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Chapter 10.1
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Drawing Boundaries
The afternoon sun was hot on their faces.
Sweat trickled down their exposed foreheads, shins, and arms. Kitty couldn't catch a break. She started off running but wasn't used to it; she ended up jogging after him. The worst part was that he maintained his speed; the gap between them grew wider since she slowed down. John was halfway through the community gates to the suburbs.
Once in the suburbs, Kitty looked around; they ran past the complex where her apartment was. Using the building as a gauge, she scouted out Leah's house. She recalled what it looked like from the view from her balcony, and then she found it!
She mapped out the location in her head and started walking in the direction she drew in her mind. She was ignoring John, who ran straight without a clue where he was going. To Kitty, John was running to lose her; he had no idea where he was going or if he would reach Leah.
Kitty took matters i
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Rash Decisions "Now that bonehead is thoroughly stroked, on to phase two." They sat silently for a few minutes, normalizing their breathing. Mrs. Cameron was the first to move. She cupped her breasts and bent down to look for her scattered clothes. Leah could see John finish drinking the few sips in his water bottle on her peripherals and leave it on a door-mounted cupholder in the backseat. She smiled to herself and continued to change. John followed after her. When they were fully dressed, John began detaching the suctioned window shades while Leah sprayed pine-scented Lysol on the seats. After that, the two returned to the chairs in front. It was as if nothing had happened. Leah made a u-turn around the convenience store to the filling station in front of it. Both parties were silent; Leah discreetly watched John in her peripherals while she shut off the air conditioning and rolled down her window to light a menthol cig. He was in search of something. His gaze was elsewhere out
The Games We Play Chapter 11.1
Gently Slipping It's 6:50 pm, an hour early. She rolled her neck, stuffing her uniform in a backpack in a designated locker labeled C in the dressing room. Her black heels followed after the bag. Out of uniform, she rolled off her underwear and went to the adjacent room for a long soak. The steam was heavy in the lit communal shower room. Inside was nearly empty since everyone's shift was two hours away. She was there with four, maybe five other ladies. There wasn't anyone she recognized, so she kept to herself. Two were talking; one just got in a stall while the other was about to leave utterly naked with just a towel. She took the stall further from the door. She dropped her bath basket, hooked the towel beside the showerhead, and made the water run. Frigid, hard tap water met her face and chest, gradually running all over her slim body, leaving gooseflesh everywhere. It brought her alive. Feeling completely soaked, she turned one of the shower knobs inward. Steaming hot
The Games We Play Chapter 11.2
Hesitant Dive Kitty opened her eyes. It was morning again. The day started like the ones that came before; Kenneth left for work, and she did hours later. Absentmindedly she made her way through the day being somewhere else. Kitty was aware of what her body was doing but not her mind. In this state, she fixed the house and cleaned herself before heading for the grocery store. The day went faster than she would admit. At the store, Kitty was aisle stocking canned pineapples and mixed fruit with a teenage part-timer. The pair were in two different worlds; the boy seemed preoccupied whistling the songs playing on his AirPods, and she once again found herself thinking about Leah at work. Since the random episodes with her befriended blackmailer, Leah, the time after their parting seemed dull. She felt a growing empathy for the older lady, knowing her unhappiness made her resort to infidelity. "Maybe Leah felt the same dullness before her rendezvous," Kitty thought. Given the changes
The Games We Play Chapter 11.3
