Jillian Chantal

This week’s word is stuffed. I’m sure most of you think that since it’s Thanksgiving week that I would use this word prompt as it relates to a full belly or a bread recipe to be stuffed in a bird’s cavity, but no, I tried to be more clever than that. Let me know if I succeeded.  This is my Valentine’s Day story I’m still working on.

Be sure to check out the other tales here.

Startled by a noise behind her, Mattie jumped and spun around. Kevin Stevenson stood there.

“What do you want? Isn’t it enough you embarrassed me inside as well as years ago? Must you stalk me out here?”

“May I have five minutes of your time?”

“Why should I give you even one minute?”

“Look, I want to talk to you for a brief moment of your life. You can go right back to hating me when I finish. How’s that for a deal? Less than five minutes and you still have a lifetime left to resent me some more.”

He had a point. What could it hurt to let him say his words and then be gone forever? She crossed her arms to try to warm up some. “Okay. Clock’s ticking.”

“You’re obviously freezing. Can’t we go back inside?”

“No. I’ve called a cab. I need to be out here when it arrives.” Mattie wasn’t sure she could control her body spasms for the next few minutes but no way was she going to give him the satisfaction of caving in and admitting she was stupid to be standing outside in the subzero temperatures, coat or no coat. Wishing she had a scarf and some mittens, she nodded her encouragement for him to continue. “What did you have to say?”

He must have been freezing himself as he stuffed his hands deep in his trouser pockets. Mattie noticed he hadn’t even stopped for his overcoat. The tuxedo jacket couldn’t be providing much warmth but she couldn’t bring herself to tell him they could go inside. Inside was an audience. One who would be avid to hear what they were saying.

“It really is brutal out here. Can’t we go in?” Kevin was shivering noticeably.

Her normally frozen heart when it came to him thawed a little. She really wasn’t cruel enough to watch him freeze to death no matter what he’d done.