After Dinner Conversation Magazine: After Dinner Conversation, #45

By Katie Kent, Timothy Gaddo, Nathan Ahlgrim and 4 more

Named Top 10 "Best Lit Mags of 2023" by Chill Subs

 

Delight in intriguing, thought-provoking conversations about ethics, philosophy, and social issues! After Dinner Conversation is a monthly literary magazine publishing short fiction. Each issue features both established writers and up-and-coming authors who contribute fascinating philosophical insights on controversial topics like marriage equality, assisted suicide, the meaning of death, animal rights and defining your "purpose." It's time to go deep in search of truth! If you love reading imaginative short stories on hot topics that make your brain think deeply but also have you laughing out loud... then this magazine is for you!

 

"After Dinner Conversation" Magazine - March 2024

• The List: A married couple has a list of famous people they agree they can sleep with if the opportunity comes up.  It does.

• The End of Learning: Six-year-old Paul's school suffers a school shooting and he loses his best friend.

• The Code Less Travelled By: An AI powered self-driving car must quickly determine how to do the "most good and least harm" when a child runs into the street.

• Choice: Ellen, who has Down syndrome, overhears her family discussing what to do with the life growing inside her.

• Mama: Miriam struggles to come to terms with her daughter asserting her own will instead of just looking at her lovingly.

• Judges: An alien brings two humans to his ship to debate if humanity should be destroyed before it discovers interstellar space travel.

• Prey: A young adult with a secret must attend 15 hours of counseling before the government will allow him to commit suicide.

 

After Dinner Conversation believes humanity is improved by ethics and morals grounded in philosophical truth. Philosophical truth is discovered through intentional reflection and respectful debate. In order to facilitate that process, we have created a growing series of short stories across genres, a monthly magazine, and two podcasts. These accessible examples of abstract ethical and philosophical ideas are intended to draw out deeper discussions with friends, family, and students.

 

★★★ If you enjoy this story, subscribe via our website to "After Dinner Conversation Magazine" and get this, and other, similar ethical and philosophical short stories delivered straight to your inbox every month. (Just search "After Dinner Conversation Magazine")★★★

• Language: English
• Publisher: After Dinner Conversation
• Release date: Mar 10, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224884971

Book preview

From the Editor

[SPOILER] OF COURSE, I love all the stories we publish. However, Judges is still fresh in my mind. The premise is two people argue to an alien if humanity is worth saving or should be exterminated before it develops space travel.

As a recovering history teacher, I’d argue for our beauty, even though more evidence may support humanity’s brutality. Here is why: the heroes in our stories.

In my opinion, each society creates fictionalized stories of heroes, representing an infinite point we should forever walk toward but never arrive at. A point that tells us who we should spend our lives trying to become.

Pick your media, be it television, movies, books, poems, or oral traditions... Even wrestling’s babyfaces and heels represent idealized versions of ourselves. The good guys never tap out, and the bad guys never win honestly, even when they win. Or, as Captain America would say while fighting bad guys, I can do this all day. I would tell the aliens not to judge us by who we are but by the stories that tell us who we aspire to be.

And that is why this magazine is so important to me because its stories help me refine the infinite point I’m always walking toward but never able to reach. Of course, my hope is it serves the same purpose for you as well.

Kolby Granville – Editor

The List

Katie Kent

SO, WHO’S ON YOUR LIST? Nick looks eagerly at me.

I take a sip of my coffee. What list?

"You know. The list. He shovels a handful of popcorn into his mouth. She’s on mine." He nods toward the TV.

Keira Knightly? I ask.

Yeah.

I still have no clue what you’re talking about.

He rolls his eyes. I can’t believe you haven’t heard of the list. Where have you been?

I shrug. Are you going to elaborate, then?

It’s a list of five famous people you’re allowed to sleep with if you’re in a relationship, he says. I thought everyone had one.

Not me. I’m happy with you. I squeeze his hand.

You know I love you, Chloe. He leans forward and kisses me. But I’d absolutely bang Keira if she came onto me.

Hey! I give him a light whack on the leg with my hand. Your girlfriend is sitting right here, you know.

The point is, he says, yawning, that it’s very unlikely to happen. So it’s pretty safe.

But what if it did happen?

He bops me playfully on the nose. Chlo, I promise you if you give me a list and one of those people on the list wants to sleep with you, you have my full blessing.

I cross my arms. Really?

Yup. So, here’s my list. Keira Knightly, Jennifer Lawrence, Taylor Swift, Emilia Clarke, Emma Watson. So, tell me yours. He grins at me. I can already guess one of them.

I feel my cheeks heat up. Zendaya, for sure. Harry Styles. Chris Hemsworth. Mila Kunis. And... I think for a moment. Will you hate me if there are more women than men on my list?

