Extra D

She scrutinises herself in the mirror. Has she done well enough smoothing away her flaws?

The thought of what this evening promises warms her from her scalp to the deepest, most secret part of her belly. It drowns any guilt she feels about Martin, who thinks she's going to a movie night with her girlfriends.

Robb is handsome enough, with his grey eyes and lean physique. But what she likes best about him is how he makes her feel. Not just desire, but desired.

Martin's already snoring in front of the TV. Glasses askew, mouth open, belt unbuckled. Denise hurries out, impatient to be away from this dull cage.

Robb has no finesse. No movie, no dinner. Just clumsy lines, and clumsier fumbling, parked in a quiet street. Denise suffers a flash of awareness with her expensive knickers hooked on one ankle: is this really worth it? The life and trust we built together, for a cheap tumble?

Voices outside freeze her insides. "Shhh!" she hisses, poking him in the ribs.

He frowns a question. She points at the window, mouthing, "There's someone out there!"

Robb wipes the steam on the glass and peers out.

"Please, Robb, they can't see us..."

There's raised voices for a moment, a gunshot, and Robb goes slack and white. She shoves at him, scrambles up to get a look herself. Slaps a hand over her mouth, eyes popping.

The boy on the ground hardly looks older than her eldest son.

They agree, driving back, they can't go to the police. It'll raise questions, they'll be found out.

Before she leaves the car, Denise takes a deep breath, clasping her handbag tight.

"We can't do this," she says. "You know that."

His steely eyes are cold in the silence. He looks away.

"We were the only witnesses to a murder," he says at last. "The killer might never face justice. I've been thinking, maybe I should do the right thing. Go to the police."

Eyes wet and knuckles threatening to break through her skin, she says nothing.

"Same time next week, then."

She gives him a curt nod, her voice failing her, and flees back into the safety of her cage.

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Word count (excluding note): 366

Submitted on 18th February at 9:05

Quick Author's Note

Pay no attention to the writer behind the curtain: Banged this out (not even sorry) in one go yesterday, and I was so happy with it I put it next in my post queue.

A Year of Stories: I'm writing a story every day this year. This one makes a 49 day streak. It feels like an auspicious number! You can find all of them in my Index post, which I do my best to update once or twice a week at least. It's also pinned to the top of my profile.

If you'd like to read another, here's my recommendation: this one just got Top Story yesterday.

If you're joining me on this "story every day" madne adventure, please leave a link to yours in the comments! Whether you're on a creative bent like me, or if you have your own self-imposed criteria, I'd love to see what you come up with for today.

Thank you

As always, thank you so much for reading! I do my best to reciprocate all reads. Please do leave a comment and I'll pop over and read one of your as soon as! If you enjoyed this story, the best compliment you can give me is to share it, or read another 😁

Links

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