Page 52 of Nine

“Do you remember that day at the cabin when you came out of the bathroom? You had this really tight outfit on, and your face was covered in makeup.”

“Yeah.”

“Your confidence beamed through that room.”

“That’s because I knew who that girl was.”

“And who was she?”

I lift up my sunglasses and stare at him.

“Just your local whore.”

“Don’t say that. You just need to pull that confidence out, and use it to start a new profession here.”

“Look, Trig. I don’t know what my role is. Who is Angelina Krackle? Do I play the wife, girlfriend, or friend role here? Because I don’t know how to do any of that, let alone try to choose an occupation outside of what I’ve been doing since I was eighteen years old. It’s hard for me to function without a plan set in stone.”

“So, what? You want to sit down and make up who we are over here. Life isn’t like that.”

“It is for me.”

“Fine. Then what do you want to do here. Choose any career within means.”

“I told you I don’t know.”

“You’re telling me you want to plan your life here, but yet you have no clue on what you want.”

“I didn’t say that. I know what I want to do. It’s something I’m familiar with.”

He looks at me confused and then it finally hits him.

“Please don’t tell me you want to start escorting again.”

I turn away from him.

“I can’t sit here in this hotel like I’m on a vacation. I just lost everything back in Vegas, and it feels like you want me to press the restart button and pretend as if nothing happened. You want me to forget that Jenny died and that everything I worked so hard for with her is gone.”

“What the fuck did you have in Vegas that was so damn important?” Trigs eyes are almost bulging out he’s so mad.

“I had her,” I yell, and look at him.

“I’m sorry she is dead. I really am, but I can’t do anything about that. You, on the other hand, you looked me dead in my eye that first night we were here and said you weren’t going to be with any other men while you were here with me.”

“What do you even care what I do? All we do is fuck and fight anyway.”

I give my back to him. Trig walks closer and spins me around.

“Fucking, fighting, watching paint dry. It’s all the same. I’m next to you.”

I stare at him quietly. My expression is indifferent, but only because I’m forcing it. I can see Trig growing frustrated with the look on my face. I throw in an eye roll to really bring it home.

“Fine.” Trig walks over to the black duffel bags. “Obviously I’m doing something wrong, so let me approach you in a new way, maybe something that you’re more familiar with.”

He picks up one bag and brings it over to the bed. He dumps the bag of cash on top of the comforter. He then proceeds to grab each bag, one by one, and does the same, until all four bags are emptied and the bed is covered with money.

“How much does it cost to keep you here? How much do I have to pay to keep fucking you?”

Trig starts picking up money and tossing it at me.

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