Page 47 of Nine

Trig laughs again. “Stop. We’re in beautiful Fiji, and I’m sitting in a taxi with a beautiful woman on the way to a beautiful hotel. Can we just enjoy this for a while?”

Of course, I can’t count on a hitman to have sympathy. I’m still grieving and he’s acting like nothing happened. I stay quiet until we pull up at the hotel. It’s actual quite breathtaking. We go inside in hopes of reserving a room.

“I’d like a room, please,” Trig says to the hotel clerk.

“One bed or two?”

“One,” Trig says

“Two,” I correct him.

The woman looks back and forth at us.

“One,” Trig repeats, and smiles at the woman.

He looks back at me. I squint my eyes at him. The clerk reads off some prices and then she asks him for a credit card.

“I lost my card, but I have cash and I’d like to pre-pay for the room for a month, maybe more.” The girl hesitates. “There is a hundred dollar tip in it for you if you book this room, right now.”

“I’ll need you to fill this out and I’ll need to see your I.D.”

“Deal,” Trig winks at her.

The girl smiles as she waits. He slides her the paperwork, and then she starts typing into the computer. She pulls out two cards and gives them to, Trig. Trig then takes a chunk of money out, counts it, and slides it to her.

“Your room is on the bottom floor, straight down the hall on your right.”

We walk through the center of the hotel and pass the elevators. I see our room number. Trig opens the door and we both step in.

“Damn this is nice,” he says.

I stroll around, examining the room and opening closets. I then walk over to the window, which faces the pool. I can see the ocean not too far off in the distance. It’s beautiful. I look around at the courtyard to spot several groups of happy people standing around, drinks in hand, and I can’t stand it. I’m depressed, and as bad as it is, I want them to share in my misery. No one knows the pain in my heart except Trig.

“I’m going to take a shower and doctor up this wound. Make yourself comfortable.”

“Oh, you’re not worried that I might sneak off when you’re occupied in the bathroom.”

“I don’t want you to go, but I don’t want to keep you against your will either. We’re safe here. You can make the choice to stay with me or to walk away. I’ll leave you to make that decision.”

He walks toward the bathroom. I hear him turn on the water and then he closes the door. I slip out of my heels and sit down on the edge of the bed. I could just grab a bag of money and dip out, but where would I go? Do I even want to leave? If I left right now, I’d leave him, and that would mean that he’s risked it all for nothing. I fall back against the bed.

That day at the cabin flashes through my head. I remember his lips on my skin and his eyes staring through me. I remember yelling out ‘I love you’ to him, and the way his hand sat over my heart. Trig is my oxygen. He gives me air when I feel like I’m drowning. I suddenly sit up and exhale.

It hits me that we don’t have any clothes to change into. I spring up from the bed and walk over to the bathroom door. I knock.

“Do you need some new clothes?”

“What?” he yells.

“Do you need some new clothes?” I yell louder.

“I can’t hear you,” he shouts.

“I’m coming in,” I say.

The bathroom is semi-foggy, and Trig is standing inside a glass shower. I turn around.

“Do you need new clothes? I could try to find a store around here,” I shout.

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