Intimacy

- Was this agreed? - No.

Hmm... Come...

Coffee?

As a rule they put down the kitchens downstairs, but here it's upstairs.

It's not actually terribly convenient, I've spilled no end of stuff.

But the guy upstairs is never home,

so I just spill things, and there's no one to see.

Oh, you really live here?

You asked me that last time.

I'll sort it out when when I've got some cash.

Are those CD's in the boxes down there? - I'll show you.

So.

It's a bus lane, you cunt!

This is Ian He'll be helping you tonight.

He worked a while at the Atlantic.

- What day are we today? - Wednesday. I'll see you later.

Do me a favor and put my coffee in the fridge, will you?

I'll finish it later.

Steve worked Saturday night at closing time, you had already gone.

This French bloke dropped off a CV a fortnight ago,

So yesterday we rang him up. Seems OK...

They all seem OK, maybe we should hire someone who wants to do this job

I'm surrounded by assholes who are doing this job only

while they're waiting for something else to turn up.

Scratch the surface of any one of the fuckers, they turn out to be actors

or dancers, or some pansy or other

I'm not kidding, I've had it up to here with these assholes

who miss no opportunity to tell the front who they really are, what they're really into.

"Oh, where do you do your classes? "Isn't it difficult keeping up one's career?"

- That's made up, isn't it? - Made up or not, it pisses me off.

- Oh, right. - A bar is not a restaurant...

Come the evening you can get a completely different customer in here.

Now I'm the head barman, which means that I get to do whatever I like to do,

and you get to do whatever I tell you to,

so you can forget what those people told you

upstairs, you haven't got a week to get used to it,

Either you click right away, or not at all. Where's your vodka?

In the afternoon anyone can serve them their beer. It's not quite so simple in the evening.

- And there's always someone out for your blood too... - My blood?

You are slow! Oh Jeez.

You see that big guy over there in the suit?

He's been drinking since four o'clock this afternoon.

Come closing time you've got to chuck him out.

See this woman coming along here now: she's the type that always orders the same thing,

but she still needs you to ask her each time what she wants.

Been in evenings now for three months and she hasn't changed her record once.

Hello there sweetheart; my you're looking cheerful today!

Do I have to dance on the table to get some attention?

Okay, so what does she have?

Oh, she'll tell you... It doesn't include a tip.

Susan? We're up here!

Come on.

Dads, I love everyone.

Alex ought to come to my party, and he is not allowed.

Not allowed? But that's terrible... Who is Alex?

Alex, he's a prick.

Are you cold? A little bit?

You're sure? Now, I'm going to get you some tea in a minute.

Hurry up and come down stairs, we'll play.

All right.

The children are looking peaceful at the moment.

Yes, they're looking very well.

You do love them, don't you?

Cold?

Cold, but it's alright.

And next Wednesday... is there a Wednesday too?

Well, is he what we need?

Oh he'll do. Customers like him.

- G'night. - G'night.

Coke?

Two vodkas on me.

The barman will do, buys his host a drink.

You know that woman who's always in here?

The one you were chatting up the other day...

Today she said to me, 'You're Joel's brother, aren't you?'

- She said what? - 'You're Joel's brother.'

I didn't give her a yes or no, but she took that as a yes.

Oh that's cool, I quite like the name Joel.

'Cause When I was little I used to listen to lots of Billy Joel.

Billy Joel? Oh spare me.

How old are you, exactly?

Look, it was my sister, Who was not seventeen first of all.

She had everything of his. And I used to listen too.

The stout!

- Got any here? - Jesus Christ, come on, spare me.

How long have you been working here, then?

Since my eldest son was born, six years ago.

Before that I was a musician, like Billy, sort of...

Funny, I'd never have guessed you had kids.

One day a year ago, I just walked out, went to stay with a friend.

Things can happen like that in life. Very simple things.

One night arrives which is the last you spend at home;

in a house, with a wife and family...

Next morning, you just open the door and close it again.

And if the house is already empty, well that helped.

They had all left already, so that was a help...

You mean you didn't say anything; you just split?

Say what?

