Three time in
648 Words
Caitlin’s first day went well.
She was standing outside the office, waiting for her Uber, when suddenly a black Mercedes stopped in front of her.
A voice came from inside.
She looked and saw Raffelo in the car.
RAFFELO
“Hello, Miss Caitlin.”
CAITLIN
“Hello, Mr. Sohilyo.”
RAFFELO
“Do you need help? Or a ride?”
CAITLIN
“No, my Uber is coming.”
RAFFELO
“Not possible. Uber service is down because of the storm. Don’t you watch the news?”
CAITLIN
“I’m sorry, Mr. Sohilyo… I didn’t.”
She knew he was right. There was no way her Uber was coming, and she couldn’t walk all the way home.
After a moment of hesitation, she accepted his offer and sat in the car.
---
After five minutes of driving, Raffelo was scrolling through songs. Suddenly—or maybe intentionally—his hand brushed against her lap.
RAFFELO
“I’m sorry.”
CAITLIN
“It’s okay. No problem.”
They started talking—about likes, dislikes, small things. But it wasn’t just small talk. They both wanted to know more about each other.
It felt strange… like destiny.
They had met a year ago, thought they would never meet again—and now here they were.
Almost unreal.
---
RAFFELO
“You know, I actually like golf more than football. But I always try to act like a tough guy, so I pretend I like football. Funny, right?”
Caitlin smiled.
CAITLIN
“We all pretend. I always pretend I like The Notebook… but honestly, I prefer No Strings Attached.”
Raffelo suddenly grew quiet.
Then he stopped the car.
He held her hand gently.
RAFFELO
“I want to tell you something…”
Before he could continue, his phone rang.
It was his father.
He stepped out of the car to take the call privately.
---
Caitlin sat alone inside.
She couldn’t sit still. Her fingers tapped nervously on the dashboard.
Suddenly—
The dashboard compartment opened slightly.
And inside—
A gun.
Her breath stopped.
CAITLIN (whispering)
“A… gun?”
It wasn’t just fear.
It was something deeper.
Something connected to her past.
Her childhood.
Her hands started trembling.
Just then, she saw Raffelo walking back toward the car.
Quickly, she shut the dashboard and pretended nothing had happened.
---
Raffelo got back in.
He looked tense.
But Caitlin was even more shaken.
Now there was silence.
Before, they were laughing, sharing, connecting.
Now—
They felt like strangers again.
She just wanted to reach home as soon as possible.
And he wanted to drop her off quickly.
---
When they reached her place—
CAITLIN
“Good night.”
She didn’t wait for more.
She stepped out and left.
---
INT. APARTMENT — NIGHT
Alisa was in the kitchen, cooking dinner.
She loved cooking—and more than that, she loved feeding people.
The door opened.
Caitlin walked in.
She looked… off.
Alisa immediately noticed.
ALISA
“What happened, Caty? You don’t look okay.”
CAITLIN
“No… I’m fine.”
Alisa crossed her arms.
ALISA
“Do you want me to ask three times before you tell me?”
Caitlin stayed silent.
ALISA (softly)
What happened?
A pause.
Caitlin’s voice trembled.
CAITLIN
I saw a gun… in his car.
Alisa froze.
ALISA
What did you just say?
CAITLIN
A gun.
Alisa stepped closer, concerned.
ALISA
Oh no… that triggered you again, didn’t it?
Caitlin nodded.
Tears filled her eyes.
She hugged her tightly.
CAITLIN
Yes…
Alisa held her.
ALISA
It’s okay. You’ll be fine. If you want, you can quit the job. You don’t have to go back there.
Caitlin pulled back slowly.
CAITLIN
I thought about it… but I checked my contract.
She swallowed.
CAITLIN
I have to work for three months… otherwise, there’s a 10 million dollar penalty.
Alisa’s eyes widened.
ALISA
Oh my God…
- Writer
