Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 126003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
“I just think…” Well, what I think is that… the place is sad. The rice mat. The tiny room. The stand-up shower with no bathtub. That six feet of space with a hotplate that’s supposed to be a kitchen. “I think it’s amazing. If you’re a young girl who came to America by herself and beat the shit out of people to earn enough money to buy it for cash.” She giggles. “In this respect, and only in this respect, it’s fuckin’ amazing. But I don’t like the thought of you sleeping on that mat.”
“I spent my whole life sleeping on rice mats. It’s kind of comfortable to me.”
“You can bring it with you. Put it on top of the bed if it makes you feel more at home.”
I actually think she considers this.
“How about this?” I start the car again. “We just buy all new clothes. You’ve got nothing in there but training things anyway.”
“It’s a waste.”
“Live a little, Irina. We’ve got more money than we need. There’s no point in not wasting it.”
“That’s very one-percent of you.”
“So? Trust me when I say this, no one wants to be poor. No one wants austerity. No one wants hardships. Money doesn’t buy everything, but it sure does make life a lot more comfortable. That condo feels like self-induced punishment.”
“It’s not that bad.”
“It’s not bad, it’s just… sad.” I didn’t want to use that word, but it’s the only one I’ve got left.
And anyway, it fits.
“It feels like the past, Irina. And the past is shit. I don’t care how many good memories you have of the fuckin’ fight-club slave camp you were in, it was shit. Udulf was trying to kill you. The only reason you existed to him was so he could place bets on you. And then, after you were dead, he was never gonna think about you again. Let it go. It wasn’t good. It was just… better than some. That’s all. Not better than most—this life you’ve made for yourself here in Miami is better than most. That life you left behind was just barely better than some. Don’t get lost in the memory of the people who made it tolerable. Think about how you felt the night before the fight. Remember that with vivid clarity, because that was your reality. Not Maart fixing you up. Not Cort feeding you. Not Paulo kissing you on the cheek to say goodbye. The night before the fight was nothing but terror and you know it.”
She’s looking at her turquoise-blue front door as I say all this and for a moment, I think she’s gonna protest. Try and justify these romantic feelings she has for where she came from. But then she lets out a breath and looks at me. “OK. Let’s go. I’ll buy new stuff. It’ll still be there for me if I need it. But I don’t need it right now.”
I nod, then give her knee a squeeze, making her jump as I start the car and pull away, taking us home.
CHAPTER 21
Eason parks the car in the underground garage and piggy-backs me to the elevator, but we don’t go up to his condo. He takes me to the boutique, and while he’s still holding me, he asks the shop girl to help me pick out a new wardrobe. “Bill it to 990.” He points up with one finger.
“I don’t need you to pay, Eason,” I say. “I have money.”
He points again, still looking at the young woman. “990.”
She nods, smiling. It’s not the same woman who helped me last night, but she’s just as young, just as pretty, and just as polite.
Eason sets me down on a long, slender bench covered in silver-gray velvet. “Where are you gonna go?” I ask.
“I’m gonna take care of dinner while you shop.”
“What are we having?”
“Something good. Something that restaurant doesn’t serve.”
“Don’t make Nandy your enemy. She’s good. And I love her.”
“I have no intention of antagonizing your best friend. Be back in a bit.” Then he actually leans down and kisses me on the cheek. And when he pulls away, he’s smiling mischievously.
After he’s gone, the shop girl looks at me and folds her hands. “I’m Kandace.”
“Hi. Irina.”
“What should we start with, Irina?”
I look around, trying to see myself wearing these pretty things every day. They’re nice. And not too fancy. Casual, but quality. Like the shirt and shorts I’m wearing right now.
I point to the outfit. “More like this.”
Kandace nods and walks off, collecting things off racks. She comes back pulling a wooden rack on wheels behind her filled with many outfits.
Another shop girl appears, offering me a glass of champagne, and yet another sets out cheese and meat artfully arranged on a wooden board.
I don’t know what to think about this, but it’s nice. I know they earn a commission off what they sell to me, but it’s still nice.