Heather sits in a cab reading Nightwing’s texts.
Nightwing
Don’t hate me for being tempted to see your true identity.
Nightwing
Shit, just come back. We can play this the way you want to…
Still rattled by the close call with him, she texts Jenna.
Heather
Nightwing almost found out who I am.
Heather
I met up with him at the geek bar and we, uh, got pretty busy.
Heather
Then just as I was riding high on the extreme cosplay coaster…he started to take off my mask.
Jenna
Holy Bold Move, Batman!
Jenna
So you either choked him out with your Poison Ivy vines or ghosted him, right?
Heather
Ghosted. But the thing is…
Heather’s heart flutters as if something inside of her is trying to wake up.
Heather
There’s a little part of me that wishes I would’ve let him remove my mask.
Jenna
There’s a lotta part of me that wishes the same thing!
Jenna
And I’m referring to more than just the mask on your face.
Heather
You’re talking about ALL the so-called masks I wear.
Heather
And I know that you’re right.
Heather
Sometimes I also wish I were brave enough to show someone EVERYTHNG about me.
Jenna
It’s good that a part of you wants to be revealed, Heather.
Jenna
It means you’re finally ready to shed all that emotional armor you wear.
Jenna
I wish you weren’t so vulnerable after seeing what your dad’s death did to your mom.
Jenna
It’s hurt you to see her going from one man to the next…so why do you do it too?
Heather
It’s fine. I’ve learned to live with it.
Jenna
Because I think YOU began hiding yourself away.
Jenna
And that maybe, you were hoping you would never become her.
Jenna
I used to know a Heather who didn’t shy away from intimacy like she does now.
Heather numbly turns all of that over in her mind.
Heather
Look, I know that my costumes are security blankets…
Heather
But I can’t give up those masks just yet, Jen.
Still, Heather keeps mulling over Jenna’s advice until she arrives at her apartment.
Then Nightwing sends another text.
Nightwing
I should’ve unmasked MYSELF before I tried to do it to you, Cap.
Heather
I don’t want either of us unmasked.
Her abrupt dismissal weighs her down as she heads toward the bathroom.
Unknown
Hey, Heather — it’s Connor from dinner at your mom’s.
Heather
Is everything okay? Did something happen to my mom or your dad?
Connor
No. Your mom gave my brothers and me your info. I’m just saying hi.
Now that she knows everything is okay, Heather feels the blood twist in her veins.
Hot Connor is texting her.
Wait. Make that SLUT Connor.
Heather
Sorry, I should’ve known. She’s done the phone maneuver before.
Heather
She’s trying to bring us all together since she’s sooo serious about your dad.
Heather
So this is what you do in your free time?
Heather
Do you always pester the daughters of your dad’s girlfriends when you’re bored?
Connor
Told you — your mom is his first squeeze since he got back on the scene.
Connor
He hasn’t given me the opportunity to hassle other daughters.
Heather
Whatever. At least you’re not asking me out for a drink again.
Connor
Hell, I’ve never known a woman who gets so excited about something simple like a drink.
Heather
Excited? I think you’re mistaking me for my mom.
In the bathroom, she starts to remove her sexy costume, beginning with her mask.
Heather
So did you prepare your dad yet for getting his heart broken?
Connor
After the other night, I’m starting to reconsider.
Connor
I think he’s having fun with your mom.
Heather
Just so long as it’s fun and nothing more.
Connor
She’s lively and colorful, and he needs that right now.
Heather
I only wish Mom would settle down and…
Heather
Never mind. I’m talking too much.
Heather looks at her unmasked self in the mirror, seeing the plain girl underneath.
She remembers what Jenna said about taking off more than just her costume mask, and…
It’s odd. Because that’s kind of what she’s doing with Connor right now.
Then again, he’s so out of her league that she can say just about anything to him anyway.
Heather
You know, you might be a slut, but I’ve never met anyone who can listen like you do.
Connor
But I guess I practice it a lot. It’s part of my job as a firefighter…
Connor
I put people at ease on their worst days.
Connor
…does this mean I can persuade you to finish what you started saying?
Heather
My mom wasn’t like this before my dad had his heart attack.
Heather
I’m pretty sure her changed personality has a lot to do with masking the pain.
Heather thinks about what Jenna said about HER being a different person years ago too…
Heather
Do you think your dad tries to hide his hurt too?
Connor
Sure. But he does it with his job. He’s the most heroic fireman at his station.
Connor
I hear he’s the first to run into a burning building and the last to come out.
Heather
He sounds like he’s amazing at his job.
Connor
Or that he has a death wish.
Connor
And sometimes…even I wonder if it’s true.
Connor
That’s why I hope he finds some light in his life…
Connor
And if your mom gives that to him, I say live and let live.
Heather
Since you put it that way…
Heather
Maybe I should do that for her too.
Connor
Everyone should just go with the flow if it feels right.
Just like she’d been going with the flow with Nightwing before things went crazy?
Heather
My best friend is actually trying to give ME that very advice.
While Heather takes off her makeup, she wonders once again why she’s saying this much.
It’s just that it’s SO easy to talk to Connor.
He almost feels like her ally.
Heather
I guess I needed my friend’s advice because I’m a little messed up right now.
Heather
See, I met this guy at a costume party…
Connor
Really?? What’s he like?
Heather
I don’t know much about him. First of all, he was wearing a mask.
Connor
Okay. And what did you think of him?
Connor
I mean, costumes reveal a hell of a lot about a person.
Heather
Well, he was wearing an EXCELLENT costume.
Heather
Jeez, do you have the popcorn out for this or something? You sound wildly entertained.
Connor
I’m just curious what it was about him that messed you up.
Heather
Whatever. I’m shutting up now.
Connor
Wait! See, this is why your mom gave me your number — in case of emergencies.
Connor
You clearly need more urgent advice, so what do you say we work this out over a beer?
A blast of desire rolls through her with such force that she sucks in a breath.
Is he hitting on her again? HER?
She looks in the mirror and can’t understand why the hell he’d do that.
Heather
I actually don’t need help in working this out.
Heather
I already know that I only want the man in the mask for fun, not anything real.
A minute passes. Then two.
He doesn’t answer, but Heather’s phone dings with another message.
Mom
Can you come over for dinner tomorrow night with Tom and the boys?
Great, a front row seat to yet another relationship that’s sure to fizzle for Mom.
Then again, Connor will be at that dinner…
Heather scrubs off her makeup.
It’s almost as if she can get him AND Nightwing out from under her skin.
