Page 48 of Trig

“Are you staying long?” I ask, not making eye contact.

“Do you want me to stay long?”

“Do you want me to want you to stay long?” I inquire, afraid she’ll run again.

“Jesus Christ, Trigger. This is dumb. Do you want me to stay here for a bit or not?”

I take a swig of my beer and slowly turn to face her. I nod.

“It won’t cut into your honeymoon time?” she inquires.

“Paradise is here. We’re not going anywhere. Pretty sure I could calendar you in,” I joke.

“Okay. I’ll stay a bit. Just a little. Take in the sites and shit.”

“Does Todd know you cuss, or is that forbidden?” I mock.

She turns in her seat, clearly irritated.

“You’re not going to let up, are you? Fine. One secret. No questions. No judgment. We don’t tell a soul. Agreed?”

“Agreed. Ladies first.” I smile.

“I’m having an affair with…Todd's older cousin. The kids…are his. Todd has no clue.”

I stare at her, not in shock, but in boredom. I fake yawn.

“I’m about to tell you my shit and you open up with that weak secret. Even I knew the kids weren’t his. Come on, Torrie. There is definitely more.”

“Fine! I contractually married Todd for the cousin. Todd is…bi-sexual and needed to marry a woman and have kids for his inheritance to kick in. Insert me…except his swimmers were struggling. The cousin offered his assistance behind his back and I fell for him in the process.”

“Holy shit! Okay. What does this cousin do?”

“We agreed, no questions.”

“Criminal. Got it,” I say.

She frowns and then taps the bar twice as if to say ‘your turn’. I look around to see if anyone is close enough to listen.

“What I’m about to tell you is sensitive information, Tor. You can’t freak out. You can’t tell a soul. Those rules you made have to be cement. Can I trust you?”

She nods. “I’ll take it to my grave. You have my word.”

“Short story. My name change. I’m on the run from the police in the states. When Hunter died, his people forced me to take over his job. I became a hitman…not by choice but by force…and shit went south. Consider me retired.”

She falls back into her chair and finishes off her beer in one long swig. I sit there waiting for a response. She slams down the bottle on the bar.

“Wooooah….…um…wow. That’s a mind fuck. You kill people. Okay.”

“Used to, as in past tense. Tor, you can’t freak out,” I remind her.

She puts her hands up, almost to guard herself.

“I’m not. I’m just processing it. I mean, I figured you were somewhere in the industry, but not at that level. Hunter was doing some interesting shit, so I’m not super shocked, but yet I am. I used to ask around to keep tabs on you and I’d hear things. Jesus, Trig. That’s fucking sad. My heart hurts for you. I’m speechless.” She pauses. “Does, uh, Angelina know?”

“We agreed, no questions,” I mock.

“Boy, am I regretting that stipulation now.”

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