Maybe you should let sleeping freaks lie, Princess.
You mean you should.
He was the circus freak. What does this have to do with me?
I was in the show, Jake.
When?
With him. Just...oh...a few years ago. The whole time he was there, give or take a week. I came back early but he followed.
The freakshow. The fucking circus sideshow, love?
Yes.
What did you..do? In the show?
I walked the wire while he threw flaming hoops around me, I lay on a bed of nails and he would eat fire and then kiss me and I'd light candles with my breath afterward. Um......he did slow burns on me. I also filled in for burlesque nights sometimes and we did private gigs. I got to lecture a few times too, even
Jacob sits down heavily on a chair that's already stacked with books. They slide off the chair and onto the floor but he doesn't notice. He pushes his glasses up his nose and tries to wrap his brain around my words to insulate them from all things good and clean.
Private gigs? What are those?
Uh..private shows. Mostly we did his act at private parties.
The fire routines?
Mostly.
Jesus, Bridget. What else?
We put on a show. Okay? If people paid enough we would do all sorts of things.
With the customers?
No! Jesus. Never.
I don't fucking believe this.
It was a lifetime ago.
Apparently not. You said it yourself! Just a few years ago! Like yesterday, I bet.
I didn't know you. You can't be mad at me for this.
I can be mad at him.
He was trying to make as much money for us as possible.
By whoring you out.
By keeping us in demand. I was never out of his sight.
What made you stop doing it?
He changed. He couldn't cope. He got very dark. He's not like that and it really freaked me out.
And when you came back did he return to his usual self?
Yes.
Did he ever ask you to go again?
Yes. But he said things would be different, that he wouldn't exploit our relationship for money ever again. I didn't go again though.
Jesus fucking Christ. I feel like I'm looking at a little stranger in front of me.
I'm not.
The hell you aren't.
Would you have felt differently if you knew this about me first?
Hell, no.
Then don't act so outraged. We did what we had to do. We made a lot of money and we learned alot about ourselves in the process, about people in general.
I bet.
Shut up, Jacob.
You first, Piglet. And next time I ask you something very serious please lie through your teeth to me, okay?
I can do that, but I don't think you'd like it any better.
