Writer's Block: A Bite-Size Thriller | ✔️

3

The unsettling note, Colin's passport, and the book about Mexico plagued Matilda while she finished the laundry and shopped for groceries in the next town over. If she told her husband what she'd found he may accuse her of snooping. Which, of course, she had been—but purely by accident.

If only she could confide in her mother, maybe they could work through the possible explanations of why her husband might own such items.

But that option wasn't feasible. Mother prided herself on being a good judge of character, and Matilda couldn't bear to hear another "I told you so." Bringing the matter to her circle of persnickety friends was also out of the question. They were already stunned Matilda had landed such a man, and the thought of them gloating behind her back—as jealous women often do—did not sit well with her.

She'd just have to lay low and pay careful attention to Colin's behavior. Perhaps that would give her a clue as to where his thoughts might lie.

When she finally arrived home after an afternoon of errands, Colin met her at the front door, showered and well-coiffed.

"What's the occasion?" Matilda asked, handing over a bag of groceries.

"I'd like to take my beauty out for a nice dinner." He flashed a mischievous smile. "Why don't you get showered up? I'll take care of the groceries."

Several moments later, Matilda stood in the master bath, a plush beige towel fastened around her considerable chest. As she leaned against the gleaming white counter-top and stared into the walnut-framed mirror, shame swelled in her throat. The only thing Colin Bloom was guilty of was trying to keep her happy. How could she have ever doubted the man she loved?

Squelching her remorse, she turned to the tub and stopped short. Funny. It was bone dry, even though Colin had clearly cleaned himself up. Reaching down, she adjusted the knobs on the shower, careful to get the hot and cold temperatures just right, and a razor-sharp jolt threw her back. Matilda stumbled and fell bottom-first onto the tile.

She let out a mighty scream.

Rushing through the door, her husband stooped over top of her, a concerned expression fixed to his handsome face. "My beauty! Are you all right?" With the tenderness of a caregiver attending to a small child, Colin guided Matilda to her feet.

Matilda held trembling hands before her, still tingly and numb. "I—I don't understand what happened," she stammered. "When I went to turn on the water, I received a huge shock! It tossed me to the floor like a rag doll. What do you think it was?"

Colin scratched his head. "I'm not sure. Probably just a buildup of static electricity."

"But that's never happened before! And I've been showering for the past 34 years."

"Only not in this house," he gently reminded her. "Sometimes older structures have unexplainable quirks." He brushed a wisp of dark hair from his forehead then lovingly cupped her chin in his palm. "You'll feel better once you're all cleaned up."

But would she? Matilda wasn't so sure.

"Those eyes," he said smoothly, fixing his intense gaze on her. "They're more magnificent than a thousand emeralds." He parked a tender kiss on the very tip of her nose. "Why don't you shower in the guest bathroom tonight? I'll take a look at this tomorrow. Okay, my beauty?"

Matilda glanced back at the tub and nodded, but a ribbon of unease still uncoiled in her gut.