Of course not. I think it’s hot you’re into women. He pulls my head toward his and kisses me again. So, number five?

Georgia Abrams, I say.

He frowns. Never heard of her.

I pick up my phone, google her name, and thrust a photo under his face. Her.

He nods. Okay, so she’s hot. You really like your brunettes, don’t you?

I blush again. I’ve been out for a few months, but it still feels weird to be talking about women like this. I’m certain I’m bi, but I’ve never even kissed a girl. Nick and I have been dating for almost three years, and before that, I was firmly in the closet.

You’re cute when you’re embarrassed, he says. So, who is she?

Lead singer for Salted Pretzel.

Never heard of them either. He takes my phone and types something into the search bar. Babe, I don’t know if she qualifies as a famous person. They haven’t even released an album or anything.

They’ve had a couple of singles. I saw them on the TV the other day.

Fair enough. I guess that’s okay, then.

So, I’m allowed to sleep with her? I tease.

He takes both my hands in his. You’re absolutely allowed to sleep with anyone on your list as long as I’m allowed to sleep with anyone on mine.

All right. Deal.

Yes! He punches the air, turning back to the TV. See you soon, Keira. He winks, and I can’t help laughing.

Is it literally just sex? I ask. What about kissing?

Geez, for someone who didn’t like the idea at the beginning, you’re really taking it seriously now. He shakes his head. Well, I guess kissing is allowed, but only if it’s during the sexual encounter. Like if it’s part of it.

So, if Zendaya tries to kiss me I have to back away from her, but if she wants to sleep with me, that’s okay?

Babe, the thought of you and Zendaya in bed together is such a turn-on that you can do anything you want with her, he says. As long as it’s only the once, of course. If you sleep with her multiple times, or date her, then that’s cheating.

A FEW DAYS LATER, WE’RE eating breakfast together at the kitchen table when I exclaim, Hey, Salted Pretzel is playing in Oxford next month. Can we go?

Nick stirs his cereal, and the milk sloshes over the sides. Who?

You know. I take a bite of my toast and wipe the jam from my chin. That band with the singer who’s on my list.

Oh yeah. He sips his coffee. When is it?

May 11, I say.

He checks the calendar in his phone. Sorry babe, that’s the date of Ryan’s stag party.

Oh. Well, do you mind if I go?

Knock yourself out. We all need a bit of eye candy from time to time. He winks at me.

I feel myself blush again. I like their music, I protest.

Sure you do. And if you tick someone off your list at the same time, that’s a bonus, right?

I stick out my tongue. As if she’d be interested in me.

Well, I hope she’s not, he says. Because I’d be kinda jealous. Although it would be hot.

I laugh.

GETTING READY FOR THE gig a few weeks later, I rummage through my wardrobe, trying to find something suitable.

My phone buzzes with a text, making me jump. It’s Nick. Good luck with Georgia ;-). Love you x.

I smile to myself as I type a reply. Ha, thanks. Have a good time. Love you too x.

I finally settle upon a pair of ripped dark blue jeans with a red, shoulderless top.

As I approach the door, I feel butterflies in my stomach. I can’t believe I’m about to see one of my favorite bands live.

The support act is pretty good, but I can’t wait for Salted Pretzel to come on. As the lights dim again, people start to chant the name of the band, and I feel the adrenaline rush through my body. I got here early, and I’m right near the front, not far from the stage, holding a plastic cup now only half-full of vodka and orange juice.

Then, Hello, Oxford! rings out, smoke whirls around the stage, spotlights come on, and there they are, standing right in front of me. Georgia looks even more attractive in real life than she does on TV, the spotlights illuminating her face, framing her long, dark hair, highlighted with streaks of both red and blonde. She’s wearing black leather platform boots over black jeans and a purple boob tube.

Cheers echo around me, and I realize I’m holding my breath. I breathe out, trying to relax my limbs and join in with the cheers. Amy, the drummer, clicks her drumsticks together as she counts, One, two, three, and then they’re playing Me Without You, their first single. It sounds incredible live, and I join in as they sing.

Partway through the song, Georgia’s eyes meet mine. She winks at me as she sings, I’m not me without you, and I’m glad it’s dark in here as I feel like I’m burning up. I take a large gulp from my cup, before remembering this has to last me the whole gig. If I go and get myself another drink, I’ll never make it back to the front.

The song finishes, and Georgia says, It’s great to be here! She sweeps a hand through her hair, which is already glistening with sweat. This next song... Her eyes focus on mine again. This next song is about that time when you see a girl in the crowd, and you absolutely need to find out more about her. This is ‘That Girl’!

I swallow as the girls around me scream out, reaching their hands toward the stage. Georgia dances around the stage with her microphone, occasionally leaning forward and touching the girls’ hands. A girl near me bursts into tears after Georgia squeezes her hand, and I can’t help rolling