The Heart's Content

Chapter 39

"Alright so you were born and raised in the mafia, you're an ex druggie, and you're in debt to two people who will kill you." Vaggie listed once the cost was clear. "Is there anything else unsettling that I should know?"

"Well I moonlight as sex worker from time to time."

Vaggie looked at him repulsed.

"Hey don't judge me! I'm just trying to make a living like everybody else in the world."

"You have sex with other people for money yet you want to have a relationship with me?"

"Hey just say the word babe and I'll quit in a heartbeat." He said. "And you wouldn't think it but I actually want commitment."

"Is that a fact?" Vaggie said with a skeptical grin.

"Yep. Of course I do have a few more things to cross off my bucket list before I settle down."

"Such as?"

"Well I want to publish my novel."

"You're a writer? What do you write about?"

"Uh...Well..."

He blushed and hesitated before answering. He had a feeling she wouldn't exactly understand his "Vision."

"It's an erotic novel."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"It's not what you think okay. It's not dirty smut or anything, it's a very emotional story about the beauty and madness sex can cause."

"Alright I'll bite, what's it about?"

"It's about a young man who was sexually abused by his neighbor in childhood and his parents refused to do anything about it. When his neighbor is done with him once he hits puberty and unfortunately he never learned that what happened to him was bad. So he doesn't know why he feels this deep pain and shame in his heart that was left by the abuse. He spends his teenhood and adulthood having sex with different people, trying to ease that pain but it doesn't work. Then one night he's brutally beaten by one of his ex partners and he's found and nursed back to health by a prostitute. They become friends and bond over how they've relied on sex and the pain they've suffered. She later helps him come to terms with his sexual abuse and he helps her gain the courage to leave her pimp."

"Huh..." Vaggie thought for a moment. "Perversion aside, that's actually a pretty good story."

"You really think so?"

"Yeah. Do the lead characters ever have sex?"

"Nope. They don't want to lose the one person who they sincerely care for and who sincerely cares for them in return. They grow love each other too much to let sex complicate things and possibly ruin the relationship."

"Is it a romantic or platonic?"

"I decided to leave that part ambiguous. Ironic considering the content, but through out my life I've realized that sex isn't required for real love. It's just an extra spice that you could add to your already tasty sauce, you get the metaphor?"

"Yeah I do. Weird."

"What?"

"I never thought a sex worker and an erotic novelist could be so deep minded."

"A lot of things in life aren't always as they appear. After today, if you want to see me again, you could learn that there's a lot more to me."

"Maybe." She said, still skeptical.

"And I could learn more about you than what I've seen."

"What makes you think there's more to me? I'm just a pretty little performer." She spoke in high, feminine voice that made her sound air-headed.