Sam: Emily, we have a problem.
Emily: We do?
Sam: Yeah, you wrote a letter to Mary.
Emily: Yes, I did.
Sam: Yeah, that wasn’t a good move.
Emily: But, I… what do you mean?
Sam: You wrote a letter to Mary, and it made her feel extremely uncomfortable. Both of us, I should say, it made both of us uncomfortable. Your letter upset Mary so much. That’s the reason she’s not here tonight. She refused to come because your letter made her feel so violated.
Emily: I don’t understand.
Sam: You wrote the craziest shit in that letter. You said I was like the sun, like you’re cold whenever I’m not there, like every time I leave Amherst, winter sets in. Why would you write something like that?
Emily: Because it’s how I feel.
Sam: About a married man to his wife?
Emily: I didn’t mean to upset her. I was only trying to express my gratitude.
Sam: Well, listen, you went a little too far this time.
Emily: I’m sorry. Sometimes when I write I lose control.
Sam: I know. It’s part of what makes you a great writer, but you have to be aware off all the rumors.
Emily: What rumors?
Sam: Come on, you’ve heard them. Every time I choose to support a female voice, all the gossipers on the East Coast think I have ulterior motives. And Mary, she hears these whispers, and they upset her. They hurt her. Even though she knows in her soul I am always faithful to her. Now, I’ve tried to make myself absolutely clear: This interest that I’ve taken in you, it is purely professional. You do understand that, don’t you?