“I should punch your lights out. But that wouldn’t do either of us much good would it?”

No one answered her when she asked where they were taking me. I'd heard of people being dumped in parking lots. I'd heard of people being flown to Texas, to fucking El Salvador, legal citizens with no practical recourse.

No one answered her when she asked where they were taking me. I'd heard of people being dumped in parking lots. I'd heard of people being flown to Texas, to fucking El Salvador, legal citizens with no practical recourse.

Here I am on a Saturday night, preparing for another dreadful evening with a man my father handpicked

Here I am on a Saturday night, preparing for another dreadful evening with a man my father handpicked

It goes unsaid that this game is really about kissing and groping.

It goes unsaid that this game is really about kissing and groping.

I was beginning to understand that when Nana said family protects family at any cost, she meant any cost.

I was beginning to understand that when Nana said family protects family at any cost, she meant any cost.

I smoke on the drive to the corporate bookstore, where I slip Eve Babitz’s Sex and Rage into my fur coat.

I smoke on the drive to the corporate bookstore, where I slip Eve Babitz’s Sex and Rage into my fur coat.

The position in which you are structurally dependent on surrendering the entirety of your scheme, and all the various information edges embodied in it, each time you want to add someone to your team is a bad position to be in.

The position in which you are structurally dependent on surrendering the entirety of your scheme, and all the various information edges embodied in it, each time you want to add someone to your team is a bad position to be in.

He liked to change it up enough so that I couldn’t have his pastry ready with his coffee and then he’d have more time to try and converse with me, an extra joke or two. 

He liked to change it up enough so that I couldn’t have his pastry ready with his coffee and then he’d have more time to try and converse with me, an extra joke or two. 

If I tell you what’s in the bag, will you let me continue to play dumb?

If I tell you what’s in the bag, will you let me continue to play dumb?

He ordered me a martini with extra olives, just the way I like it.

He ordered me a martini with extra olives, just the way I like it.

She feels her and this bartender, this boy, are doing sex theater. Romance theater. Everything theater.

She feels her and this bartender, this boy, are doing sex theater. Romance theater. Everything theater.

She sang along to the songs, swaying on the spot, and seemed to know all the lyrics. She smiled at him and grabbed him when their big hit came on, singing “There she goes” at his face, until, grudgingly, he sang along too. Then she kissed him

She sang along to the songs, swaying on the spot, and seemed to know all the lyrics. She smiled at him and grabbed him when their big hit came on, singing “There she goes” at his face, until, grudgingly, he sang along too. Then she kissed him

I kept swinging, and he started headbanging to the music.

I kept swinging, and he started headbanging to the music.