Petting Doe It was 3:30 at noon. Kitty had just clocked out of work. The shift was light; it was in the morning. There, customers were abundant and became fewer at noon. She was on her way to the address Leah had sent her. Luck for Kitty, the said shop was a few corners away from the supermarket where she worked. It took a brisk walk, twenty minutes or so, between pedestrian lanes. At noon the side walkways were seldom empty; Kitty found solace moving with several other strangers going their separate directions and paces. She found comfort from the sound of flat, pointed soles and heels tapping on cement-panted roads. Kitty and all the random people walking could hear the low hum of engines and smell the faint scent of rubber and gas blending with the wind. After following the address, Kitty found herself in front of a cake shop. It looked like an establishment from a vintage movie, but she couldn't pinpoint from where. It was a rectangular standalone shop that seemed to mimic a
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Party Favors Kitty was alone that evening. As soon as she got back from Leah's, Ken texted her. Kitty already anticipated it to be about working overtime. At six, his message came in a little earlier than his usual "I'm headed home" on her notification bar. Usually, she would order takeout Chinese food and watch a raunchy romance movie in front of the couch, but she didn't feel like it today. Her head and body were working separately tonight. Instead, Katherine's hands used the extra pasta sauce in the chill tray and made herself some mac and cheese. "It would help if you were charming." Her head was thinking about the afternoon. Kitty's ideologies and her friendship with Leah were opposing. Even if she told herself that she was self-aware of what happened earlier, Kitty couldn't bring herself to open up. She couldn't tell a soul about the afternoon with a man that wasn't her husband, not even to that man's sister. "Those green eyes," she muttered to herself. Kitty nearly jumped
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Under His Nose "No." "Oh no." "Oh fudge, no!" “You’ve got to be kidding me!” "Think, Kitty, think." Mrs. Lewis stood stiff as a rock. Standing there for a moment, stuck in her internal turmoil, Kitty knew what she needed to do but still figured out the timing. She was also glad John stopped ringing the doorbell. Kitty didn't want to seem rude to Paul; she had just met him and didn't want to make a wrong first impression. If today were only yesterday, Kitty would have barged out the front gate and given John-crazed-stalker-Evans a piece of her mind, but they have people over from Paul's work. Now Kitty was left to think of an excuse to leave abruptly. Kitty was also hoping that Leah would notice too and excuse her, but she was a few feet away in the kitchen. "Kitty, was it?" Kitty jumped after hearing Paul's unexpectedly deep voice. He stood behind her. On instinct, she locked her elbows, turned to face him, and politely smiled. "Yes?" "You enjoying yourself? You look tense.
The Games We Play Chapter 14
The Reasons Ding~ The automated bell chimed in the metallic elevator box, and the steel doors opened right after. Keanu dropped the call. He knew well enough to behave while still on the clock. Hopefully, Mrs. Lewis’s number is filed in a throw-away sim if things don’t go according to plan. The phone still on hand, CEO West walked to Sec. Lee’s desk. A warm empty mug sat beside a cleared desk. The blond woman had word docs open on her screen, typing away her boss’s schedule for the next day. The day would have been longer if she had been alone. Luckily tasks were divided, leaving her to take care of half the paperwork. Ms. Lee had her day sorted out. All that remained was the CEO’s schedule. The said schedule has almost ready for printing. When Dina glanced up, she found CEO West walking toward her station. He stopped right in front of her. Dina saved the docs before turning to face him. Based on the time on her screen, the meeting didn’t go so well. If it did, Mr. West wouldn’t b
The Games We Play Chapter 15.1
Deceitful Indulgence Patrick Sylas loosely jotted something down. He wasn’t sure if it was gibberish or if he was writing what he saw. Whatever he scribbled, it was beyond the purpose of their meeting. Editor Sylas glanced down, his dark brows furrowed. He managed to write something coherent. Annoyed, he ripped the page clean off and folded it twice. Pat stuffed it in between random areas to forget about it. He was lucky. The staff seated in front and on his side were too busy to watch his movements. The mood changed after their meal. Sylas sat cross-legged at the end of the bench. Every staff member was busy brainstorming to the right and in front of the connected bars near him. Each head seemed caught in an individual bubble, all except him. He wasn’t sure if Cameron told them to continue without him, but everyone was engaged. It seemed convenient. No one cocked their heads up to see the three persons inside. Patrick was alone, observing discreetly. A scene played out between Mr
