Chapter Text
Though my heart has long been given to you
Summer's turn is nigh
Swifts and swallows swoop and yearn for you
With all that's in the sky
But blow the wind and come the rain and come my love again
FADE IN:
INT. SHIV ROY’S PENTHOUSE - KITCHEN - TWO DAYS SINCE THE CHARITY LUNCH - LATE EVENING
ELAINE CALDWELL is sitting on the floor leaning against the island of a dimly lit kitchen. SHIV ROY is sitting right by her, their shoulders touching, Elaine’s head propped on Shiv’s shoulder. It’s late into their girls night, forgotten glasses of wine and gin are standing on the floor nearby.
They have talked sitting like that for what seems like hours and Elaine is almost dozing off but her consciousness wouldn’t let her chicken out of the pre planned talk.
Elaine has been growing concerned with keeping quiet about Tom and Greg’s situation. Since she met Greg the other day she felt complicit in some plot. She can’t exactly out them to Shiv without even knowing what’s their deal but not telling her feels like betrayal. With a heavy heart she came up with a solution that - if lucky - would appease both sides. If unlucky, though… Either way she ought to face the music. She’s gotten too attached to Shiv but if keeping to her principles drives them apart, well. There’s a price for everything.
ELAINE
(quietly, not lifting her head off of Shiv)
Hey, Ginge?
SHIV
(eyes closed, humming)
Hm?
ELAINE
I wanted to talk to you.
SHIV
Yeah, I’ve been waiting for this.
(opening her eyes and sighing)
You’ve been weird these few days.
ELAINE
Sorry.
SHIV
(almost cold)
You know you can’t break up with me if we’re not together, right?
ELAINE
What? No, hon, never.
SHIV
(trying to hide her relief)
Then what? Took you days and a whole night of drinking to bring it up.
(beat)
Laine?
ELAINE
Yeah.
Shiv takes a one eighty and starts wondering if Elaine is about to suggest they get back together. She’s not too sure. Not being able to tell apart the signs of an impending break up and a love confession isn't a great notion. Shiv will have to mention it to her therapist later. The one thing she’s sure of for now is that she’s a better friend than a partner. She also knows she hasn’t got that many friends in her life that wouldn’t somehow be involved with either her family or work. Being friends with Laine is a pleasant new experience. Insofar, that is.
ELAINE (CONT’D)
Do you trust me?
SHIV
(only half jokingly)
God, no.
ELAINE
Yeah, right.
SHIV
You know.
ELAINE
I do. Still. I have a little… Well, that’s subjective, right? I learnt something kind of big. And it concerns you in some sense.
SHIV
Oh? I’m all ears.
ELAINE
(biting her lip and finally pushing herself off of Shiv, slightly turning to her)
Well, that’s the thing.
Shiv frowns at Elaine’s solemn look of regret. She knows that look. That look doesn’t promise anything good. She feels her throat close.
ELAINE
(recognising fear in Shiv's eyes)
Hey, no, please. I just. I can’t tell you. Even though I know I should.
SHIV
Why?
The emotion in her voice as she asks this is all-encompassing. Elaine braces herslef.
ELAINE
It’s not my secret to tell. I- But I also can’t not tell you, right.
SHIV
(calmer but more confused)
Because… it concerns me?
ELAINE
Tangentially, yeah.
SHIV
So… You are telling me, then?
ELAINE
I- No? Let me put it like this. I learned about it some time ago. Like. Time time ago. And got involved without knowing it. So even if I tell you now you’ll still be pissed.
SHIV
Uh huh. But if you didn’t know-
ELAINE
I do now. It’s of no use. So. Like… Would it be so terrible if I maybe don’t tell you at all? Until you learn it yourself.
SHIV
(bemused and sceptical now)
Are you- Are you asking me for a friendly betrayal hall pass?
ELAINE
No. Well, yes. Benefit of the doubt, more like. So do you trust me?
(interrupting Shiv’s attempt at saying no again)
Do you trust me that I have no bad intentions towards you in keeping this from you?
