Wednesday Briefs: The Sheriff #9 (3.4)

Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

What do you say to a blind date who lays a liplock on you when you've barely just met? That's the situation Roy finds himself in in this week's episode of The Sheriff. See how he deals with the kiss, then don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what they've up to. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

The Sheriff #9 (3.4)

She’d surprised him. At least that was what Roy told himself as he pulled back, trying not to feel as though an octopus had just leeched onto him and was trying to suck his life out through his lips.

Where did that thought even come from?

“Then you must be Earlene, right?” He added a chuckle, hoping he hadn’t offended her. He wasn’t used to feely touchy women, at least not when he didn’t know them yet. Afterward, that was a whole different matter.

“I sure am,” she said in a chipper voice. “You look even cuter than your picture, Roy. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too,” he said. He’d been tempted to post a better, younger picture of himself on the site, but had decided that would be false advertising. Obviously Earlene liked what she saw, so that was good.

He noticed she held a glass in one hand. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting,” he said.

“Naw, you’re fine,” she assured him. “You need to catch up, though.” She lifted her glass and drained it.

“What are you drinking?” Roy asked, being a gentleman.

“Appletini.”

Roy glanced around him, but he didn’t spot a single table that wasn’t taken. Maybe that would change by the time he came back with the drinks. “How about you hang out here and I’ll be right back,” he suggested.  He noticed she was scanning the room as well. Maybe she’d spot something he missed before he came back.

“Sounds like a plan, handsome.” She gave him a big grin as she handed him her empty glass. He took it and headed toward the bar.

He found an open spot at one end of the bar and set the glass down where the bartender could reach it, once he gained the man’s attention.

“Hey, there you are. Did you ever find your date?”

Roy turned to find Marshall standing beside him.  “Yeah, I did. We’re still looking for a table, though.”

“I hear you there. Place is packed tonight. Maybe just join us? You know Lee won’t mind.”

Normally, Roy liked to keep his dates to himself, but he had an odd feeling about this one, and Marshall’s idea sounded rather good. “Yeah, sure,” Roy agreed. “Thanks, kid.” Okay, maybe Marshall wasn’t a kid, and maybe he was married. But hell, some habits were hard to break.

The bartender arrived just then and they each placed their orders.

“What’s a appletini?” Marshall wanted to know.

 Roy laughed. “I’m not sure, never had one.  I assume it’s something like a martini, but I never had one of those either.”

When the bartender came back with their order, Roy asked him what was in the appletini.

“It’s just vodka, some apple brandy and some sweet and sour mix. I don’t have any apples, so I use a cherry garnish.”

“Thanks, man,” Roy said. The bartender nodded, then turned and walked down the bar to wait on someone else.

Roy led Marshall back to where he’d left Earlene. But she was no longer standing there. What the hell?

“Roy, you didn’t tell me you’re dating the invisible woman,” Marshall snickered.

“Very funny.” Roy surveyed the tables nearby, wondering if she’d found one, but he saw no sign of her anywhere. “Maybe she’s in the ladies room or something.” 

“Want to wait for her and bring her over? We’re just over there.” Marshall pointed across the room, on the other side of the dance floor. Roy could just make out the top of Lee’s head. But then his attention was caught by something on the dance floor.

Or someone, actually.

Earlene was kicking it up with some guy. Roy stared at her, unsure what to make of that.

to be continued

Now visit the other Briefers and see what they've been up to!

Ravon Silvius

Cia Nordwell

Nephy Hart

Carol Pedroso

Wednesday Briefs: The Sheriff #8 (3.3)

Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

Roy is meeting a blind date from an Internet dating site at Partners. The cautious Roy has brought Marshall and Lee as back-up. Will that be a wise move or a mistake? See what's up in this week's chapter of The Sheriff. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what they are up to. Their links follow my tale. Enjoy!

The Sheriff #8 (3.3)

On the drive to Tucker Falls, Roy told Lee and Marshall what little he knew about his date. Her name was Earlene, she was divorced, had no children, and lived and worked in Tucker Falls. She liked country music and line dancing and beer.

“Well, you have some of that in common,” Lee commented. “It’s a start.”

