I took a guess
and guessed wrong, that's all,
Yeah, well, you shouldn't have to guess,
I agree,
Off to the bathroom again?
You should know what's going on with me,
You should know that I have been
dating Gabriel for five months,
- You should know that, - Well, technically,
Gabriel didn't know it either,
Greg,
Shannon, sit down,
Do you count New Years?
Okay, auspicious beginning,
You can't expect to waltz back in and not take any shrapnel,
How much shrapnel am I supposed
to take before I'm allowed?
You know what? First thing's first,
Gabriel, I'm sorry,
For what, sir?
For my confusion,
Uh, no worries, she's sitting in between us,
that's like,,, a trick question,
Thank you, Gabriel,
Yeah, she has set you up, dude,
So, you're Ana's boyfriend?
- Yeah, that's right, - Well,
So, you're both juniors?
Younger men, I approve,
How long have you been dating?
- A year, - Off and on,
A year, so you're serious?
I guess so,
So, Gabriel, what are you studying?
Economics,
All business,
What's your focus?
Um, third world development,
Ah, crucially important,
Ellery, what's your major?
Hold on,
Let me guess,
- All,,, - Business,
There you go,
Dad, you're being rude,
Come on, it was a joke, right, Ellery?
Yeah, no worries,
See, no worries,
No, it's rude,
Say sorry now,
- For what? - For being a fucking asshole,
For lying to me for a year,
For making me believe you tonight,
and for being a fucking asshole,
I was worried about her,
And what were you going to do? What were you
going to have me do?
I don't know, she wasn't talking to me,
You were going to have me rescue her because you couldn't?
I thought you said she didn't need to be rescued,
She doesn't, although she might, from you,
Look, you know that isn't true,
I don't know that,
You do know that,
- I got shut out of her life, - You walked out,
I got shut out,
By who, her mother?
Her mother doesn't talk badly about you,
She has never spoken badly about you,
Her mother is over you, so don't use that as an excuse,
- I'm not, - No one poisoned
Shannon against you,
except for you,
You shut you out,
You left,
I didn't leave,
It wasn't working, My wife got a great
opportunity, and she had to take it,
It happened to be half way across the world,
I was supposed to stand in her way?
We weren't going to work,
And your daughter couldn't understand that?
She was ten,
She chose sides, and that was it,
You left, who does that?
I stayed, and people do that,
because not doing something is almost
always easier than doing something,
except,,, except it's almost always worse,
Whatever,
And you apologize, and nobody
accepts your apologies, and deep down,
yeah, you know your apologies hold no currency,
But you also resent the fact that no one
is taking your apologies,
and you wonder how long is it going to take?
You ask yourself, "How long am I supposed to keep trying?"
You're never supposed to stop trying,
At what point am I allowed to have
my fill of non-answers and monosyllables,
and avoidance attitude when I'm not flat out being ignored?
How long am I supposed to take the high road?
Forever,
Then you're stronger than I am,
She's a kid,
She was 12 years ago, she's not now,
She hasn't been for a while,
- Then she's made her choice, - No,
see that's it, I gave up back then, I haven't now,
I don't give a shit,
You don't? That's why you're smacking me,
and throwing things at my head,
You used me,
What, more than usual?
Look, you need to leave, the hour's up,
please, just go,
Well, I'm going to get going,
Get going?
Okay, Oh, hang on,
You're kidding me, kidding me!
- I just thought graduation,,, - You're kidding me,
- Is that bad, did I cross a line? - Are you kidding me?
- I just thought that,,, - Just stop qualifying things,
I'm opening it,
Just give me a reason, just, just tell me why,
I'm trying to get back into her life,
Through infiltration? It's false,
Why, who cares how we reconnect?
Well, you should have figured out the secret years ago,
it would have saved you a bunch of unanswered voicemails,
Hey, look, I get that you're not happy
right now, but this isn't about you,
Wow,
Is that okay?
Yes, yes, this is okay,
Okay,
Hearing you talk about her, when I couldn't talk
to her only made me want that more,
What's wrong with a bold move
or two to try and make it up to her?
Because it's not real,
It's flash, and she's a smart girl,
and maybe if she's made her choice,
maybe that's just meant to be,
No, I'm not going to give up again,
Man, you are work,
I love it,
Good,
Well, I know her,
She's my friend,
- Wait, we're not friends? - No,
I left it at the door,
I didn't make it personal either,
You left it at the door too, huh?
Thank you,
You're welcome, I didn't know
- if I had the right,,, - It's work,
- Uh, there's also,,, - Card,
a gift and a card?
Both of those,
Congratulations,
Thank you,
Welcome,
I can't move my arms,
Good,
Um,,,
where's my pin?
Uh, oh,
Thank you,
How's that?
It's pretty good,
Pretty good?
It's pretty,
Oh,
Oh?
