HILDA

Now, Doris, what makes you think your husband is seeing another woman?

DORIS

I just know.

MILES

Hal I’m sorry, Dr. Jenkins, but all this talk about female intuition is a load of crap.

DORIS

He’s been coming home late.

MILES

I’ve been working late.

DORIS

I called him at work and he wasn’t there.  He had left two hours earlier.

MILES

For a meeting with a client.

DORIS

He went away for a week.

MILES

That was a business trip to Los Angeles.

DORIS

I called his boss and his boss didn’t know anything about it.  He said he

thought we were on vacation.

MILES

It was a secret business trip.  My boss didn’t want anyone to know.

DORIS

A secret business trip!  You work for the Post Office.

MILES

I was looking for a lost letter.

DORIS

When he came back he had a tan.

MILES

You can get a tan in Los Angeles.

DORIS

I checked the weather reports.  It rained that whole week.

MILES

You see what the problem is, Dr. Jenkins? She doesn’t trust me. Trust is the most important thing in a marriage. Don’t you think so?

HILDA

One of the most important things.

DORIS

How can I trust you?

MILES

I trust you.

        (To HILDA:)

Who knows what she’s doing behind my back.

HILDA

In order for there to be trust, there has to be honesty. I want you both to be honest with each other. Otherwise we’re all wasting our time here, and you’re wasting your money. Remember, I charge fifty dollars an hour.

        (Both nod.)

Miles, are you hiding something from Doris?

MILES

Uh uh.  No.  I’d never do that to her. I mean, I love her. She’s my wife.

HILDA

Miles...You’ll feel better if you tell the truth.

        (Pause.)

MILES

Okay.

HILDA

Where were you that week, Miles?

MILES

I was with another woman.  In Cancún.

DORIS

I knew it!  I knew it!

HILDA

Don’t you feel better now?

MILES

Yes, I do.

HILDA

How about you, Doris?

DORIS

I guess I do.  At least he admits it.

HILDA

See? Now we’re getting somewhere. In order to make any progress at all, we have to start with the truth.

MILES

You’re right, Dr. Jenkins, and we both thank you.  Here’s your fifty dollars.  Come on, Doris, let’s go home.

DORIS

Hold on.  We’re not finished yet.

MILES

Doris, it’s over. It was nothing. She was nobody special. The whole time I was in Cancun I was thinking of you.

DORIS

You expect me to believe that?

MILES

I had to do it in order to realize how much I love you, Doris.  I didn’t even like her.

HILDA

Miles...

MILES

We had nothing in common. She didn’t like Mexican food. She wasn’t even pretty, or intelligent, or interesting. I got tired of her after fifteen minutes, and I was stuck with her for a whole week. She wanted me to leave you, Doris, and I could never do that.

HILDA

Miles, are you sure you’re being completely honest?

MILES

Yeah.

HILDA

That’s what you really, truly feel?

MILES

That’s what I really, truly feel.

HILDA

I find it a little hard to believe.

MILES

Isn’t it more important that Doris believes me?

HILDA

Doris?  Do you believe him?

DORIS

I don’t know.  I want to believe him.

HILDA

Of course you want to believe him.  The question is, should you?

MILES

Hey!  You’re not supposed to take sides.

HILDA

I’m not taking sides. But very often, when we have something to hide, we tell our partner exactly what we think our partner wants to hear. And if our partner wants to believe it, they believe it. Now I repeat. We can only make progress if we are completely honest with each other.

MILES

I’m being honest!

HILDA

I myself find it rather hard to believe that a man of your age who has been married as long as you have could go to Cancún for a week and not enjoy himself. No matter who he was with. Do you really believe that, Doris?