Mark: "I very much enjoyed your Lewisham Fire report, by the way."

Bridget: "Thank You."

Mark: "I just................yeah, well"

           "So."

           "It didn't work out with Daniel Cleaver?"

Bridget: "No... it didn't."

Mark: "I'm delighted to hear it."

Bridget: "Look, are you and Cosmo in this together?

               I mean, you seem to go out of your way to try to make me feel like a

               complete idiot every time I see you and you really needn't bother. I already

               feel like an idiot most of the time anyway---with or without a fireman's pole."

[Doorbell buzzes]

Bridget: "That'll be my taxi.  Good night."

Mark: "Look, um........I'm sorry if I've been..."

Bridget: "What?"

Mark: "I don't think your an idiot at all.  I mean, there are elements of the ridiculous

            about you.  Your mother's pretty interesting.  And you really are....an

            appallingly bad public speaker.  And you tend to let whatever's in your head 

            come out of your mouth..........without much consideration to the

            consequences.

            I realize that when I met you, at the turkey curry buffet.....that I was

            unforgivably rude and wearing a reindeer jumper....that my mother had given

            me the day before.  But, the thing is, um....what I'm trying to say.. very 

            inarticulately is.......that, um...in fact...perhaps, despite appearances.....I like

            you...very much."

Bridget: "Ah, apart from the smoking.. and the drinking......and the vulgar mother

               (pause) and the verbal diarrhea"

Mark: "No, I like you very much---just as you are."

[pause, music starts]

Natasha: "Mark, we really are making progress on the case in here.  Jeremy's had the most brilliant idea."

[Mark sighs]

[Natasha snaps fingers]

[Mark sighs, turns around towards stairs]

Mark: "Right.  Right."

[pauses, turns back]

Mark: "I must go, ah, because............well...(sigh).......bye."

[Mark turns and runs up the stairs]