(Christopher spits on her floor.)

And then he does that.

CHRISTOPHER

Isn’t that how Raskolnikov would express contempt?

(Christopher stands there, staring at her.)

BELLA

(To the audience) The following day, at three P.M. sharp, Christopher Dunn shows up at my office again.

Without an appointment.

He just waltzes right in.

He sits across from me and without being prompted he tells the story of his novel. It concerns a young man, much like himself: a Yale freshman from Vermont, who, instead of going home for Thanksgiving, takes the Metro-North into New York City.

CHRISTOPHER

At New Haven’s Union Station, while waiting for his track announcement, a kid in a puffy coat approaches the student. The kid in the puffy coat’s name is Shane and he sports a Boston Red Sox baseball cap with a flattened brim and incessantly chews a coffee straw. He’s a white boy from the projects. In the waiting area he tries to befriend the student. They talk about New York City. Shane can’t get enough of all the “NYU bitches” and the “mad modelly lookin’ skeezers over in Williamsburg.” The student, an aspiring playwright, is planning to go see a revival of Caryl Churchill’s Cloud 9 at the Atlantic Theater. It turns out that Shane’s heading into the city, too. He tells the student he’s going to meet a girl. He suggests they travel together.

When the conductor comes to collect their tickets it turns out that Shane has lost his wallet. He pads around the pockets of his puffy coat. He checks his seat, the floor, the other nearby seats. No luck. The conductor tells him that he’ll have to get off the train at the next stop. The student offers to cover Shane’s fare. Shane accepts the offer and the student reaches into his wallet and hands the conductor the money.

That’s all I have so far.

(After a long silence:)

BELLA

You spit on my floor yesterday.

CHRISTOPHER

Yeah, that was pretty bad.

BELLA

And you don’t have an appointment.

CHRISTOPHER

How ’bout I clean your floor? I’m a terrific mopper, I really am.

BELLA

(To the audience) I call building maintenance and a few minutes later a mop and bucket are delivered to my office.

(A mop and bucket appear. Christopher begins swabbing her floor.)

I sit behind my desk and watch Christopher mop my marble office floor. I take pleasure in his effort. I tell him to make sure to get in the corners and give the mop a good rinse and wring.

He’s actually not a bad mopper … I tell him I’m intrigued by his story.

(To Christopher) You have yourself a nice amount of dread simmering. Is Shane going to take advantage of the student?

CHRISTOPHER

(Mopping) I’m not ready to answer that just yet.

BELLA

Because you don’t want to or because you don’t know the answer?

CHRISTOPHER

(Mopping) Because I don’t know the answer.

BELLA

(To the audience) I ask him if he’s writing it on his MacBook Air.