Mouse (to Poppy): Dare I ask where you are?
Poppy (to Mouse): Honey, I'm busting my bust outta here... I'm going somewhere to think, to bask in the glow of beautiful people, to drink excessive amounts of Champagne...
Mouse (to Poppy): I'm sure I'm going to regret asking this, but are you okay? Is there anything I can do?
Poppy (to Mouse): Honey, don't start with that, or I'm gonna get misty. I can't tell you where I'm going, so don't ask.
Eep (to Mouse): Hey, you haven't heard from your brother today, have you? I think he's avoiding me.
Mouse (to Eep): No, not at all... and I think Poppy is running off somewhere. (to Poppy): So, you're off on a mini-vacation? Well, you certainly deserve one after the party you threw.
Eep (to Mouse): WHAT? Wow. Neither one of those two wants to deal with this, do they?
Poppy (to Mouse): Oh, honey, you know just what to say... if you must know I'm in Paris. I was supposed to be moving back to town, but I... I.. just don't know if I should. So, I took a few days off to relax & Paris is my favorite place to be. That is one of the nice things about living in NYC, you're only a short distance from anywhere.
Mouse (to Poppy): Well, have a nice time... Does Vincent know you went to Paris? (to Eep) Yeah, she's apparently in Paris.
Poppy (to Mouse): Thank you, honey, I will... look at the time, I've gotta go. Dinner plans.
Eep (to Mouse): Wow. Avoidance much?
Mouse (to Eep): Yeah, I'm wondering if I should tell Vincent. (to Vincent) Hey. How you feeling today?
Eep (to Mouse): God, I have no idea.
Vincent (to Mouse): Hey, sweetie. Exhausted. & a bit hung ovr. Since I'm assuming ur charming beau told U everything, no point in pretending. I went 2 talk 2 ur lawyer 2day. He can't help, but he gave me some references.
Mouse (to Vincent): Well, he did tell me, but after a very odd conversation with Poppy. (to Eep) You know, on the one hand I think what they did was really stupid, but on the other I find it kind of sweet & romantic. I mean, except for the being so drunk that you don't remember doing it part. Feel free to snicker & make that face at me.
Vincent (to Mouse): That doesn't come as much of a surprise. We had a bit of a fight last nite after I got the marriage certificate.
Eep (to Mouse): Oh don't worry. I am. Why romantic?
Mouse (to Vincent): Have you talked to Poppy since then? (to Eep) Well, I don't know... probably because I watch too many cheesy romantic comedies. Besides, we did something similar, though not that extreme.
Eep (to Mouse): Oh. Heh. Yeah, I guess we did. It's just kinda funny that as determined as you were to NEVER have a relationship, you're a romantic at heart. It's kinda cute.
Vincent (to Mouse): It's alright, hun. Unless you have a time machine, I've pretty much screwed the pooch w/ this 1. It seems that Poppy is avoiding me.
Mouse (to Vincent): Yeah, I think you might be right... I think it's still salvageable, if you want it to be. (to Eep) Hush you. I'm now going to silently pout at you...
Vincent (to Mouse): She's angry w/ me. & as much as I HATE it, & U know how much I hate it when some1 is mad @ me, I'm not sure that I blame her.
Eep (to Mouse): Yeah. Yeah. You're cute when you pout too.
Mouse (to Vincent): Why do you think she is angry with you? You were both involved. (to Eep) Gee, thanks... And here I thought I was doing a good job of being unapproachable & aloof. :-p
Eep (to Mouse): Yeah. You're gonna have to work on that.
Vincent (to Mouse): I'm not entirely sure. I think it's b/c I told her when I opened the envelope, I got physically ill.
Mouse (to Vincent): oh sweetie... (to Eep) well, you seem strangely in a good mood.
Eep (to Mouse): Yeah. Sorry. Um, I dunno. New year. New place. Guess it just feels good to make a change. Sorry. I know you're worried about Vincent.
