conversations.from: system
conversations.value: They met less than three weeks before Monica's wedding. She should have been ecstatic, but instead she was at a convention in Charleston when Hurricane Matthew hit. The entire city shut down, with the streets flooded and the power down.
  
  Neither of them really noticed; they spent the entire day and night before the hurricane hit with a stranger in a hotel room. They met on the convention floor, when he came helped her out of a jam with a skeezy guy who wouldn't take no for an answer.
  
  They parted ways when the floodwaters receded and both went back to their real lives, often revisiting those illicit few days to wonder what if.
  
  
  
  --
  
  
  
  This setup and introduction comprises Act I.  
  
  Act II will take place a few years later, when the characters - now both married to other people, possibly with or expecting children - become friends through their social circle and take up together again. 
  
  Act III will explore how a crisis brings things to a head and they must make a final decision - stay together and destroy the lives they've build separately, or part ways for good. 
  
  I am looking to explore the phenomenon where a character does something hurtful and terrible but is still sympathetic and the reader finds themself rooting for them. I hope you are, too. 
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: It's dark and everyone's had a bit to drink. No one will notice what you're up to in the back with the lights down. 
conversations.prefix: Convention Center Auditorium:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Booth after booth of stuff you may or may not need, all decorated with green bunting and manned by aggressively helpful staff.
conversations.prefix: Trade Show:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You wouldn't know this place is there without someone telling you. Between the password needed to get in and the subtle door (and the fact that it doesn't have a sign), it's the best-kept secret in town. Best cocktails, too.
conversations.prefix: The Bee's Knees:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: It's real basic because, let's face it, your boss isn't going to splurge on the likes of you. Not with the amount of travel you do, that's for sure. 
conversations.prefix: Graham's Hotel Room:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Young, beautiful, and hopelessly head over heels in love with Graham, Sara may not entirely understand what an adult relationship entails. 
conversations.prefix: Sara :
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: This guy knows two things: 1. the customer is always right, and 2. he doesn't want to take no for an answer. On anything. 
  
  Yuck. 
conversations.prefix: Skeezy Man:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Eddie is an aggressively nice person. He loves dogs, and hikes through the woods, and fried chicken. He's kind and sweet but not very interesting.
conversations.prefix: Eddie:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: We all judge what other people drink. No exceptions. 
conversations.prefix: Get Drinks:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Twenties slang for "do we kiss now, or later?"
  
  Either way, someone's going to get hurt.
conversations.prefix: Cash or Check?:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Sometimes you just like another person right away. This is one of these times. 
conversations.prefix: Get to Know Each Other:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Yep, that's definitely your clothes. 
conversations.prefix: Take Your Dry-Cleaning:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: There's something very liberating about meeting up with someone new. 
conversations.prefix: Orgasms for All!:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Well that was exciting! You're pretty worn out. Maybe you should get some rest. You're supposed to catch a flight out tomorrow, after all. 
conversations.prefix: Get Some Sleep:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: It doesn't look like much, but it's open and serving food and you're starving. 
conversations.prefix: Diner:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: With coffee to fortify you, maybe this is the right time to talk about what happened last night, and what it might mean.
conversations.prefix: Should We Talk About What Happened?:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The night before was really something, but with coffee to fortify you, maybe now is the time to talk about it and what it means.
  