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It Felt Right Kitty felt anxious. Since returning to the unit from Leah's, the pressure had been eating Kitty. She made it clear, in her head, that she didn't like to be on the receiving end. The idea made her angry, impatient, and itching. Breathing was difficult. "...I need to talk about this, but when and with whom?" The sun sunk. Kitty made it back in time to prepare dinner. Chicken soup, for her confusion, was appealing-so she went to make it. She found some elbows, boiled and strained them by the sink. Seasoned chicken breasts were swimming in tomato paste in the saucepan while Kitty severed the vegetables and individually tossed them in. Slowly her anxiety backed up but was still present in her shaky hands. Trembling hands caress and firmly hold the shaved potatoes- dicing them in fours. The knife kissing the wooden chopping board sounded like a donkey walking on smooth gravel. ~Chop. Chop. Chop. Chop. When Kitty was satisfied with the size, she immediately tossed the
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In Her Hands Now ~ Ring, Ring, Ring. ~ Ring, Ring, Ring. ~ Ring, Ring, Ring. The dial rang thrice before he answered the phone. Leah felt relieved. She's been Pat's attention for days now. Leah Cameron wasn't too dense to know Patrick Sylas was ignoring her. "Hello, handsome. How've you been?" Leah said coyly. "I'm getting tired of your shit, Leah." He spat. She could tell it was a right to piss him off. "Why, aren't you tired of making me your boy toy yet?" Patrick said. He sat in his seat, typing, swamped with research and raw articles to correct. Her timing always pissed him off. "Ouch! What made you say that?" Leah pretended to be hurt. "I see nothing wrong about calling the man I love at 8 in the morning." "I don't know about you, but I think you shouldn't be hitting on your husband's subordinates," Patrick spat sarcastically. "So much for love." "Boo, you're no fun anymore, Patty," Leah played. "What if I want his subordinate more, hmm?" He said nothing. "You
The Games We Play Chapter 17
Creeping Division As days passed-a void grew between Mr. and Mrs. Lewis in their tiny apartment. It had been a week since Kitty’s mother-in-law told her Ken's secret, and all of Kitty's initiatives were rendered fruitless. At first, she tried opening the topic, which failed, but now, Ken was resistant whenever she expressed her affection. It was pointless talking or hinting alone; her husband kept changing the subject. Kenneth got out of the bath. He stood by the doorway with his pajama pants on, wiping the back of his neck with his towel. "The shower's all yours, dear," Ken said dryly. To Kitty, it did not look like he wanted to talk. Kitty smiled and stood up. Just as she walked past him, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Ken's lip curled up slightly. He didn't flinch or resist but took it as a habit. Her heart stung slightly but hid it from him. She expected his kiss, but Ken didn't kiss back. Not seeing the response she wanted, Kitty left for the bathroom. With a towel in
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Twisting Morals “Last night, Secretary Lewis mailed me his concerns.” West sat behind his desk. His big hands cradled a thick cobalt tri-ring binder, the “Employee Ethics Code” from HR archives. Over the grapevine, Lee heard that the mere sight of said binder meant instant termination. She never imagined the day she'd be in a situation like where she was now—seeing that damn thing now. Let alone being judged. Dina did not recall bringing the folder up from the archives floor. West must have sent Lewis. “Fuck,” Lee thought. “I carried over the request to the utility. As of this morning, your desks are now permanently facing.” Secretary Lee felt confused. CEO West did not look as angry as he expressed on the phone earlier. His relaxed angled brows on his handsome face. However, his emerald eyes scanned, stabbing daggers, not towards Dina but through the folder in his hands. He was reviewing the printed text. West's face was complexly cold and stern, yet Dina swore she could
The Games We Play Chapter 16.1