Mouse (to Eep): no don't apologize. It's nice.
Eep (to Mouse): Yeah. Yeah. Ruin my rep a little bit more while you're at it. Speaking of your brother, how is the newlywed?
Mouse (to Eep): being a bit elusive & torturing himself.
Eep (to Mouse): VINCENT? Christ... Honestly, I just don't know how to handle him when he's being introspective.
Mouse (to Eep): Well, what would you do in his place?
Eep (to Mouse): Uhhhh, I have no idea. Smoke too much. Piss off everyone around me, no doubt.
Mouse (to Eep): Well, then prepare yourself for whatever the Vincent equivalent of that might be.
Eep (to Mouse): I don't think I've ever actually see him get upset. I mean, you know, like REALLY upset.
Vincent (to Mouse): I know. I'm feeling more than a bit of the fool.
Mouse (to Vincent): Well, did you at least apologize for saying that?
Vincent (to Mouse): I did. But I think it was a case of 2 little 2 late.
Mouse (to Vincent): well, I think you may want to try talking to her... I'm concerned that she might do something stupid.
Vincent (to Mouse): I prolly rlly shld. I have no idea if she'll talk 2 me, tho.
Mouse (to Vincent): Sweetie, I don't know how to tell you this... but she's run off to Paris.
Vincent (to Mouse): Paris? As in France? Oh. Oh dear. (to Poppy) Hi, sweetness. I thought I'd drop U a line 2 let U know I've spoken 2 a lawyer. We shld B able 2 get this annulled easily.
Poppy’s phone (to Vincent): Désolé. Qui est cela ? … … Oh, attendez. Vous voulez Poppy. Permettez-moi de la recevoir.
Vincent (to Poppy): Non, non. Ne la dérangez pas. Dites-lui de m'appeler quand elle est à la maison. Merci. (to Mouse) I rlly do wish U never taught me French.
Mouse (to Vincent): Why? What happened?
Vincent (to Mouse): I tried texting her, but some1 else responded A French some1 else, asking if I was looking 4 Poppy.
Mouse (to Vincent): Ummm, Are you sure it wasn't Poppy trying to avoid you?
Vincent (to Mouse): Cld have been, but even if it was, the message was clear.
An hour later:
Mouse (to Eep): I seriously need a drink...
Eep (to Mouse): I have a bottle of really terrible "Irish" whisky from Argentina. My pop gives one to me every year for Christmas. It's almost palpable if you mix it with Coke. A LOT of Coke...
Mouse (to Eep): Thank you... but I think I'm going to go with the rum I have in the kitchen... you want any? I can lean out the window & pour.
Eep (to Mouse): Drive thru window drinks? Tempting, but no thanks. Do you want company?
Mouse (to Eep): I would absolutely love some company.
Eep (to Mouse): And you're sure you don't want me to bring the gut-rotting whisky? Kidding. Kidding! See you in a second.
Eep (to Vincent): So, uh, how are you holding up?
Vincent (to Eep): To tell the Gods' honest truth? I've had better days.
Eep (to Vincent): So, are you EVER gonna tell me why this accidental marriage freaked you out so much?
Vincent (to Eep): Good gracious. Not now, pls.
Eep (to Vincent): That's what you said last night.
Poppy (to Vincent): Oh sorry, honey... I had stepped out for a moment & my friend, Dominique, answered my phone. She's a bit of a nosy one...
Vincent (to Poppy): Is she a friend or a FRIEND friend?
Poppy (to Vincent): I don't really see how it's any business of yours, honey.
Vincent (to Poppy): Right. Fine. If that's how U feel, I suppose it's not. I just wanted 2 let U know I spoke 2 the lawyer. Let me know when ur nxt available & I'll send U the paperwrk. Talk 2 U later.
Poppy (to Vincent): Look you have no right to act jealous with me... You've made it pretty clear that I'm just someone you can toss aside.
