Same as earlier, with a few lamps turned on. The TV still noisy, this time with a World War II picture.
RICH and SHARI together on the couch. He is pulling her close, kissing her, but SHARI keeps moving away slightly.
RICH
—fucking tense, huh?
SHARI
Yeah. Can’t help it.
RICH
I know.
SHARI
Fuck, this is . . . I dunno. I just—
RICH
What?
SHARI
Kinda see myself as shit, you know?
RICH
Right.
SHARI
I mean, lying to her, ’bout us, all this time.
RICH
Hey, you don’t like it, then stop.
SHARI
No, I just—
RICH
’S pretty fucking simple. Not, like, no great moral dilemma.
SHARI
No—
RICH
Don’t care for it . . . don’t fucking do it.
He is close to her now, breathing on her cheek. She turns slowly and kisses him again.
SHARI
It’s my mom, that’s all.
RICH
Step. Step-mother—
SHARI
Still. Like some lump ’a shit, doing this to her.
RICH
Sure. (kissing her) Don’t feel that bad, though. Does it?
SHARI
—no. Not so bad, I guess—
She continue to kiss, sliding her hand down into his pants.
RICH
—fucking nice, huh?
SHARI
Yeah.
RICH
Whatever you wanna call it—“wrong,” some kind ’a betrayal, fine—it’s still nice, ain’t it?
SHARI
It’s very nice.
A car goes past and SHARI looks up, nervous. She pulls her hand back out of RICH’s jeans.
RICH
Easy, ’s alright. Said she was gonna run down the 7-11, see if she can spot Darrell. That’s, like, miles away—
SHARI
Sure?
RICH
Uh-huh.
SHARI
’Kay. (BEAT) And you think, I mean, he’s got the baby, right? I’m sure he does, but—
RICH
Absolutely. No question . . . it’s fine. (BEAT) Don’t even know who the dad is, right, so don’t worry so much—
For emphasis, RICH shoots a hand up under her blouse. She doesn’t fight it.
SHARI
Yeah. You wanna take a blood test?
RICH
That’s not so funny—
SHARI
—kinda.
RICH
Uh-huh. (kisses her) Know what I’d like? Tell you the truth, like more than any one thing? Say to your step-mom, “Go to Hell!” and move my shit outta here, take up with you . . . Huh? Be great! Two incomes, I mean, your welfare and my job, got a kid already—
SHARI
Could have more—
RICH
We could. We could do that. Do whatever the fuck it is we felt. Build a deck, the back ’a your duplex if we wanted, pack up and take the baby to Oregon, a fucking vacation, we had the mind to do it. (BEAT) That’s what I’d like to do . . . just be with you.
Long silence as they kiss again, RICH pawing at her as they go.
SHARI
Be so great . . . to be together. You know, like you said, but to do something really different, too. I mean, some kinda thing that nobody’d expect outta us. You and me. (BEAT) Maybe add a deck, or a patio, a kinda addition you was taking about, only paint the house at the same time. But . . . right down the middle, where the two front doors are. And use some color that’d drive the whole neighborhood crazy! Maroon, maybe, or a real splashy kind, like a magenta. Sorta shade you’d never use on a house . . . but we would.
She continues to kiss him as she speaks.
Landlord’d get a bunch ’a complaints, just people driving by, screaming their heads off. City council in an uproar, all kinds ’a court actions against us . . . and we’d stay holed up inside, drapes all pulled shut, baby can’t even go to school when he grows up ’cause kids’d attack ’em on the playground! And you and me can’t get to the car to go to work, or the store, nothing. We all gotta just stay inside. Food running out. Utilities all been shut off. And so . . . we just make love all the time. Day and night. ’Cause that’s all we got left. (BEAT) That’s what I want, Rich—
She finishes speaking and they kiss again fully. After a moment they break and RICH sits up, lighting a cigarette.
RICH
Me too, honey . . . I could handle that.
SHARI
Yeah?
RICH
You bet. (BEAT) But hey, who gives two shits what we want, right?
A car door slams. RICH gets up and crosses to a counter, finding an ashtray. SHARI runs a hand through her hair.
CAMMIE enters, a bag of groceries in her arm. She comes in and moves to the kitchen to unload.
SHARI
—fucking late, huh?
RICH
Yeah.
CAMMIE
Just wish it wasn’t so late. Wouldn’t worry so much.
RICH
’S okay. (BEAT) So, nothing?
SHARI
Nope.
SHARI
You didn’t see ’em anywhere, Cammie? Darrell, I mean?
CAMMIE
Uh-uh. Drove past most the places I know he and Tim hang out, but—
RICH
Huh. ’S got a job, that Tim does—
CAMMIE
I checked. They ain’t seen ’em.
SHARI
Oh—
RICH
Come on, there’s an explanation for all this! I know there is—
CAMMIE
I did not lose no newborn—
SHARI
’Course not.
RICH
No way.
CAMMIE
Don’t need to worry until you got a reason. Let’s just wait’ll Darrell gets home, ’kay?
SHARI
—sure.
CAMMIE
He comes in and there’s nothing, then maybe we gotta call the cops. Or I dunno.
SHARI
Yeah, he probably knows what’s going on. I’m sure—
RICH
Kid’s gonna show up. No problem. (BEAT) I bet Darrell took ’em out in the Impala, get some smokes or that kinda setup. A fucking Slurpee—
SHARI nods her head in silence.
CAMMIE
’S it, I promise you anything—
SHARI
I’m sure that’s right. Yeah. Something just like that.
CAMMIE is standing in the kitchen archway and RICH gives her a little peck on the cheek. She smiles and moves off.
CAMMIE
Good. Gonna make some coffee, then—
RICH moves back to the couch, ashtray in hand. SHARI leans over and steals a puff, RICH keeping a lookout. She tries to go for more now, a kiss, but RICH stops her cold.
RICH
Maybe you should give your mom a little help . . . she’s pretty tired.
SHARI stares at RICH, then stands and starts off. He smacks! her hard across the backside as she passes. RICH just smiles at her, then turns away to finish his smoke.