Lifestyles of the Skilled and Jobless: Episode 1

Is yours real or do you color? Oh, you must color. That gorgeous color can’t be real. I remember when I was your age, my hair color used to be radiant red. I was dancing in Moscow at the time and all the women had red hair, so I did to. Wait, was I in Moscow or Asia? What was I even saying? Oh yes, where do you color your hair?

SARAH: Um, I just moved here from Seattle, so …

FEMALE: Seattle, oh I’m sorry. You must hate our small little town. Although, I’m really involved in the arts here, and my brother’s best friend is in that band Sparklehorse, so he’s a rock star and we hang out all the time. Well, Boulder’s not so bad.

Sarah fakes a bathroom break. When she returns the woman has gone. She sits down and looks at her list of things to do. Five out of the ten advertising and design agencies she wanted to e-mail were checked, as was grocery shopping, contacting a realtor, and finishing a freelance project. She shuts down her laptop and leaves.

CUT TO: INTERIOR, HOTEL - DAY: Sarah and her fiancé wake up to a train’s whistle as it rumbles over the track behind their hotel. Sarah locates the remote control and flips on Good Morning America.

SCOTT: (sleepily) Good morning, love. What’s on your agenda today?

SARAH: (yawns) You know. The same. I’m gonna get up in about five minutes and do some yoga stretching. Then I’ll drive you to work, come back here, workout for thirty minutes, hit the free breakfast bar, and then check e-mail and be disappointed that I didn’t receive any replies.

SCOTT: (hugs Sarah) Oh no. Is the joblessness getting to you?

Sarah shrugs. A tear escapes rolls down her cheek.

SCOTT: (hopeful) You’ll get some good news soon. You’re a great writer. I know it’s hard, but you’ve got to be patient. You’ve only been here a few weeks.

He kisses her, rolls out of bed and walks to the shower.

SARAH: (yells to him in the shower) It’s just hard with you at work, and having all the time in the world to just think about jobs, ya know?