Overtime
By Eddy Taylor
An office. Night. Marc sits at a desk typing on a computer, sipping a cup of coffee. Occasionally he looks up to check the clock at the back of the office. Every time he does this he sighs before going back to his computer.
Quiet at first, we can hear the rumbling a popping of a boiler from under the floor growing louder as the scene progresses.
After a while he realises, he has finished his coffee.
He gets up and walks to the water cooler located on the far side of the office. He takes a plastic cup from the side of the cooler and begins pouring himself a drink.
We hear a toilet flushing.
Enter Luke, rubbing his hands.
He sits down at the desk opposite Marcs and starts typing on his computer.
Marc watches Luke.
Marc: Long meeting?
Silence.
Marc takes a long swing of water.
Marc: How’s Albi?
Beat
Marc: You awake?
Luke: Hmm?
Marc: ‘ows Albi?
Luke: …fine. Went out for a smoke I think.
Marc: Albi doesn’t /smoke.
Luke: /I don’t know then, food I guess.
Marc: Probably gettin a Maccies.
Luke: Yea.
Marc: Quarter-pounder guy isn’t he?
Luke: Hmmm.
Marc: I like the classics. Nothing wrong with a Big Mac. You?
Beat
Marc: You’re a nuggets guy aren’t /you?
Luke: /Don’t like Maccies.
Marc: How long you worked here?
Luke: Huh?
Marc: Four years, right?
Luke: Five.
Marc: And you don’t like Maccies?
Luke: No.
Marc: Then what do you eat?
Luke: Sandwiches.
Marc: From the Caf? Those are grim.
Luke: Good for ya.
Marc: Meats good for ya not those weird bean and hummus things.
Luke: Sometimes they do /pasties.
Marc: /Wanna get a beer?
Luke: Now?
Marc: Yea, Albi won’t notice /come on.
Luke: /I can’t have a drink right now-
Marc: -Why not? Come on we’ve earned /it.
Luke: /I’ve got to finish this.
Marc: How long’ll that take?
Luke: Couple hours. You go /it’s fine I’ll just
Marc: /Come on. Take a break from it.
Luke: I can’t leave.
Marc: Just twenty minutes Albi won’t-
Luke: -I can’t leave Marc. I’m /busy okay.
Marc: /You can finish it tomorrow surely?
Luke: You go. Have a drink and I’ll see you when you /get back.
Marc: /Can’t leave you unsupervised.
Luke: Go.
Marc: I’m not going to the pub by myself /come with
Luke: /Yea right-
Marc: -Oi.
Luke: Look just go have a drink I’ll be here /when you get back.
Marc: /What you tryin to say?
Luke: Nothing just-
Marc: -Luke?
Luke: Just. Go have a drink alright. (He takes out his wallet) On me here. (He offers Marc a five-pound note)
Marc: You still carry cash? (He snatches the note)
Luke: Go /have a drink.
Marc: /Who uses cash these days?
Luke: What’s it to you?
Marc: Just saying. What else you got in there?
Luke: None of your business.
Marc: Look at mine. (Marc shows Luke his own wallet) What have I got /here then.
Luke: /Marc I really don’t /care.
Marc: /Look look look. Ma. Lads from the pub. Business cards, business cards, business cards, credit cards /credit cards and more business cards
Luke: How do you have so many?
Marc: Part of the job.
Luke: No how do you have so many?
Marc: Cause I have to talk to clients mate.
Luke: Not what I meant.
Beat
Marc: Don’t trust just one bank with your money. It’s not smart.
Luke: Not smart?
Marc: Gotta diversify your income. Put it to work/ that’s what my pa said.
Luke: /Like investments and that kinda stuff?
Marc: Yea-
Luke: -How much?
Marc: I got a couple things going that treat me well enough-
Luke: -Such as?
Marc: Just stocks and that kinda thing. I’m a proper investment manager /you know
Luke: /so you need twenty credit cards?
Marc: I’m smart enough to have earned twenty credit cards.
Luke: Smart?
Marc: Come on show me /yours
Luke: /No.
