In Two

Shawna was at the counter waiting for the barista to remake her drink. She was polite and honestly didn’t mind the mix-up, she understood what it was like to be the new guy. So, she waited patiently, not that she was in a rush to get back to her meeting with Susan. It took about three minutes for the latte to be remade, Shawna took her time walking up and taking it. Shawna let out a heavy sigh as she turned to walk back to her meeting.

She sat in a large comfortable chair, her laptop on the table in front of her open. Set beside the laptop were a miniature legal notepad, a pencil, a pen, and her latte. Across from her sat Susan in a business suit with a portfolio; folder open in front of her. Susan handed Shawna a contract for her to read. Susann told her it was for the next three books in her series. She encouraged Shawna to have Al, her lawyer, look at it, make any necessary changes, and they would see what they could do.

“But I really need this one finished Shawna, like last week.” Susan mustered as much empathy as she could for the mentally strained writer.

“I know, I’m sorry, it’s almost finished, it’s just been a hard month,” Shawna replied

“It seems to always be a hard month with you lately, are you sure you are ok to continue?” Susan was genuinely concerned she had been around the last time Shawna had a hard month.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Shawna reassured her

Susan smiled as she stood up from the table, “I need that book finished asap.”

Susan turned to leave the coffee shop out the front door. As she did, Katie approached Shawna from the barista counter.

“Ugh, I thought she would never leave! Why does she have to be such a witch, AND can you believe they got my drink wrong AGAIN! that’s like the fourth time or whatever, ugh these people. Seriously imbeciles! How freaking hard is it to get a drink right that I order all the time!” Katie expounded. Katie was an exuberant, blunt, and bullheaded woman. She was never afraid to say what she meant, and she always meant what she said.

Shawna just looked at Katie and rolled her eyes with a smirk and began to read the contract left behind by Susan. Shawna rarely understood all of the legal jargon, and lately, she could barely comprehend basic language when reading. That was normal for her during stressful times. It rarely affected her writing though.

“What no comments for your best friend’s tirade?” Katie effused.

Shawna inhaled then blew the air out of her mouth in exasperation. It was time for her to leave, she had too much to do. Shawna gathered her things, placing them into her mailbag. She had her usual meeting with Doctor Paul across town in thirty minutes. She left Katie at the coffee shop.

Across town, Doctor Paul sat in a chair opposite Shawna, they were discussing Katie.

“So how do Katie’s reactions affect you?” Doctor Paul asked. He was trying to bring Shawna to a realization, slowly.

“Well they don’t necessarily, but I’m still bothered by them. I just want to tell her to shut the hell up and leave me alone.”

“Why don’t you then?”

“I have and sometimes she leaves but she always comes back,” Shawna said rather timidly.

“And what would you do if she left for good?” Doctor Paul felt they were on the edge of progress.

“I don’t know, I feel like she has always been there so I’m not sure what I would do if she didn’t come back.” Katie realized she never thought of that as an option.

“What would you do if she ever refused to leave?” Doctor Paul asked, moving Shawna in the direction she needed to go.

Shawna sat in silence for a minute. She had no idea how to answer that question either. She had never thought about Katie leaving for good or refusing to leave; Katie had always just been there. It didn’t matter if she answered or not, her time was up.

Shawna exited Doctor Paul’s office and found Katie waiting on a bench there. Katie stood to meet Shawna as she walked out.

“Did you talk about me? I bet you did! Did you tell him about how I piss you off? Or how about how I annoy you? I bet you didn’t tell him about all of the fun things I make you do though! Speaking of fun let’s go out tonight, we need to find you a man!” Katie said as she chomped on a piece of gum Shawnna had given her earlier. Shawna didn’t say a word but continued to walk down the stairs, out to the street where her car was parked.

“See ya later bestie!” Katie shouted as Shawna unlocked the driver’s side door. She looked up and smirked at Katie as she got into the car and drove away.

Shawna’s next stop was Al’s office. Al sat behind his desk with Shawna across from him. He was reading the first page of the new contract.

“Just let me know what you think we should change if anything,” Shawna said meekly.

“Well right off the bat, it seems like this is for a six-book series, are you up for that?” There was concern in Al’s voice.

“I saw that, and I’m not sure, give me a few days to think about it,” Shawna answered, she really wasn’t sure. She wanted to be able to write a six-book series in two years, but could she?

