specious (adj.) - seemingly true but actually fallacious (false).

A man and a woman sit at a table in a restaurant having dinner. The man, KENNETH, is speaking in the middle of a story as the lights rise; the woman, DEBORAH, looks obviously and undeniably bored.

KENNETH

[in mid-sentence]

...and after we had gotten up in the air, about, say, 15,000 feet or so, he turned to me and said, "Are you ready for this one, buddy boy!" And I said, "Am I ever not ready!" And that was it. And then we jumped out of the plane and were out of there! And he's there, and I'm there, and we're zooming around in the air, zoooooooooooooooooooom! And then we all grab onto each other and formed this gigantic mass of people and jumpsuits, you should have seen it! IT WAS INCREDIBLE! And a world record, did I mention it was a world record! It was amazing! And I was there! I was a part of it! Have you ever skydived, [not waiting for answer], oh, you should totally do it! I do it! It's amazing! It's incredible! It's the most amazing, exciting, amazing thing you can ever do with your life! You haven't done anything with your life until you've sky-dived! I'm telling you, it's the most amazing, incredible...

DEBORAH slumps, face forward, into her food. KENNETH stops.

KENNETH

Oh my god! [shaking her] Deborah!

A loud snore emits from the pasta bowl where seconds ago DEBORAH did a nose dive. KENNETH continues to shake her.

KENNETH

Deborah! DEBORAH!

DEBORAH

[coming to]

Oh, what...what...[picking herself up and out of the pasta] Oh. Oh god. I am so sorry.

KENNETH

What happened?

DEBORAH

I...I don't know. I just...I must be...tired. Yes. Tired. I've...I've been working a lot lately. That's why I fell asleep into my pasta bowl. Not because of your story. No. Not at all.

KENNETH

[a slight pause]

I...

DEBORAH

Sick! That's it, I'm sick! Sick and tired! Mono. It must be mono. It's been going around the office lately. Ten...no, twelve people are already out with it. That's what it must be. That's definitely what it must be, not the fact that you are one of the most boring, self-centered people I have ever met in my entire life!

Pause. KENNETH says nothing.

DEBORAH

[standing up]

I...I should drive myself to a hospital. That's it. To the hospital. Before I collapse...or die...or something. [she stands up] This...this has been...great. Not horrible. Not horrendous. Not abyssmal. But great. Just...great. I'm...I'm glad we did this.

KENNETH

Me...too?

DEBORAH

You should call me again sometime.

KENNETH

I should?

DEBORAH

You should. Oh, you definitely should.

Pause. KENNETH and DEBORAH just stand there for a moment. Suddenly DEBORAH burst out laughing. KENNETH watches her for a second, bewildered, and then, infectiously, joins her. The laughing builds, obviously fueled by relief from such a tense moment.

KENNETH

[still laughing]

I'm...I'm sorry...but what are we laughing at.

DEBORAH

[ibid]

Me.

KENNETH

You?

DEBORAH

Yes.

KENNETH

Why you!

DEBORAH

I'm such a horrible liar. [pause; still laughing] This date sucked so bad. And you, and your story, your stories, sucked so bad! I don't know what my friend was thinking setting me up with you! She must either not know me at all or hate my guts!

DEBORAH keeps laughing for a few more moments; KENNETH obviously, has stopped and looks on, gravely. DEBORAH finally stops laughing, looking up at him.

DEBORAH

I'm...I'm sorry.

Pause. She bursts out laughing again. She doubles over, almost in pain. Bangs her fist on the table a couple times. KENNETH just sits down, defeated, and starts eating his meal.

Blackout.