Page 368 of The Sinner: James

I gesture at her, sick of whining about it.

“I don’t want to talk about it anymore,” I say.

She takes a long breath, sets her elbows on the table, and rests her chin on her steepled fingers.

“So, what’s the plan for the week?” she asks, her eyes glinting with curiosity.

A soft grin tugs at my lips.

“The plan is… A drum roll, please. We’re flying to Monte Carlo tomorrow.”

Her eyebrows rise in surprise.

“Oh, my… Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

A scream of joy tears into the evening silence as she claps her hands like she used to do when we were teenagers.

She jumps out of her seat, hugs me, and kisses my cheek.

Emotions course through me as I witness her happiness.

“If I knew you’d be so happy, I would’ve told you at the airport.”

“Of course, I’m happy. I never thought I’d spend my vacation over there. Wait till I get back, boast about the trip, and show pictures to my co-workers. Oh, my... Do I have enough clothes for the entire week?”

“Don’t worry. We’ll shop for clothes at some point.”

She ponders.

“They must have a nice selection over there, but I’m not so sure I can afford it.”

“Don’t worry about the money.”

“Easy for you to say,” she says, laughing before I gesture at her.

“No, no… I invited you, so please don’t worry about the money.”

“I don’t, but relying on your cash doesn’t feel right. If I need to, I’ll tap into my escort money.”

She says it with a straight face, and I don’t know what to make of it.

Is she serious?

“Escort money? What are you talking about?”

I grin.

She breathes a laugh.

“Are you still thinking about doing that?” I ask.

“Of course I am. It’s my only option.”

“To have hot sex?”

She nods, smiling, her eyes locked on mine.

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