Page 227 of The Re-Proposal

I stick my tongue out in disgust. There’s duct tape on my tongue and it tastes ghastly.

“I love black women,” Slotter adds.

Makes sense. That’s why he has me tied up in a chair, threatening my life. Because he just loves and respects black women so much.

“It’s not that you’re ugly. You’re not. But the kind of woman that a man would launch a war for? I don’t see it. You just seem,” he sniffs like he smells something bad, “low class.”

I stiffen. He managed to shove his finger into a very particular wound. One I thought a degenerate punk like Slotter couldn’t recognize.

Guess I was wrong.

“Do you see what I’m saying?” He glances back at Winifred. “A man like Bolton can have any girl he wants, so why her? I just don’t get it.”

Winifred shrugs.

My nostrils flare. “Sorry to disappoint, but you’re doing this for nothing. Cody and I broke up.”

Winifred looks shocked. “You broke up?”

“Didn’t you see that video? He told the world I was just a colleague. He’s ashamed of me.” I glance at Slotter. “And maybe he’s right to be. Iamlow class. I was homeless growing up. I could only go to school because of a scholarship. I never fit in with the other girls there. Guys never used to look at me. I’m nothing like Cody.”

“I heard he got his first break in college,” Winifred says, coming closer to me. “Bolton was a lucky bastard since he was young.”

“He was. He lived a charmed life. He doesn’t have a bruise on him. He could never understand me or anyone like me.”

“But you still got together,” Slotter pointed out.

It’s like they’re interviewing me for a relationship podcast. They’re so invested.

“I heard he’s been spending lavishly on you. Built someone a house just to make you smile.”

“It was for the charity.”

Both men groan.

“Come on, girl.” Slotter laughs. “You know that’s not true.”

“Cody’s not coming for me,” I insist.

In my heart, I don’t believe that. Cody will do anything to find me. The moment he hears I’m missing, he’s going to use every resource at his disposal to get me back, but I don’t want him to. I don’t want him to get hurt or lose anything because of me.

“That’s where you’re wrong.” Slotter grins.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“A man doesn’t hire a personal bodyguard for the woman he hates. Sorry, sweetheart. You can’t fool us.” Slotter reaches out as if he’ll touch my cheek again. I wind my shoulders back, ready to bite. He sees me tense my muscles and pulls his hands away. “I don’t buy it.”

I keep trying to mislead them. “You don’t have to believe me. There’s a whole video on the internet. Go watch it.”

“I have watched it. And I’m willing to bet that song and dance was because he loves you so much, he didn’t want something like this,” he gestures between them, “to happen. Not that it helped. As you can see.”

He’s right and that’s my fault. Cody’s insistence on a full security detail seems much wiser in my current predicament.

Slotter leans in, grinning. “Do you regret it now? Breaking up with him?”

“No.”

“Why?”

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