Vincent (to Poppy): I... What? I nvr intended 2 make U feel tossed aside. I'm sorry that U feel that way. I truly am. & YES. I wanted 2 know if U ran off w/ some amant français while I'm trying 2 fix this.
Poppy (to Vincent): Dominique is just a friend, if you must know. She's actually happily married & not at all my type. Actually, I came here to talk to someone that I thought would understand. Dominique got married under similar circumstances. I just wanted to understand why I/we would do something like that.
Vincent (to Poppy): I'm sorry. This whole thing has knocked my head clean arnd. What did ur friend say?
Poppy (to Vincent): Well, they've been married for 10 years. It was one of the dumbest things they ever did & they don't regret it for a second but, they actually love each other deeply, you can see it when they look at each other. So, now I'm more confused than before.
Vincent (to Poppy): Darling. I liked U. I like U a lot, but I'm not ready 2 B married. Especially not now.
Poppy (to Vincent): I'm not either. I even had a plan - I would be a trophy wife for first & second husbands, and then after I'd marry for love…
Vincent (to Poppy): But? Is there a but?
Poppy (to Vincent): But, I can't lie, for a brief moment I liked the idea of being married to you.
Vincent (to Poppy): You-you did?
Poppy (to Vincent): Yes... I know it was completely stupid of me.
Vincent (to Poppy): Poppy, I... Thank U. That is, w/o a doubt, the nicest thing any1 has ever said 2 me. & I wld B the luckiest lad in the land if I were fortunate enough 2 someday marry, RLLY MARRY, some1 like U. But, I don't know that I can ever marry any1, sweetness. Not b/c it's U, darling. That was NEVER the problem.
Poppy (to Vincent): Well, clearly in a drunken haze, you can, honey.
Vincent (to Poppy): Oh, I know. Drunk and silly and even more inebriated on the sweet kisses and wondrous company of a darling young thing. I want 2 B loved & validated as much as the nxt person, U know. As incredulous as it may seem. It's silly. It's 2 steps BEYOND ridiculous, truly, but my parents...O, it's so idiotic, hun. My parents married young, U see. My mother loved the lifestyle my father gave her & having a "good" marriage more than her children. Especially more than her strange, femme youngest son.
Poppy (to Vincent): So, because the only example you have of a marriage is crap, than all marriage must be crap?
Vincent (to Poppy): I know it's ridiculous, darling. I'm fully aware.
Poppy (to Vincent): It's sounds like you have more of a problem with parents...
Vincent (to Poppy): Oh, them as well. Rest assured, beneath this sexy, polished exterior, there are some tediously mundane issues brewing. I try not 2 fixate on them 2 much. As awful as it is, I DO have hangups abt marriage that I feel shld B addressed B4 I hitch myself 2 some1. Well, in theory.
Poppy (to Vincent): Well, honey, send me the paperwork, I'll sign whatever needs to be signed and, I think it may be best if we don't see each other anymore. Clearly, we do stupid things when we're together.
Vincent (to Poppy): Oh. Ah. Yes. I can't argue w/ that, sweet. It's logical. It makes sense, after all.
Poppy (to Vincent): I mean, we've been dating for less than a month & we already got ourselves hitched.
Vincent (to Poppy): I won't pretend that I'm not a bit disappointed. But ur prolly rite.
Poppy (to Vincent): Well, can you think of a better solution?
Vincent (to Poppy): I don't know. I rlly don't. I was really hoping we cld get this mistake annulled & start ovr. But I guess that's naive of me.
Poppy (to Vincent): I don't know, honey. I mean, I like being with you. But what's to stop us from doing it again or something equally foolish? This is time it’s easily fixable, but what if the next time it isn't?
Vincent (to Poppy): Experience, I wld hope. But, if U don't want 2 B w/ me anymore, I understand, sweetie. And I'll respect ur decision.
Poppy (to Vincent): I want to be with you & that seems to be the problem... I think I need to sleep on it. I'll text you tomorrow.
Vincent (to Poppy): Talk 2 U then. Sleep sweet.