Starts and Ending It was thirty minutes before seven, decent. Leah Cameron twisted the key, offing the engine. She was waiting. Even though she stayed a few houses away from Sylas’s apartment, Leah had to ensure no one saw her. Mrs. Cameron’s been to his place before; she's been there before, but not this early. She had to be careful. The apartment where he stayed was in an active community. Who knows if someone she knew lives in the area? It doesn’t hurt to be cautious. The joggers and dog-walkers were already running laps around the streets before returning home to prepare for work. Leah had her car blend in among the others, sleeping. Right after Paul left the house, Leah scrambled upstairs to get ready. Meticulous, she had the outfit planned for another surprise visit. She even packed food for Pat’s fridge. Subsequently reading the note, Leah's thoughts of Patrick Sylas amplified. She was tickled pink. None of her previous hookups made her feel that. She isn’t the type to bea
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Suspicious Thoughts The water stopped. “Why was there a receipt in your archives for revealing underwear?” Paul remembered his tone was aggressive. “I wanted to do something special, but I know how tiring managing Spice can get,” Leah whimpered, lips trembling slightly. “I never got to do it -That’s why I’m sorry I hid it from you, dear.” “You could have told me sooner, love. I’ve been dying to free my schedule,” Paul recalled saying. He was analyzing their conversation in the kitchen minutes ago. Leah, her tone was honest but hid her eyes while in his embrace. His manhood wouldn’t allow it. “Tsk, who is she fooling?” Paul closed his eyes, preventing clear water from getting in. Rubbing both eyes with one hand, he wiped his face, letting the trickles fall on the wet tiles. He finished showering, yet he can't move on from yesterday and this morning’s incidents. He opened the shower's glass door and grabbed his towel from the nearby rack. He proceeded to dry himself on the spot.
The Games We Play Chapter 15.1
Deceitful Indulgence Patrick Sylas loosely jotted something down. He wasn’t sure if it was gibberish or if he was writing what he saw. Whatever he scribbled, it was beyond the purpose of their meeting. Editor Sylas glanced down, his dark brows furrowed. He managed to write something coherent. Annoyed, he ripped the page clean off and folded it twice. Pat stuffed it in between random areas to forget about it. He was lucky. The staff seated in front and on his side were too busy to watch his movements. The mood changed after their meal. Sylas sat cross-legged at the end of the bench. Every staff member was busy brainstorming to the right and in front of the connected bars near him. Each head seemed caught in an individual bubble, all except him. He wasn’t sure if Cameron told them to continue without him, but everyone was engaged. It seemed convenient. No one cocked their heads up to see the three persons inside. Patrick was alone, observing discreetly. A scene played out between Mr
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The Reasons Ding~ The automated bell chimed in the metallic elevator box, and the steel doors opened right after. Keanu dropped the call. He knew well enough to behave while still on the clock. Hopefully, Mrs. Lewis’s number is filed in a throw-away sim if things don’t go according to plan. The phone still on hand, CEO West walked to Sec. Lee’s desk. A warm empty mug sat beside a cleared desk. The blond woman had word docs open on her screen, typing away her boss’s schedule for the next day. The day would have been longer if she had been alone. Luckily tasks were divided, leaving her to take care of half the paperwork. Ms. Lee had her day sorted out. All that remained was the CEO’s schedule. The said schedule has almost ready for printing. When Dina glanced up, she found CEO West walking toward her station. He stopped right in front of her. Dina saved the docs before turning to face him. Based on the time on her screen, the meeting didn’t go so well. If it did, Mr. West wouldn’t b
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Under His Nose "No." "Oh no." "Oh fudge, no!" “You’ve got to be kidding me!” "Think, Kitty, think." Mrs. Lewis stood stiff as a rock. Standing there for a moment, stuck in her internal turmoil, Kitty knew what she needed to do but still figured out the timing. She was also glad John stopped ringing the doorbell. Kitty didn't want to seem rude to Paul; she had just met him and didn't want to make a wrong first impression. If today were only yesterday, Kitty would have barged out the front gate and given John-crazed-stalker-Evans a piece of her mind, but they have people over from Paul's work. Now Kitty was left to think of an excuse to leave abruptly. Kitty was also hoping that Leah would notice too and excuse her, but she was a few feet away in the kitchen. "Kitty, was it?" Kitty jumped after hearing Paul's unexpectedly deep voice. He stood behind her. On instinct, she locked her elbows, turned to face him, and politely smiled. "Yes?" "You enjoying yourself? You look tense.