Marc: Come on.
Luke: No!
Marc: Just give it here.
Luke: No.
Marc lunges at Lukes wallet, the two struggle for a moment. Marc manages to rip the wallet out of Lukes hand.
Marc: What you got in here then?
Luke: Give it /back
Marc: /Shant.
Luke: Give it!
Luke jumps out of his chair. Marc runs to the other side of the office. Luke gives chase and the two circle the office as Marc continues to taunt Luke.
Marc: Oh who’s this your grandma? (He pulls out a photo)
Luke: That’s my fiancés you dick.
Marc: (Stopping) Your what?
Luke tackles him, they crash into the desk closest to the clock.
A laptop falls to the floor narrowly missing Marcs head.
Marc: Jesus!
Luke retrieves his wallet.
Marc holds onto the photo.
Luke: Give it here.
Marc: You nearly broke my /neck.
Luke: /Marc. /Now.
Marc: /You little-
Luke: -The photo.
Marc: What you do that for?
Luke: Just shut it.
Beat
Marc: Let me. God. Let me get up.
Luke: Photo.
Marc: Hang on.
Marc begins to stand up slowly.
Luke: Photo. Photo. Now.
Marc: Okay! (He hands Luke the photo) She’s pretty alright.
Luke: Yea she is.
Marc: Nice eyes.
Luke: Hmm. (Luke holds the photo in one hand. Stares at it. He caresses it gently with his free hand)
Marc: Your age?
Luke: Yea.
Marc: Help me with this.
Luke: You deal with it. (He goes back to his desk)
Pause
Marc picks up the laptop. The keyboard breaks in his hands.
Marc: Luke come here.
Luke: Working.
Marc: Luke.
Luke: Busy. (He goes to the water cooler and pours himself a drink.)
Marc: Oi, this is expensive stuff it’s /company property.
Luke: /Give me a minute. (He finishes his cup in one swig)
Marc: This’ll be coming out of your wages.
Luke: Sure.
Luke pours another drink.
He returns to the back of the office, taking a swig.
Marc: Long day?
Luke: Yea.
Marc: No excuse. (He smacks the cup out of Lukes hand) What do you think /you’re playing at?
Luke: /Calm down /Marc.
Marc: /Calm down? Calm? Luke what /is with you?
Luke: /Doesn’t matter. (He starts to pick up parts of the broken laptop and place them back on the desk) I’ll cover it.
Marc: Yea you will. This shit doesn’t fly around here. My da would have fired you if this was /still his company
Luke: /What’s your ‘da’ got to do with it?
Marc: He’s the main reason you’re here. You could try being respectful.
Luke: I’ve never met the guy why should I be respectful?
Marc: Weren’t for him you wouldn’t have a job.
Luke: How’s that then?
Marc: He built this company.
Luke: Albi built this /company
Marc: /My da ran all this before-
Luke: -before giving it to you?
Marc: Before he died Luke. He ran this company before he died alright. This building and everything in it was his before he… before he died alright.
Luke: Okay.
Marc: Okay?
Luke: We should get a box or something to pack /all this into
Marc: /What was your dad then?
Luke: Doesn’t /matter
Marc: /Did he run a company?
Luke: No-
Marc: -do anything worth anyone’s /time?
Luke: /He was a baker alright. Made bread and and cakes for a living. What’s it to you?
Marc: A bloody baker?
Luke: Yes.
Marc: Ain’t that a bit girly?
Luke: I guess, I don’t care.
Marc: How’d a bakers son get a job here?
Luke: You hired me.
Marc: That’s insane, why do we always send you for coffee you should be making pastries or something. Fresh bread in the office, now that’s an idea. I’ll tell Albi.
Luke: Because I worked really hard that’s how. I worked my arse off to get your /shitty coffee.
Marc: /Maybe if you worked harder you’d have my job /then
Luke: /What’s your job then?
Marc: The Investment Manager for this floor and basically your boss. So don’t try /anything smart with me lad
Luke: /That’s not a real job, who /came up with that?
