There are times when Travis unintentionally reveals his attraction to Laura by trying to do the exact opposite - hide it. He lies and uses diversion tactics but they actually have the opposite effect. It’s a case of someone’s desperate attempt to try and cover something up actually revealing much more than if they had just left it alone.
This exchange between them is one such instance but the moment in question isn’t until the very end of the conversation.
Laura: The second we get out of here you’re toast, mother fucker!
Travis: The second you get out.
Laura: Wait- Wait - We’ll…
Laura: answer your questions. (his face here LOL)
Laura: You just can’t lock us up in here with no goddamned explanation and expect us to be all butter and cupcakes, okay? Just work with us here!
Travis: You have nothing to bargain with. ⬇️⬇️⬇️
A lot of eye movement and blinking going on here.
His response, “You have nothing to bargain with.” doesn’t reveal much on it’s own but let’s take a closer look at where his eyes wander as he’s saying it.
This puts the meaning of, “You have nothing to bargain with.” in an entirely new light, a light that gives him away: a big-ass spotlight called Sexual Desire.
He’s lying because he doesn’t want Laura to know that he’s attracted to her. And he doesn’t want her to know that he’s attracted to her because it’s a weakness that she could possibly exploit and he can’t afford to risk that. Nevertheless, his lustful gaze betrays him and only serves to bring attention to the very thing he’s denying. Laura very much has something to bargain with should she so choose.
As he walks away, he smiles confidently and laughs to himself as if saying, Yeah, I did it! Take that, temptress!
He’s so proud of himself and thinks he’s just done an amazing job of hiding it when he’s actually failed miserably.
While Travis’ approach in the previous one relied on lying straight to Laura’s face, his approach here relies on the aforementioned diversion tactic.
Travis: Nice job cleaning up.
When he says, “Nice job cleaning up.” he is, indeed, referring to her eye but he very spur-of-the-momently feels the need to clarify this further with, “The eye, I mean.”
A bit of over-clarification, wouldn’t you say?
Why would he want to make extra sure that Laura knows he’s 100%, absolutely, positively talking about her eye and NOTHING else? It’s because he’s afraid she might take, “Nice job cleaning up.” as - You clean up nice, the famous pick-up line.
And the way he says it.. he puts stronger emphasis/inflection on the word eye, specifically.
He panics and overcompensates in his effort to make clear the fact he isn’t flirting, diverting attention away from the possible misunderstanding but consequently drawing more attention to it.
In other words, he isn’t flirting with her in this particular moment but because he’s madly attracted to her and doesn’t want her to know, he worries that she might catch on anyway and unnecessarily camouflages it. This has the opposite effect and makes his attraction stick out like a sore thumb.
If Travis was truly not attracted to Laura at all then the need to do this would not have even occurred to him. He would have just said, “Nice job cleaning up.” and been done with it. There would have been no need for any further clarification, no need to use it to cover up his attraction.
Also, he’s drinking and being under the influence makes one more vulnerable and open to persuasion. He would be much easier to seduce in this state and he knows it.
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