Thursday Night Group

 

We were given a prompt this week to write a list of things were were and then a list of things we were NOT.  Then we had to look at all the things we weren't and write from there.  I won't give you the list, but here is the result.  Its a first draft and pretty raw, but it was fun!

~~~~~~~

Her house was model home perfect.  The carpet runner inside the front door had fringe running along each edge that appearing to be super glued to the mirror shining hardwood floor. 

“Teak.  The floors throughout are teak.  You can leave your shoves by the door.  No dear, there, on the shoe tray?  That’s it.”

I slipped my Old Navy flip flops onto the Pottery Barn shoe organizer and searched furtively for the Air Wick plug ins.  There was no way a house in the dead of summer could smell like that naturally.

She was wearing a black halter top with pin striped gabardine pants complete with matching wedge mules.  Her toes and fingernails were painted a red reserved for emergency vehicles.  Her hair was slicked back into a tight bun.  She wore diamond studs in her ears, a tasteful half carat in each.  The gold bangles on her wrists jangled with every move. 

“In here is the kitchen, there is the breakfast alcove complete with floor to ceiling windows looking out onto the le’nai.”  I nodded approvingly, as if there was actually a chance in hell I could afford this place.  That’s the thing with For Sale by Owner people, they don’t seem to screen their potential buyers very well.  And they usually over-price their houses by at least ten grand, but I could care less.  I wasn’t here to buy her fucking palace, I was here to do a job.

“What kind of cabinets are these?  Is this oak?”  I knew exactly what they were, but I couldn’t let her know that.

“Uh, no.  No not oak.” She sniffed and ran her hand along the cabinet nearest her.  She smiled at it as if it were alive and could feel her touch.  I wondered if she touched him that way.  “This is mahogany.  Pure, solid and beautiful.”

“Ah! Sorry, my mistake.  I’ve never seen mahagony that light before.”

“That’s because it hasn’t been painted over dear.  You sure you want to finish the tour?  I am sorry, but I’m not so sure if this house is really, well, let’s be honest sweety, isn’t it a bit out of your price range?”

I smiled at Laura and swallowed back the bile that had risen to the back of my throat.  “Actually, I inherited a large sum of money recently so, no, it isn’t.  Its actually cheap enough for me to pay with cash.  If I wanted it that is.”

“Well then, shall we continue?  I do apologize but there are just so many rubber neckers a woman can take.  I’m sure you understand.”  Laura smoothed her shellacked black hair with both of her hands.  She breathed in deep and started to turn toward the living room.  I didn’t want to see that room.  I knew that room too well.  It was the upstairs I wanted.  I wanted to see where he slept when he left my bed.  Where he flew off to every other weekend. 

“I’m a bit pressed for time Laura.  I have three children, so I’d really like to see the bedrooms if that’s okay?  You did say in the ad that they were spacious and had their own bathrooms correct?”

“Fine with me dear.  What is your name again?”

“Oh, I didn’t give it.  Wow! Great view! Is that Mt. Washington?”

She blathered on for another ten minutes while I looked around furiously for the bathroom.  The revolver in my pocket was getting heavier and heavier by the minute.  The silencer added extra weight and I had to keep adjusting my pants so the end of it wouldn’t show.

As we moved away from the windows and towards the master suite, I spotted a photo on a dresser.  It was my husband with his bride.  Only it was her husband in the photo.  I wondered if she suspected anything.  If she wondered where he was off to and how he kept his lives so separate.  Or his wives for that matter. 

We moved into their bedroom and I spotted the shoes I’d bought for him last Christmas.  Bruno Mali’s.  They were his favorite.  I was hoping to bury him in them but it was too late now.  Now I knew where they were at least.  I thought maybe I”d lost my mind.

“Mom!   Mommy!  I’m home!”  The sound of a young boy traveled up the stairs.  I hadn’t counted on a kid.  He never told me about the kid.  I heard his foot steps coming up the stairs quickly. 

“In here Brian!  I’m showing this nice lady our home.  Would you like to say hi?”

Brian came into the room led by a huge German Shepherd.  It was wearing a harness and the boy was holding onto the lead.  Blind.  The kid was blind.  He looked exactly like him though.  It was freaky to see my own son’s twin stand before me.  He looked to be around ten years old.  My own Brian was nine, his older brother eleven.  Busy, busy man.  We married a very busy man.  A very dead man who used to be busy anyhow.

As Laura spoke to her precious Brian I stared at the dog to keep my eyes from the photos of the two of them.  They had travelled a lot.  There shots of them on various yachts and mountains and holding beautiful wine glasses in beautiful restaurants.  She was living the life I had wanted, she stole it all from me and he let her. 

Brian was mumbling something about going to the neighbor’s to play and I couldn’t quite wrap my brain around how a blind kid was gonna play baseball, but whatever.  Good luck Brian.  I hope you have a nice aunty somewhere.

I slipped the gun from my pocket as Laura leaned over to fluff a pillow that didn’t need fluffing.  I raised it slowly, my lips curling into a smile as I did so.

She froze in place.  She didn’t say a word as I picked up the framed wedding photo.  “He was mine first.”

“I know.” 

“You know?  How long have you known?”

“About a year.  I divorced him.  You can have him.  I haven’t even seen him in two months.”

“He’s dead. I killed him.”

She nodded and in her crispy voice replied, “I’m glad.  I am.  Thank you.  Did you know we divorced or did you think we were still married?”

“Why do you have these photos still up then?”

“They remind me we were happy once.  If you put that gun down and leave my house I won’t call the cops.  You could just go.”

“Do you honestly think that a divorce matters?  A fucking piece of paper?  He loved you more!  Do you have any idea what that was like?  How many birthdays and holidays and school plays he skipped to be with you?  His west coast whore?!”

“I didn’t know!  I swear I didn’t know and when I found out, I left him! I promise!”

Fucking begging was only going to get worse.  The sound of the gun seemed like a movie sound effect.  The damage it did didn’t match its tiny wizzing.  Laura crumpled to the floor, the perfect white carpet was turning a brilliant shade of crimson.  As I walked slowly out the front door, I saw Brian outside watching the boys play ball.  His guide dog gazed at me with a cold stare I would come to remember so perfectly. 

One down.  Two more to go.