Page 133 of Nothing to You
“You should be allowed to share your body with anyone you choose because it’s none of my damn business what you do in the privacy of your own home.Maintaining your rights, maintains mine.Just because it’s not a choice I’d make doesn’t mean it’s one that shouldn’t be available to others.Choice.Without choice, there’s no freedom and that’s something everyone should fight for.Autonomy over our bodies is the most fundamental of human rights.What’s more basic than that?”
And if she wasn’t already sort of engaged to him, she’d have dragged him down the aisle after that speech.“You’re pro-choice,” she said, sort of in a tease, but in wonder too.
“I’m pro-Radley,” he said and kissed her forehead again.“I’m pro-Radley-Rourke.Under no circumstances should you be making decisions about our imaginary child’s future alone.I would be pissed if you went behind my back with something like that, with anything.”
“Sometimes women feel they can’t discuss these things with their judgmental husbands,” she said, squeezing her fingers between his.“But I could talk to my best friend about it.I can talk to him about anything.”
“Is he hot?”
“He likes to think so.And if you’re going to be my husband, I think it’s a little bit your business who I do in the privacy of my own home.What if we double book?”
“The more the merrier.We double book they can screw each other while we debate who booked first.”
“Okay,” she said.“But you know that ends with us fucking it out.”
“Only way we’ll ever solve an argument is fucking it out.”
“Thank God we’re on the same page about that.”But when he bowed to kiss her forehead again, she shifted back a few inches.“What do you want?”
“Wouldn’t say no to a blowjob.”
“Kids,” she said almost groaning at him.“Do you want kids?”
“I’ve got more than a few buddies lined up for the aisle,” he said.“Their women are baby crazy; we’ll have enough kids in our lives one way or the other.”
“That doesn’t answer the question.Do you want kids of your own?”
“You don’t want kids and I want you.”
“Still not an answer.”
When he tried to kiss her head again, she withdrew further until it was easier just to find her feet and get up.
“Radley—”
“Do you want babies?”
“This is a non winner for me.”
“What does that mean?”
“I say I want kids, you’ll jump back into your cave and hide.I say I don’t and if you decide you do one day, same outcome.”
“Since when have we had to agree on anything?And what are you talking about my cave?”
“You hid behind the screen,” he said, sitting up in the middle of the couch.“We’ve been here six hours and you haven’t shown me the bedroom.I’m getting a dicey message, Radley.”
And as her lips tried to twist, she subdued them and held up her hands.“You want to see the bedroom?”She raised an arm.“Knock yourself out, Hotshot.”
“I don’t care about the bedroom.”
“You just said—”
“It’s the symbolism.”
“Oh, the symbolism?”
“Yeah,” he said, pouncing to the front of the couch.“You were in my private space within ten minutes of being in my house.”
