Page 169 of Tell Me What You Want

“Yes,” I whisper, “I like it.”

He sits by my side and gently touches my knee.

“I can assure you I like it a lot too and that I hope to offer you to others.”

“Others?”

“Yes ... others. I have many games I’m sure you’ll want to play.”

I’m getting so hot!

Eric pours me another glass of champagne and brings me out of my dreamlike state.

“Would you like to play with a woman again?”

Surprised, I shrug. “No.”

“You’re sure?” he asks.

His insistence bothers me. When I’m about to say something, he suddenly grabs my arm and stares at me.

“Why didn’t you tell me you and Marisa already knew each other?”

That really throws me off.

“What did you say?”

“I want to know how often you usually see Marisa.”

“I don’t usually see her.”

His gaze is clouded by fury.

“I’m not going to lie to you. She goes to my gym, and we’ve run into each other there a couple of times. Nothing more.”

I’m about to tell him what I’ve been carrying around for a while, when Eric explodes.

“Goddamn it, Judith! I can’t stand lies. Why didn’t you tell me you already knew her when she came to the hotel the other day?”

“I ... I don’t know ... I ...”

Losing control now, Eric distances himself from me.

“It would be better if you left, Judith. I’m terribly angry, and I don’t want to talk.”

“But I want to talk because I don’t want to leave things halfway, which is what always happens when you get angry.”

“Jude ...,” he snarls.

“Eric, we have to talk! It doesn’t work if we leave things like this. Don’t you see that?”

He grabs his head. This makes me realize he’s not well. He opens his toiletry bag and takes another couple of pills. This upsets me. I don’t like to see him suffer. He exits the bedroom and leaves me alone. I sit on the bed, put on my shoes, and without a word, I get ready to leave. I see him out on the terrace, looking out at the horizon. I go to him.

“Does your head hurt?”

“Yes.”

“Do you really want me to go?”

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