Third read-through with Jared

Greg stopped them. "It's better, but it's so maudlin. There needs to be something that lights a spark. Why does Laura accept him?"

Katie thought for a moment. "Has she been harboring feelings for him?"

Greg nodded. "That might work. Give it a try. Go back to 'I came back to Missouri.'"

Jared stood up straight. "You don't know why I came back to Missouri."

Katie looked at Jared, then looked away, shy and coy. "No, but --"

Jared stepped toward her, putting his strong hands on her upper arms. Katie tensed up. Jared continued, "You don't know what I've been through ..."

Greg interrupted. "Don't touch her until about the house being whole."

Jared released his grip. "You don't know what I've been through ... and what could make this house, this whole place ..." He took Katie's hands in his. "what could make this house, this whole place ... complete again."

Katie looked at Jared as if she was seeing a long lost friend, or lover. "Kyle. I haven't seen you since we were teenagers." Her fingers intertwined with his. She pulled him closer to her. "I've grown up so much since then." As she craned her neck back to look up at him, she pressed her chest forward.

"But I've thought about you, Laura."

Katie stopped and dropped character. "I'm dressed wrong for this. If I'm trying to woo him, I need to look better. I'm wearing a sweatshirt, and I should be in something ... something else." She went to her dresser and rooted through a drawer. "Here." She pulled out a thin, white, linen shirt. It had an open neckline with a lace collar and lace trim on the sleeves. "White, for purity."

She pulled the sweatshirt over her head, and was wearing nothing but a red bra underneath. "I know, purity, and here I am taking my shirt off. Whatever, don't look." She pulled on the linen top. The material was so thin that it was easy to see the bright red bra underneath. "Ah, shit. You can see the bra. I don't think I have a better choice right now. Can you pretend it's not there?"

Jared nodded. Greg was kind of in shock. He just watched his former student, a young woman less than half his age, strip off her shirt and casually talk about her bra -- not really normal conversation for this kind of setting. He shook it off, and said, "okay, if you feel better about your clothes now, go back to your line, Katie. 'I haven't seen you.'"