conversations.prefix: Should We Talk About What Happened?:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: There's an old, disused smoking lounge at the far end of the terminal. Will you use it to say good-bye?
conversations.prefix: Airport Quickie (Optional):
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Your flight may have been delayed, but it's time to go home. How will the events of this weekend effect you?
conversations.prefix: Catch Your Plane:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Who knows if you'll ever see each other again? Now is the time to let go, if you can.
conversations.prefix: Say Goodbye :
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: One of the few sticks-and-bricks book stores left in town, this place holds readings for up-and-coming authors. 
conversations.prefix: Turn the Page Book Store:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: This place is really nice, very well-decorated, if a little sterile. 
conversations.prefix: Sara & Graham's Apartment:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: It's cluttered and homey, though it's also pretty clear from the boxes in the corners that the family who lives here hasn't been here long.
conversations.prefix: Monica's House:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: This novel raises a lot of questions. And when you write about sex, people tend not to be afraid to ask. 
conversations.prefix: Book Reading:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: It's a page-turner. 
conversations.prefix: Monica's Book:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Sara says the male lead in this book reminds her of you and, as you go along, you realize with a jolt just how right she is.
conversations.prefix: Read the Book:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: It's time to go. 
conversations.prefix: Pay the Bill:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Somewhere along the way you lost something important to you. There won't be any residual guilt from that, nah. None at all.
conversations.prefix: Find the Ring (Monica):
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Big rock, lots of metal, and shiny: looks like pretty much every other engagement ring. 
conversations.prefix: Monica's Engagement Ring:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Lucas is Monica's four year-old son. He loves cars, grilled cheese sandwiches, and going new places.  
conversations.prefix: Lucas:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You'll find this in your purse while looking for your wallet. When you get home, what will you do with it?
conversations.prefix: Graham's Business Card:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Maybe it's stupid to call attention to yourself by asking a question, but you're already here and she's probably seen you, so you might as well. 
conversations.prefix: Ask a Question:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Coffee's a good excuse to catch up. After all, it *has* been five years. 
conversations.prefix: Get Coffee :
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Like most coffee shops, this place is bustling even this late in the afternoon. With tremendous luck, you're able to find a quiet corner to enjoy your lattes.
conversations.prefix: Coffee Shop:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Five years is a lot of time to cover. Maybe you should give the abridged version?
conversations.prefix: Catch Up:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You know, the special kind. The one that can only be found in someone's home. 
  
  Oh Jesus Christ, it's a fucking euphemism, okay? Do we really have to spell it out?
conversations.prefix: Get "Coffee":
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Let's face it, you're not going to make it back to Monica's house. The sparks between you are just too strong.
conversations.prefix: Why Don't We Do It in the Road?:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Your goal has always been to be the best at anything (and everything!) that you try. Sometimes things you might want to do get dropped by the wayside in favor of what you feel like you *should* do.
conversations.prefix: Type-A Personality:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Whatever you do, you want to be the best at it. Second place is not an option. 
conversations.prefix: Focused:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Sometimes your single minded-focus and belief that you're always right cause you to drive away the people you care about. 
conversations.prefix: Distant:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: All you've ever wanted is to have a family. Children, a nice home, maybe a dog. Doesn't sound like much, but with your high-strung personality it can be a struggle.  
conversations.prefix: Family:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Your job has you traveling seven months out of each year. Is it any wonder, then, that you went looking for someone else to share that cold, empty king-size hotel bed?
conversations.prefix: Road Warrior:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: A life on the road has murdered many a sense of wonder, but not yours. While your fellows drown their sorrows with overpriced shots at the hotel bar, you are out and about, finding a beautiful view, or a hole-in-the-wall Ethiopian restaurant that makes life worth living.
conversations.prefix: Curious:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Your life is a long series of decisions that you never quite thought through. Getting married may or may not have been one of them.
conversations.prefix: Impulsive:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Some see having an affair as just a physical bond, but some nights, you'd gladly trade away physical release for someone to  talk with until the dawn.
  
  If you can have both, so much the better.
conversations.prefix: Make a Connection:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Just because you live an itinerant lifestyle doesn't mean that the people you meet can just be thrown away once you're done with them. You leave people feeling like they've made a friend, even if they'll never see you again.
conversations.prefix: Peacemaker:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You're over 30, which means you've had thirty years of other people's bullshit. Sometimes you're less than diplomatic about dealing with it.
conversations.prefix: Take No BS:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: It's been a long day and sales is really not your forte. Let's face it, you deal with a lot of other people's bullshit and sometimes you're really bad at hiding it.
conversations.prefix: Terrible Liar:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You just want to know everything about everyone. Is that so bad?
conversations.prefix: Curious:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: 'Be a traveling sales rep,' they said. 
  
  'You love traveling, it'll be perfect,' they said.
  
  Not so much. You're here because it pays the bills, not because you love it. 
  
  
conversations.prefix: Not Career-Focused:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You're engaged to someone else. What  are you, nuts?
conversations.prefix: Engaged:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You didn't know it until it happened, but this moment is what you've been longing for, and now you can't bear to let it go.
conversations.prefix: Nostalgiac for Now:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: It turns out there's more to you than you knew. Surprise?
conversations.prefix: Passionate:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: That night five years ago changed a lot. It finally got things moving between you and Sara, it inspired you to change jobs, and it gave you a night to remember. But how much of that night do you actually remember?
conversations.prefix: Nostalgiac for Then:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You're not sure you can wait.
conversations.prefix: Impulsive:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Five years was four years and three hundred and sixty-four days too long.
  
