Nov 4 Flash Fiction Paranoia

 

Nov. 2 Paranoia it today's prompt.

“It’ll be fine if she doesn’t use it to control us.”

I was in a department store. Since I’m a serial eavesdropper, I couldn’t not help butlisten.

“How can a three-year old control you with a toy?” The woman looked annoyed or at least I thought the frown on her face meant she was annoyed.

“She can let the battery run down and get our attention,” the man said. He was about 40, dressed casually, but everything he wore was decorated with upscale logos. Combined with the women’s clothing, they screamed well-off.

“I doubt that,” the woman said.

“She’s done it before.”

“When.”

“When she deliberately fell of her trike and scratched her knee.”

“Seriously. It’s like Pete. He’s always undercutting me at work. Getting the boss’s attention. I told you last week how his presentation had four more slides than mine.”

“Did your boss count them?”

“Probably.”

The women took out her wallet and placed her charge card on the counter next to the toy. I couldn’t see what the toy was.

“And your mother will ruin our anniversary, by sleeping over,” the man said.

“She’s baby sitting and doesn’t want to drive home after we’ve come home.”

If there was anything such as a humphr, the man made it. “Only to ruin our alone time. She could have taken Katie to her house.”

“Getting her to the day care the next morning would be hard. My Mom lives 15 miles away. Katie’s day care is a block away.”

“And whose fault is that?”

The girl behind the counter took out the credit card machine and the woman tapped the card. The couple moved away. I wanted to run after them, get the woman aside and tell her to leave the man. I resisted.