“Can I be honest with you?” Al asked.

“Always.” Shawna always wanted honest and straight forward opinions from the people she hired to navigate the waters of the writing world for her.

“I think six is too many for you, right now anyway. I’d say no more than four, and that is pushing it.” Al had promised he would always be real with Shawna, no matter what. She appreciated it and would definitely take his opinion into consideration.

“Ok, can you do me a favor? Can you copy that so I can take it home and work out dates to see how tough it would be?”

“Absolutely! JAKE!” Al called out for his business partner. Jake was a forty-year-old slender attractive man. Jake entered and Al asked him to copy the contract for Shawna. Jake was always eager to assist her, probably because her business paid for his salary. Shawna rose from her seat and followed Jake into the copy room.

The room was small, more the size of a walk-in closet rather than a room. It held a copy machine against one wall a stack of shelves holding office supplies on another, and a set of chairs to the left of the doorway for employee breaks. Jake stood at the copier while Shawna waited eagerly. Jake attempted some small talk to pass the time. He asked how Shawna was doing. She was doing fine, just stuck on writing a stupid love scene, those were the hardest for her. For some reason, they always sounded more awkward on paper than she imagined them in her head. It was then that Jake leaned in closer to Shawna. Confused, she shrunk back a bit at the invasion of her space.

“Well, maybe you just need a real-life example to get your mind flowing in the right direction.” Jake playfully whispered as he caressed her arm with his finger. Right then the copier finished, and Shawna grabbed the papers out of the tray and ran out of the room.

Shawna pulled into her parking spot, turned off the car, and rested her forehead on the steering wheel, then let out a sigh. She got out of her car and began to walk toward the entrance to her apartment. Once she was halfway there, Katie approached her and reminded her not to forget her groceries.

“Of course!” Shawna blurted out as she turned around and walked back to the car. She opened the door, pulled out the grocery bag in a huff then slammed the car door shut again before pressing the lock button on her keychain. She began to walk back towards Katie.

“So your day was fun?” Katie said with a high-pitched sarcastic tone and a slick smile on her lips.

Shawna just glared back at Katie as the two walked up the stairs to her apartment.

Shawna enters her apartment and puts down the bag with her laptop and other items on the coffee table. She then takes the bag of groceries into the kitchen and begins to put it away.

“So, what happened?” Katie asked in a mocking tone.

“It was Jake, he hit on me again.” Shawna finally stopped resisting, she needed to tell someone anyway.

Shawna reached her apartment, stuck the key in, and turned. She and Katie walked into the kitchen where Shawna began to put the groceries away.

“Al’s partner? Gross! What’s he like 20 years older than you, ick!” Katie yelled, then followed up with a playful yet taunting, “What did you say?”

“Nothing my copy was done so I just left. And by left, I mean I RAN out of there.” Shawna replied.

“Chicken shit!” Katie hollered with a giggle, “I’d a punched him in the face, that’ll teach him.” Katie was definitely the combative one of the two of them.

“Yeah well you don’t have to go back to that office and face the consequences, I do.” Shawna reasoned.

“Really? What would Al even do? I bet he’d laugh his ass off, fat as he is it would probably help.” Katie could be cruel at times.

“Really? Katie, why do you have to put everyone down like that? Al’s been good to me, and so has Jake!” Shawna was starting to lose her patience with Katie’s rude behavior.

“Yeah only ’cause they expect something in return!”

“I pay them!” Shawna’s face was tomato red and she was full-scale yelling now. She had no doubt her neighbors could hear this fight. She hoped they weren’t home.

“Yeah but that’s not the kind of payment they want.” teased Katie

“Oh, shut up! Al’s not like that!” Shawna was a little calmer now. She needed to remember that Katie’s game was intended to make her angry, and she needed to not add fuel to the fire.

“Every man is like that, you of all people should know.” Katie retorted.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Shawna started, quickly continuing with; “you know what no, I’m not having this conversation with you right now. It’s done! I just want to relax and enjoy my evening.”

“OOOO! I know let’s go out! To that new place down the street!” Katie got overly excited.

“Ugh, no.” Shawna objected

“Oh, come on we never get to do what I want to do.” That was Katie, always complaining.

