Shame

“Tell me Josh, Does a player deserve to possess anything of worth, since he chases everything in trousers and then imagines he can successfully hide his shame by slandering all those guys who chase anything in trousers?” said Carl.

"Are you calling me a player?"

"Well, Josh, you have to admit…" Carl raised his eyebrows.

"I admit nothing."

"It doesn't change anything."

"Besides, I don't slander guys who, um, enthusiastically part take. I endorse it. What else is life for?"

"Is that what you call yourself."

“What? An endorser of freedom?”

“No.”

“That is what I call myself.”

“It is not freedom, it is slavery.”

“What? A slave to your feelings?

“A slave to your base desires.”

"And I don't have any shame to hide."

"Don't you?"

"No."

"How many people have you slept with?"

"I don't know."

"Just roughly?"

"I have no idea."

"Perhaps, you should be feeling some shame?"

"Perhaps you shouldn't be shaming me."

I'm not shaming you, but if that's how you feel about what I am saying, perhaps you do feel shame."

"None, what so ever?"

"You don't know how many people you have slept with."

"How many have you slept with?"

"Five."

"Five?"

"Yes, five."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"No, I have no idea?"

"Guess?"

"This is ridiculous?"

"20?"

"When I was in uni I remember counting up 20 in one month."

"That's disgusting."

"Yeah, you know, I'm done with this," I said. "You make decisions about your sex life and live by them, I won't criticise…"

"Won't you?"

"No, not at all," I said. "I'd expect the same from you?"

"How many sexually transmitted diseases have you had?"

"I have had chlamydia once," I said. "Oh yes, and an outbreak of scabies which nearly drove me mad before I got rid of them."

“You’ve been lucky.”

“Have I?’’

“Yes.”

“You’re telling the story.”