Ah, yes,
Thank you, sir,
Be careful next week,
Okay,
Drink plenty of water,
If you're going to be outdoors, it's going to be hot,
you're going to be wearing a dress under again, you know,
This is day one stuff, Esme,
Yes, sir,
When I graduated, I decided I wasn't
going to be an idiot who wore cargo shorts
and a T-shirt under their gown,
This was a serious occasion, so I was going to be
serious, so I wore an Oxford shirt,
tweed pants and a tie under my gown,
in 90 degree heat, whilst hungover,
- I bet you look good in a tie, - It depends on the tie,,,
I'm going to murder you,
Fine, I look good in a tie,
So, what happened? You stroke out?
No, I did try heave walking under the bleachers
while holding my diploma, however,
You didn't drink enough water,
But I'm an adult now,
How was President Truman's speech?
Wisdom imparted, thank you,
I told you, you don't need to worry about me,
You did,
I'm a big girl, and I'll stop coming here,
That's what I thought was going to happen,
- However, - However what?
Don't you think she has the right to know?
No, no, I don't, it's none of her business,
Okay, then, onto you,
What's next?
Talk to Ana,
She's my council,
Fine,
Ana,
Um, well, tonight is the pre-graduation
party at the Embarcadero, in the city,
Sunday, we graduate,
and next week is the beach, for some of us,
See, Dad, we have a plan,
How about more of a long term plan?
We haven't ordered entrees yet,
so it's a little early for the long term plan question,
You need to start living in the moment, Dad,
How would you,,,
Probably true,
Trust me, I'll figure it out,
You don't think that she would want to know
just how committed you are to getting
in front of her again, to, to reconnecting,
- Come on, - Or would that just wreck everything
before it even started?
Yeah, it would,
Is that what you want?
Maybe,
- Maybe not, - Jesus,
Okay, please, don't,
Why?
She's a big girl,
Ana,
Greg,
She's a big girl,
What do you mean?
I mean it's like you said,,, she's not a kid anymore,
I know she's not a kid anymore, what do you mean?
Who do you think got me into this line of work?
What?
I mean, it beats working,
and she's never been one for working,
I mean, you gave her some work ethic but,,,
- I think you need to go, - I'm going to go
- whenever I feel,,, - Just,,, just go,
Please,
Okay,
I'm sorry,
What are you sorry for?
Take care of yourself,
You too,
Who's that?
We have been yelling,
Yeah, but we're not yelling now though, Greg,
we're just talking,
Ana, wait,
- Hello, - Hello,
- Wait, do I have the wrong? - Are you looking for Greg?
Is he here?
- I'm Zoe, - Zoe, huh?
Yeah, I'm like a little late,
Few minutes late,
It's well within the margin of error,
Oh, okay,
Thank you,
- Are you,,, - Greg?
Yes,
That is Greg,
Nice to meet you,
I'm late, I, I guess,
Should I come back?
No, no, no, Zoe, it's okay,
I was just leaving,
Wasn't I, Greg?
- Yes, - Ah,
before I forget,
Ana,
That is not my name,
Have fun,
- I will, - Be careful,
but have fun,
Thank you,
See you,
I'm sorry, did I?
No, no, it's my fault, I'm sorry,
I'm sorry that I'm late,
No, no,
It's okay,
Well, it's nice to see you again, Greg,
Uh, yes,
And,,, is this for me?
Ana, what are you plans?
Uh, you know,
No doubt you'll figure it out too,
She's already got it figured out,
She has a plan, huh?
Maybe she'll let you take curb notes?
Are we ready or do we,,,
- Sure, she has a plan, - Greg,
I'm sorry, should it be your plan?
Well, in lieu of a better plan,,,
No, no, no, I am going to figure out my own plan,
I am going to come up with a plan
that will revolutionize plans,
A plan that can stop on a dime,
and change direction, okay?
A plan that has range,
Range?
Sounds more like a plan created
by someone who's erratic,
Erratic?
What does that mean?
Erratic, unsteady, erratic,
What do you mean erratic?
Altered,
Altered? I,
I don't even know what that means,
You don't know what altered means?
What's altered?
Does anyone here know what altered means?
Gabriel, do you, do you think that Shannon's altered?
Stacy, please don't make Shannon's boyfriend
of four, no five months narc on her,
Narc? What, drugs?
- Boom, - No,
- Shannon does not use drugs, - Drugs?
Drugs, you seem altered,
How would you know?
Altered, what, what do you mean?
Not as a new experience,
Excuse me, I have to go to the restroom,
No, you don't,
I don't, okay,
No, Ellery, I think that you and Gabriel should go to,,,
What, go to the bathroom together?
- That's weird, - Yes, it is weird,
going to the bathroom in pairs,
it is, it's weird,
Not that men bailing when things
get tough is anything new to me,
Would have thought you'd be the first to flee though, Dad,
I think the smart money would have been on Ellery,
Hey,
- Sorry, Ellery, - What for?
Are you going to insult all my friends, Dad?
You're not on something right now, Shannon?
No, Dad, I'm not on something,
I would like another mojito,
Shannon,
Ask Ana,
Ask her what?
Ask her if I'm altered,
I mean if you're so fixated on the question, you know,
if you don't believe me,
if you don't trust me, ask her,
Shannon,
Go ahead,
Ask her,
Ask my friend,
Stop it,
Ana?
You're asking me?
You are asking me,
Well,,,
she is just upset, which makes
a good deal of sense to me right now,
Thank you, Ana,
Oh, now you don't believe my best friend,
I believe your best friend,
No, no, you don't,
Why would you?
You don't know her, just like you don't know me,
I would like to get to know you,
Well, not tonight,
And you know what?
Not Sunday either,
What do you mean not Sunday?
Means I don't want you coming on Sunday,
I don't want you to watch me graduate,
You have not seen me for years,
you don't get to see me now,
Shannon,
Please, sit down,
No, I'm not going to sit down,
and I'm not going to let him ruin my weekend,
You're doing that all by yourself,
Well, then I'll do it myself,
and I can do it alone, if you want,
You know what, Shannon? That's fine,
- It's fine? - Yeah, that's fine,
If you don't want me to come Sunday, I won't come Sunday,
If you want to do it alone, then do it alone,
- see how that works for you, - I will!
- Greg, - No, Stacy, no,
You don't want me to come Sunday, I won't come Sunday,
You know what? As of this moment,
I've stopped giving a shit,
Happy?
Shannon, where are you going?
I don't have to sit here for this, do I?
No, you don't have to leave, I'll leave,
No, I'm leaving,
You already left,
Okay, how do you expect to get home?
Not with me driving, you're not,
That's fine! I'll just,,,
Why don't you go home with this?
What is this?
It's your graduation gift,
Why don't you try going home with that?
What are you talking about?
Sweetie, come on,
Nice,
This is for me?
I don't know,
You were about to leave,
I was about to leave,
I was about to stop giving a shit,
What am I supposed to say?
How about saying you're sorry,
sitting down, and saying thank you,
the way I raised you,
Greg,
What?
Sit down,
Okay,,, so, I think we can order
some food now, little zucchini, calamari, right?
I'm sorry,
Okay,
I don't want to fight anymore,
I don't either,
So, do we think we're ready or do we,,,
- Yes, we're ready, - We are ready,
I'm going to need a second, um,
I'll have a filet, rare, with asparagus
and a baked potato, and another glass of this,
and I'll be back in a second,
Very good, sir,
We'll be waiting,
Vodka, rocks, please,
Absolutely,
How's your night going so far?
I am optimistic,
Celebrating, a graduate?
A commencement, yes,
Everything okay back there?
Seems to be settling down, sir,
Okay, thanks,
Suppose I'm ready for another one,
Hi, Grandma,
The buses are running later and later each day,
Yes, I know,
The leftovers from yesterday,
did you eat them all or did you save me some?
Of course I saved some,
You always cook too much,
Because I always think about you having food when you get home from work,
You always think of everything,
So, that actually turned out okay,
Turned out, yeah,
Your dad's pretty cool,
Yeah, I guess,
You know, I was expecting a lot, lot worse,
Weren't you, Ana?
I didn't know what to expect,
I guess,
I mean, I just don't know him that well,
This car's nice,
Well,
sounds like he's trying to change that,
Yeah,
That's good, right?
That could be good,
He's not that bad,
Guess I'm glad he was there,
Sure, yeah, I mean,
I guess that's the way it's supposed to be, right?
Right,
Right, Ana?
Of course,
Right, so when are we leaving tonight?
Oh, I have to go into the lab tonight,
What?
It's like 11 o'clock,
What about Ellery?
Fuck that boy clown,
I'm going to text him and tell him
you're not going out,
Always stealing away,
What's wrong? You don't like it? Is it cold?
Just give me a minute,
Sorry, do you have a lot of work to do?
No worries, Grandma, I will finish outside,
Okay, but don't go very far,
Don't worry, Grandma, where am I supposed to go?
Hey,
Hello!
Hello, can you give a little help?
- What? - Come here a second,
That's right, don't be rude,
Hey, you're the one being rude,
Relax,
You're right, you're right,
My fault,
You know where the Oro del,,,
Sorry, sweetie, do you know where
the Oro del Desierto Hotel is?
Uh, yeah, I think it's, if you go down the 880, um, I think,,,
You're right, you're right,
Yeah, 880 South, it's the first or second exist,
you'll see the sign from the freeway,
- Thanks, - Thanks,
You're welcome,
Hey,
How old are you?
You're beautiful,
- Thank you, - Want to make some money?
Hey, shut up,
You're right,
He's not wrong though,
You busy?
You busy right now?
Come with us,
You can make a lot of money,
You can get on the 880 from over there,
Thanks,
You're welcome,
There's a pre-game, and a lounge in the mission,
We could tool up the 101 in my new sports car,
You think you could just get out
of the lab and join us, Ana?
Maybe could?
We'll see,