“How long did you wait? I mean — did you wait long?” from the film “An Affair To Remember”. When Nickie begins to interrogate Terry in an attempt to discover why she didn’t meet him at the top of the Empire State building as they had planned years before. 5-6 Min.
Nickie (entering): Does Miss McKay — ?
Terry (o.s.): Nickie!
Nickie: Hello. How are you, Terry?
Terry: It’s good to see you.
Nickie: It’s good to see you, too. (stepping back) Are you feeling alright?
Terry: Oh, yes. I’m just resting.
Nickie (walking back, looking around) Good.
Terry: It’s been a long time.
Nickie: Yes — yes, that’s right.
Terry: It’s good to see you.
Nickie: Yes — you said that. (going toward a chair) May I?
Terry: Yes. Sit down.
Nickie (as he sits down): I’ll only be a minute. You’re sure you don’t mind — ?
Terry: No.
Nickie: I bet you’re wondering how I got here.
Terry: Uh-huh.
Nickie (rising and coming to her): I was looking in the telephone book for a man named McBride, and I saw the name Terry McKay. So I said to myself ‘Could that be Terry McKay – my old friend?’
Terry: And it was!
Nickie: Yes. Then I said to myself ‘I haven’t been very nice to Miss McKay. After all, I had an appointment with her one day and I didn’t keep it.’
Terry: You di —
Nickie: And, that’s not a very nice way to treat an old friend, is it? So I said to myself ‘I must apologize’ and here I am.
Terry: That’s sweet of you … I —
Nickie: I thought so.
Terry: I’ve often wondered about you — and how you were —
Nickie: You did, really? (he stirs) I’ve often wondered about you, too. Then you didn’t get angry because I was there? You must have been at first.
Terry: Yes, I was. At first I was furious. I said ‘He can’t do this to me — who does he think he is?’
Nickie: How long did you wait? I mean — did you wait long?
Terry: Let me see. I waited till about —
Nickie: Midnight.
Terry: Oh …
Nickie: Then what did you do?
Terry: Then I really got mad. You can just imagine — standing up there —
Nickie: Yes — in a thunderstorm.
Terry: Yes … ?
Nickie: What did you say to yourself?
Terry: Then, I said ‘Why don’t you go home and get tight?’
Nickie: But, you didn’t do that —
Terry: Didn’t I?
Nickie: No. (rising) Well, maybe you took a little one, every hour, for about a month.
Terry: Can you blame me?
Nickie: I should say not. The least I could have done was send you a note.
Terry: Maybe by the time you thought of it you didn’t know where to reach me.
Nickie: But, you swore that if you ever saw me again, you’d ask — didn’t you?
Terry: No — no — I remembered we said if we could make it we’d be there. And, if one of us didn’t show up there must be an excellent reason.
Nickie: Like what for instance?
Terry: … so, there’ll be no more questions asked … I hope … (reaching for box) Cigarette?
