[Scene: Caroline's apartment. Enter Richard. Caroline is standing in her robe.]

CAROLINE: You're back.

RICHARD: [nervously] I see you have the curtains pulled.

CAROLINE: Get everything ready.

RICHARD: You have everything set up. I just need to open these canisters and I'm ready.

[She walks to the door and locks it and turns the lights down]

CAROLINE: What are you thinking right now, Richard?

RICHARD: Just how drunk I'm going to have to get in order to do this without messing it up.

[He pulls a bottle of wine out of the bag, opens it, and drinks it]

RICHARD: That should do.

[Caroline lights some candles]

CAROLINE: You're always on the defensive, Richard. Tonight, just let your guard down.

[Caroline takes off her robe and kisses Richard]

RICHARD: [hesitating] Caroline, this is going to be the most difficult and pleasurous thing I've ever done.

CAROLINE: Richard you're the most difficult and pleasurous person I've ever met.

[He begins painting her]

RICHARD: So did you ever get your Christmas pictures from Wisconsin developed?

CAROLINE: Oh yeah, it was a really great time. But it was so much colder than I remember. I've been thinking of taking trips there in the summer instead when it will be nice.

RICHARD: Is your brother still dating that law student?

CAROLINE: No, they broke it off.

RICHARD: Oh that's too bad. He could have had someone to defend him if his work ever got too sloppy.

CAROLINE: No, Chris hasn't lost a patient yet.

RICHARD: Are we still going to that thing next month?

CAROLINE: Oh, yeah. Del got tickets to Cyrano de Bergerac for Christmas but he has no interest in going so he said I could have them.

RICHARD: Oh, good then. It's really a great play.

CAROLINE: I thought that it would be. Richard, when you were in Paris, what did you do?

RICHARD: Paris? Oh, in the summer of '96?

CAROLINE: Yeah.

RICHARD: Well after arriving at the Paris airport I found the cheapest apartment in the city and spent almost three months trying to sell my paintings on the Seine.

CAROLINE: And no one in the whole city would buy anything?

RICHARD: I sold a few, but only for a few thousand dollars altogether. I guess I was lucky to get that.

CAROLINE: Did you do any painting there?

RICHARD: Of course.

CAROLINE: Did you think of me when you were painting?

RICHARD: Well, yeah. I thought of you everyday.

[He continued painting her nude, trying to stay on focus and talk to her at the same time]

CAROLINE: Did you do any paintings of me there?

RICHARD: Now that you mention it, at least three.

CAROLINE: What were they about?

RICHARD: Well there was Caroline In Love With Someone Else, Caroline Engaged To Someone Else, and Caroline Marries Someone Else.

CAROLINE: That's so sweet. What ever happened to them?

RICHARD: I was going to sell a couple of them to this old French guy but he disappeared after making an offer. At first I thought he just ran off but it turns out he fell into the Seine.

CAROLINE: Not that I'm glad he was hurt, but I'm glad you had to come back to New York.

[Scene: Caroline's apartment. Later. Richard has finished painting.]

RICHARD: Ok, just let that dry. I hope you like it.

CAROLINE: I'm sure I'll love it. Richard, next week has to be our first time.

RICHARD: When?

CAROLINE: Saturday night. I'll find a hotel somewhere.

RICHARD: Aren't you going to put your clothes back on?

CAROLINE: Not yet.

The End.