Page 87 of Lucky Night

I loved the shit out of you.

You’re smiling. He holds her ankle lightly, gives it a shake. It must be good.

Well…

But of course she won’t. She’ll never tell him. That secret belongs to her alone.

He hasn’t let go of her ankle. Speak, woman!

Instead she glances at the television. Firemen are hurrying into the building. Is something happening? She sits up and reaches for his phone.

He sighs. You and that fucking phone.

She feels a flash of irritation. Right, I forgot, she says. You want me to be bothered by what bothers you, our chances of getting busted, but not what bothers me, our chances of dying.

Dying? Jesus, Jenny, we’re not dying.

She checks her go-to sites. No updates. She glances at the television. Was it nothing?

Hey, he says.

She’s scrolling through her social media feeds, looking for updates from a guy who’s been posting videos from outside the hotel. Maybe he saw something.

Jenny.

Hmm?

What say we screw?

She looks up from the phone. He’s lounging along the end of the bed, that unmistakable look in his eye. Behind him on the wall, Juliana speaks earnestly into her microphone.

How can you even suggest that?

Why the hell not? he says. You act like there are right and wrong things for us to be doing in this situation. Let’s do what we’re good at. You can have an orgasm, or fake having one, or fake not having one—ladies’ choice, okay?

Her irritation flares. Because he’s being a jerk.

And because she does want to sleep with him again.

Maddening!

Okay, but what if they did? A quickie. To distract, get the jitters out and what?No!

What’s wrong with you?

I’m trying Edvin again, she says.

Because that’s a much better use of your time, he says. Give him my regards.

She dials. It rings.

Once. Twice.

Then the ringing stops. The screen reads:

0:00

0:01

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