The next day Julie had rehearsal.

"Mr. Monk," she told him, "you might want to miss this rehearsal"

"Why would I want to miss any rehearsal," he asked

"It's... the scene that you don't want to see more then once," she explained

Monk still didn't get it.

"Which scene is that," he asked

"Um... not a scene you'll want to see twice. It's not even a scene you'll want to see once"

"Um... oh," he exclaimed as it finally hit him, "you mean that scene"

"Yes Mr. Monk," Natalie confirmed, "that scene"

"Yeah I think I'll- wait they're not actually going to use a real bomb are they"

Natalie couldn't help it. She rolled her eyes.

"Natalie," Monk whined, "that wasn't nice"

"I'm sorry Mr. Monk but that was a dumb question"

"It was not a dumb question"

"No Mr. Monk," Natalie said, "they aren't going to use a real bomb. This is a play. It is only make believe. There will be no real bomb!"

"Natalie, are you okay," he asked gently

"Sure," she told him, "I'm just... I had a long night last night"

He seemed to accept that rather easily. He had no reason to doubt she was telling the truth. In truth she really was telling the truth... it just wasn't the whole truth.

It was true that Natalie had a long night last night. She kept thinking about the man that she was in love with in the arms of another woman and it made her sick. Okay so the other woman was his wife. She didn't have the right to be alive! Yes, Natalie knew she was being unreasonable but she didn't care.

Maybe it wasn't really Trudy. Natalie was really tired so maybe her eyes were just playing tricks on her. All she knew was that if Adrian ever found out that she had kept such a secret from her he would explode. She would be the one he explode at... or on whatever sounded better.

"Okay," Monk said, "so I guess I won't come to rehearsal today so Natalie how about you and I go out for lunch instead"

Natalie smiled

"I would like that Mr. Monk," she told him

"Not Mr. Monk," he corrected her, "it's Adrian"

"Right," she said, "well I would like that very much Adrian"

"It's settled then," Monk said and it was—for now.