1. Int. Day. Paul's flat.
Paul's phone makes a noise and he checks it for a text.
Paul
Oh dear.
2. Int. Day. Paul's kitchen.
Tea making as a series of quick cuts. Fill the kettle. Put it on. Select a cup. Get teabag. Throw it into cup. Kettle boils. Pour boiling water onto teabag. Wait.
3. Int Front door
There is a knock at the door. Paul arrives at the door with the cup of tea and opens the door. Sarah is otside, looking annoyed and upset (mostly annoyed).
Sarah
Tea.
Paul
Hands over tea
Tea
Sarah
Sympathy
Paul
Gives her a hug.
Sympathy
4. Int. Day. Paul's flat, the living room
Sarah is nursing her tea and brooding.
Sarah
How can he be getting engaged to her? They've only been together a year.
I mean, I was with him for two years.
Paul
A year and a half.
Sarah
Nearly two years. And we never talked about getting married.
Paul
Maybe she's pregnant.
Sarah
Dismissive tutting noise
Paul
Maybe it's just time for him.
Sarah
Meh
Paul
Welcome to the joy of staying in touch with your exes.
4. Cont
Sarah
I blame Facebook. Who'd have thought he'd look me up.
Paul
More tea?
Sarah
Nah. I should go. I just wanted to spread the pain.
They get up.
Paul
Perhaps you need beer.
Sarah
Maybe.
Paul
The other great English way of dealing with stress.
Sarah
Give me a call.
5. INT. PUB
Paul hands Gareth a pint.
Paul
Beer good.
Gareth
Beer foamy.
Paul
Where's that girl got to this time.
Gareth
checks watch
You told her to be here at eight?
Paul
Yes
Gareth
Well, it's only twenty five past. She's well within her half hour window of lateness.
Paul
Perhaps she's pulled. She did dump whatsisface a week ago.
Gareth
Pete. His name was Pete. And even she isn't so bad she could pull on the way to the pub.
Paul
You think?
Pause as they take a sip
5.Cont
Paul
She likes you you know.
Gareth
wistful
Not enough.
She likes you too.
Paul
Like some sort of big brother.
Anyway, her sister would kill me. I'm supposed to be, I don't know, protecting Sarah from the wrong kind of guys.
Gareth
Good work on that so far. You didn't protect her from whatsisface.
Paul
Pete. His name was Pete.
Gareth
Am I the wrong kind of guy?
Paul
I wouldn't protect her from you.
And here's the girl herself. Well within her half hour window.
6. Int. Pub. Later
Sarah
I've had an idea
Paul
Oh dear.
Gareth
Ignore him.
What's your idea?
Sarah
I should give up on men.
Paul
The men of the world will go into mourning.
Gareth
You're going to become a lesbian?
Sarah
Shut up, both of you.
Points at Gareth
And you, stop sounding so excited.
You know how I am with relationships. You know how I..
6. Cont
Paul
Could accidentally pull in a monastery.
Gareth
Seem to leap from man to man with reckless abandon.
Paul
A non-Catholic monastery, of course. You don't look anything like a young boy.
Sarah
Oi!
Stop being nasty. This is supposed to be about consoling me. My ex just got engaged and he invited me to the engagement party and I'm going to go there and be reminded that I'm going to die old and lonely.
Gareth
I get that feeling at every party.
Paul
So, because you're never going to meet the right man you're going to strike a pre-emptive blow by giving up on mankind before you don't meet him?
Sarah
I was thinking something less permanent.
Gareth
You're going to give up on men for a week?
Sarah
More than that.
I'm going to give up on men for.... a while.
Paul
Very specific.
Sarah
Well I'm not going to know how long I should stay off men until I've stayed off them long enough.
Gareth
This is making my head hurt.
Paul
Okay, I'll make a challenge.
Sarah
A challenge?
Paul
First of us to get laid has to buy the others a meal.
Gareth
We're going to give up men as well?
I haven't even got interested in men yet.
6. Cont
Paul
No. We're going to carry on as normal, trying to get laid.
Gareth
By men?
Paul
If you want.
Sarah
You have that little faith in me?
Paul
Darling, you know how shit us two are at pulling.
Sarah
You are shit, aren't you.
Paul
So we're going to get a free meal.
Sarah
We'll see.
