The Proposal (1st Place)

The smell of cheap perfume lingered in the air. Madeline, dressed in a low cut red dress, blew Bobby a kiss then disappeared around the corner. Bobby’s libido cranked up a few notches. The cigar smoke drifted into his nostrils and overpowered his olfactory system. He took a drag on the cigar in his hand, and blew the smoke at the ceiling. She’d have to wait.

"I know you're there, Jerod."

“Nice call, Bobby.” A voice from the corner replied.

Bobby twisted and rolled the cigar in his fingers. “You don’t think I’m going to give you the pleasure of knowing when you die.”

“What if I kill you first?”

“You know you’d be hunted down like a dog, and probably shot in the street. All the police will say is ‘It came out of nowhere.’”

“Look. You want Madeline. But she’s my sister.” Jerod stepped into the light, his brooding eyes trained on Bobby. A .45 handgun steadied in his left hand. “I’ve got to look out for her, and I can’t have her messing around with you.”

Bobby’s eyes rolled toward Jerod, and he smashed out the cigar. “I’m not a bad guy as long as you’re on my family’s side. You know you have a hit out on you. I can take it off you know.”

“Doesn’t matter. Those two goons you sent are dead.”

“Nicely done, but there will be more. I’ll make a deal. You kill someone for me, and I’ll give up Madeline.”

Jerod scratched his stubbled chin in contemplation. “Who?”

“Your father.”

“Madeline never knows about it?”

“Deal. Your hit will be off you tonight.”

Jerod backed out the door and left.

“Oh, she’ll know, Jerod. Madeline will run to my arms. My enemy will be dead, and so will you… in time.”


300 Words
Flash Story Must contain the line: "It came out of nowhere."