****

[Tea and Todd return to her hotel suite. Todd is visibly upset and instantly begins pacing.]

Tea: I'm going to call room service. What would you like?

Todd: Nothing.

Tea: You're not hungry?

Todd: I don't care about food right now.

Tea: Well you should eat something.

Todd: Why?

Tea: Because you need to eat.

Todd: Just leave me alone.

Tea: Are you angry at me?

Todd: Why would I be angry at you?

Tea: I don't know but you've barely spoken to me since we left the restaurant.

Todd: I'm in a bad mood. Do you really want me to talk to you right now?

Tea: Yes.

Todd: Are you sure?

Tea: Todd, if you only talk to me when you're in a good mood you'll never talk to me at all.

Todd: Okay, fine! What's been going on with you and that psychotic cop?

Tea: You're jealous? You didn't seem jealous when we left the restaurant.

Todd: I've had time to think since then.

Tea: It's only been a couple of minutes.

Todd: That's all the time I need. Are you going to answer me or not?

Tea: What was the question?

Todd: Are you sleeping with that cop?

Tea: I don't remember that being the question.

Todd: So, how long have you been sleeping with him? Were you sleeping with him before I left town?

Tea: You're just going to get more and more paranoid, aren't you?

Todd: Were you sleeping with him when I was catatonic?

Tea: Do you really believe that I had a sexual relationship with him while we were together?

Todd: You're not denying it.

Tea: I shouldn't have to.

Todd: Is it over now or was tonight just a show for me?

Tea: Maybe you should go for a walk and calm down.

Todd: Your boyfriend would probably arrest me for walking in a menacing manner.

Tea: He is not my boyfriend.

Todd: What do you call him then? You're lover? You're sex partner? You're...

Tea: Stop right now!

Todd: Are you with me just so he can get information on me? Are you helping him so he can arrest me and then you'll prosecute me? Is that your plan?

Tea: You need to leave right now.

Todd: But you wanted to spend the night with me, right? You held my hand...looked in my eyes...dressed (gesturing to her) like that. You're trying to use my attraction for you to get me to let my guard down.

Tea: What attraction? If you insist on being paranoid then I'll join you. Why are you with me? Are you trying to use me to get another headline for that stupid paper of yours? Are you going to wait until I fall asleep and then go through my briefcase hoping to find privileged information? If I quit my job as an ADA would you dump me because I was no longer useful to you?

Todd: Hey, wait a minute. My paper is not stupid.

Tea: No, but this conversation certainly is.

Todd: Okay, just tell me you're not involved with that slithery cop.

Tea: Do we have to have another conversation about trust?

Todd (plopping himself down on the sofa): Not again. Besides, I'm not in jail this time. You can't force me to listen to that garbage again.

Tea (sitting down next to Todd): It isn't garbage. If this relationship is going to work then trust has to be a part of it.

Todd: Tell me you're not sleeping with him.

Tea: Tell me that you trust me.

Todd: I trust you. (pause) Are you sleeping with him?

Tea (laughing): That's some trust there, Manning.

Todd (seriously): I really need to know, Tea.

Tea: I'm not sleeping with him.

Todd: You promise?

Tea: I promise. I want to be with you not John Sykes. Now can we stop talking about this?

Todd: Sure.

Tea (getting up): I'm ordering dinner. What do you want?

Todd: Whatever you want is fine with me.

[Tea orders their meal and then approaches Todd who is standing by the window staring at the view.]

Tea: Just like old times.

Todd: Huh? What?

Tea: You staring out the window lost in your own thoughts.

Todd: Oh.

Tea: It reminds me of our first marriage.

Todd: Bad memories?

[Tea stands near Todd and leans her back against the wall.]

Tea: There are some bad memories but there are also some good ones. I have some very good memories of our time together.

Todd: Really?

[Tea reaches out and gently strokes Todd's arm.]

Tea: Really.

[Todd moves in front of Tea and looks into her eyes.]

Todd: Like what?

Tea: Our first kiss.

Todd: You were sleeping with Andrew then.

Tea: I slept with him once.

Todd: Do you regret it?

Tea: No.

[Todd tries to move away but Tea stops him.]