7. Int. Paul's house.
Gareth is playing a racing game. Paul is spotting and giving directions. Gareth leans into the corners.
Paul
Left here! Left! That's it.
Now straight on and boost. Boost!
Go on!
Ohhh.
Gareth
Hands over controller
Second. That's the best so far.
Paul
Not good enough. We need this race.
Pressing buttons
Yes, we want to race again. No, we don't want to see the intro.
There's a knock on the door. Paul nods at the keys on the table.
Paul
Keys are on the table.
Gareth
You expecting anyone?
Paul
No, but it's probably Sarah.
8. Front door.
Gareth unlocks and opens the door. Sarah is standing on the doorstep.
Sarah
Hi
Gareth
Evening
Paul (OS)
Told you!
Sarah
Game night?
Gareth
Yeah.
Sarah
Can I play?
Paul (OS)
No, you're a girl. We don't have any girly games.
Gareth
(to Paul)
Yes we do. I brought the Wii.
Paul
Oh okay, let her in then.
9. Later.
Paul and Gareth are watching Sarah playing on the Wii. Specifically, Gareth is watching Sarah.
Paul
Go on! Two more to beat your personal best.
Glances at Paul
You're supposed to look at the screen. That's where the action is.
Paul
Oh no it's not.
10. Ext. evening
Paul, Sarah and Gareth walking along the street.
Sarah
Thanks for coming along as moral support.
Paul
I was invited anyway.
Sarah
Oh. Okay.
Gareth
I came because it's a party.
10. Cont
Sarah
Thanks guys. It's nice to know you love me.
Paul
You could have made your excuses and stayed away.
Sarah
Not a chance. It is a party after all.
Gareth
Many single men at an engagement party?
Sarah
Fuck off.
Paul
Celibacy's done wonders for her repartee.
11. Party
Sarah, Paul and Gareth looking round for anyone they recognise.
Sarah
Who are all these people?
Paul
I'm sure he's allowed to have friends we don't know.
Gareth
Maybe he works with them.
Mark walks over
Mark
Hey, you made it!
Paul
Any excuse for a party.
Sarah
This is Gareth.
Mark and Gareth shake hands
Gareth
I have beer. Is there somewhere to put it?
Mark
The kitchen's straight through there. There might be some room in the fridge.
Paul
I've got a few bottles as well.
Paul and Gareth head off, leaving Sarah with Mark. She looks nervous.
Mark
Have you ever met Kate?
11. Cont
Sarah
No
MArk
Takes Sarah by the arm and leads her away.
Let me introduce you.
12. Later
Gareth and Sarah have split off from the rest of the party.
Sarah
I like her
Gareth
Who? The fiancee?
Sarah
Yes. I was ready to hate her, but I like her.
I'm sure that's not meant to happen.
Gareth
It's nice.
Sarah
Yeah. But it annoys me.
Quiet for a moment
Gareth
So you're not angry about it any more?
Sarah
I guess not.
Gareth
What about your thing about men.
SArah
I don't know
Gareth
Have you talked to any guests apart from the bride and groom?
Sarah
No, not really.
Gareth
I talked to David over there.
He's... interesting.
Sarah
What's he do?
12. Cont
Gareth
He collects and paints Games Workshop figures. He's got nearly a thousand.
Sarah
Not entirely convinced
Neat.
Gareth
But he doesn't play the games. You'd think he would play the games.
Sarah
Where'd Paul go?
Gareth
Don't know.
Sarah
Maybe he's pulled.
Gareth
Right.
You want to leave?
SArah
I think so.
Gareth
Wait here a moment.
13. Ext. Sarah and Gareth walking home.
SArah
You're a bad man, stealing other people's wine.
Gareth
It's not that bad. I could have had half a bottle of whisky.
SArah
Have you got a corkscrew?
GAreth
Not on me.
Sarah
There'll be one in my flat.
Gareth
Let's go then.
If possible end this on a close up of the bottle so that there can be a fade to it in the next scene.
14. Int. Sarah's flat. Morning
Open on the empty wine bottle from the night before, then follow the trail of discarded clothes across the floor to the bed, up the side of the bed and along to find Sarah, sleeping and snuggled up to Gareth's shoulder. Pull out to reveal Gareth. He's awake and looks a bit nervous/freaked out.
14. Cont
Gareth
Paul's going to kill me.