Marc: /It is real. Like you’d know bakers boy. How do even get into business with an upbringing like that?
Luke: How’d you get yours? This isn’t your company or your dads for that matter so how come you’re a so called investment manager for a single floor for someone else’s shop? How’s that work?
Pause
Marc: You won’t like it.
Luke: Bet.
Marc: I don’t-
Luke: Come on. Let’s hear it. This is just between you and me.
Marc: Da… he died /and
Luke: /Yea I got that bit.
Marc: You wanna know or what?
Luke: Go on give us the sob story then.
Marc: Arsehole.
Luke: Talk.
Marc: Da died and I took over. Things kinda went to… well they went down hill. as they do. Some of my da’s old investments didn’t go as well as he thought. People got laid off. They got angry. They were good people a lot of them, like really good. Some are doing alright now I think, /others won’t talk to me.
Luke: /You think? Okay that makes more sense /to me.
Marc: /Would you- Look, long story short one of mates was using company money to fuel his gambling habit. Lost a lot of money alright, a lot. Don’t know how he managed it but meant, meant we needed a bail out and a fast one alright.
Luke: And Albi?
Marc: Albi was a friend. Knew his stuff. Offered to buy us out. Saved a lot of people’s jobs. Even bought the building off us. Keeps everything afloat.
Luke: Yea.
Marc: I’m not an idiot you know-
Luke: -Didn’t /say that.
Marc: /I’m not an idiot Luke. I’m not just some posh git who fucked his da’s business. I know how to run a company I’ve basically been doing it since I was fifteen okay. You got told what to do by some professor who never achieved anything, all theories and that shit. I did a real job and someone messed everythin up. Not me, some git who couldn’t turn down a game poker even when it meant he was throwing his bosses money down the drain. A boss who actually worked for a living and wasn’t stuck getting coffee for his betters.
Luke: Say again?
Marc: You heard me. Or what are you deaf as well as stupid?
Luke: Watch it-
Marc: -Watch what? You gonna break another computer?
Luke: Just… shut it.
Marc: Why does your girlfriend look like an old woman?
Luke: Leave /her out
Marc: /No seriously you’re a decent looking chap, half decent anyway, why you shagging something like that?
Luke: Cause I love her. /Don’t I?
Marc: /Do ya?
Luke: I’m marrying her.
Marc: Not the same thing.
Luke: Is to.
Marc: What’s so great about her? Can’t be much fun in bed with her looking like that. Can you even find her cunt? Does she have one?
Luke: She loves me, that’s enough.
Marc: But you don’t fuck her.
Luke: I-
Marc: -You don’t do you. Can’t get it up for that. Cause you’re too good for her aren’t you. Your too good to get us coffee and too good to stick it in /that fucking thing.
Luke: (Grabs Marc by the collar) /I will fucking throw you out the window /you sick
Marc: /Try it mate see what happens.
Luke: What do you want from me? Seriously?
Marc: Tell me what’s up with ya.
Luke: Whats up with me? You wanna listen to me now?
Marc: Talk.
Luke: (Explodes) Talk? You want me to talk? That’s a first. You haven’t paid me any mind for five years and now you want to talk? All I do in this place is try to get through each day while you and your upstart mates send me on constant coffee runs to the other side of London cause the caf isn’t good enough for you and oh Pret doesn’t do the stuff Marc and Alex like and Georges ex works at Starbucks. So no. You get me to take a tube down to some hipster pig stie every day to get you a flat white which isn’t warm enough when it arrives because guess what it’s just come from the other end of town! I went to uni. I did a degree. I got a fucking Masters. A Masters! A first with honours you get that. Not an easy task. I could have gone for a PHD if I wanted but guess I needed a proper job cause my dads a baker not some jumped up business type who inherited his entire personality. And now you wanna talk? To me? Don’t you want to get a drink first then we can all abandon you in some dingy dig under a bridge like we always do? Huh. Yea that sounds about right to me actually that’s where you belong cause you can’t even take care of your dads business let alone yourself. At least I know how to balance six cups of bougie coffee down the northern line in the middle of the day. You can’t even balance a fucking pencil so how Albi expected you to balance the books is beyond me.