Todd: I don't want to hear this.

Tea: You brought it up.

Todd: Well, now I'm dropping it.

Tea: I don't regret it because it helped me to realize how much I wanted you.

Todd: Being with another guy made you want me more?

Tea: Sort of. I was denying to myself how much I cared about you, how much I loved you. Being with Andrew made me realize that although I cared about him I wasn't in love with him. He was the safe choice but...

Todd: He wouldn't hurt you like I would?

Tea: No he wouldn't but not the way I think you mean. I wasn't afraid you would rape me. I was afraid that you would break my heart. I knew that Andrew would never break my heart because I would never feel for him the way that I feel for you. I would never give him my heart the way that I've given it to you. I didn't even try to give my heart to you and somehow it ended up being yours anyway. After that night with Andrew, after I returned for the trial reconciliation, I realized that even if I spent years trying to make it happen with Andrew I would never have with him what I have with you.

Todd: Tons of misery.

Tea: Complete and unconditional love.

Todd: Unconditional? You're always putting conditions...

Tea: My love for you is unconditional, Todd. My being with you, however, is not.

Todd: What does that mean?

Tea: It means that with everything that happened between us I never stopped loving you and I don't think that I ever will but I can't promise to be with you no matter what. There are certain things that happened between us in the past that I can't live with...that I won't live with, but there is nothing that you could ever do that will stop me from loving you.

[Todd moves closer to Tea.]

Todd: You love me?

Tea: Yes.

Todd: You're not afraid to admit that?

Tea: It's how I feel. How do you feel?

Todd: You know.

Tea: I need to hear it.

Todd: Why?

Tea: Because I'm just as insecure as you are, Todd. I need to know that you love me.

Todd: But you already know that.

Tea: Then say it. (pause) You've said it before. Why can't you say it now?

[Todd presses his body against Tea's pushing her body tight against the wall.]

Todd: This is different.

Tea: How is this different?

Todd: I want to show you.

Tea: Then show me.

Todd: I don't want to.

Tea: You complicate everything.

Todd: You like that.

Tea: I'd better like that because if I'm with you my life will be full of complications.

Todd: You go first.

[Tea moves her hands to Todd's chest and runs her hands across his shirt enjoying the feeling of her hands caressing his muscles through the material of his shirt.]

Tea (moving her lips close to his): I love you, Todd.

Todd: Tea...

Tea: It's okay. Just tell me. Show me.

Todd: I want to.

Tea: Then do it.

Todd: Help me.

Tea: Is this what you want?

Todd: Yes.

Tea: Give me your hand.

[Todd offers his hand to her and she takes it. She puts his open palm onto her breast as she moves her lips forward and kisses him.]

Tea: How was that?

Todd: It was okay.

Tea: Just okay? I'll have to try harder.

[Tea kisses him passionately. Todd's body responds making Tea feel even bolder.]

Tea: Would it be all right if I unbuttoned your shirt?

Todd: Um...

Tea: I don't have to.

Todd: No...uh...it would be okay...I guess...maybe, I suppose.

Tea (smiling): Well, as long as you're positive.

[Tea unbuttons several buttons on Todd's shirt and caresses his bare chest with both of her hands as she kisses him again.]

Todd: Now what?

Tea: Do you want to progress or stay where we are?

Todd: Progress is good, right?

Tea: It can be.

[Tea begins to lower the top half of the dress she is wearing. Todd covers her hands with his own and stops her. He moves her hands away from her dress and begins slowly lowering it himself as he stares intently at the dress' progress downward. Tea finishes unbuttoning Todd's shirt and removes his jacket. After Todd has lowered Tea's dress to her waist he looks into her eyes and moves his body forward and presses their chests together as they kiss. Suddenly, there's a knock on the door.]

Tea: It's probably room service.

Todd: You had to order food, didn't you?

Tea: I was hungry.

Todd: Are you still hungry?

Tea: Very.

Todd: Well, I'm not opening the door with you looking like this.

Tea: I'll go into the bathroom and change.

Todd: Okay.

[Tea leaves the room. Todd lets the room service person in and gives a generous tip to get the person to leave quickly.]

Todd (loudly): You can come out now.

[Tea exits the bathroom wearing a robe.]

