(LUCAS and JOSH, mid-thirties, enter the Brant Street Caf\u00e9. They sit side-by-side at the counter.)<\/i><\/p>\n
LUCAS
Wait till you try the chicken noodle soup here. It\u2019s the best I have ever tasted.<\/p>\n
JOSH
I think I\u2019m going to have a grilled cheese.<\/p>\n
LUCAS
I\u2019ll tell you what, man: you go your way, I\u2019ll go mine.<\/p>\n
(pause)<\/i><\/p>\n
JOSH
You seem agitated.<\/p>\n
LUCAS
I\u2019m not judging you. There comes a time in everyone\u2019s life when they decide what kind of person they are. I don\u2019t claim to understand your choice, nor will I judge you for it.<\/p>\n
(pause)<\/i><\/p>\n
JOSH
Thank you.<\/p>\n
LUCAS
I don\u2019t know what series of events led to your choice of a grilled cheese. I haven\u2019t walked that road. All I know is what\u2019s right for me,<\/i> and it is the chicken noodle soup.<\/p>\n
(pause)<\/i><\/p>\n
JOSH
Should I get the chicken noodle soup?<\/p>\n
LUCAS
Don\u2019t patronize me.<\/p>\n
JOSH
Listen, what is your problem?<\/p>\n
LUCAS
I\u2019m thirty-five years old. I was in the shower this morning, staring at the tiles, and it hit me: I am never going to publish that novel. I am never going to present my parents with a grandchild. I am never going to make partner. Every day that goes by is another staple stamped into my life, and it\u2019s becoming clearer and clearer the shape of who I really am.<\/p>\n
JOSH (mildly alarmed)<\/i>
Whoa. Whoa. What the hell?<\/p>\n
LUCAS
No, listen. I\u2019ve reconciled myself to it. I\u2019m not the guy who\u2019s going to live passionately about any of those things I thought I\u2019d live passionately about. But I\u2019ll tell you what\u2019s still in my power: the chicken noodle soup at the Brant Street Caf\u00e9. I\u2019ve had it everywhere in the city, and I am prepared to state unequivocally that it is best here. I am an expert on nothing else.<\/i> But I have this.<\/i><\/p>\n
JOSH
Okay. Okay. Take it easy.<\/p>\n
(A WAITRESS enters.)<\/i><\/p>\n
WAITRESS
What can I get for you guys?<\/p>\n
JOSH
I\u2019ll have a grilled cheese.<\/p>\n
WAITRESS
All righty. And you?<\/p>\n
LUCAS (looking clearly and directly into her eyes)<\/i>
The chicken noodle soup.<\/p>\n
WAITRESS
I\u2019m sorry, guy \u2013 we\u2019re just out. I can get you a cream of mushroom?<\/p>\n
(pause)<\/i><\/p>\n
LUCAS (bravely)<\/i>
Yes. Okay.<\/p>\n
WAITRESS
It\u2019ll be right out.<\/p>\n
(WAITRESS exits.)<\/i><\/p>\n
(pause)<\/i><\/p>\n
JOSH
I thought you hated mushrooms.<\/p>\n
LUCAS
Don\u2019t try to pen me in, man!<\/p>\n
JOSH
All right.<\/p>\n
LUCAS
I am going to eat the hell<\/i> out of that cream of mushroom soup. Try to stop me!<\/p>\n
JOSH
I won\u2019t.<\/p>\n
LUCAS
I\u2019ll tear your arm off.<\/p>\n
(pause)<\/i><\/p>\n
(The WAITRESS crosses again, and JOSH flags her down.)<\/i><\/p>\n
JOSH
Miss? I think I\u2019d also like a bowl of cream of mushroom, if that\u2019s all right.<\/p>\n
WAITRESS
Sure thing!<\/p>\n
(The WAITRESS exits. LUCAS and JOSH sit in silence.)<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
(LUCAS and JOSH, mid-thirties, enter the Brant Street Caf\u00e9. They sit side-by-side at the counter.) LUCASWait till you try the chicken noodle soup here. It\u2019s the best I have ever tasted. JOSHI think I\u2019m going to have a grilled cheese. LUCASI\u2019ll tell you what, man: you go your way, I\u2019ll go mine. (pause) JOSHYou seem […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[54],"class_list":["post-144","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sketches","tag-dave-stinton"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sketchwar.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sketchwar.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sketchwar.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sketchwar.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sketchwar.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=144"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sketchwar.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sketchwar.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sketchwar.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=144"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sketchwar.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}