He let out a long breath, as if just the memory of it exhausted him. “Yeah, it was 2002, so things still felt a little fragile with 9/11 being so recent. Back then my mom was working two jobs so she could pay for her school and our bills. We were struggling big time. I mean we had food and could pay rent, but that was about it.”

I didn’t know what to say to that, because my family always had a lot of money. I had no idea what it was like to struggle like that. Patrice paused again and bent over to bring me closer to him, his strong arms lifting me effortlessly. When he’d kissed me and I was settled with my back against his chest, he started talking again. “The day we went to see him, my mom and I had gone to Milo and his mom’s house so we could borrow money from Dinorah to pay the heating bill.” He scoffed then and I felt his body tense. I also noticed that whenever he did that, he’d touch me or kiss me, as if it helped him calm down. It didn’t escape me how free he was becoming with his touches and kisses. So far from the man I’d first encountered, who I’d have to coax into even a few words after the sex was over.

“All the way there she kept reassuring me that it would be fine, but I could tell she was nervous. Once we got to the hotel, I realized why. My father was staying at the Waldorf-Astoria. I felt sick when we got there and I realized that while my mom had to borrow money from a friend to keep our heat on, my dad was staying in one of the fanciest hotels in town.”

“That’s...pretty infuriating,” I said, shaking my head.

He kissed my neck in response and my body once again was struggling to filter all the things happening to it. “Are you angry on my behalf, counselor?”

I turned around then so I could see him. “Of course I am. That’s so fucked up, Patrice.”

He didn’t answer and did that silent and intense thing he always did, and sucked my lip into his mouth.

When he let go and I was panting again, I let out a frustrated breath. “It’s so fucking hard to be righteously outraged about your father’s fucked-up shit when you keep licking and sucking on me.” I sounded aggravated and more than a little flustered, because I really was. “I should not be this turned on when you are clearly telling me something that is important to you.”

He started shaking and I wondered if he was okay, and when I turned around the asshole was laughing at me.