2025-05-23 21:52:12
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Weekend Away
It was Friday. A lazy Friday. Roman had not gone to work, and neither had Annabel. It was already some minutes past 10 AM. Annabel was sitting on a counter in the kitchen and munching on a toast, while Roman was in the bedroom reading a book. Annabel didn’t notice anything unusual that morning until Roman walked into the kitchen with a folded envelope in his hand. He had an expression that was trying too hard to look casual. She was still in her pajamas, and halfway through her buttering toast.He leaned on the counter and cleared his throat like someone preparing a speech.“You’re being weird,” she said as she munched. “I’m being charming,” he corrected, then slid the envelope toward her plate. “Open it.”She narrowed her eyes, wiped her hands on a napkin, and carefully picked it up.There was a printed itinerary inside. It contained flights, a resort booking, and dinner reservations. And they were all under their names, all set for that very afternoon.“Roman,” she whispered, look
Nearly Caught
Lara Morell was not a very attractive woman. Maybe that was why she was timid, and kept to herself at work and even in the society at large. When Janice met her at the cafe the previous day, she did not look up at her, because, well, Janice intimidated her only by being present there. For Janice, this was good; all she needed to do was tell the reddening faced lady what she wanted. Today, Lara Morell sat in her usual chair near the back corner of the records room, surrounded by the familiar computers. It was nearly the end of the day, and the office had begun to get empty. Most people were more focused on checking out than on checking files. It was the best time to move unnoticed.Her desk looked exactly the same as it did every day — slightly scattered, unremarkable, and forgettable. She had worked hard to keep it that way. Blending in was a skill she had learned years ago, and today, more than ever, she needed it to serve her well.The flash drive Janice had given her was already t
Little Bribe
The living room was dim. It was lit only by the television screen emitting some light across the wall. Janice was curled on a corner of one of the couches, with one leg folded under her while the other one was stretched across the throw pillow in her front. She had a half finished glass of wine sitting on the table in front of her.The article had gone live that morning. It was quiet, just like she asked. The headline was tasteful; it was bold but not brash. The screenshot was edited carefully to look like it had come from someone’s inbox. Not her. Never her.And it was working, at least in part. The story had been picked up by two other blogs and reposted in smaller circles, with captions like, “What’s really going on behind closed doors?” and “Are love and business getting tangled again?” It was not a wildfire yet, but at least it was smoking. She watched now as one of those blogs was featured in a short segment on a business news show. They were talking about the document. It was
Asking Her
Roman looked up sharply. “No. She would never do such a thing.”“Alright, that's much better.”“Yeah.” Roman folded the paper again and set it on his desk. “But whoever did this… maybe they want me to wonder. It could be a plot to make me doubt Annabel.”Martin nodded. “It will soon be making its rounds. You should tell her before she sees it somewhere else.”Roman rubbed his forehead. “I’ll talk to her,” he said. “Tonight.”That evening, Roman walked into the apartment with a quiet sigh. Annabel was in the kitchen, humming softly as she was chopping vegetables.She looked up when he came in. “Hey, you’re home early.”He gave a small smile and leaned in to kiss her forehead. “Hey.”“Is everything alright? Was it good at work today?” she asked. She had paused her chopping.Roman looked at her, then back at the floor. “Yeah. Just a weird day.”She watched him for a moment longer, then turned back to the cutting board. “Dinner’s in like twenty minutes.”“Sounds good.”Roman walked into t
Blurry Blog