“That’s because what you want to do always gets me in trouble or makes me feel like shit later.” Shawna had a point.

“Just a few drinks I promise! Nothing else! Please!” Katie was begging now.

Shawna let ut a sigh before conceding “Just a few drinks, then home!”

“Deal!” exclaimed Katie as Shawna turned to head to her bedroom. A mischievous grin moves across Katie’s face.

It was an hour later when Shawna was ready. She exited her bedroom. Katie sat on the arm of the couch dressed in a miniskirt and backless shirt with her hair and makeup done.

“You are so unbelievably slow! What could possibly take you this long?” Katy sounded annoyed.

“I haven’t gone out in a long time and I like taking my time to get ready! Why do you care anyway, it’s early for you isn’t it?” Shawna quipped.

Yeah but I need all the time I can get! It’s my job to help you get lucky tonight!” Katie laughed.

“And if I don’t want to get lucky tonight? Besides, we agreed to drinks only!” Shawna had a feeling Katie would need multiple reminders.

“Really Katie how long has it been since you even kissed a man? Let alone had sex, no wonder you’re so uptight!”

“I’m sorry I don’t like spreading my legs for anything that walks, like you. I prefer a little romance to be involved.”

“There you go again with this innocent respectable sweetheart girl thing!” Katie fake dry heaved “ugh makes me sick, when are you going to live a little and have some fun?”

“You and I define fun very differently,” Shawna explained.

Another hour later Shawna sat at the bar with a drink in front of her and Katie next to her. A little way down the bar an attractive man seemed to be checking Shawna out.

“He’s cute,” Katie stated as she nodded toward the man. Shawna looked in his direction and offered a weak smile. Then looked back down at her drink.

“Ok so he is clearly checking you out, go over and talk to him,” Katie said, nudging Shawna’s arm.

“Um no,” Shawna whispered quietly.

“C’mon for once in your life do something spontaneous!” Katie was purposely being patronizing, “make tonight just about the thrill of it and not about love. It’s fun you’ll see.”

Shawna became visibly uncomfortable at this suggestion. The man walked over and sat down in the seat next to her. He caught her eyes and smiles. Shawna shyly returns the smile.

“Ah well my work here is done, see you later,” Katie said as if to herself before walking away.

An hour later Shawna and the man burst through the door of his apartment; hands all over each other. They made their way into the living room where Shawna threw her purse and sweater. The two continued to kiss and caress each other as they stumbled into the bedroom.

Shawna removed the man’s shirt; he removed her dress and threw it on the ground revealing scars on her stomach. He stopped for a breath before asking, “Do you have protection?”

“Not with me,” Shawna replied meekly, ”to be honest I don’t do this kinda thing often.”

“I’ll be right back” he replied as he rushed out the door and down the hall to his bathroom. Shawna heard him from the bedroom.

“Shit! I’m gonna kill him!” he yelled before returning to the bedroom. “Sorry gonna have to cancel our fun for the night. Damn roommate used the last condom, hasn’t bought more yet, sorry.”

“It’s ok” she looked around for where her dress landed. She picked it up once she spotted it. “Well, I guess I’ll just let myself out.” She said as she left the bedroom. The man moved into the door frame and watched her as she collected her things. “Have a good night,” Shawna said as she headed toward the door.

“You too”

Shawna opened his apartment door and found Katie out in the hallway. A wide-eyed look settles on Shawna’s face.

“What a girl can’t eavesdrop on her best friend?” Katie said, her tone was a bit playful, “Wait why are you leaving?”

Shawna closed the door behind her before replying, “He doesn’t have condoms, so we aren’t and I’m leaving.”

“What? That’s a crap excuse! Katie was visibly upset, but Shawna thought it as good of a reason as any. “Wait” Katie continued, “did you take your dress off?”

“Yeah, but what does that matter?” Shawna was being reasonable, she knew what Katie was getting at.

“That bastard! What an ass!” Katie was full-on yelling at this point.

“It’s nothing, I’m leaving” Shawna was trying to calm Katie down and leave when the man opened his door.

“Is everything ok? I heard voices?” he asked.

“Everything is-“

Katie interrupted Shawna with a loudly violent scream “BASTARD!!!!”

Before Shawna could gain control of her, Katie pulled a knife out of her purse and lunged at the man pushing him into his apartment stabbing him repeatedly.