[2024 Wattys Shortlist]
Road trips are more fun with criminals, right?
Nisha Kapoor desperately wants to escape the rut she's in, but her dull surroundings do nothing to change that. She finds herself looking forward to hearing her neighbors fightin...
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A woman stood behind a wall, attempting to hide as the killer loomed nearby. The music was tense until-- silence. Pure, agonizing silence. My heart torpedoed in my chest. Will she make it? I gasped when the killer appeared almost out of thin air.
"Yeah, baby. You like that, huh?" A voice said above me, mistaking my curious gasp for one of pleasure.
I snapped back to reality, looking up at Steven's sweaty face as he put his all into what he was doing. I had been so caught up with the movie playing in the background that I forgot I was actually having sex with this guy. And possibly the most boring sex of my life.
"Oh yeah. It's amazing," I said in a flat voice, not feeling much happening down there. He paused, looking at me with a frown.
"Are you not into this?" He asked.
"What? Me? I'm totally into this," I lied, stealing glances at the TV. Steven followed my eyes and groaned. Not a satisfied groan but a deep, disappointed groan. He pulled out, stripping his condom off and into the trashcan adjacent to his nightstand.
"Are you seriously watching the movie? Is that why you're so distracted?" He asked, almost in a high-pitched whine. Did he always sound that way, or was I just starting to hate his voice now that I knew he was bad in bed?
"It's your fault for putting on something interesting. Everyone knows if you're going to invite someone to 'Netflix n' Chill', you need to put on something boring," I criticized, putting my underwear back on.
"Nisha... let's just forget this happened. I'll see you at work tomorrow," Steven sighed, avoiding eye contact with me.
I nodded and slipped back into the pair of jeans and tank top I showed up in. With an awkward goodbye, I made my way out of his apartment. The humid late spring air brushed against my face as I entered the quiet night, regret immediately flooding my senses.
Maybe I needed Jeannie to berate me some more for my bad choices. Obviously, the last million times didn't sink in as I continued to make them. But the selection of men in this town wasn't great, and Steven was the best-looking guy I had seen in a while. He started working at my company only four months ago, and I've already managed to make things awkward. Maybe I needed to shift the blame to him for being so dreadfully boring.
Immediately after entering my apartment, the muffled screaming of my neighbors came within earshot. I dropped my things as quickly as I could to take a seat on the sofa positioned perfectly in front of the wall they fought near the most. My two cats seemed to be nowhere in sight, possibly hiding from the relentless shouting. I pressed my ear against the wall, hoping I didn't miss any important plot points.
The man, who I assume to be the husband, was begging the woman not to leave him. She screamed at him, emphasizing how she needed to be free to pursue her dreams. Pursue her dreams to become a Pet Psychic. I stifled a laugh at hearing what her dream was, unsure if they would hear me laughing at a normal volume. After her grand declaration, she slammed the door behind her.
