CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Visit waxpoetryart.com to explore poetry
(including haiku
and spoken word),
visual art,
photography,
play,
and fiction
submission opportunities.
Experience the thrills of the Weekly Poems Contest.
--
January 15th, 2026
by Kenna McHugh
Characters: FELIX is in his late thirties. He loves to entertain and cook because it helps him control the whatever the situation. CINDY is in her early thirties. She seems shy but don't let that fool you. KEVIN is in his late thirties. His actions speak louder than his words. He has trust issues. JACOB is in his early forties. He's a criminal at heart but still has a conscious. Scene: FELIX is prepping snacks in his kitchen. His friends will arrive shortly. (FELIX looks at his phone and sees that his guests will arrive any moment. He hums nervously. A knock at the door, his heart races as he hurries to the answer door. Pauses. Takes a breath, and opens the door. CINDY apprehensively stands at the threshold holding her purse.) FELIX Come in. CINDY Well... FELIX In! (CINDY enters and nervously smiles.) FELIX Something to drink? Wine, beer? (Shakes her head. With the door still open, KEVIN crosses the threshold. He looks around and is clearly frustrated.) FELIX KEVIN! (FELIX closes the door.) FELIX Would you like anything to drink? KEVIN Not sure. FELIX (nervously) Of course, of course, I have beer, wine, water, nothing hard. KEVIN Water. CINDY The same. (KEVIN and CINDY look at each other and then look away. FELIX goes to his kitchen and pours the waters.) KEVIN Is this going to be some Agatha Christie who done it? CINDY (squeaks) Really!? FELIX I've arranged for you guys, or you two to be here before Jacob arrives. (He hands KEVIN and CINDY their glasses of water.) FELIX (con't) I have evidence that Jacob has sold our technology. I'm guessing to one of our competitors. CINDY Really!? My Jacob! Excuse me. He's not really "my Jacob." It's just that we've have a lot in common. KEVIN I know. You can't imagine how such a wonderful guy could steal from his friends, business partners. (He places his glass on the coffee table.) CINDY He puts down his glass. (clears her throat and puts her glass down, too. Then says to KEVIN) Come now, we all know you've cheated on your hotel expenditures and mileage. FELIX Cindy, that doesn't compare to what Jacob has done. It's illegal . KEVIN He's destroyed our start up. Took our hard work. Now we have nothing. It doesn't compare to hotel expenditures or mileage. CINDY (squeaks) You're just jealous, Kevin. You've never forgiven me or Jacob. I chose him. That's not a crime. FELIX Cindy, Jacob stole our idea. Stole our technology. He broke the law. KEVIN Committed a crime. CINDY I know, I know. (cries) I helped him. I mean, he just got me going one time. It all seemed so believable, acceptable, explainable. KEVIN Damn you. I knew it. (to FELIX) I told you. He couldn't have done it alone. (to CINDY) I warned you about him. CINDY Then, why did you let him in our company. Why, why? FELIX Debts. He had the money. KEVIN Yeah, rich boy tricked us. FELIX Where is rich boy, now? He's supposed to be here, so we can really handle the issue and fix it. CINDY The real issue is Kevin's jealousy. (KEVIN picks up his glass of water and takes a long drink.) CINDY So, now he picks up his glass. (she picks up her glass as well and drinks) FELIX Does anyone want any snacks? I have pistachios, cheese and jam, crackers, chips, olives. CINDY You followed us. We'd be walking along and there'd you be. How we joked about the little puppy dog so sad and lonely. You didn't know we saw you. Did you? KEVIN All you wanted was his fancy car, money, parties, private jet. CINDY Yes. Mexico, Jamaica, Hawaii, France. KEVIN Who did he sell out to? CINDY I don't know. I haven't heard from him in days. He could be out of the country. (cries) FELIX He said he'd be here. I don't think he knows we are on to him. CINDY I don't think he does either. (tries to seem brave) I've texted him and called, nothing. (cries) (FELIX hands CINDY a tissue. She blows her nose and wipes her eyes.) KEVIN What about you helping him steal our product? CINDY He told me he didn't want anything to do with being a part of the shared equity. That's where it started. He said he had to keep his debt ratio up for a private purchase. FELIX