Serendipity

– – Merry Christmas.

Excuse me.

– Whoo! – I'm sorry.

– Sorry. – Uh…

– – Do… Do you want these?

– You go ahead. – No, please.

It's the last one.

Uh, miss, do you have another pair of these black cashmere gloves?

Whatever's out is what we have.

You don't have a stockroom?

– No. – Or a basement?

No. We don't have an attic, either.

Um, listen, you take 'em. I don't need 'em.

No, no, no. You saw them first. I…

Please. I insist.

I mean, here. Take 'em.

– Oh, oh! Hey, wait a minute.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Hey!

– Excuse me, sir. – Yeah?

– These are ours. – Oh. Your gloves?

– Yes. – Well, how come? I mean…

They're just sort of hanging there, sleeping with their little price tag on.

We were just discussing them, all right? This is, uh…

Well, I have news for you.

You can go on discussing them long after I've paid for them.

Calm down, all right? Just calm down.

Calm down? It's five days before Christmas.

I'm in the middle of a New York department store.

He's asking me to calm down.

Well, listen. These were meant to be a very special gift for someone.

Yeah, we've put quite a lot of thought into those.

Ah. – Isn't that right?

Who are you? And who were they for?

– My boyfriend. – My girlfriend.

– Her boyfriend. – His girlfriend.

– His girlfriend. – Her boyfriend.

One pair of gloves for two people?

– This is hard to explain. – Well, try.

All right. Go ahead.

Oh. Uh, well, he is at the present time my boyfriend.

But in 18 months…

after the operation…

– he will be… – she will be…

…my girlfriend. Do you understand?

That didn't really work out.

– No, but Merry Christmas anyway. – Thank you very much.

All right.

Well, you earned these. That was quick on your feet.

– Thanks. It was a team effort. – Yeah, it was. It was.

– I don't know how to thank you. – Well…

Ah, well.

They're ready for you guys.

Thank you.

I don't know if what you said to that guy makes any sense.

It was helpful. I think we scared the bejesus out of him.

Oh, you were pretty fierce.

This will work, though. This is quite a coffee.

No, but I'm serious about the check.

It's the least I can do.

Well, thank you, but, see,

now I have to go find something else for my girlfriend.

– Oh, they were for your girlfriend. – Yes, they were.

Oh, I can't accept them then.

Well, you have to. Otherwise you won't treat.

Really.

Let me tell you something. This is the ultimate blended drink.

Where did you find this place?

I first came in because of the name.

– Hmm. – Serendipity.

– It's one of my favorite words. – It is?

– Uh-huh. – Why?

'Cause it's such a nice sound for what it means:

A fortunate accident.

– Mm. – Except I don't really believe in accidents.

I think fate's behind everything.

Oh, you do?

– Yeah. – Fate's behind everything?

Well, I think so.

Everything's predestined? We don't have any choice at all?

No, I think we make our own decisions.

I just think that fate sends us little signs,

and it's how we read the signs

that determines whether we're happy or not.

Little signals.

– Yeah. – Yeah.

Fortunate accidents. Lucky discoveries.

Like Columbus and America.

Yeah, or Fleming discovering…

– …penicillin. – Penicillin. Yeah.

– Fleming is his name? – Yes.

Or «Jonathan and the Gloves».

I don't know that one.

You don't know that story? It's an old folk tale. Classic.

Our hero, Jonathan, goes out in search of black gloves.

And in a perfect act of serendipiocity

or serendipaciousness,

he runs into a beautiful, attractive English girl

with a boyfriend.

You have a boyfriend, right?

– Yeah, I do. – That's what I thought.

And you have the glove lady.

Yes, I do.

– Mm-hmm. – It was a very nice time.

Well, I hope you enjoy the gloves you bought yourself.

Oh, I'm sure I will.

I usually appreciate my own thoughtfulness.

What do you want for Christmas?

– Golf clubs. – Oh.

So you're gonna meet your boyfriend now or what?

No, I think he's probably out doing what you're doing.

Getting a crush on someone else's girlfriend?

No, I'm sorry. I just meant to say that I had a really great time, and…

Um… you know, maybe you should give me your phone number,

you know, just in case.

– In case of what? – You know, in case of life.

I just had a great time, and I'd never be able to find you again.

Well, if we're meant to meet again, then…

we'll meet again.

It's just not the right time now.

Maybe we were supposed to meet on British time

– and we're five hours too early. –

Come on. I don't even know your name.

My name is Jonathan.

Does that make you wanna tell me something?

Yeah, it does.

Merry Christmas, Jonathan. And thanks.

That's it?!

I'm sorry about that.

No. Nothing down here. Why don't you go upstairs?

– Maybe it's still there. – Thank you.

Hey.

Hey.

Let's go do something.

All right. What you wanna do?

I don't care.

All right. Come on.

Now, promise me you're not just visiting here for a week

or marrying somebody to get a green card or…

on parole.

None of the above. You?

No, no, no. Proud U.S. citizen. No criminal record.

So you won't tell me your name. Well, tell me, uh…

what do you miss most about Mother England?

I miss my mom terribly.

If I were her, I'd miss you too.

Okay. Favorite movie.

The correct answer is Cool Hand Luke .

I've never seen it.

Oh, come on. You've never seen Cool Hand Luke ?

Paul Newman? Oh, my God. Come on!

«Failure to communicate», sadistic cop in sunglasses with no name.

– Reminds me of you in that way. –

Um, favorite New York moment.

This one's climbing the charts.

I'm flattered.

Is there anything else you need to know about me?

Huh.

Favorite sexual position?

Oh!

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

Yeah, yeah. That's my favorite too.

– You all right? – Yeah.

– Did you hurt yourself? – No.

– Yes, a little. – You did?

– Ouch. – Oh, let's take a look at that.

Oh, Jesus. Wow.

– That's a deep, deep gash. – Gaping.

– What? –

Well, we'll fix that right up.

There you go.