I've ended up doing an overhaul of my draft, just to make it flow more naturally to the ending I had in mind to start with. For this particular chapter, I had to make significant changes, but what I consider the essential moments have been here all along and remain unchanged.
A single light illuminated Tiffany's apartment. A couch was stretched out as a hideabed, and Tiffany and Pat lay together, dressed in workout clothes. Tiffany stretched out on top, her whole body rising and falling with the heaving of his chest. "Thank you for doing this," Tiffany said. "I actually haven't done this since Tommy and I were together. I think it's what I need right now. We can do this, and still be casual."
Pat nodded. "But it's better if people don't know, because they'd start asking questions about everything else," he said. "My parents are going to ask where I was all night. I can tell them I walked you home, and then crashed on the couch. It wouldn't really be lying."
"I would have asked you to stay, even if I didn't want this," Tiffany said. "I mean, Halloween night, after 10 PM, I wouldn't want anybody to walk all that way alone." She pressed closer, nuzzling his neck.
"Hey, did you just kiss me?" he said. Tiffany murmured something noncommital. He started to sit up. "You told me, casual, no kissing."
"I'm trying to get you to relax, crazy," she said. "I like it when you get excited, but seriously, you're making me seasick here."
"Okay... I'll relax... relax," Pat said. Tiffany closed her eyes.
"Stop that," she said. Pat was feeling her midriff, which her sports bra top left bare.
"I'm just feeling for the bump."
"You're poking me. And there is no bump, I'm only at six weeks. Oh, and when I do get a bump, I'm going to start breaking arms if people try to feel me up."
Pat moved his hands and started rubbing her shoulder instead. She sighed, and soon shut her eyes. "Are you asleep?" Pat asked.
"Let's think about this logically," Tiffany said without opening her eyes. "There are two mutually exclusive states: Asleep, and answering the question `Are you asleep?' Which one do you think I want?"
"Okay," Pat said. "Do you want me to go to sleep?"
"I want you to be quiet," Tiffany muttered. "Tommy was always quiet."
"Okay... being quiet."
"Let's review the logic again. There's being quiet... and there's saying you're being quiet."
"I can't sleep," Pat said after a while. "I keep thinking about Nikki." Tiffany groaned and pulled a pillow over her head. "Oh, oh no, I don't mean like that. It's just, I still get nervous with you, because you keep touching me in ways I'm not used to anybody but Nikki touching me. Then that gets me thinking, maybe this was how she felt when she really cheated on me. I think I understand her better now. I can tell her, I know it isn't easy. I should tell her that when I write her the letter for you to give her. I should go home and start writing it..." He started to sit up.
Tiffany smacked him in the face with the pillow. "You are killing me, Pat," she said. "I know you're way behind the curve on knowing when to keep your mouth shut, but I didn't think I would need to tell you, as long as you are here in my bed, you are not going to say anything about Nikki! What do you think you are going to tell her, anyway, Pat? `I got another woman pregnant. How are you?'"
"Tiffany, I understand how you feel," Pat said. "You want to be part of my life, and you're going to be, but you can't be selfish. I made a commitment to Nikki. We're still married. I need to see Nikki again, so we can sort things out. You said you could help..."
"Oh my god," Tiffany said. She squeezed her nose like there was a bad smell. "God, I am crazier than you. I actually thought you could get a clue! Don't you get it? Do you have any idea how to deal with any woman? Listen to me, Pat: You and Nikki are done. Forever. She will never take you back, she will never see her again, I don't want you to see her again, and I would never help you make contact with her even if it wasn't breaking the law!"
"But... we talked about this," Pat said. "You offered..."
"I lied, Pat! I lied to get you in bed! Women lie, Pat, and guess what- a lot of us like having a guy in bed!" Tiffany was already shouting, and quickly made her way up to screaming: "And as long as we're jumping on stupid things we've said to each other, let's talk about what you said about me at the diner? You said you can't let people think you're associated with me! `Especially after the things you've told me!' That's what you had to say after you spent a month enjoying everything I gave you: You turn around, and you judge me, and you push me away, and the worst part is, it's not even because of how you feel, but because you're afraid of what other people will think about you! That's not even using me like a whore, Pat; that's acting like my friend and then throwing me under the bus! You're a traitor, Pat; you're a hypocrite, and a conformist, and a coward!"
"But you wanted to... You said it was casual, and it was okay..." Pat retreated down the stairs under a barrage of his own clothes.
Tiffany shouted, in a voice reduced to a hoarse yell. "Forget casual! Forget the baby! Forget my help! Forget me! That's what you want isn't it? Oh, and in case you need a clue- GET OUT!"
"Tiffany, please!" Pat said, scrambling to gather his clothes. "I'm sorry I hurt you, and I'll go if you want me to, but I can't walk out the door unless I'm sure you're going to be okay!" He advanced after Tiffany, reaching after her as she retreated. "You sound like you want to do something bad! Please, just call Veronica! She can help you, maybe come over, she can even have Ronnie drive me home!" Then Tiffany came at him, slapping and scratching, and when he caught hold of her wrists, she started to scream.
"You're harassing me! You're assaulting me!" Pat let go of her, and she ran to the window and threw it open. "SOMEONE PLEASE HELP HE'S-" It was obvious from the sounds and lights that the neighborhood was already thoroughly roused, but they were both taken offguard when they heard a knock at the door.