He signed an NDA. KEVIN That means nothing. He planned all along to steal our technology, and she helped him. FELIX You brought him to us. KEVIN We needed the money. It's a start up. Geeze. CINDY Jacob wasn't the cause of our breakup. It was your irresponsibility, you never took the blame. Like now. (squeaks) Do you hear me? FELIX Get along, please. This is getting us nowhere. Jacob just needs to be here. He needs to eat some of my snacks, drink whatever, with us. He'll hear us out, and give us our product back. All will be well. Where is he!? (He picks up his phone and sees there are no calls or texts.) KEVIN Let's figure out what we're going to do to get him to give back what he stole. CINDY Crackers, chips, and olives won't work. We need something else. Something that impinges. What if I tell him I am pregnant and I don't want my child's father to be a felon. KEVIN Pregnant!? FELIX Here sit down. (CINDY sits in the chair. FELIX hands her a pillow.) KEVIN Are you really pregnant? CINDY (squeaks) Yes. (cries) KEVIN That might work. Pregnant? Really? FELIX We have some drinks, except Cindy, of course. Some snacks, a little chit chat, and then bang. We tell Jacob we're on to him. He starts to back pedal, saying he didn't do anything. KEVIN Boom! Cindy is pregnant. Come clean, buddy, for the kid's sake. (A thump at the door.) FELIX Cindy can talk some sense into him if he doesn't come around to getting our product back. I mean, he might not have sold it yet. Right, Cindy? (Another thump at the door.) CINDY (whispers) I think he's at the door. (KEVIN and FELIX freeze for a moment and stare at the door. There is another thump. FELIX runs to the door and opens it. JACOB falls through the threshold and knocks down the lamp. He rolls on his back. He's been shot in the shoulder, squirming in pain. CINDY runs and kneels down to him and rests his head in her lap.) CINDY Honey, what happened? (FELIX brings a roll of paper towels to help stanch the blood. Replaces the knocked over lamp.) JACOB Close the door and lock it. (FELIX closes the door and locks it.) KEVIN What comes around goes around , huh, Jacob. CINDY Kevin, please. KEVIN I am calling the police. JACOB No! (JACOB pulls out a gun, and slowly stands up.) JACOB Nobody calls the police. (KEVIN and FELIX try to manhandle Jacob. They wrestle with each other. Chaos ensues. CINDY gets involved, and it's a jumbled mess. A shot is fired. All stop. Nobody is hurt.) CINDY I don't know who the father is! JACOB What? KEVIN Seriously? FELIX Cindy is pregnant. Crackers? KEVIN The baby could be mine? JACOB Or, mine. (CINDY breaks down in tears. FELIX hands her a napkin. KEVIN and JACOB are in shock.) FELIX (mouths "hormones") CINDY It's not hormones! (squeaks) Yes. It probably is. All my hormones are on high alert. I am pregnant. (cries some more) KEVIN I am here for you. Even if he is the father. I love you. You and the child are what's important. JACOB I am still bleeding here. FELIX Oh my god, what happened? JACOB I decided it wasn't worth it. Well, they weren't too happy about it. So, they shot me. CINDY You didn't sell us out. We still have the product. KEVIN You had a change of heart? FELIX Hospital!? JACOB Going to a hospital means the authorities will get involved. KEVIN You'll bleed to death. FELIX You can go to my doctor. He's very discrete. JACOB Okay. I have no choice. (KEVIN and FELIX help JACOB get up from the floor. CINDY grabs her purse and opens the door.) JACOB We're still business partners? KEVIN Time will tell. FELIX Kevin, behave yourself. (KEVIN shrugs "okay." All four leave together.) FADE TO BLACK
About the Playwright
Kenna McHugh resides in Sacramento, California, United States.
Read the playwright's biography and The Short Play's the Thing publications
on Kenna McHugh's Artist Page.
Short Plays Collection
This play is also featured in
Short Plays Collection #1,
published in the The Short Play's the Thing Playhouse.
Keywords: business partners, friendships, love triangle
Previously published in Short Plays USA:
The Art Gallery
by Gary Beck
Short Plays USA is part of The Short Play's the Thing and waxpoetryart.com.
- Visit The Short Play's the Thing Submissions page to see all opportunities.
- Visit The Short Play's the Thing Playhouse.
- This website and all contents ©Kirk Ramdath and specified artists.
(Advertisements)