PenWomanShip

'You're a cow, you know that?' I said.

'How dare you,' she snapped back.

'No! How dare you embarrass me yet again.'

'Me,' she screamed outraged. 'It was you doing the flirting.'

'I was not flirting with her.' I said, through clenched teeth.

'That's not what it looked like to me!' Sally yelled.

'Well, I wasn't and that's all there is to it,' I said, trying hard to control my anger.

'No, it's not it,' she screamed, her voice reaching an all time high, 'not it at all.'

'Oh, for Christ sake, just shut up, will you.'

Here we go again. Every single bloody time we go out, the same thing happens. She's driving me insane. If she keeps this up I might as well just go out and do it.

'Are you listening to me? Henry, are you listening to me?' she nagged.

'How can I not! The whole pub can hear you. You never bloody shut up. I'm sick of it. Do you hear me?'

I pushed past her and headed for the bar, ordering a double scotch, but before I even got it to my lips, she was back making another scene.

I slammed the money on the counter and stormed out. I could hear her screaming after me. Everyone turned and stared. Didn't she have any self- respect? Carrying on like that in public.

I jumped into the car, slammed it in reverse and backed out with the tyres burning rubber. Then, as I went to put it into first gear there she was; standing right in front of the car.

Oh, God! Did I want to ram it into her? I wanted to put it into first, floor it, knock her onto the bonnet, have her roll over the top and land in a heap on the road. Then I would reverse over her just to make sure she was dead.

My knuckles were white as my hands gripped the steering wheel. I stared at her full of rage, my jaw set stiff with anger, my heart pumping madly in my chest, my breathing laboured. It would be so easy. Straight into first, foot to the floor and just go baby go.

I revved the accelerator and pushed my left foot on the clutch all the way in. I noticed the smug look on her face. She had both hands on the bonnet. Staring at me, hoping I'd break first.

Easing off the clutch, I inched the car forward. Her eyes flew down towards the bonnet, then up at me. She took a step back but didn't remove her hands. I moved forward, just an inch. I was beginning to enjoy this.

People had come out of the bar. The street was quiet except for the revving of my engine. I heard someone call out to her but she didn't respond. It was a game of chicken now. She had the crowd on her side. She was daring me, daring me to run her over.

God, the temptation was great. It took all my will power not to plant the foot. We stared at each other, each with our own thoughts. I knew what I was thinking, but I wondered about her.

I saw her mouth, 'come on, I dare you', and felt the veins in my neck throb in time with my pulse. My body was rigid. Perspiration formed on my top lip. I was trying not to give in to my natural instinct. I clenched the wheel tighter.

She smirked as I stared back. The muscles in my cheek twitch. My teeth ached. My whole body was tense, ready to snap like a spring in a trap, waiting for the kill.

I did the only thing I could do under the circumstances. Without looking down, I carefully changed gears and put the car back into reverse, never taking my eyes off her. Then, I floored it.

The look on her face just before she hit the road was priceless. As I steered the car in the right direction, I glanced into the rear view mirror, and saw her sprawled on the ground. Perfect! Her hands would be bloody, her stockings laddered. Hopefully her face would be marked, having taken some of the impact when she fell.

With my hand on the horn and the window wide open, I laughed loudly as I roared down the road.