- Jeremy Geer: Noelle, hi. It's Jeremy. Uh, the guy from the diner. The guy you gave your number to.
- Noelle: Oh, you're going to have to be more specific. I gave my number to a lot of guys today.
- Jeremy Geer: Well, let me see. Um, I'm about six feet tall, brown hair...
- Noelle: Soulful eyes?
- Jeremy Geer: So you do remember me?
- Noelle: Yeah, I do.
- [after a pause]
- Noelle: Are you there?
- Jeremy Geer: Yeah. Sorry. I must be nervous. Uh, I don't do this very often.
- Noelle: Talk on the phone?
- Jeremy Geer: Well, talk to women out of my league. Unless you count the woman I talk to when I order takeout.
- Jeremy Geer: [sitting at a table at the diner where Noelle works after his blind date walks out] Hey. You didn't happen to witness that Shakespearean tragedy, did you?
- Noelle: I did. But she had a very Lady Macbeth vibe. So, what can I get you?
- Jeremy Geer: I think I'm just going to go.
- Noelle: No, come on. You're already here, all dressed up. Might as well eat something.
- Jeremy Geer: You know what? You're right. Dealer's choice.
- Noelle: Okay, but first... .
- [she walks over to help him take off his coat sleeve that he had just struggled with]
- Noelle: That okay? There you go.
- Noelle: Jeremy, can I ask you something.
- Jeremy Geer: Absolutely.
- Noelle: I'm a little conflicted... over which cereal to buy. There's just so many choices.
- Jeremy Geer: Yeah. It's a bit of a conundrum, isn't it? Yeah.
- Noelle: If you were having breakfast, what would you pick?
- Jeremy Geer: Well, for me, it's oatmeal. Deep down, I'm really just an 80-year-old man.
- Noelle: Oh, no. There's nothing wrong with oatmeal. Oatmeal is great. I'm just looking for something a bit more exciting.
- Jeremy Geer: Mmm. I did always like Sweet Pops when I was a kid.
- Noelle: Mmm. Got to have my Pops.
- Jeremy Geer: And then there's Frozen Flakes. Always a good choice.
- [they say together]
- Jeremy Geer: They're great.
- Noelle: Sounds like you watched just as much TV as a kid as I did.
- Jeremy Geer: Yeah. When it comes to cereal, what I look for these days is fiber content. Yeah. I said that out loud, didn't I?
- Noelle: You did, yeah. But I think I'm going to go with... Tiny O's.
- Jeremy Geer: Good choice. Good choice. Has everything you need. Sugar, artificial flavors, and, artificial colors.
- Noelle: [runs into Jeremy at the store] Hey, Jeremy, right?
- Jeremy Geer: Yeah, hi.
- Noelle: Hi.
- [he looks at what she's holding, a box of tampons]
- Noelle: Oh, yeah. I know. Turns out it happens every month. They didn't teach you that in biology class?
- Jeremy Geer: Of course.
- Noelle: Hey, uh, you know that you're... parked...
- Jeremy Geer: ....handicapped spot. Yeah. I, uh, I have a permit.
- Noelle: I'm sorry.
- Jeremy Geer: It's okay. Honestly, I only try to use the pass when I'm coming in for a minute. Just, uh, picking up some takeout.
- Noelle: What is your name?
- Jeremy Geer: Jeremy.
- Noelle: Jeremy, I'm Noelle.
- [she turns to grab his takeout food bag]
- Jeremy Geer: Ah, the French word for Christmas.
- Noelle: Ah, a man who knows that. I take it this is your favorite time of year.
- Jeremy Geer: Actually, it's my least favorite.
- Noelle: Okay.
- Jeremy Geer: But, um, Noelle is a beautiful name.
- Jeremy Geer: You know, I really should have known better to go on a blind date.
- Noelle: Is that what it was? It was a blind date? Oh, I just went on one of those, and to call it disastrous would be an understatement.
- Jeremy Geer: Do tell.
- Noelle: Well, he didn't even pass the smell test.
- Jeremy Geer: Yikes. That bad?
- Noelle: Yeah, I know.
- Jeremy Geer: Well, I'm sure you have plenty of guys looking to take you out, so...
- Noelle: Yeah. Not guys that I want. But let's not forget you are the one on the blind date tonight.
- Jeremy Geer: Was on a blind date. She left. Remember?
- Noelle: You kind of told her to beat it, didn't you?
- Jeremy Geer: Guess I did. But I could read her mind. She did not want to hang out with me.
- Noelle: You can read minds? What am I thinking?
- Jeremy Geer: You're thinking... .this guy better leave one heck of a tip after I rescued him out of his jacket.
- Noelle: I did kind of rescue you, didn't I?
- Jeremy Geer: Yeah, you did.
- Shannon: I am so sorry about last night.
- Noelle: Oh, it's okay. It's just a good reminder that I should never say yes to a blind date ever again.
- Shannon: Whoa. I don't know about that. Sometimes, you got to roll the dice, right?
- Noelle: Yeah, but I have to be careful. I need to know that I have a connection if I'm going to invest my time with someone.
- Shannon: Is there someone you're feeling that connection with?
- Noelle: I mean, okay. There's this guy. Maybe I'm being delusional, but I really feel like there's something there.
- Shannon: And?
- Noelle: I'll tell you about it later. Henry, get down here. Aunt Shannon's here. I gotta get to work. Thanks so much, as always.
- Shannon: I want to hear more about this guy.
