Page 95 of Carnal Urges
“Aye.”
“It must’ve been pretty extensive.”
“Aye.”
I study his face. In the shadows, he looks very serious, his expression intent. Hesitant, unsure if he’ll tell me the truth, I say, “Was it through a detective agency, something like that?”
“No. Through the NSA.”
“What’s that?”
“The National Security Agency.”
When I only lie there looking at him with a frown, he elaborates.
“It’s the intelligence agency of the U.S. Department of State.”
“Wait. You mean the people who spy on us? Who record our phone calls and emails and stuff for the government?”
“Aye, though I’m sure they’d tell you they don’t do that.”
“I read an article about them not long ago. They’re like Big Brother!”
“No, lass, they’re much worse. They make Big Brother look like Ronald McDonald.”
“Oh my god. And they have information about me?”
“They have information about everyone. No, don’t try to sit up. Stay right there.”
“You want me to remain flat after I found out the government has been spying on me?”
“You’re not special. They spy on everybody.”
I stare at him, horrified. “So you know someone who works there who gave you all this information?”
“Aye. I know your credit card balances, your medical history, your educational background, your driving record, that you have no criminal record but you did once talk yourself out of a DUI, everywhere you’ve lived and traveled your entire life, what you buy from Instagram ads, how much money you have in your bank accounts, and, basically, everything else.”
He pauses for a beat. “Including that you had a negative STD test on your visit to your gynecologist last month.”
I clap a hand over my eyes. “Wow, this honesty-and-trust thing is fucking awful.”
“We haven’t even really gotten started yet.”
“I feel sick.”
“I did warn you.”
“You should probably stop talking now.”
He takes my wrist and pins my arm next to my side. “Let’s get back to your worries.”
“Let’s not and say we did.”
Blowing right past that, he says, “I’ll give you money if you need it.”
I turn my head on the pillow and look at him. “Excuse me?”
“You heard what I said.”