Marc: ….
Luke: (Letting go) I… I’m-
Marc: -I think I got it.
Luke: I actually tried you know.
Marc: I got /it.
Luke: /I gave a shit at school. Like listened, really listened and I, you know what I went for the gold and I /got it
Marc: /Got it alright.
Beat
Marc: Why’re you still here?
Luke: Gotta make a living.
Marc: Yea.
Luke: It’s the truth.
Marc: Think I’ve had enough of the truth for one night.
Luke: You wanted to know.
Marc: I did. You’re always so quiet, I wonder what was going on in your head. Never talk back just nod half the time. Thought there wasn’t anythin behind those eyes.
Luke: There’s plenty.
Marc: Yea I got that.
Luke: I wanted to run this place.
Marc: You?
Luke: Been here long enough. Make enough to retire early and go swanning around Spain or Turkey, somewhere hot at least.
Marc: With girls who walk around in bikini’s all day.
Luke: I guess-
Marc: -Tits like they’re about to pop out their shirts.
Luke: That’d be nice.
Marc: Wish I never quite smoking.
Luke: Wish I’d never started.
Marc: Bad boy.
Luke: Guess so.
Beat
Marc: It’ll kill you.
Luke: I know.
Marc: Killed my dad.
Luke: Killed my dad.
Marc: Really?
Luke: Lung cancer. Two months.
Marc: Throat. Nineteen ninety-eight. You didn’t tell anyone?
Luke: Took the day off that was the end of it.
Marc: Could’ve cheered you up.
Luke: Last thing I’d wanna do is spend more time with your lot.
Marc: Hmm. Fair enough.
Luke: He liked her. My fiancé. They got on.
Marc: Da never met my wife.
Luke: You’re married?
Marc: Ex-wife.
Luke: Right.
Marc: Ma never liked her. She was right not to. Always listen to your mum.
Luke: When they make sense.
Marc: Nah. When they don’t make sense that’s when you’ve gotta listen, and properly.
Luke: Sure /I’ll keep that in
Marc: /How she holding up?
Luke: Fine I guess.
Marc: You sure?
Luke: What’s it to you?
Marc: She’s your mum. She matters /a lot
Luke: /Oh god you sound like a teacher.
Marc: Know enough to be one. Could’ve taught your Uni course if I wanted.
Luke: Right yea cause they’d hire you?
Marc: I’d hire me.
Luke: You ever had an interview?
Marc: I’ve run them-
Luke: -Not the same… like you’d get it.
Marc: I know what I’m doing-
Luke: -Marc you don’t know a fucking thing.
Marc: How’s your mum?
Luke: You didn’t hear a single word.
Marc: Bet that’s where you get your looks from.
Luke: I could set you on fire and you wouldn’t notice.
Marc: I heard you.
Luke: No one would care. Not a single person.
Marc: Luke?
Luke: Ex-wife. Dead dad. Bankrupt business. Last man at the bar. That’s you Marc. That’s you summed up.
Marc: I-
Luke: -What a sad story.
Marc: …
Luke: And I thought I was sad. University pride reduced to a coffee boy who doesn’t even shag his own fiancé. But I’ve got time. You’ve got nothing but your dads name and your mums lap to cry in.
Marc: You’re just a kid.
Luke: And you’re an old man.
Marc: I’m middle aged.
Luke: Old man.
Marc: I’ve got time.
Luke: Old-
Marc: -I’ll get it back.
Luke: Old.
Marc: My ma loves me.
Luke: Old.
Marc: She loves me.
Luke: Old man.
Marc: She loves me!
Luke: Does she?
Marc: She /loves me
Luke: /I don’t love my fiancé. Your ex don’t love you.
Marc: She’s my mum!
Luke: What’s she got to be proud of?
Marc: I’m her son.
Luke: You’re the last man at the bar Marc.
Marc: We need to tell Albi about the /laptop
Luke: /He really doesn’t care.
Marc: He’s my mate. Albi loves me I’ll ask him.
