Page 35 of Dark Room Junkie

“Where do you get your coke from?” I asked Philippe.

“Want some? I’ve got plenty.”

“Here?” I asked, surprised.

“You think I came here without enough? Livio and you are unstoppable once you get going.”

“I heard that!” Livio called from the bathroom.

We burst into laughter.

“Do you have any left for me?”

The words came out of my mouth spontaneously. I had never let myself go there before, but considering the week ahead, I doubted I could make it through until Tuesday evening without a little help.

Philippe pulled a Mini Grip from his jacket pocket and tossed it to me over the coffee table. “A gram should do, right?”

I looked at the packet in my hand. “You can just hand that out so easily?”

“Of course. Always for you.”

“And what’s the cost?”

“Transfer me a hundred, and we’re even.”

“What? That’s it?”

“Thought it’d be more expensive? This stuff is mass-produced now.”

“And what do you mean by even?”

A playful grin spread across Philippe’s face. “You fucked me so good, I’m giving you a discount.”

“How much are we talking about?”

“Ten bucks,” the carpenter replied, shrugging.

I didn’t know whether to laugh, but Philippe did, so I laughed along, more out of disbelief. “Is this a joke?”

“No. Dead serious. Call me if you need more.”

I just nodded, took out my phone, and sent him a hundred bucks through the app. “Sent.”

“Thanks,” Philippe said as he tucked his shirt into his pants. “But don’t use it all at once.”

“Don’t worry, it has to last until Friday,” I said it as if it were a joke, but I was dead serious.

“Are you staying?”

“No, I should also ...”

Livio emerged from the bathroom with just a towel around his waist.

“Are you heading out?” the blond journalist asked, stopping in front of Philippe.

“Yup! Had fun. So, is this happening next week?”

“Yeah, of course,” Livio replied, patting Philippe on the shoulder in farewell.

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