Billy Joel... fuck you know...

You say you were looking for somewhere to crash?

It's a fuckin' nightmare when you get nothing

left and you got to start buying all over again.

I didn't want want people to give me the gear.

Other people's gear makes me puke.

You want to piss me off good and proper, just drag me down to the local office-found.

This is all new, clean, unblemished, no past...

Hey listen, drink?

No, let's have a look too, first. Yeah, well, we'll have a look too.

Uh, my room in there... No great interest, nothing to see.

You've changed lots of things... Victor, was that there before?

Mind you, that's been there for ages!

Your room.

My room.

- OK? Good? You like that? - Go ahead. OK.

- What's wrong? - It's OK... Good.

- Hey, there's another room at Jay's place. - Oh, come on Victor, please!

Jay lives in a house now.

I told you, it's a room on the ground-floor; it's nothing like this place.

Anyway I don't need extra rent. Well, less than you fucking do...

What the fuck do I know?

There are all manner of reasons why Jay here needs just as much bread as myself.

He keeps mum about it, but I can imagine...

See, when you leave your family, they clean you out;

house, kids, bled dry... that's what we are.

- Are you living with anyone? - No.

- Are you a queer? - What do you think?

You just fuck all over the shelf?

Victor, give the guy a fucking break, will you!

Jay and me, we were like two brothers here.

Old twins, that's us.

One or other of us could have been left by the wayside at any time, but no

onward as one

And how many people can you say that about in a lifetime?

Jay and me, we've both done our share of drifting

but at each bend in the road, we always did what we wanted to do.

And that makes one fuck of a difference.

Enthralled to our desires, that's us.

Victor is that impeccable gentleman,

who rings your doorbell one evening and suggests: cable TV.

- I can get you a very nice price if you fancy a wee set for your room. - Oh!

Hey.

What is that?

Well, I guess the minute...

Maybe you don't want a tenant, after all?

- OK, OK, - What? - Victor needs money, he needs a space to crash.

Wait, it's so simple, you have to complicate it?

Then again, maybe it's me, maybe I've got the whole thing wrong...

We should drop the whole thing.

Fine by me, if you can help!

OK? I have nothing against it.

I have my own life. Don't look to me for anything.

Victor provides the room first off.

Let's put the money on the table and that's that.

Cash, no checks.

My son told me he wants to go to art college.

When I was sixteen, I used to paint a pack...

Funny, eh?

You know it's not good for you to be on your own. Come on Victor.

If you're on your own, the moment there's trouble fucking head your way.

- Jesus, would you just listen to yourself? - All right.

I don't need you setting me straight. Thanks for dropping by.

And all that crap about twins too.

What is that shit? Oh, twins! Pisses me off!

- Hello, Tommy! - Hello, love.

- Daddy? - I'll just...

- Daddy? - What, just a minute...

What, what...

Look.

Oh, you've had a little accident.

Maybe you'll do the same for me, some day... huh?

Let's change these things.

Good.

Your eyes are upside down today.

Why do you say upside down?

'Cause when I turn like this...

See, they look like eyebrows.

Your head works both ways round.

On your Mother's side, they got big bags under their eyes like that.

Wait a minute, I think I can see...

- No I haven't got those. - Maybe one day.

No I won't.

Wait, wait...

- What? - It's all right.

Oh, Victor, what the fuck are you doing here? Piss off!

Sorry, I know I should have called you.

I don't know where I got this idea that you never have anyone. Right?

It's bloody stupid.

Mind you, it's nice to have people around. I used to like it.

- No, No, Victor... - Sorry.

Hey, your friend of yours, Ian, he never showed.

- Did he say anything? - I don't know.

You haven't got any gear knocking about?

- I'm feeling a bit wasted... - No.

- I don't use that stuff. - Have you got everything you need here?

I can salt you out with cable whenever you want?

You never told me you were seeing someone.

"I'm not seeing anyone" you told me.

She's my landlady. She was coming to check if I had everything I needed.

All right, yeah, yeah, I get it.

Personally I've always thought it's best not to have anything to do with those people.