Writings

Writings
Miscellaneous Writings and Musings

Maelstrom

Maelstrom
A genie and her rock band

(Novel and Short Stories)

Steal Tomorrow

Steal Tomorrow
Murder, Mystery, First Love, and the End of the World

(Novel and Short Stories)

My Books and Stories

My Books and Stories
Where to Buy, Read, Download

Flash Fiction: One Saturday Night

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here's a piece for this week's Three Word Wednesday. Be sure to drop by Three Word Wednesday for more fun.
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It had been intended as harmless banter - the sort of meaningless flirtation one carries on in a club where everyone is dancing and having a good time. Jen hadn't intended him to take it seriously, but now here they were sitting awkwardly on a park bench while her friend, who was genuinely interested in the guy she had met, snuggled with her new beau on a bench nearby.

Todd draped an arm across the back of the bench and Jen stood up. "Let's go for a walk."

With a good-natured grin he offered her his arm, which she took reluctantly. "This is a nice place," he said as they walked the decorative paths. "I didn't even know it was here."

"I found it a few years ago. This whole area is great - very quiet and pretty."

"Come here often, then?"

"I live just a few blocks away."

"Really?"

She ignored the hopeful tone in his voice. "It's safe and I like it here."

At the edge of the park, they turned into the neighborhood, at Todd's insistence. Jen was skeptical at his claim that he liked old houses but relaxed when she found he could talk about architecture with moderate skill. For half an hour they discussed houses, travel, books and music as they wandered the neighborhood, enjoying the cool night breeze.

Then he stopped and asked if they were near her place.

"I'd just like a glass of water."

Jen was skeptical but oddly reluctant to tell him no. She took him to her little apartment, where he obediently drank a few sips of the offered water, then kissed her. The kisses led to fumbling on the sofa, with Jen still unsure if this was what she wanted. Todd was acceptable company, but she felt no particular attraction to him, only a benign indifference.

Suddenly Todd pulled away and stood up. "I'm sorry."

For a moment, Jen thought he had picked up on her lack of enthusiasm, but then he reached in his pocket and pulled out a ring.

"I don't know why I took it off." He slipped it onto the finger of his left hand.

Liar, Jen thought. "Where's your wife?"

"China. She's spending a semester there. It's part of her Master's program."

"You got lonely." She said it without judgment.

He nodded and refused to meet her eyes. "Do you think maybe you and I...just this once?"

In spite of all the ways Jen knew it was wrong, she sensed the moment had passed for moral outrage. She didn't dislike him, and she was a little lonely, herself. One night, and forget about it. "We'll be more comfortable in the bedroom."

***

In the pale light of early morning, they left in her car. He kept his eyes closed as she wound through the tree-lined streets, emerging into the strange quiet of a major thoroughfare on a Sunday dawn.

Todd named a grocery store a few blocks away. "You can drop me off there."

Jen smiled. "I can take you home. I'm not going to stalk you."

"It's right by my house and I don't have anything in my fridge for breakfast."

It was all the same to Jen, who pulled into the parking lot and ignored his look of alarm when she cut the engine and got out. "I don't have anything to eat at home, either."

They split up in the store but found themselves together again at the lone checker on duty. By unspoken agreement, they ignored each other as they made their purchases, then Todd left without a backward glance as Jen waited impatiently for her change. She dumped the coins in her purse and hurried out the door, but Todd was already a distant figure heading toward a nearby warren of apartments.

She watched him until he was out of sight, wondering what the rest of his life would be like. She would never know. She hadn't even thought to ask his last name. With a small sigh, she went to her car and headed home.

New Steal Tomorrow Flash Fiction

Another Julilla story, this one a Steal Tomorrow prequel, written for Three Word Wednesday: Blessed Mother

Internet

Sometimes it's not such a bad thing to have no internet access. My connection was down this afternoon when I went home for lunch, so I started looking through the folders on my computer for something to read. I came across a novel I wrote about ten years ago and I think I'm going to see if I can clean it up and do something with it. It's deeply flawed, but I love the premise. There's some pretty decent writing in it, too. Maybe I'll post a few excerpts here as I start to work my way through it.

Fourth of July Parties

I went to two very different Fourth of July parties this weekend.

At the first one, the house was immaculate and decorated for the holiday, with little copies of the Declaration of Independence available. All the guests except the hostess's recently divorced sister came as couples. Some brought children. The men stood around the grill and the women hung out in the kitchen and talked. The food was ready promptly. The women ended up in the dining room while the men ate together in the breakfast nook. We had pie for dessert. Afterward, the hostess took us girls to see her tidy and well-organized closet, then showed off some of her sewing projects. It was all so retro that it would've been comical, if not for the hilarity of the girl talk and the fact that all of them were packing and showed off their guns to each other. (Note: I do not own a gun, but I take no issue with people who do, as long as they're responsible individuals.)

At the party we went to the next night, our host had done no cleaning that I could see, and no decorating. My husband and I were the only couple in attendance, and there were no children. Two dogs were allowed to wander around at will. Our host had trouble with the grill, sending clouds of smoke everywhere, and once the grill was ready he took his time about actually cooking anything. Dinner was very late. There was no dessert. There was no gender segregation or showing off of handguns, but a lot of talk about history and music. Everything felt very relaxed and informal, like we were kids on a campout.

I had a good time at both parties. The food was great and the conversations were fun. In both cases, our hosts were generous and gregarious. I find it interesting, though, that my husband and I have friends who are so different and who have such different ideas about entertaining.

It's nice to have a wide circle of friends. Does this have anything to do with writing? Not much, other than that a diversity of social circles gives me plenty of ideas to draw on. Characters and experiences never translate directly into a story, but each new thing inspires ideas that lead to new story lines.