#39

"every relationship is just an elaborate con."

"that's a cynical way of viewing life."

"think about it. we all have needs. emotional voids, intellectual voids, monetary voids, the desire to feel beautiful, wanted, smarter, faster, stronger. find someone better than you, who needs to feel that they are useful. they're your savior. they will 'make you better' and that's their weakness." he downed a shot of tequila. "or," he paused dramatically, "find someone below you and they will be grateful and give you everything they possibly can. either way, you're both just cons. you're both just getting what you want from the other."

"you don't believe in love?"

"i've lived too long to believe in anything." he stood, and headed toward the restroom, his voice trailing behind him. "everybody's a con man. you'll learn. you, me, that guy, your parents, everybody."

half an hour and one unpaid bill later, he was nowhere to be found.