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Flash Fiction: Fortune-Teller

AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's been a long time since we had a story about Vince, so enjoy! Be sure to drop by Three Word Wednesday and Weekend Writer's Retreat for more fun.
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Vince sipped his whiskey, feigning nonchalance as he watched his contact move away through the crowded barroom. Leon’s Social Club wasn’t much of a club and the leather-clad thugs who frequented it weren’t inclined to be social. This was a place for hiding out or making deals, and the deal Vince just made left him uneasy.

He waved the waitress over. “Two more.”

She glanced at the empty chair.

“They’re both for me. I don’t like wasting time.”

The girl shifted on her skinny legs, watching him now with pale, watery eyes.

“Are you going to get me my drinks, or what?”

She glanced over her shoulder to be sure the boss wasn’t watching, then leaned in close. “Have you ever had your palm read?”

“What?”

“The lines in your palm predict the future. I know the guy you were talking with just now. He’s bad news.”

“So am I.”

“Just let me look, okay?” She slid into the seat across from him.

With a bemused grin, Vince gave her his hand. “Tell me how tomorrow night’s deal is going to go. If you say it’ll be good and you’re right, I’ll give you a cut.”

“Your hands don’t say those kinds of things.” She traced a line on his palm. “But you won’t get killed, at any rate. You’re going to have a very happy marriage with lots of kids and a long life.”

Vince jerked away from her. “You’re crazy, you know that?” He tossed back the rest of his drink and stood up. “I’m not the marrying kind. Any kids I have would know better than to call me daddy, and like hell I’m going to die in my bed, old and feeble.”

“But I saw—”

“Your own deluded imaginings.” He fumbled in his pocket and slapped a coin on the table. “Nice try, though, honey. I admire entrepreneurs.”

The girl waited until she could no longer see him in the smoky room, then picked up the coin and examined it. Pure silver. She dropped it in her pocket with a little smirk of satisfaction, then cleared the empty glasses and went to the next table. “Any of you boys ever had your fortune told?”

12 comments:

Thomma Lyn said...

Heh! Loved this. What fun, the interplay of Vince -- and his reaction to his fortune -- with the fortuneteller. An excellent portrait of a brief interaction between two cynics. :-D

August 5, 2010 at 12:35 AM
Jay R. Thurston said...

Nice one Ann! I am not familiar with the Vince characters' older installments, but this was an entertaining and fun take on a place where shadows loom.

August 5, 2010 at 7:34 AM
Timothy P. Remp said...

That was good! I liked your twist on his views of the world. The dialog was spot on.

Well done Ann.

-Tim

August 5, 2010 at 8:25 AM
Thom Gabrukiewicz said...

This is such a departure from your other work and I really found it quite tasty. Great writing, wonderful dialogue.

August 5, 2010 at 8:35 AM
gautami tripathy said...

It was fun reading it!

now it is there, now it isn't

August 5, 2010 at 10:28 AM
Alice Audrey said...

I thought at first this would be a Maelstrom story. Where do I go for more Vince?

August 5, 2010 at 10:52 AM
Ann (bunnygirl) said...

@Alice: It took me a minute to figure out how to do it, but here you go: http://ampfiction2.blogspot.com/search/label/vince%20mott

Vince was in My New-Found Land, which is a cleaned-up version (could stand yet another edit) of my Diana's Diary blog from several years ago.

August 5, 2010 at 11:21 AM
Maryam said...

A really fun read!

August 5, 2010 at 11:45 AM
K said...

Ann, as always I think this was so well written. I want to read more Vince too.

Know what else i want?
I want for Vince to get married and have those children, just to throw him off.
Hahahahaha.

August 5, 2010 at 10:12 PM
K said...

Ann, as always I think this was so well written. I want to read more Vince too.

Know what else i want?
I want for Vince to get married and have those children, just to throw him off.
Hahahahaha.

August 5, 2010 at 10:13 PM
Susan Helene Gottfried said...

Oh, I HAVE missed Vince. Glad to see him again.

Can that chick read MY palm?

August 6, 2010 at 11:37 AM
Julia Phillips Smith said...

I got a kick out of his reaction to a fortune most people would love to have.

August 7, 2010 at 8:48 PM

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