Page 7 of No Control
Yeah, and plenty of sickos have clean slates.
“I’ll pay the five dollars,” he chuckles, typing away on his phone. “This kind of money could really change things for us. Think of the wedding we could have.”
My stomach sours at the comment. Now he brings it up. He’s been putting the wedding off since he proposed. He wouldn’t even agree to a date two years from now. Not to mention, no matter how many times I try to tell myself marrying Mason is the right thing to do, something in my gut just…doesn’t agree. I only said yes because of the pressure from family—and feeling like my biological clock is ticking.
Though, I’m starting to wonder if either of those are worth it. I might rather my ovaries shrivel up and die than procreate with him. Why am I still putting up with him, again? And why does it feel like I just realized this?
“It’s loading,” Mason slides his phone across the table so that I can see the screen. “You’ll see anything there is to know about him.”
“I don’t think these things work like that...” my voice trails off as the page displays results—a surprising amount. I pick up his phone, my heart suddenly pounding in my ears. It’s got all of Henry’s information, including his New York address and another in Los Angeles. “Is this the same one on the contract?” I hold out Mason’s phone so he can check.
“Yeah, it is. The phone number is the same, too.” Mason grins, giving me that I told you so face.
“I still don’t know...”
“Ask for more money then.”
“What if he wants more than just a book from me?” I blurt out suddenly and my face grows hot as a result. I blame Mason for putting it in my head in the first place.
He raises an eyebrow. “What do you think, then? He’s just hiring you because you’re hot? I’m pretty sure he can get a lot of women for much less than a hundred g’s.”
My heart sinks, regardless of my resentment. “You’re right.”
“I don’t mean that the way you’re taking it,” Mason says quickly, reaching across the table and grabbing my hand. “I just mean, if he’s out for sex, he can get that from just about anyone, probably. It’s not like there’s not a million fish in the sea.”
I nod. “Yeah…But hypothetically,” I begin, unable to hide my curiosity, “what if he did? What would we do?” I don’t know why I’m asking the question. It’s not like I’d ever cross such a line. But my mind keeps toying with the idea, anyway.
“You’d do it,” Mason pulls his hand away, bursting into a fit of laughter. “I don’t know why you wouldn’t. Like I said, slap on an extra fifty-thousand, and I’d be fine with it. I think we’d handle it just fine. Money is money.”
I blink a couple of times, a thrum of disbelief rolling through my body. “You know that’d mean he'd sleep with me, right?”
Mason makes a face. “Obviously, but come on. It’s a fling. It’s not like you love him or something. It’d just be for the cash. You could take a dick for that. We could pay off all my student loans.”
My brows shoot up as a surprising amount of anger explodes in my chest. “Pay off your student loans? Seriously? That’s messed up, Mason.” He’s seriously going to pimp me out for his student loan repayment?
The ick is strong even for Mason, who pushes my boundaries all the time. But maybe this is one push too far. Way too far.
“What?” Mason shrugs. “I don’t see what’s so bad about that. Those student loans are what’s setting us back so far. Well, that and your car payment.”
You have to be kidding me.
My hands turn to fists. “My car payment is only three hundred dollars a month...”
“That’s still a significant amount and let’s not forget about the other shit you buy whenever you feel like it. I spend money, too,” he adds quickly, putting his hands up in surrender. “But you get what I’m saying. It costs money to live a nice life. You’ll be taking this job. Besides, the way you talk about your books, you’re into those creepy kinds of guys.”
My top teeth bear down into the flesh of my bottom lip, and I push my plate back from me. “I’m not doing it, and if I did agree to it, it wouldn’t be your money to do anything with. I’m tired of you relying on my check to pay for everything. You won’t even set a wedding date.” I slide toward the edge of the booth, done with everything about this freaking night. And the last six years.
“Where the fuck are you going?” he growls, grabbing for my wrist.
I jerk it away before his hand connects. “Home.” I snatch the contract from the table as I stand to my feet. “And you can stay at your place tonight. I need time to think about this.”
“About what?” Mason sneers. “You're really going to break up our six-year relationship over some stupid comment?”
“Yes,” I snap at him, on the verge of losing my shit right there in the restaurant. “You’re fine with pimping me out to some guy you’ve never even met for the money to pay off your student loans. It's the last straw. I'm done with it.”
“Well, when you put it that way, it does sound bad,” he chuckles, shrugging. “Just sit down. We’ll talk about it. I can call the guy if you’re really that scared.”
Forget this.