“Yep,” Roy said laconically.  He wasn’t quite so optimistic, but he was willing to at least give it a try, seeing as he’d agreed to meet her at Partners. His luck had not been holding lately, on the few occasions when he’d asked a woman out. In fact, he’d found himself bored with the few women he’d dated, although he couldn’t put his finger on why that was. Maybe his expectations were too high. Or he wasn’t looking in the right place. For whatever reason, there was no spark struck with any of them, no excitement. He was glad he’d talked the guys into coming with him tonight. Even if the date didn’t work out, the night wouldn’t be a total loss.

“If he’s on a date, how are we going to hang out together?” Marshall asked. They were back in Lee’s car, Roy having concluded his business with the Tucker Falls sheriff. Marshall twisted in the front seat, where he sat beside Lee, his auburn brows raised in question at Roy.

That was a fair question, one Roy was trying not to think too much about. Guess he needed to address it sooner, rather than later.

“Well…” To be honest, he hadn’t exactly mentioned bringing his friends, considering that had been decided so last minute. If she was uncomfortable with that, then so be it. He couldn’t be with anybody who didn’t like Marshall and Lee. Although he’d never felt the need to use them as a buffer before. Then again, he’d never resorted to a blind date before, either.

What in the world had he been thinking? Or had he let his second brain make the decision for him? Earlene looked cute—at least from her online photo—and she seemed lively… and she’d made more than a few innuendos that had Roy’s libido rising to the bait.

“How about this for a plan, then,” Lee began, and Roy silently blessed him. Whatever ideas Lee had were bound to be good ones. “Roy can meet up with his mystery date, get a table, get settled, and we can find something close but not too close. Then, if Ray wants us to mosey over, he can text and we can be right there. Make sense?”

“Makes lots of sense to me,” Roy gratefully agreed.

“And if he doesn’t text?” Marshall wanted to know.

“Then you and I can do a whole lot of dancing.” Lee gave Marshall a quick glance. Roy saw the big grin on Lee’s face. He knew they’d be good either way, which was a relief. He should have known they would be, though.

When they reached Partners, they weren’t surprised to see it was already crowded. People in Tucker Falls, and the surrounding towns, liked to cut loose on a Friday night and have a little fun. They parked as close to the building as they could and headed inside. As they approached the front doors, people spilled out of the brightly lit club, laughing and joking. Country western music pulsed from inside, amid cries of “Yee haw!”

Roy hadn’t been thinking about there being a crowd when they made their plan. They might not be able to get a table, either of them.  Not to mention, what if he couldn’t find his date in the midst of all this carrying on?

“Go on, look for your lady,” Lee said, as if he’d read Roy’s mind. “We’ll be good. Text us when you get settled.”

“Okay, then, I’ll do that.” Lee put his arm about Marshall’s waist, as if to anchor him, and the two headed in the direction of the bar. Once they had melted into the crowd, Roy began to scan the nearest tables for his date.  What if she’d come with some friends herself? He had to consider the possibility she wasn’t alone either. He spotted a group of women sitting together at a table about twenty feet from him, but they weren’t looking his way, so he moved on.

Damn, this was harder than he’d figured. Maybe this was a sign that it wasn’t meant to be? Or maybe she’d changed her mind about coming? He should just text Lee and find out where they were sitting and join them, instead.

“Hey there, good looking!”

A bright voice drew him from his reverie just as he pulled his phone from his pocket. Glancing up, he saw a rather chipper, petite brunette standing in front of him. She was scanning him from head to toe with big brown eyes. “You must be Roy,” she greeted him. “If you’re not, I’m going to be very disappointed.”

“I am,” he began, but before he got the last syllable out, she’d yanked his head down and laid a huge liplock on him.

to be continued

Now go see what the other Briefers are up to!