Martin was busy getting ready for work and going about his morning when he saw it. He poured hot water into his mug, and stood barefoot in the kitchen, as the scent of coffee filled the room. The house was quiet.His phone was on the counter, lighting up every few minutes with his usual morning notifications — group chats, weather updates, and the never-ending news alerts.He reached for a slice of bread and dropped it into the toaster. The pop of the switch felt loud in the stillness. A moment later, his dog ran in from the hallway, with his tail wagging excitedly.“Hey, Ellie,” he mumbled, scratching behind her ears.Martin leaned on the counter and picked up his phone, then unlocked it with a tired swipe.He wasn’t looking for anything in particular. He was just scrolling and checking the news out of habit. Business headlines, tech updates, a few entertainment pieces. Nothing unusual, until one article made him pause.It wasn’t from a major news outlet. It was only a mid-tier busi
Spikie
Annabel stood in front of the mirror. She was squinting at her reflection.“Roman,” she called from the bedroom, “is this too much for just going to a sandwich shop?”Roman’s voice came from the living room. “You could wear a bathrobe and they’d still give us free cookies.”“I’m serious!”He peeked around the corner, took one look at her and angled his head. “Okay. First, you look amazing. Second, what sandwich place are we going to where you’re trying to seduce the owner?”Annabel narrowed her eyes. “I don’t try to seduce people. I just exist.”Roman laughed and stepped in, then he brushed his hands across her waist. “Then I’ll be the guy standing next to you, existing harder.”“You’re ridiculous.”“And you’re beautiful.”She tried not to smile, but her face betrayed her. “Ugh. Stop saying things that make me forgive your nonsense.”He kissed her cheek. “Too late. You’re already soft.”Roman himself got ready and they left for the sandwich shop. The sandwich shop was small and tucke
Three call
Janice sat on her bed, with her phone in her hand. There was a folded towel on her lap, and the laundry she meant to put away was half-done.She stared at her phone for a few more seconds, then tapped Donald’s name and called him. It rang twice.“Jan,” his voice was low and scratchy, as though he had just woken up from a short nap.“Hey,” she said simply.“What's up, are you good?”“I’m fine. I need to talk to you about something.”There was a short pause. “Alright. What’s up?”“Can you loop Marren in?”Donald sighed. “Loop Marren in... are you planning something?”“No, I'm not planning yet, I'm still thinking.”“Thinking always leads somewhere with you.”“I’m calling him. Just hang on.”Janice added Marren to the call. The line clicked, and his voice came through. “Janice? Is everything okay?”“Yes. I want to run something by you two.”“Oh,” Marren muttered. “Is this about Roman again?”“Yes. And Annabel.”Donald exhaled. “Janice…”“Just hear me out.”“We tried already,” Marren said.
Back To Plotting
Janice's house was quiet. She stood by the kitchen sink to stare out of the window. She was busy rinsing a glass that was already clean. The weather outside was pale and dull too. She had been wearing her robe all morning.Her living room was neat in a way that came from someone cleaning things they didn’t care about just to feel like they were in control of something.Her television was off, her radio was off, and even her phone was lying untouched on the counter. This was one of those mornings where she didn’t want noise.She kept the glass down on the drying rack and dried her hands with slow movements. Her eyes went across the room like an inspector. Everything was in place. Everything was still.It had been weeks since Freya walked out, and Janice was still angry about it. She had put so much time into building Freya up, and shaping her into someone who could get close to Roman. It was supposed to be clean and simple. But no, Freya had decided to go soft. She started thinking for
Sweet
That night, they curled up on the couch with a blanket and an old movie playing on the television. Roman’s arm was around her, and Annabel's head was against his chest.She could feel his heartbeat and she liked it. They didn’t talk much. They just held each other and let the silence say everything. At one point, he kissed the top of her head.Annabel looked up at him. “Roman?”“Hmm?”“We should stay like this forever.”He looked down at her. “Of course we would stay like this.”She chuckled softly at his answer, then she tightened her hold on him. In that moment, the world outside could have disappeared, and none of them would have noticed.That evening, it started to rain. It was a soft outpour that just made the atmosphere a bit chilly and cozy. Roman and Annabel sat by the fireplace. They were sharing the last of the cookies that they had picked up from the bakery earlier. Their faces were glowing because of the fire from the fire place. Annabel held a half-cookie in her hand and
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