Chapter 17

Laurence, Bernice, and susanne find the perfect opportunity to approach Tiffany. They clear their throats once they're close enough and Tiffany turns around only to have wine spilled on Susanne.
Bernice acts as though they just notice that it was Tiffany who spilled the wine and accuse her of spilling it on purpose because they had the same dress on. Howard and Nanxi came over and so does lindsay. He notices the spilled wine and Bernice puts the blame on Tiffany. Lindsay demands she apologizes to susanne and Tiffany stands up for herself saying that susanne was the one who ran into her and spilled it on herself, therefore she's the one who deserves the apology.
Lindsay, susanne, and Bernice aren't having it and lindsay demands to know who let an ordinary person into the party. Howard has begun to almost have enough and tells lindsay to watch it. He tells Howard not to stick his nose into their affairs and Tiffany tries to stand up for him but only get shut down by lindsay.
He calls a guard over to asks to see Tiffany's invitation, but she didn't bring it, or have one. She was looking at one earlier but maybe that was Jeff's that he was letting her look at Anyway, Howard doesn't look too happy with the situation the way it is as he watches lindsay continue to talk bad about Tiffany.
Jeff, once again, tries to ease the situation by saying that they're all his good friends but lindsay bites back that they're not his. Howard, having enough, tells lindsay that if this is how he treats his company, then they're not going to be staying. He gives an apology to Jeff, and grabs Tiffany by the hand, and leaves. As they walk down the road that night, Tiffany asks if he believes that she didn't spill the wine on her and Howard tells her that he does. Tiffany doesn't believe him at first but he says that he doesn't have to think about it, he automatically believes her.
Then, another romantic moment begins to happen for them as there's something in Tiffany's eye. Howard holds her face to help her get it out, which he does successfully, but Tiffany then suddenly remembers that she left Laurence at the party. She asks to use Howard's phone and calls her making sure she's okay. Howard wonders what she plans on doing now, if she's going back to her dorm. She figures she is since she has nothing else to do but Howard has another plan and tells her to follow him.
He takes her to the gym to play basketball. Tiffany tells him he's so bad but Howard is confident of his abilities and brings up the last time he played with Jeff, which was when he was drunk. Tiffany doesn't believe him and thus begins their basketball activity. They step out on the court in full gear where he instructs her that since women's arms tend to be shorter than men's, some have to throw a little harder. She tries that tactic but ends up hitting him right in the face with the ball. She wonders why he told her to throw it so hard but he said that that was for normal girls and asks if a brute like her could restrain herself.
He goes and gets the ball and tries to explain how to score a three-pointer. He attempts to shoot it the normal way but ends up missing terribly. Slightly embarrassed he goes to fetch the basketball once again and goes to the half court. This time he shows her his strange way of throwing, his non-traditional way, and gets it in. Tiffany is totally impressed and wonders why he's so obsessed with his image and says that he'll show everyone his true beauty when he lets himself go. She pushes him over to give the shot a try herself and she manages to get it in, with her own unique way. The two are in high spirits and he compares her to the best basket ball players.
They continue their goofing off and just begin to have a good time, getting in shot after shot. Howard even helps Tiffany score a couple of times and the two are clearly enjoying themselves a lot.
After a while they end up relaxing on the court. Tiffany asks if Howard is tired, to which he says no, but then asks if he's tired. He wants to know what she means by that and she explains that it's clear that he knows how to play basketball but he doesn't do it well. She says that it must be hard for him to disguise himself when he's a star. He tells her that he didn't choose it because he doesn't want sympathy. He'd rather have her hate him than have pity on him. She tells him that they hated each other since they first met and he affirms that they still do. But she suggests that they talk about what they don't like about each other, a suggestion Howard agrees with. They begin to list the qualities that they find annoying about each other, or maybe they're also the qualities that they like about each other.
After a while, Howard wants to know if he can say what he likes about Tiffany, which is that she doesn't have any secrets. He says that people like him are bound by contracts and hounded by the paparazzi and that even if they want to let go of the past, it'll always be brought up. He then says that he envies her but she wants to know how he thinks she doesn't have any secrets. He says that she'd spill them to the CIA if she had any.
Tiffany wonders if that means that he's saying he likes her but he tells her not to think too much about it explaining that he meant it as something he admires about her. They begin their bickering back up but it's on good terms.
The silence between them doesn't last for long as Tiffany hears a strange noise. Howard thinks it might be a mouse, which causes Tiffany to jump on his back for him to protect her. Finding her reaction funny, he suggests they go find the mouse but in the end, they find a kitten. She is smitten and says she loves cats the most. Howard is curious as to why Tiffany asks if he has the ability to think logically. She hates mice and cats catch mice, therefore she likes cats. In the end, she decides to take the cat home and he suggests they name it.
She decides on the name Kitty lulu, and Howard wants to know why the kitten has the such a name and not kittt pinky since his is more superior. She laughs at that saying that they're the parents, she's the father, he's the mother, so of course it'd have the name she decide. Howard agrees with the statement at first but after a moment demands to know why she's the father. Tiffany attributes it to being domineering. He doesn't fight her on it.
They continue to spend more time together that night with the kitten lying on the floor of the gym. Howard, just admit it, you're in love with this girl.
For Tiffany, though, it's not something that she puts out there. Sure, she may have a crush on Howard, she realized that quite a while ago, but she hasn't actually done anything. She's still herself, well the transformed Tiffany, but has managed to stay true to who she is.
it was Tiffany admitting to herself that she finds dressing up in her actual appearance more tiring than being Jessica. but her transformation allows her to be freer. The faces she gives Howard in her Jessica form.
The original Tiffany, seems to be a lot more reserved and only wears one color, white. The newly transformed Tiffany, known as (jessica) however, wears a lot of bright colors and has an outgoing personality. becoming the newly transformed Tiffany has allowed her to break out of the confines that her grandfather had for her, the strictness and having to do everything sort of by the book.
Jeff knows about Tiffany's transformation but isn't saying anything, probably out of his friendship with Howard . He recognizes what Howard and Tiffany have going between them and probably doesn't want to ruin it. He's smart enough to know that there are probably some reasons behind her hiding her true self and maybe wants to let her come out with those on her own instead of just forcibly outing her. But if there problem, is that susanne and Bernice together are going to be quite the problem. Everyone seems to be on friendly terms and it seems like Bernice looks up to susanne and that Bernice distaste in people also reflects susanne's distaste in people. If the two gang up on Tiffany, she's going to have one heck of a time.
Therefore it's good that Tiffany is able to have friends like Jeff, Laurence, and Howard. Bernice did seem a little shocked when Howard took Tiffany by the hand and left the party with her. She probably didn't expect that something like that would happen, how could she?
Howard and Tiffany, All they need is just to acknowledge their feelings, but it seems like they are not doing so. In time they will probably do that.