"No," pleaded Paul. "I would never ..." Who was "I" now, thought Paul. Me, the real me, or this other ... guy I've become? Neither of us would haven't cheated on you. But you and I were never together ... not like that ... yet we ... Part of him shuddered at his memories of ... dates with Nadine ... and Tina. "Like you said, she's my ... ex ... now."
Those words failed to extinguish the rage that was increasingly evident in Nadine's eyes. "'Now'?! You mean like this very second?!"
Paul shook his head. "No! I mean since she and I ... broke up." Faint visions of an argument flashed inside his head. He reached out and embraced Nadine. "I swear ..." God, this ... she ... feels so good, thought Paul. I've taken His name in vain! "What the hell is wrong with me? Hell? Did I just say ..."
"Yeah," snarled Nadine as she broke free from his grip. "Go to hell! Go be with Tina Cheng if she's who you really want! You always had a thing for Asian girls! I should have known!"
"Tina ... Cheng?"
"You can't even remember her name now?"
"I do remember her name! It's Shepard!"
"It was Shepard. Just like mine used to be Ferguson."
This can't be happening, thought Paul. But when I think of Tina, I think of .... a Chinese Goth girl. "W-what's your last name ... now, babe?" That last word flowed so easily from his lips. He couldn't deny it. Nadine was hot, especially when she was mad.
"Don't you dare call me that!" Nadine turned away in disgust. She spat out her new surname. "I'm a ..."