Todd: I thought you were going to change?

Tea: I did.

Todd: I thought that meant you'd be wearing clothes.

Tea: I could put something else on if you'd prefer.

Todd: If that's what you want to wear then wear it. It's your room after all.

Tea: You're sure? I don't want you to be uncomfortable.

Todd: I'm fine.

Tea: Okay.

[Tea and Todd both begin eating silently. Todd is completely distracted thinking about Tea's naked body under her robe. After several minutes Todd can't take it anymore and takes the plate off of Tea's lap and tosses it onto the cart along with his own plate.]

Tea: Um, I actually wasn't finished with that yet.

[Todd presses his body against Tea's and draws her face to his so his lips are against her cheek.]

Todd: I thought maybe you were done with dinner.

Tea (distracted by his breath on her cheek): I am starting to feel full.

Todd: Full can be a good feeling.

Tea: Yes, it can.

[Todd turns Tea's face toward him and kisses her. As they're kissing Todd slowly reclines Tea's body back until she's laying on the sofa. Todd gets up and pulls her feet off the floor and lays her legs out along the sofa. Tea watches as he then turns off all the lights in the room.]

Todd: Close your eyes.

Tea: Why? It's completely dark in here.

Todd: Just close your eyes, Delgado.

Tea (closing her eyes): Okay.

[A few brief, but agonizing, moments later Tea feels Todd's presence near her again. As she feels his body press down on top of her she instinctively places her arms around him and is surprised to feel nothing but flesh. As Todd kisses her she moves her hands down his back and is pleasantly surprised to find he has removed all of his clothing.]

Tea: Todd?

Todd: We don't have to talk this time, Tea.

Tea: I don't want to talk.

Todd: What do you want?

Tea: You.

Todd: I'm right here.

[Tea brings her hands up to the back of Todd's head and pulls his face toward hers. They kiss, embrace, touch and press their bodies together for quite awhile but Todd doesn't make any attempt to move to the next level. Eventually, Tea can't take it any more and releases her hold on him.]

Tea: Todd, you have to get off of me.

Todd: Am I hurting you?

Tea: No.

Todd: Then why? Do you want to stop?

Tea: No.

Todd: Then I don't understand.

Tea: You're not hurting me but you are making me feel things. I need you to either follow through on the feelings you're creating or I need you to get off of me...quickly.

Todd: What do you want?

Tea: I can't tell you.

Todd: You can tell me.

Tea: You'll leave.

Todd: Why would I leave?

Tea: I'll scare you away.

Todd: I won't leave. What do you want?

Tea: I want you inside of me right now.

[Todd gets off of Tea leaving her feeling very unsatisfied. Tea is about to tell Todd that she understands when she feels her robe being undone and pulled to the sides of her body. When Todd's hand begins caressing her stomach Tea moans in pleasure. The more Todd touches her, and the more new places on her body he touches, the more ecstasy Tea feels. All that exists in the universe for Tea is the feeling of Todd's hands on her body.]

Todd: Are you sure?

[Tea, still lost in another realm, doesn't respond.]

Todd: Tea?

Tea: Huh?

Todd: Are you sure?

Tea: About what?

Todd: Forget it.

[A dejected Todd stops touching her and starts to move away from the sofa.]

Tea: Wait. I didn't know what you meant.

Todd: Right. You forgot what we were doing here.

Tea: In a way I did.

Todd: Let's just forget about it.

[Tea takes Todd's hand and puts it back on her body.]

Tea: Todd, I was so caught up in how you were making me feel that I wasn't thinking about anything else, not even that. Now I'm thinking about it and I definitely want it.

Todd: You don't have to say that.

Tea: Todd, have you been paying attention? Do you really think that I want you to stop right now? Do you really think I will let you out of this room without finishing what you started?

Todd: You're not just pretending?

[As Todd touches a particularly sensitive area Tea's body jumps slightly.]

Tea: I'm definitely not pretending.

Todd: You're sure?

Tea: Todd, you talk too much. Shut up and get inside me.

Todd: If that's what you want.

Tea (as Todd gets on top of her and fulfills her deepest desire): Oh, yeah! That's what I want.

THE END

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