The Love Gift 2/25/20 By Lynn Green
CHARACTERS TONYA: 5'3", 143 LBS, CURVACIOUS, MEXICAN AND AFRICAN AMERICAN ETHNIC BACKGROUND. 30 YEARS OLD LLOYD: 6'4", 230 LBS. ATHLETIC BUILD, AFRICAN AMERICAN, 26 YEARS OLD. PLACE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. IN TONYA'S HOUSE LOCATED IN UPTOWN, ON THE NORTH SIDE.
Scene: On a summer’s night in Tonya’s bedroom. Tonya and Lloyd lay cuddled together on top of an unmade bed. TONYA (In a soft tone.) Don’t you love this? LLOYD Love what, Babe? TONYA This. Us. Laying here together without a care in the world. Just enjoying each other’s company. LLOYD You know I do. Spending time with you means the world to me. TONYA Are you going to stay tonight? LLOYD Ummm, sure. TONYA (Rising to a sitting position.) Really! You had to think about it? LLOYD I was just kidding. Does it look like I was going anywhere? Don’t be like that. (He reaches to embrace her.) TONYA (Moves away.) What about tomorrow? LLOYD I’ll stay if you want me to. Okay. What is this about? TONYA (Ignoring his question.) So you’ll stay, but only if I want you to?
2/25/20
2.
LLOYD No. I mean – come on, Tonya. You know that’s not what I meant. I just have things that I have to take care of, and sometimes that takes me late into the night is all. TONYA Like what things? LLOYD We’ve been through this - just things, okay? (He sits up on the edge of the bed.) TONYA We’ve been together for close to three years now and I still don’t know what those – (Uses air quotes.) – “things” are. I never pressure you. I give you your space. I don’t get in your business. Yet, you still act as if we’re still dating. LLOYD (Turning slowly and speaking softly.) Okay, you’re right and I’m sorry. I should’ve been more forthcoming. I should’ve communicated better, but I was – I was embarrassed. Tonya, please understand, there are times when I never want to leave. TONYA First off, what is there for you to be embarrassed about? And if you don’t want to leave, then don’t. Just stay with me. LLOYD When you say stay, you mean, like, move in? TONYA (Rolling her eyes.) You know that’s what I mean, Lloyd. And you didn’t answer my question. What is there for you to be embarrassed about? LLOYD (Shaking his head.) I knew it. Look, you see how we have matching Benz trucks, right? TONYA (Stretching out the word.) Oookaayy ... ?
2/25/20
3.
LLOYD And you know about my job as a personal trainer, right? TONYA What are you getting at? LLOYD Well, I’m not making very much money right now as a trainer. So I’ve had to take really crappy jobs at crazy night shift hours just to be able to pay my car note. I’m barely staying afloat. TONYA Lloyd, that’s nothing to be embarrassed about. You could’ve just told me. I thought that you were just – LLOYD Afraid of commitment? TONYA (Shocked.) Yes! LLOYD No babe, I love you more than you can understand, but you’re financially out of my league. I probably won’t be able to complete my car note payments and you make six figures a year . TONYA I’ll buy you the car. And I make seven. LLOYD What? TONYA I make seven figures a year, not six. LLOYD You see, that’s what I mean. (He walks back into the bedroom and begins to gather his clothes.) I have to go. TONYA Wait. What? You’re leaving? I said I’d buy the car for you, so you can drop the crappy jobs.
2/25/20
4. LLOYD
Yeah. (Pause.) Thanks. (He starts getting dressed.) (Confused and kind of panicky, Tonya reaches for his arm in an attempt to stop him from getting dressed.) TONYA I told you I’d get the car for you and now you can quit those crappy jobs. Is that not what you wanted? (Lloyd stops getting dressed and simply stares at Tonya for a long moment.) LLOYD Yeah, but it doesn’t feel right. TONYA What do you mean it doesn’t feel right? I make more than enough money for the both of us. Consider the car a love gift. LLOYD A love gift? TONYA Yeah, a love gift. It’s a gift given out of love. LLOYD Thank you, but I still have to go. TONYA (Irritated.) Whatever, Lloyd. Go! LLOYD You want me to stay? Fine, I’ll stay, but I don’t know how I’m supposed to get all of my stuff and bring it here, but hey, what do I know? (Realization setting in. Tonya runs and jumps onto Lloyd, almost knocking him to the floor with excitement.)
2/25/20
5. TONYA
So you’re moving in? LLOYD If you still want me to? (Tonya wraps her legs around Lloyd. She grabs his face with tears in her eyes. Through a barrage of kisses, she speaks one word over and over again.) TONYA Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. ... (They remain like that for several breathtaking moments before he stops smiling and returns her kisses, while slowly carrying her back to the bed. The lights go low until it’s completely dark ...) THE END