Short Fiction - "I'm Not a Bad Person"

A few days ago I set out a writing prompt and asked for ideas. You all were great on providing some fun ideas and I slept on them for a few days and this is the rough draft I came up with. Sort of a fun thriller...leave some comments and let me know what can be improved on!

thanks!

Luve,
~Crystal

I’m Not a Bad Person

Usually you hear the story for the investigators, the people around town, or the news anchor with every hair in place and her perfect make-up and gorgeous clothes. Well this time, it’s my turn. Yes, I killed him let’s just get that out in the open right away. But you know what? Killing that cheating bastard doesn’t make me a bad person. I’m just assertive and I told him I wasn’t going to put up with his antics anymore. The police will never figure it out, so this is just between us. You had better not tell a soul, alright?

Did you see the red Porche parked in his driveway this morning? That might be my favorite part. The whole town figures the widow has a lover. In fact, until we met, you probably thought that was why he wanted a divorce, right? The younger woman couldn’t possibly have been in love with the overweight older man who mixed drinks for a living. She must have married him for his money; that’s what you thought, didn’t you?

Let’s get one thing straight. That expensive car in the driveway is titled to a dead man. The woman inside that house is crying her eyes out. She had no idea about the car, she couldn’t understand the divorce request, and she didn’t care a bit about how much money Phil had or didn’t have. I suppose that’s not a fun story to circulate about town, so you can keep speculating all you like, but I’m going to tell you the truth.

Phil and Gina were a little odd together. I knew it the first time I walked in to the dimly lit bar at the entrance to their restaurant. Gina didn’t know me, but Phil recognized me immediately. He never let on that we had once been more to one another than simple acquaintances. He had gained a fair share of weight, lost quite a bit of hair, but truth be told the restaurant looked better than it had in well…forever. I figured Gina was good for him although I wasn’t sure how those two ended up together.

I was told I had aged well. There were times recently I had even been carded for scotch. Phil and I were the same age and you would have guessed him to be Gina’s father instead of her lover and husband. She knew the ins and outs of the business and had given the joint a woman’s touch. It was cleaner and looked classier than I expected. The twinkle in Phil’s eye was enough to make my stomach do cartwheels, but he sure wasn’t much to look at anymore. Gina didn’t have much of a personality, but her body was decent. I guessed her at a size 9/10 with ample curves and just the right amount of cleavage peeking out from her uniform top.

I enjoyed watching them as I sipped my scotch and perused the menu. Phil was wearing the same get-up he always wore: white button up shirt, tie, and jeans without a belt, cheap shoes, and a green apron. He had long ago traded in his Rolex and gold necklace and wore a single piece of jewelry – I thick silver wedding band. He no longer moved swiftly behind the bar as he had in his younger years. He moved rather clumsily – Mother would have said he ambled around and I would have to agree. However, my drink was smooth and the smells emanating from the kitchen were undeniably delicious. I stayed the better part of the night, sitting alone at the bar just taking it all in.

My phone rang just moments after I left and I smirked knowing exactly who it was and what they wanted.

“You know I want a divorce, right?” said the flustered voice on the other end of the line.

I replied smugly: “You’ve been saying that for years” and put a gloved hand back on the steering wheel and headed into the busy section of downtown.

I took a drag of my cigarette enjoying his frustration.

“You know you’re not good enough for either one of us, don’t you?” I asked as I stopped in traffic waiting patiently behind a truckload of teenagers.

“Um…well I didn’t age as well as you did, but what do you mean either one of you?” he was fumbling his words and likely fumbling with those bottles as he ambled around like an ox behind the bar.

I shook my head and answered coyly “I just wanted to see how you were. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

Well I won’t get into the gory details, but we had once been lovers, you’ve probably figured that out. I tried everything to make Phil love me. The Porche? I bought it for him. The restaurant, yup – that too. No matter what I did, it was never enough. He was happy making love to me as long as no one knew. I had a hunch he hadn’t changed. Whether he had asked Gina for a divorce or not, I knew he was incapable of being faithful. It was apparent she loved him, and he probably told her everything she wanted to hear, but I knew he wasn’t capable.

