dance with the devil

Let’s play a game. I’ll give you a subject and you tell me what you know about it. I like to figure people out, and you... You’re quiet and I haven’t gotten a good reading on you yet.” I felt the harshness of his eyes on me, like a manager evaluating a subordinate.

“Why do you want to figure me out of all people?

“I see you as a challenge.”

I felt a mona lisa smile crawl across my face as my gaze descended toward the table separating us. I couldn’t conceal the fact I was enjoying being the source and subject of his stupor or the object of his attention.

“What do you know about me?”

“I’ve heard a lot of rumors but I never cared to confirm if any of them were true.” “Like what?”

“REDACTED”

“What if I told you it was all true.”

“I guess I could believe that at one point...”

“Are you uncomfortable, Rita?”

“No” I said but I was sucking my straw out of my empty water glass just to occupy my body in some way to try to stop looking so tense. I could barely look up. Obvious, as always. I was so uncomfortable, it was exhilarating. “I mean, I don’t judge you for it.”

I knew that’s not the kind of opinion he was looking for.

“You know that’s not what I meant”.

I laughed, “I’m just playing dumb. It’s fun.”

“You still haven’t answered my question.”

“I’m not ready to give you an answer. Should I drop you home?”

“I guess that’s that.”

“It’s a conversation that can be revisited later.”