Jon Keys

Ravon Silvius

Cia Nordwell

Ravon Silvius

Wednesday Briefs: The Sheriff #7 (3.2)

Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

Dustin has agreed to meet Jordan at Partners. Is this a mistake, or the beginning of something? Find out in this week's episode of The Sheriff. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what they've been up to! Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

The Sheriff #7 (3.1)

Jordan took Dustin’s free hand in his own.  Dustin was surprised at how soft and warm it felt.  Inviting. “C’mon,” Jordan beckoned. Not waiting for a response, he pulled Dustin along behind him as they wound their way between the packed tables. Dustin held his beer carefully, so it wouldn’t slosh out of the glass and hit some unsuspecting soul. This place was wall-to-wall people.  He was beginning to think they wouldn’t find anywhere to sit when suddenly they stopped in front of an empty table and Jordan waved him into one of the chairs.

“Voila!” Jordan said, sliding into the opposite seat. He set his beer on the table, out of the way, and turned his attention to Dustin. His blue eyes seemed to sparkle, even in the dim bar light. Dustin wasn’t sure if it was amusement, or something else. Something a lot more serious. He wanted to believe Jordan was interested in him, but he’d been wrong before, and he didn’t want to get his hopes up just to have them dashed. He didn’t think his ego could take it.

“Thanks for all your help today,” Jordan said. “With my birthday presents.”

“My pleasure,” Dustin replied. “Did you get the games loaded on your computer?” Jordan had bought quite a few new pc games from Dustin, all new releases and expensive. Once he and his mother left the store, Kenny had come out of hiding in the back room to check the sales receipt. Dustin was gratified to see Kenny’s eyes bug out at the total of the sale. For once, he had nothing snide to say. A compliment would have been nice, but Dustin hadn’t expected that either.

“I did. Well, some of them.” He lifted his glass and took a long drink. “No sense in rushing, you know? Sometimes I just like to take things nice and slow.”

Dustin got the feeling Jordan wasn’t just talking about video games.

“And sometimes I like to dive right in,” Jordan continued smoothly. “Because sometimes slow doesn’t cut it. Not when there’s something you want and it’s there right in front of you. You ever do that, Dustin? Jump right in and take what you want?”

“Yeah,” Dustin admitted, his tongue outracing his brain. Where was common sense when you needed it? “But it’s not always the best way to go. I mean… you know…” Dammit, just where was he going with that sentence? Jordan was so damn hot he was confusing Dustin all to hell.

It didn’t help that as he was stammering, Jordan was hitching his chair closer…and closer…

Jordan slid his arm across the back of Dustin’s chair and leaned in to him. Dustin could feel Jordan’s warm breath against his ear. “Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith, you know? Fall off that cliff and embrace whatever’s waiting for you there.”

Dustin’s breath hitched. Jordan’s scent filled his nostrils, clouding his brain. Damn, he needed to slow down before he found himself in one of Partners’ back rooms, flat on his back. Would that be such a bad thing his second brain wanted to know. Thank God the lights were  so dim  that no one would notice how hard he was unless they touched him.

“You know something, Dusty? Mind if I call you Dusty?”

Dustin mumbled something he wasn’t sure was actually intelligible, but Jordan never skipped a beat.

“I think this could be the start of something special.”

Dustin wasn’t sure how to respond to that. When had he become shy? But he was saved from making an immediate reply when Jordan swooped in and claimed his lips, and Dustin’s mind went blank.

to be continued

Now go see what the other Briefers have been up to!

Ravon Silvius

Cia Nordwell

Nephy Hart

Wednesday Briefs: The Sheriff #6 (3.1)

Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

Looks like the Sheriff has a date! Wonder who the mystery lady is? Can he find happiness on an Internet dating site? And how will things work out between Dustin and Jordan? Check out the next episode of The Sheriff! Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what they're up to. Their links follow my tale!

Also, if anyone has a suggestion for a title for my story that you think is better than The Sheriff, I'm all ears lol

The Sheriff #6 (3.1)

Friday night, and Partners was rockin’, filled to the brim with men, and more than a few ladies. Dustin wondered how he was going to find Jordan in all these people.

He hadn’t been sure what to wear. Partners tended to be a casual kind of place, for the most part. That’s one of the reasons he liked it. Still, he wanted to make a good impression. He’d finally settled on a nice pair of camel cords, and a long-sleeved  pale mauve dress shirt he knew looked good on him. He’d rounded out the ensemble with a pair of his best boots, which he hoped to get some use out of on the dance floor.