SHIV
(almost giving in but playing the part)
I need more than this, though.
ELAINE
Fair. It concerns other people more so than you. Way more.
SHIV
Uh huh.
ELAINE
It’s really just more of a gossip that you’d feel privy to know. And to be honest, I’m not sure you wouldn’t do something unwise with that information. You won’t like it.
SHIV
(more relaxed)
And you just happened to stumble across whatever this is?
ELAINE
You would never believe the coincidence it took.
SHIV
Okay.
(pause)
You said until I learn it for myself?
ELAINE
Um. If it ever happens to make the news.
SHIV
(cheeky)
Or if other less moralistic parties happen to tell me?
ELAINE
Well, yes. It might never come up, of course. I can’t be sure. Either way, I don’t want to make it just an empty gossip. It’s of great importance to some.
SHIV
(incredulous)
Why are you telling me at all? If it might never come out.
ELAINE
Because I don’t want to keep this from you for the rest of our lives.
Shiv looks at Elaine with uncertainty as if the concept of plain honest sincerety is completely foreign to her.
SHIV
But. Just to be clear, you’re not telling me?
ELAINE
I’m really between a rock and a hard place here. But I thought-
Elaine gets up, finds her purse and gets an envelope out of it before coming back to Shiv and sitting down. She just holds it over her laps, looking at it and fidgeting.
ELAINE (CONT'D)
I wrote it down and put it in here. So this way- If you trust me with this, don’t open it.
SHIV
This seems a bit silly, Laine.
ELAINE
It’s not.
SHIV
If it’s a test and it says ‘A-ha! You failed’ then I’ll be pissed.
ELAINE
No, of course it doesn't. It’s just.
(seeing Shiv’s amused smile)
Stop, I’m serious. You will be pissed at me.
Shiv considers it. It might indeed be something serious, Laine isn't a jokester. But she is also sometimes naive. So maybe it’s not too bad after all. Or maybe it is and her naivity is rubbing onto Shiv.
ELAINE (CONT’D)
So. In giving you this I- I acknowledge that you’re entitled to open it now or later. But if you have any pity for me, please don’t. It’s very important to me not to betray the people concerned. I know from my own experience how bad-
(deciding not to go there)
I just hope that either way this will serve as a symbol of no ill intentions from me.
Shiv is touched with concern in Elaine’s face. She looks down at the envelope Elaine has now given over to her. She has already overlooked a lot of people in her life and now they’re gone. She doesn’t want Elaine to go as well. She thinks she won’t open it. Even if the secret is truly horrible she will know she had the option to have learnt it. It’s terribly clever and yet, coming from Laine, Shiv can only see it as sincere.
SHIV
(looking up at Elaine)
Okay.
ELAINE
(solemn)
You might not want to talk to me once you know.
SHIV
(doubting it, curious)
And you’re ready to risk it?
ELAINE
I wish I wasn't. We’ve become rather close.
SHIV
I guess.
(a sign)
Look, you’re scaring me a little. But if you don’t spy on me for my mom or work for GoJo, I think we’ll be fine. And I kinda like that you have principles. Balances out literally everyone I know.
ELAINE
Thanks? I kinda don’t know, maybe I’ve blown it out of proportion a little. But if I haven’t and if you won’t ever speak to me after that, can you promise to remember that it’s in no way personal? That I would never willingly hurt you?
Shiv knows she has taken a lot of non-personal things in her life too personally. Her therapist says to make an effort and draw the line between the two. She’ll really try this time, she decides.
SHIV
Yeah. Okay.
She puts the envelope away among the papers she has no real intention of going through any time soon.
It’s not too pleasant to know there’s something going on behind her back that she could probably use as leverage but it's nice to have a choice. To be in full control of this decision. To have someone care so much about her they’re ready to fall victim to their own wants.
The night falls and Shiv and Elaine fall asleep on the sofa in the living room, not wanting to go into separate bedrooms and still cautious to sleep in one bed after breaking up.
Time will tell if they'll be alright.
FADE OUT.
TO BE CONTINUED.