Page 77 of Pierced

“What?” I go to her. “Hey, no, no, what’s wrong? Hey don’t do that.”

“This is just… this whole year has not gone the way I expected.”

“No?” I ask, pushing a tendril of hair aside. “Why? What did you expect?”

“I don’t know. My resolution had been to just be… normal. Y’know? Like, more active in the community. Just teach a class at the community center, or… oh, shit.”

“What?”

“That woman Pearl is still expecting me to teach a Subs for Hubs class.” She groans. “Nooooooo. Jesus. I forgot about that. Christ. OK. That’s it. I have to move.”

“Move? Whoa. Slow down. What are you talking about? Move where?”

“I dunno. Away.”

“Why?”

“I think I need another reset.”

My palms start sweating very unexpectedly.

“No, no, no. Hey, look at me. Look at me.” I take her by the shoulders. She looks back and forth at my hands.

“Why do you keep doing that? I can look and listen without being handled.”

“Hey,” I say. “Don’t get weird.”

“Don’t get weird? Oh, OK. Yeah, I won’t get weird.”

“Stop it. Just… we’re going to Vail this weekend, and—”

“What? You still wanna go to Vail?”

“Of course. We had a deal. Why wouldn’t I wanna go?”

“Um, well, the deal has pretty much fallen apart, don’t you think?”

She gestures at her naked body and I try not to think about it too much because I have a point to make.

“Whatever. Vail was still part of the deal. And beyond that… I just want to take you to Vail. So, let me take you to Vail. OK? Can we go to Vail tomorrow? Vail?”

“Stop saying Vail.”

“Will you come with me?”

She takes a long moment, sighs, but finally… nods her head.

“OK. Great. Cool,” I say.

“What about tonight?” she asks.

“What about it?”

“Your reward. You don’t still want your reward?”

I look at her. Smile. Breathe out. Stroke her cheek and tell her, “I got it.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE - MYRTLE