Free A Woman Lost by T. B. Markinson

They wanted to redo their bedroom.” Maddie paused and waved her hand in the air. “But that’s beside the point. I was sitting there in their home, discussing their needs, when all of a sudden I felt something. You know when you start to get diarrhea you get a sharp pain in your stomach. Well, I got this cramp. I tried to push it out of my head and focus on the conversation. I started to fidget in my chair.
    “So there I am, trying to wrap the meeting up as soon as possible. But the husband kept going on and on about how he doesn’t want a really feminine room. The entire time, I’m trying to hold it in.
    “Then, I just couldn’t hold it in anymore. I had to ask them if I could use their bathroom. I walked as fast as I could down the hallway‌—‌without looking like I was about to shit myself. When I sat on the toilet, I exploded. Seriously, I couldn’t believe how fast it shot out of my ass. And I’m sitting there hoping they couldn’t hear me. But I could feel I wasn’t done, so I flushed the toilet, so I wouldn’t clog it. And then I braced myself for round two.
    “That’s when I noticed the toilet didn’t flush completely. I started to panic. How in the world can I go out there and tell them that I had the shits and I clogged their toilet? I thought . So, I jumped up and saw that there was a plunger. Picture this: I’m standing there with my pants around my ankles, plunging like a mad woman, squeezing my ass cheeks so I wouldn’t shit myself.
    “And then I sensed I wasn’t alone. I looked over my shoulder and saw that the blind was up and the window was open. Their neighbor was watching me with his mouth open. You better order a coffin.”
    “What?”
    “I’m gonna die from embarrassment.”
    I smiled, “Could he hear you?”
    “Oh, Lizzie, I don’t even want to think about that.” She shook her head and laughed. “I was completely mortified.”
    She laughed so hard she squeezed out a fart.
    “Did you just break wind?” I asked, floored.
    “Break wind!” She roared with laughter.
    Trying to recover my composure, I said, “Careful. You might do it again.”
    Maddie had started to pop in more and more at my office. I was only too eager to set aside my work to be entertained by her. Afterward, we wandered over to the Lory Student Center and grabbed a bite to eat.
    I couldn’t help but think that she was coming up with reasons to see me. I would never tell that story to anyone. Maybe I would tell Ethan. Maddie’s carefree attitude drew me in. No one in my family would admit to that story. I was learning how much she trusted me with her secrets.
    * * *
    I let out a sigh when I heard the phone ring. There was only one person I knew who would call at this hour. I rolled over in bed and picked up the phone. “You are aware of the time?”
    “Good morning to you, little sis.” He sounded cheerful, but in a condescending way. “It must be nice to be a student. I’ve been up for hours working.”
    I looked at the clock. It was six in the morning. Peter had always been a liar.
    “To what do I owe this wake-up call?”
    “Maddie and I would like to invite you and‌—‌I’m sorry, I don’t know your girlfriend’s name‌—‌to dinner tonight. What do you say, can you make it?”
    “Well, I can. I’ll have to ask Sarah.”
    “Put her on the phone. I know I can convince her.”
    I could almost see his sleazy smile. “She’s in the shower. Don’t worry, I’ll ask her.”
    “All right, my address is 1648 Quentin Road. Mapquest it. Be here at 7 p.m., Elizabeth. I gotta go. I’m getting another call.”
    I didn’t bother saying goodbye, since I knew he had already hung up. I stared at the bathroom door. Should I invite Sarah? The last two times I hadn’t, she’d flipped out. If I got caught again, it would be over for sure. But did I want her to go?
    She walked into the bedroom, drying her hair with a towel. “Did I hear the phone?”
    I laughed. Sometimes I thought she had