Not wanting to appear lost, Dustin headed toward the bar. Might as well get a beer, then take a look around. He bellied up to the end of the bar, once a spot cleared, waited until the bartender was free, and ordered a local microbrew he particularly liked. When it came, he paid for it, then swiveled, set his back against the bar, and scanned the crowd.

“Hey, good lookin!”

The voice was feminine and definitely not Jordan’s. Dustin assumed it was meant for someone else and didn’t bother to look until he felt a tug at his sleeve. He glanced down to find a petite brunette with big brown eyes looking up at him. He judged her to be maybe thirty or so. When it came to women, he wasn’t good at guessing ages.

Dustin didn’t say anything immediately, sure she must be talking to someone else, even though she was looking straight at him. He glanced around and then back at her.

“Hello,” he said cautiously.

“Pretty crowded here, don’t you think?” she continued. She took a step closer, raising her voice as if to make herself heard above the surrounding noise.

“Pretty much,” he responded.

“I’m meeting someone,” he added, just in case she’d gotten the notion he was available. Not that his taste ever ran toward women, but she didn’t have to know that.

“Me too,” she admitted. “Mine’s a blind date. Yours?”

“Not a blind date,” he said tersely.

She giggled and leaned across the bar. Dustin heard the bartender ask what was her pleasure.

“Well, I would say you, but you’re kind of busy.” She replied to his question and giggled again. The sound was starting to get on Dustin’s nerves. “Can you fix me an appletini for right now?”

“I can mix anything you can think of.”

He must have walked off. The woman turned around and beamed up at Dustin. “I’m hooked on those,” she said. “If you haven’t had one, you haven’t lived.”

“Not my cup of tea,” Dustin said politely. He continued to scan the crowd, searching for some sign of Jordan.

“Want to hang out until your date gets here?” She held her drink in one hand, as she plucked out the cherry with the other and devoured it before tossing the stem onto the bar.

Dustin had seen enough, but just as he was going to tell her why that was a bad idea, he heard someone call his name. He looked up to find Jordan standing there, and all thoughts of the woman evaporated. Jordan was wearing a silky blue shirt that he wore open, exposing his creamy skin. His black pants looked as though they’d been painted on. If Dustin wasn’t mistaken, Jordan was going commando. He swallowed quickly.

“Hey, Jordan,” he said, his heart thumping lustfully.

“What are you drinking? Looks like you’re almost done with that one.”

To his surprise, Dustin realized he’d almost drained it. Not waiting for an answer, Jordan imperiously flagged the bartender, who responded in short order.

“We’ll take two more of those,” he said, pointing at Dustin’s glass. “What about your friend? What’s she drinking?”

It took Dustin a second to figure out he meant the brunette. “Not a friend,” he blurted out. “We just met.”

“Glad to hear it,” Jordan responded. They both looked toward the woman, who didn’t seem fazed at all to see them together.

“You’re good looking too,” she said with a grin. Setting her drink on the bar, she fumbled inside her purse then pulled out a pen, and jotted something on her cocktail napkin, which she handed to Jordan.

“If you guys ever want to party, call me. I think it would be fun.” She gave them a wink, then grabbed her drink and glided out of sight.

Dustin and Jordan exchanged glances. Jordan arched a dark brow.

“What was that all about?”

“Hell if I know.” Dustin burst out laughing. The situation was so ridiculous, he’d forgotten how nervous he was about meeting Jordan. He was here now, that’s all that mattered. “Don’t tell me she gave you her phone number?”

“Did she?” Jordan looked at the napkin in his hand. “So she did.” He crumbled it and tossed it onto the bar, next to the discarded cherry stem.  “Oh well.”

Dustin couldn’t have said it any better himself.

“You’re looking good,” Jordan complimented him.

“I was about to say the same thing,” Dustin said truthfully.

“Why don’t we find a table and get better acquainted?”

Dustin liked the sound of that very much.

to be continued

Now go see what the other Briefers have been up to!

Johayan

Jon Keys

Carol Pedroso

Ravon Silvius

Cia Nordwell