Unit 39: I need someone

1. I'd like to meet a girl who is my age.

(Alan goes to a marriage bureau called Doubles.)

Alan	Hello.
Sarah	Hello.
Alan	This is Doubles? Ah, yes. You're waiting, too, are you?
Sarah	No. Not really. I'm with my friend. She's in there.
Alan	Oh, I see.
Sarah	Have you been here before?
Alan	No.
Sarah	But you'd like to meet someone?
Alan	Yes. I'd like to meet a girl who is my age, or younger.
Sarah	A beautiful girl, of course.
Alan	Oh, no. An interesting girl.
Sarah	Interesting?
Alan	Well, a girl who can talk about different things. A girl who reads, and goes to the theatre, and travels ... I want a lot, don't I?
Sarah	No. A lot of girls can talk about different things. Why not? And they do read, and go to the theatre, and travel ...
Alan	Do you?
Sarah	Well, yes. Of course, girls who are interesting want to meet interesting men. My friend, for example—she'd like to meet a man with an interesting job, and is kind, and likes music and animals ...
Alan	Really?
Sarah	Yes. Tell me, if you want to meet a girl, why don't you go to a social club? I go to one every week. You meet a lot of people.
Alan	Could I come to your club?
Sarah	Of course you could.
Alan	My name's Alan, by the way.
Sarah	I'm Sarah.
Alan	Well, perhaps I'll come back tomorrow, Sarah. But I'll see you tonight, I hope, at the club.
Sarah	All right.
Alan	Goodbye.
Sarah	You meet people at Doubles. You certainly do!

2. I need a job where I am a person, not a machine.

(Sarah is telling Alan how she's got a new job.)

Sarah	Tell me about yourself, Alan. What do you do?
Alan	No—you tell me what you do. I'm interested.
Sarah	All right. I'm a secretary. And I've got a new job. I started last week.
Alan	Oh?
Sarah	Yes. I didn't expect to get the job, really.
Alan	Why? What happened?
Sarah	Well, you see, I went along to see the Managing Director ...

* * *

Joan	This is Miss Yardley, Mr. Thompson.
Thomson	Thank you, Joan. Come in, Miss Yardley. Please sit down.
Sarah	Thank you.
Thomson	Well, Miss Yardley. I need a secretary. Joan is leaving.
Sarah	Yes.
Thomson	I need a secretary who can type — well and fast.
Sarah	As I said in my letter, Mr. Thomson, I do type well, and fast.
Thomson	I need a secretary who can take good shorthand.
Sarah	I take good shorthand.
Thomson	I need a secretary who has a good voice on the telephone.
Sarah	I talked to you on the telephone, Mr. Thomson.
Thomson	Yes, true. And you have a good telephone voice. I need a secretary who can meet important people and make them feel comfortable.
Sarah	Do I make you comfortable, Mr. Thomson?
Thomson	Yes. Yes, you do. All right. I need a secretary who can get my plane tickets, and book hotel rooms.
Sarah	Of course.
Thomson	Yes. And I need a secretary who can speak some French, and perhaps some German or Spanish.
Sarah	I passed my exams in French and German, Mr. Thomson.
Thomson	Good. Very good. Well, then, the job is yours, Miss Yardley. When can you begin?
Sarah	Just a minute, please, Mr. Thomson.
Thomson	Yes?
Sarah	You see. I need a job where I'm a person, not a machine.
Thomson	Oh.
Sarah	And I need a job, which is interesting.
Thomson	Yes.
Sarah	And I need a job where I can decide things, not just be told everything.
Thomson	I see.
Sarah	Well ...
Thomson	Good.
Sarah	What?
Thomson	Very good. You decide, then—Sarah, isn't it?
Sarah	Yes.
Thomson	You decide, then, Sarah. I'd like you to be my secretary. A person, not a machine. And sometimes, not all the time, but sometimes, the job is very interesting. Ask Joan. She'll tell you. And then, you decide.

* * *

Sarah	So, I decided. And I like the job.
Alan	Good.
Sarah	Mr. Thomson's all right.
Alan	He's lucky.
Sarah	Oh?
Alan	You do make people feel comfortable. You make me feel comfortable.
Sarah	It's these chairs. They make you too comfortable. Come on, let's dance.
Alan	OK, but I still think it's you, not the chair.

3. I want a present for Mary.

(Sarah and Alan come to a bus stop.)

Sarah	We can go to the High Street. We can get everything there.
Alan	What do you need?
Sarah	I want a present for Mary. It's her birthday next Thursday.
Alan	What sort of present?
Sarah	Well, not something useful. She always buys useful things. I want something she wouldn't buy for herself. And perhaps we can stop at the library. I need some more books.
Alan	What sort of books do you like?
Sarah	Something funny. I like funny books.
Alan	So do I.
Sarah	But first I want something to drink.
Alan	What kind of thing? Something hot? Well, let's go to the coffee bar.

4. What do you need?

Alan	Thank you.
Sarah	Excuse me. I've just remembered something ...