  You need her. Now.
conversations.prefix: Overcome:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Mmm, looks good!
conversations.prefix: Eat Dinner:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Company's coming...let's make sure there's something yummy to eat. 
conversations.prefix: Finish Cooking:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: These dishes aren't going to wash themselves, and after all that you could stand to have a few minutes alone.
conversations.prefix: Wash Up :
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Well, there's more than one way to resolve some tension.
  
  You know that when you say good night, this won't be the last time you see each other.
conversations.prefix: "Helping" in the "Kitchen":
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You dig us baby, we're The Tops.
conversations.prefix: The Tops Casino & Resort:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: The owner of The Tops, Tony is happy to put you up in the best possible room to encourage you to work with him. 
conversations.prefix: Tony DeLuca:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Go up to your room and get comfortable before the meetings start in a couple hours.
conversations.prefix: Settle In:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: When you want to make sure someone doesn't go somewhere, you use these. 
conversations.prefix: Handcuffs:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Monica's phone is ringing. Oh look, it's Eddie! She should probably answer it. 
conversations.prefix: Answer the Phone:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Hey, look, you get to go sit in a meeting with Tony! And then another one! And...another one! What fun?
conversations.prefix: Meetings with Tony:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Well, if Graham's going to be in meetings the rest of the day, guess you'll have to find something *else* to do with your time. 
conversations.prefix: Amuse Yourself:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Tony won't take no for an answer and he's already made a reservation for you, his date, and Eric in the high-end place upstairs. 
conversations.prefix: Dinner with Tony:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Eric doesn't want to take no for an answer, and since he's the guy Graham will be working with closely, you need to make a good impression.
conversations.prefix: After Dinner Drinks with Eric:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: When in Rome...
conversations.prefix: His Jacuzzi Runneth Over:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: One of many highways that will take you in or out of Las Vegas.
conversations.prefix: Highway:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: The drive is the best part...right?
conversations.prefix: Road Trip:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Graham might not be yours, but that doesn't stop you from wishing he were. 
conversations.prefix: Jealous:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You only met Monica today--right?
conversations.prefix: Too Familiar:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You enjoy making other people's lives a little brighter. It makes you feel good, and usually there's some good conversations that come with it.
conversations.prefix: Helpful:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: It's not recklessness if you don't get caught. Right?
conversations.prefix: Daring:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You enjoy having both Sara and Monica at your side, and you'll keep as many awkward lies going as necessary to perpetuate this arrangement.
conversations.prefix: Keep the Lie Alive:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You have a way with people that puts them at ease and makes them want to like you.
conversations.prefix: Charming:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You do just fine on your own, thanks. 
conversations.prefix: Introvert:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: If you're going to do this, maybe you need some ground rules. 
conversations.prefix: An Agreement:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: May not be the best office in the building, but it came with the promotion you got for landing The Tops account.
conversations.prefix: Graham's Office:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Graham's boss, who expects him in a meeting in less than an hour.
conversations.prefix: Frank:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: There's just too much going wrong in your life right now. It's easier if you avoid it, right?
conversations.prefix: Forget:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: It's time to find out just what exactly is going on in your life. 
conversations.prefix: Answers:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Lay it all out on the table.
conversations.prefix: Tell the Truth:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Despite the bright paint and toys in the room, it's clear this is still a hospital. And that makes it all the more heartbreaking.
conversations.prefix: Children's Ward:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Maybe - probably? - there's no explaining what you've done. But if you're going to save your marriage, you've got to try. 
conversations.prefix: Explain?:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: For him and Monica. 
  
  For him and Sara. 
  
  For Lucas.
  
  For himself.
conversations.prefix: Redemption:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You've made so many bad choices, but maybe you can finally get something right.
conversations.prefix: Save Your Son:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You really do want the best for everyone.  It's part of why you don't understand how you keep making such bad choices. 
conversations.prefix: Caring:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You're just sick of not telling the truth.
conversations.prefix: Tired of Lying:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Whatever else is going on in your life, you worry most about putting your family - in this case, your son - first.  Any sacrifice is worth it. 
conversations.prefix: Family First:
conversations.from: human
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.prefix: Wild:
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You're not sure what the future holds for yourself, but you know that Lucas will be a part of it. 
  
  That's enough.
conversations.prefix: Nostalgiac for the Future: