Sam, a young man in his early 30s sits alone at a bar that is mostly empty. He is in a suit and has clearly come from a corporate job. He sips a gin and tonic and stares at the television screen behind the bar. Suddenly, Malik, a rail thin, immaculately dressed man in a fabulous pea coat and boots walks into the bar. He signals to the bartender who stands at the far end of the bar. As he sits at a stool directly to the left of Sam, his drink (a long island iced tea) is brought forth; clearly it had been prepared in advance.
SAM: You owe me.
MALIK: For what?
SAM: The game last week. You and ur friend said the Knicks were gonna get crushed.
MALIK: Aww--
SAM: Aww nothin.
MALIK: You the one making all that lawyer money, shit! Plus, you're drinking one already!
SAM: Well then get my next one.
MALIK: (not convincingly) Oook, fine.
Sam laughs
SAM: Cheers!
MALIK: Salud!
The two clink glasses and drink. This after work drink is something of a ritual for them.
MALIK: (haltingly) Hey... speaking of my buddy... what happened that night after I went home ? I mean he won't call me back, and he won't answer my texts.
SAM: I dunno. He was cool when he left.
MALIK: Yea?
SAM: Yea man.
MALIK: You didn't get him fucked up or nothin.
SAM: Oh come on-
MALIK: Seriously. I mean he wasn't crazy drunk was he?
SAM: Malik, he's a grown ass man.
MALIK: He's 22.
SAM: Which is plenty grown!
MALIK: He's a baby.
SAM: He's old enough to know his limits.
MALIK: And young enough to be pushed into ANYTHING. I know how you can talk people into drinking more than they should.
SAM: Excuse you?
Malik lets it drop for a moment and sips his cocktail, readying himself for his next offensive.
MALIK: How bad was he?
SAM: He was FINE!
MALIK: Fine like 'fine fine', or fine like 'oh shit' fine.
SAM: (chucking) Man, when you're done with the whole starving artist/ teacher bit, you should consider law school. You're better than most prosecutors, trust me.
MALIK: Please, just answer the question.
SAM: He had a few drinks and and left! I don't know what he did after that.
The two sit in silence for a moment; Malik eyes his friend suspiciously.
MALIK: Him mom called me that night.
SAM: His MOM?!
MALIK: Well, I WAS once his tutor.
SAM: I thought that was when he was in middle school.
MALIK: Yea, well, I helped him out a few times after that too.
SAM: (sarcastic) The gift that keeps on giving, huh.
MALIK:(accusingly) At 2am he still wasn't home.
SAM: (finally peeved) Look, imma tell you this one good time. YOU were the one who brought the him that night. Before then, I obviously had never met him before! If you were trying to babysit him to make sure he got home to mommy, maybe you shoulda PERSONALLY seen to it that he made it there.
MALIK: Woah woah, chill.
SAM: I'm just saying, I don't understand why we're pretending this ADULT is 5 years old.
MALIK: Well it's...he's just someone I care about OK?
SAM: (mimicking Malik from earlier with sexual emphasis) Someone you care about care about, or someone you just care about?
MALIK: You're disgusting.
SAM: Am I?
MALIK: He's a former student.
SAM: So?
MALIK: You're joking.
SAM:(exasperated by the game). I didn't do nothin with him, if that's what you're fishing for. I'm not into white guys anyway.
MALIK: Hey, no I wasn't suggesting-I just want to see how he is!
SAM: Mmhm.
MALIK: Seriously! I just think its weird that he disappeared so crazily that night, just totally off the radar.
Beat.
SAM: (syrupy) So...you wanna know...if something HAPPENED that night.
MALIK: (wary) Uh. Yea.
SAM: (overly cheery) Well, why didn't you just SAY that!
MALIK: I did...
SAM: No you didn't.
MALIK: What are we talking about?
SAM: The kid you tutored.
MALIK: Sam-
SAM: There was a girl.
MALIK: That night?
SAM: Yea man. At the bar. After you left.
MALIK: I see.
SAM: Do you?
MALIK: I...yea....was she cute?
SAM: He thought so, he bought her a drink.
MALIK: (noticeably deflated) Oh.
SAM: Yup.
MALIK: Did he seem...I dunno ...excited?
SAM: (sly) Excited, how?
MALIK: No, not like that, Ugh. Never mind.
SAM: OK.
MALIK: OK.
Long beat
SAM: You gonna ask it?
MALIK: Ask what?
SAM: They left together.
MALIK: (almost shouting) You're making it up.
SAM: I swear to God.
MALIK: Then why didn't you say so before?!
SAM: Damn man, you really WERE looking to score!
MALIK: It ain't like that!
SAM: It is!
MALIK: You're trying to piss me off.
SAM: Would it piss you off if he got some pussy?
MALIK: Of course not!
SAM: (mimicking with feigned) Of course not!
MALIK: You're a dick sometimes, you know that?
SAM: Just doin' my job. Are we done talking about your potential boy toy?
MALIK: I'm leaving.
SAM: You owe me a drink!
MALIK: Fuck you!
SAM: Come on don't be like that.
MALIK: I'm tired.
SAM: You're horny.
MALIK: (resigned) Just...just shut up OK? For once would you not say the thing that's at the top of your head? Thanks.
SAM: (laughing kindly) OK Malik, OK. But what kinda friend would I be then?
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