Wrong Guy

by Rohan Parekh

You can never be too careful if you’re a single father. My daughter’s beautiful, charming and 19-years-old. She’s old enough to date and she has good taste most of the time but her current boyfriend, Travis, is trash. He’s always getting into trouble.

They’re in the back of his car making out in front of my apartment building, I can see them through my binoculars from the 11th floor. He was supposed to drop her home 15 minutes ago but their goodbye kiss is taking forever.

I decide to go out there to speed things up.

I tap on the car window and they pull away from each other. Travis rolls down the window.

“It isn’t safe out here at night.” I say.

“Sorry dad.” My daughter replies. “I was just coming inside.”

“Sorry sir.” Travis says insincerely.

“Let me tell you a little story.” I begin. “When I was your age I was making out with a girl in my car in this neighbourhood at night. Just like you two. My girlfriend and I were about to rip each other’s clothes off when someone showed up with a gun. We had to give him all our money. You don’t want that to happen to you do you?”

“Did that really happen?” My daughter asks.

“Of course. Now go upstairs, I want to talk to Travis. Man to man.” I reply.

“Good luck.” She smiles at Travis.

My daughter leaves and it’s just me and Travis.

“I didn’t finish the whole story.” I say. “After my girlfriend and I gave our money to that guy, he left. But I followed him. And then at the right moment I hit him on the back of his head. I took back the money and took his gun too. I told him I’d use the gun on him if I ever saw him again.”

I pull a gun out of my jacket. Travis is horrified.

“I’ve never fired it and I hope you don’t give me a reason to use it.” I smile.

“Yes, sir.” Travis’s voice trembles. “I swear I won’t.”

Travis drives away.

That very night he breaks up with my daughter over text.