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102 MR. PARKER I've said enough. Now let's leave it at that! (Tries to embrace her.) GIRL (Wards him off, sits on bed.) All you take me for is something to play with. MR. PARKER That's not true, I wanna marry you. (Sits beside her.) GIRL You say you want to marry me, but how do you expect me to think about marrying somebody who won't confide in my about what they're doing. How do I know I'm not letting myself in for trouble. MR. PARKER (Ponders for a moment, then rises.) All right, I'll tell you! We peddle a variety of products to the community and we sell things to people at a price they can't get nowhere else in this city. Yes, according to the law it's illegal, but we help our people, our own people. We take care of business and at the same time we make everybody happy. We take care of our people. Just like I been taking care of you. GIRL You take care of me? How? You've never given me more than ten dollars in cash since I've known you. MR. PARKER Well, I've got a big present for you coming right out of this pocket and I'm gon' take you downtown tomorrow and let you spend till the store runs out. GIRL Taking me to a store and giving me spending change makes me feel like a child and I don't like it and I'm not gonna stand for it anymore. MR. PARKER Then take this and you do whatever you want with it. GIRL (Taking the money and putting it away.) Now don't get the idea I'm just in love with your money. 103 MR. PARKER Now I want you to stop talking to me about money. I've got plenty of it! You've got to understand——I'm the most different man you ever met. I've been around this world, I danced before the King and Queen of England. I've seen and heard many a thing in my lifetime—and you know what: I'm putting it all down on paper——my story! GIRL Your story! (MR. PARKER moves into shop, gets notebook from behind one of the sliding panels. During his absence GIRL checks under the bed.) MR. PARKER (Reenters.) Here it is, right here. (Sits next to her on the bed, giving her the notebook.) GIRL (Thumbing through the pages.) You write things too? MR. PARKER I certainly do——and I've been thinking bout writing a poem about you. GIRL A poem about me! MR. PARKER (Taking book from her and dropping it on floor.) I'm gon' do it tonight before I go to sleep. (He kisses her neck and reaches for the hem of her dress.} GIRL (Breaking out of his embrace.) No, Russell, not here! MR. PARKER Why not? GIRL Just because there's a bed wherever we go don't mean that we have to jump into it. You don't understand, Russell! You've got to start treating me the same as if I was your wife.
