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.
The unexpected arrival of Troy McGarrett has certainly pleased at least one member of Ethan's family (not naming names lol) but how will his father react? See what's going on in this week's chapter of Bad Karma and the Family Plan. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!
I have to give Troy credit for never being at a loss
for words in any given situation, even when faced with a rabid fan, such as
Sarah Thorne. All right, maybe that’s an exaggeration. Sarah wasn’t quite that bad. Maybe not rabid but certainly
adoring and most assuredly starstruck.
Ethan’s twin made it down the steps so fast, I was
afraid she might have tripped.
“I am such a huge
fan of yours,” she was saying. “I own every one of your films, and I’ve seen
them all in the theater.”
“Troy, I’d like you to meet my twin sister Sarah.”
Ethan made belated introductions even as he and I exchanged bemused glances.
This was a side of Sarah I’d never seen before, although I shouldn’t have been
surprised considering the way she’d been gushing over the mere mention of the
actor’s name earlier.
“I see that beauty truly does run in your family,”
Troy said as he bent over the hand Sarah had offered him. I couldn’t help but
notice her pleased grin along with the suddenly scarlet complexion.
“You’re too kind, Mr. McGarrett.” Was that a giggle
I just heard? Seriously?
“Please, call me Troy.”
And didn’t that just lead to more of the same. At
that moment, Maureen returned with the promised pie. She quickly assessed the
scene before her with her usual astute eye.
“Sarah, please release Troy’s hand so he can eat.”
Everyone was soon settled comfortably. Benny took
the minister’s armchair, while Maureen insisted Troy and Brendan sit on the
sofa, and she saw beside them. Ethan and I were content to sit together on the
floor, as was Sarah, who sat as near as she could to her idol’s feet.
The wheels must have been turning in Sarah’s head
because she suddenly threw a suspicious glare toward her brother. “Ethan
Thorne, you’re so mean, not telling me Troy was coming here!” she berated him.
“I couldn’t tell you what I didn’t know, Sis,” he
said. “Honestly.”
“We had no idea they were coming,” I added,
immediately coming to Ethan’s defense.
Sarah looked between us and then back to Troy,
cocking her head thoughtfully. Immediately, I began to regret what we’d said.
She was bound to question his presence now and that involved things best not
spoken aloud. Perhaps it would have been better to tell a small white lie in
the interests of security. At least until we understood the situation more fully.
Too late for that now, that cat was out of the bag.
“Doesn’t my mother make the best pie?” Ethan
suddenly exclaimed. “Best pie maker in the whole state.”
While Maureen blushed and told him that was
nonsense, and everyone else told her that was the truth, I realized what Ethan
had done, and the moment passed. At least for now. Didn’t mean we were
completely in the clear, though, as I heard a deep throat clear from the
direction of the doorway.
Enter the minister.
Perhaps he’d heard strange voices, or perhaps he was
done doing whatever he did in his study. Either way, there he was, shrewdly
appraising the ever enlarging group of people in his home. I couldn’t help but
wonder how he was going to take to this new invasion of his privacy… and hope
we hadn’t pushed him to the limit, whether it was our fault or not.
to be continued
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