Story: Meet & Greet

[Ext. - Day - Woman is waiting on line at food cart on the streets of Manhattan. There are a few people ahead of her. When it reaches her turn, she seems to order the food with her eyes, as she hungrily surveys the breakfast items in the glass container. A foreign man, in his forties/fifties, is working the cart.]

Man: Yes?

Mira: Um, one bagel, sesame, with cream cheese, please. And an orange juice. Do you have a no pulp one? Yeah, that. And... Um... the muffin, that one.

Man: This one?

Mira: No, that-- that one over there.

Man: This one?

Mira: Yeah. Is that chocolate?

Man: Blueberry.

Mira: Oh. No thanks then. Just the bagel.

Man: $3.75

[He hands Mira the bagel and the orange juice. She needs to get into her bag to get her wallet but her hands are full now with a magazine she was holding, and the new food. She takes the bagel and puts it in her mouth to hold it with her teeth. With the food in her mouth, she continues talking.]

Mira: Hold on... wait, let me get it... [Her words come out garbled]. Here. [She takes out her wallet and looks inside. She has 2 single dollars. She looks through her coins, but she doesn't have enough money.] Crap.

Man: Three. Seventy five. Miss.

[Mira takes the bagel out of her mouth, and a bite comes off with it.]

Mira: I'm so sorry, I seem to be... [She chews as she talks] I'm so sorry. I have two?

Man: Yes and I need three.

Mira: Shit. Um, um. [She starts looking through her bag but nothing is there. She pulls out a metro card instead.] How 'bout this? It's good for one more ride within the hour.

Man: What good that does me? I have to stand with my cart.

Mira: I could watch your cart!

Man: And where should I go? The Statue of Liberty? I've already seen it. Two times. I took the full audio tour as well. Three dollars, lady. And 75 cents.

Mira: How about an exchange?

Man: An exchange of money, yes very good idea.

Mira: An exchange of, product! You gave me a very delicious, very tasty bagel. So I will... I will, write about you on my blog!

Man: What blog?

Mira: My blog! It's great. You'd love it. I'll write about your bagels and your whole, the whole set-up thing you got going on here. And I'll tell people, go to this food cart, on the corner of Spring and Broadway, and you'll never want to visit Dean & Delucca again.

Man: [Looks like he is considering it] How many hits you get?

Mira: What?

Man: On your blog. How many hits?

Mira: Um... I don't know. Like, I think. Well, let's see, last time I checked... Um...

Man: Lady, you have a blog and you don't track your visitors? What kind of blogger are you?

Mira: Well...

Man: Page loads? Nothing?

Mira: I do just fine for myself. Last week two people left comments for me.

Man: Two? Two comments? Clearly, you don't know how to grab your audience. You have to reel them in! Start the fire! You have Google ads?

Mira: No.

Man: Your blog is worthless to me. $3.75.

Mira: But...

[At this point a man reaches from behind Mira and hands the man the money. Mira turns around suddenly.]

James: Here you go, man.

Man: Ahh, a savior. Very nice. Now THIS, I will write about in MY blog. What strange encounters I have in this city.

Mira: You don't have to do that.

James: Someone has to. You got a line of people waiting behind you.

Mira: [Suddenly realizes] Oh. Oh, I'm sorry. And thank you. I can pay you back.

James: Or write about it, so I hear. I just felt bad, I had to do something.

Mira: I forgot to get money out. I know, embarrassing.

James: No, I mean about the blog. No Google ads? No one writes for free anymore. [To Man at cart] One coffee please. Black. With the change from the five.

[Cart man hands James his coffee and Mira her orange juice.]

Man: No milk. And no pulp.

[Mira takes her drink. She and James step away from the cart.]

James: Anyway, happy to help.

Mira: Yeah, yeah. That was, really nice. But I do want to pay you back.

James: Don't worry about it. No worries.

Mira: Oh, well thanks!

James: Yeah.

[They stand at the street corner, silently. It's awkward.]

Mira: Um, so. Have a nice day.

James: Oh, yeah, yeah. You too.

Mira: OK. [long pause]. Bye.

[She waves and he waves. They turn around and walk off in opposite directions, both smiling a bit].