Luke: Albi bought your business the second it went under.
Marc: As a favour.
Luke: That’s a favour?
Marc: He saved me.
Luke: He bought you-
Marc: -He saved my life! I was gonna burn everythin my da built if he hadn’t stepped in. I was an addict. I was a fucking idiot. I tried I really tried to stop myself but I just… oh god.
Marc collapses.
Luke watches him for a long moment.
Marc: I didn’t-
Luke: -I know. You fucked up.
Marc: Yea.
Luke: Say it.
Beat
Marc: I fucked up.
Luke: Yea.
Luke sits beside Marc.
Marc: This should be mine. This floor, Albi’s desk, his paycheck. He stole it.
Luke: Albi’s a cunt.
Marc: Albi’s, yea. The biggest I’ve ever met.
Luke: Yes, he is.
Marc: Told me he was… doesn’t matter.
Luke: Gonna let me go?
Marc: Yea.
Luke: I know.
Marc: I tried talking him out of it-
Luke: -This is my last shift. As of tomorrow I’m unemployed.
Marc: Oh.
Luke: Yup.
Marc: I’m sorry.
Luke: Not your problem.
Marc: Albi’s can’t do that.
Luke: Well he’s done it now hasn’t he.
Marc: I should’ve burned it all to the ground years ago.
Luke: You should.
Marc: Don’t have a match.
Luke: Off licence should still be open.
Marc: You serious?
Luke: Whatcha think?
Marc: We can’t /do that
Luke: /No of course not.
Marc: That’d be mad.
Luke: Yea. It would. But worth it.
Marc: Can’t say I don’t like the idea.
Luke: Then let’s do it. You and me. Burn this place down.
Marc: I don’t /know
Luke: /For your dad. For both our dads. How’s that sound?
Marc: Good.
Luke: Come on then.
The two men stand up.
Marc: We’ll need gasoline.
Luke: Just fuck up the boiler, that’ll be enough to make the place go up.
Marc: Anyone else in the building.
Luke: Just us.
Marc: And Albi, he’ll be back by now.
Luke: We just have to build up the pressure enough then boom.
Marc: Boom.
Luke: BOOM! Whole place goes up in an instant.
Marc: This is mad.
Luke: But worth it.
Marc: Imagine.
Luke: We’re doing it.
Marc: Imagine the look on his face.
Luke: Who’s face?
Marc: Albi.
Luke: Huh?
Marc: When we tell him we’re blowing the place up.
Luke: Albi won’t know.
Marc: We gotta tell him.
Luke: He’s not in.
Marc: He’ll be back by now.
Luke: He’s not.
Marc: Doesn’t take that long to get a Maccies.
Luke: He’s not getting Maccies Marc.
Luke starts picking through the pieces of the broken laptop.
Marc: Gotta be, he went out you said.
Luke: He’s dead.
Marc: Yea if we don’t /tell him
Luke: /He’s dead Marc.
Marc: Stop it.
Luke: I’m not joking.
Silence
Marc: You… whatcha mean?
Luke: Albi’s not here. He’s dead.
Luke picks up a piece of glass from the laptop screen. Unseen.
Marc: Whatcha-
Luke: -He’s dead Marc.
Marc: You… You killed him.
Luke: He fired me.
Marc: Luke you-
Luke: -He fired me. He stole your business and turned you into a glorified secretary. You dad /wouldn’t want this
Marc: /Who gives a fuck what my da wants. You’re not, this isn’t, no this is a joke right, like burning down /the office
Luke: /I’m not joking.
Marc: You did kill him.
Luke: Yea.
Marc: How?
Luke: You think I was joking?
Marc: I-
Luke lunges at Marc.
They fight.
Luke stabs the piece of glass into Marc’s stomach.
Marc falls.
Luke: Shit.
Luke drops the glass.
He starts to pick to go through the desks pulling out bills and papers and stuffing them in his pockets. He throws Marc’s empty coffee cup in a bin.
The rumble and pop of the gas boiler is now deafening.
Silence.
Blackout.