The phone was ringing again and I answered without saying hello this time. I figured I’d let the bastard suffer in discomfort. He waited until he was certain I was on the line before asking if I’d meet him somewhere. I told him to meet me on Grandpa Road just on the outskirts of town. Of course he knew the place, he had taken me there on several occasions to do nothing more than satisfy his own needs and leave me feeling used and worthless.

I got there first and parked the Porche where it wasn’t noticeable and I hiked down toward the cliff overlooking the water. It wasn’t ten minutes later and Phil pulled up to me. We were feet from the edge of the cliff and the sound of the waves was soothing. He wasn’t sure why I was wearing the leather gloves when it was still pretty warm in Wisconsin, but he didn’t seem concerned enough to ask. I sat and we talked for quite some time before he tried to kiss me. I wouldn’t let him. Not that I didn’t want to kiss him goodbye, but I couldn’t afford to leave any trace evidence behind. I pushed him away gently and suggested we take a walk. That’s when I took off his apron acting as though I was going to seduce him and I used his own clothing as a weapon, tying his hands behind his back and his ankles together then stuffing his tie in his mouth to shut him up…for good this time…

It brought me great pleasure as I held the gun to his head and forced him back into his SUV. He fell a few times and had dirt and grass clinging to his face by the time I got him behind the wheel. His eyes were pleading with me but there was no mercy to be had. I’m not a bad person, just sick of the lies and deception. I deserved better and even though I didn’t know Gina, I figure she deserved better too. There he was, Mister awesome himself, naked and disgraced behind the wheel of his own vehicle. I couldn’t help but laugh. I reached across him teasing him a bit as if this was all a big joke and I was going to give him what he always wanted and that’s when I slipped the SUV into neutral. His eyes widened in fear as I shut the driver’s door and walked away.

It didn’t take much more than a tap on his bumper to push the vehicle over the edge. I don’t really know if he died on impact or if he drowned. I honestly don’t care. Two hours later, I drove to the grocery store in the Porche and used his debit card to buy a pizza and some Mountain Dew. I was hoping that would buy me some time. I never let the cameras see my face so as far as anyone was concerned, Phil had left the restaurant, stopped a few hours later for groceries, and he couldn’t possibly be in any danger.

When I left the grocery store I parked the Porche in the driveway of their house. The lights weren’t on so I knew Gina hadn’t been concerned. I knew it – Phil was up to his old tricks. He didn’t care that he had a young hot wife or two small children – I bet she went to bed alone most nights. Mama always said once a cheater, always a cheater.

So I guess now you know. That bastard isn’t missing and she didn’t kill him. It was all me. I was never good enough, but in the end, who wasn’t good enough?

…3 months later…

The joint still looked the same, but since I couldn’t get Gina out of my mind I just had to stay a while – I guess they say lots of killers return to the scene of the crime. I guess that makes me a killer “I’ll have scotch on the rocks please” I asked when Gina stopped over at the end of the bar.

“My pleasure” she answered and turned away. She turned back quickly and tilted her head “you look awful familiar, have you been here before?”

“Oh yes – a few months back. I get to town occasionally on business.” I answered and gave her a smile and a bit of a wink.

“Ah yes – that must be why it feels as if we know one another.” She walked back over and offered me her hand.

….and…

And the rest is history … that ample bosom and youthful long legs will never be taken for granted again. I am once again driving the Porche and spending time in the restaurant I paid for to begin with. The children are adjusting just fine to having a parent who appreciates them and treats their mother with the respect she deserves. See? I’m not a bad person … I only made sure someone got exactly what was coming to them. That two-timing good for nothing is out of the picture and it is my pleasure to make love to my wife. I don’t know how I could have thought I was in love with any man, much less THAT man. Since he was so ashamed of me all those years, I know I’ll never get caught. As far as anyone knows, I’m the good guy who came to town months after Phil’s death and I’m the sweetheart who is helping a widow rebuild her life and care for her family.