Revenge

Author's note: This piece won the 11/05/06 "Dialog 500" Contest (the piece must be strictly dialog). Word Count: 467

The following prompt was given:

Everyone has gathered for the Thanksgiving feast, but from out of nowhere your ex shows up to join you and the family. What do you say?

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"Samantha! What on earth are you doing here?"

"Happy Thanksgiving to you too. Your dad invited me, actually."

"What are you talking about? You don't even know my dad's name."

"I do now. Jeremiah. He ate lunch at the restaurant last Tuesday."

"Oh sure, and I had dinner with Donald Trump on Friday. Come on."

"Turns out your dad really likes to talk. By the time I served him dessert I knew his whole life story."

"Samantha..."

"He couldn't stop bragging on his brilliant son Eric Rogers, editor for the New York Times."

"Crap...I don't believe this. Did you tell him about us?"

"Don't interrupt. This is the best part. Next he opens his wallet, right? And out comes a picture of you and your lovely fiancee."

"Oh Lord..."

"Now I know why you never introduced me to your family."

"I'm sorry, Sam. I screwed up. I broke it off with you because Megan deserves better."

"And I don't? You told me you were single, Eric. You lied to my face. Then you dumped me last month with no explanation. I deserve way better."

"You're absolutely right. So let it go and move on."

"You know, your dad felt terrible when he found out I had no place to go for Thanksgiving. He was such a sweetheart to ask me over."

"Leave my family out of this!"

"I still can't believe he is the Jeremiah Rogers. Big shot lawyer on Fifth Avenue. I bet he bought you the Bentley, huh?"

"You hate me. That's fair enough. But this isn't accomplishing anything."

"Actually it is. Here's the deal. Nobody knows about us right now, but that can change. See this?"

"You have got to be kidding. Blackmail?"

"I love cell phone cameras. It's a cute shot of us, don't you think?"

"Oh I get it. This is your twisted plan for revenge."

"Not twisted. Smart. What's the Bentley worth, forty thou? Fifty?"

"You can't be serious."

"Over dinner, I am going to give a sob story about how my car died last week. Too expensive to fix. Don't know what to do. Yada, yada."

"I don't believe this. You're insane."

"You're going to feel very generous and offer to give me the Bentley. At first I'll turn you down. After all, I don't even know you. But of course you will insist. After a few minutes, I'll give in and accept with heartfelt gratitude."

"Move over Meryl Streep."

"If it goes without a hitch, you keep the cell phone, I drive off with the Bentley, and we never see each other again."

"And if it doesn't, you make a scene, show the picture, and ruin my life."

"Bingo."

"Fine. Fine, Sam. You win."

"Of course. Look, it's getting cold out here. Aren't you going to let me inside?"