- Noelle: I will tell you all about him, if I ever bump into him again.
- Noelle: Wait. I thought you had something against Christmas.
- Jeremy Geer: Oh, when I'm with you, all I can think about is Noelle.
- Noelle: Ooh. That's a good one. See you tomorrow.
- Jeremy Geer: I can't wait.
- Noelle: If you want to call it a night, I totally understand.
- Jeremy Geer: Noelle, I can't think of anything I'd rather do than spend more time with you.
- Noelle: Skating, bold choice.
- Jeremy Geer: I'm a bold kind of guy. I can't believe you've never been here.
- Noelle: I know. I didn't even know it existed. It's so cool. Yeah, I see you've been doing this a really long time.
- Jeremy Geer: Sort of. I grew up on a lake, so I spent a lot of winters skating. But oddly enough, after my stroke, I actually found it easier. It's a different muscle group, apparently.
- Noelle: [she stops] You had a stroke?
- [he nods]
- Noelle: I'm so sorry.
- Jeremy Geer: It turned my life upside down, but I try to keep reminding myself that I'm incredibly lucky. It, uh, could've been worse.
- Noelle: Remembering that is hard to do sometimes.
- Noelle: I should peel off here and go pick up my son.
- Jeremy Geer: Oh, of course.
- Noelle: But, um, if your symphony does play next year, I'd love to go.
- Jeremy Geer: Well, if it happens, then I'll, uh, I'll reserve the best seat in the house for you. Um, in the meantime, do you think I could maybe take you out to dinner? Kind of hate to think that our next date would be a year from now.
- Noelle: I'd like that.
- Jeremy Geer: Well, name a night because I guarantee you I will be free.
- Noelle: Just with Christmas and juggling my job and Christmas shopping, and my son is my No. 1 priority.
- Jeremy Geer: I completely understand that.
- Noelle: But I do have the lunch shift tomorrow and my son is going to his friend's house tomorrow night, so I guess I'm free. Is that too soon?
- Jeremy Geer: Honestly, it's not soon enough.
- Jeremy Geer: You know, when I was younger, I heard it said that music was the highest art form because it goes the furthest, the fastest, emotionally.
- Noelle: Don't you find classical music can sound a little boring sometimes?
- Jeremy Geer: What? Boring? What? Oh, man. No. I mean, okay. Music like Beethoven, Chopin, Mozart, and contemporary composers like Philip Glass, John Cage? I think it's some of the most beautiful music that's ever been created. It twists. It turns. It kind of takes you on an emotional ride.
- Noelle: Well, when you say it like that, it makes me want to try it again.
- Jeremy Geer: Hey, you can't talk to her like that.
- Rocco: Says who?
- Jeremy Geer: Says me.
- Rocco: Mind your own business. We're having fun. Right, sweetie?
- Noelle: No, we're not.
- Jeremy Geer: Yeah, I'll mind my own business when you apologize to her.
- Rocco: You think I won't swing on you because of your hand?
- Jeremy Geer: Go ahead. Take a swing.
- [he raises his voice]
- Jeremy Geer: But not before you tell everyone in here what you said to this woman.
- Rocco: [he turns to Noelle] Your loss.
- [he turns back to Jeremy]
- Rocco: Whatever. I'm out of here.
- Noelle: You did not need to do that.
- Jeremy Geer: Pretty sure I did.
- Noelle: But what if he'd hit you?
- Jeremy Geer: Would have gone down really hard, sprawled out on the floor, bleeding, moaning in pain. If I was even still conscious. Anyway, it would have been a devastating scene.
- Noelle: But you were willing to risk it all... to stand up for me?
- Jeremy Geer: Well, the way I saw it, it was kind of a win-win. If he'd hit me, you would have felt bad for me, and possibly given me your number out of pity.
- Noelle: Is that what you want?
- Jeremy Geer: I've been kind of wanting to ask you since I met you. But I'm not trying to put any pressure on you. I do not want to act like that guy, so...
- Noelle: You are nothing like that guy.
- [she writes down her number and gives it to him]
- Jeremy Geer: Okay, I have to warn you. Now that I have this, I'm actually going to call you.
- Noelle: You'd better. Don't be one of those guys that waits, like, three days.
- Jeremy Geer: Three days? You kidding me? No, I'm more of a six-to-eight months kind of guy. Well, I like to wait until the person has no idea who I am.
- Noelle: Or you could just call me tonight.
- Jeremy Geer: Yeah, I guess tonight would work.
- [he starts to walk away, but forgets his takeout food bag and returns]
- Jeremy Geer: That last exit was so smooth, though, right?
- Jeremy Geer: Your son, Henry, he's a really special kid. He's inspired me to recognize and own up to some of my own faults.
- Noelle: Well, you'll be happy to know that he had some owning up to do of his own.
- Jeremy Geer: Well, I was the adult, and I couldn't see through my own pain to recognize that he was just a kid who's blowing off steam. Anyway, I just wanted to say that. You should be proud.
- Frank: You do have your moments, but I know there's a heart in there waiting to get thawed out.
- Jeremy Geer: Can I be frank with you, Frank?
- Frank: Of course.
- Jeremy Geer: Ever since my stroke, I've had this pent-up bitterness over the fact that it derailed my life, and certain things trigger it, especially Christmas. I'm working on it, okay?
- Frank: I know you are. That kind-hearted, sensitive guy that I grew up with is still in there somewhere. We just got to coax him back out again.