Wednesday, April 26, 2017

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

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