opposing forces

Fandango’s Flashback Friday — April 28th

Fandango15 Comments

Wouldn’t you like to expose your newer readers to some of your earlier posts that they might never have seen? Or remind your long term followers of posts that they might not remember? Each Friday I will publish a post I wrote on this exact date in a previous year.

How about you? Why don’t you reach back into your own archives and highlight a post that you wrote on this very date in a previous year? You can repost your Flashback Friday post on your blog and pingback to this post. Or you can just write a comment below with a link to the post you selected.

If you’ve been blogging for less than a year, go ahead and choose a post that you previously published on this day (28th) of any month within the past year and link to that post in a comment.

This was originally posted on April 28, 2018.

MLMM Opposing Forces

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“So do you live nearby?” she asked me.

She was stunning and I couldn’t believe it when she sat down at my table at the Starbucks and starting talking to me. “Yes, just a few blocks from here,” I answered.

“Oh, so you live in the city center,” she said.

“Yes. What about you?” I asked.

“Actually, I live in the suburbs,” she answered.

“And what brings you into the city?” I asked.

“Do you remember that downpour a few days ago?” she asked. “Well, the roof at my apartment leaked and the workers are out there today to assess the damage.”

“That’s a bummer,” I said.

“Indeed,” she responded. “My landlord is supposed to call me to let me know when they can begin to repair the roof.”

Her phone rang. “It’s my landlord,” she said to me. Then into her phone, “Hello? Yes. Tomorrow? Three days? Okay. Thank you.”

She looked back over at me. “Well, I guess I’ll have to find an Airbnb to stay at for the next three or four days.”

“You can stay at my place here in the city,” I said.

“Are you serious?” she asked, a look of astonishment on her face.”

I was sure she thought I was crazy. “Look, I know we just met, but you’re a damsel in distress and I’d love to be your knight in shining armor. My place has two bedrooms and I promise I’ll be a perfect gentleman.”

A beautiful smile graced her face. “Not too perfect, I hope,” she said. She stuck out her hand. “My name is Guinevere.”

“Nice to meet you, Guinevere,” I said. “My name is Arthur. But my friends call me King.”

Written for Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie’s Saturday Mix Opposing Forces prompt. The words are “suburbs” and “city center,” and “repair” and “damage.”

Weekend Writing Prompt — Opposites Attract

Fandango18 Comments

I like my eggs hard boiled
You like yours soft boiled

I never borrow money
You are eager to lend money

I prefer being in bright lights
You prefer staying in the shadows

We are totally opposite
That’s why we make a great couple

(Exactly 44 words)

Written for Sammi Cox’s Weekend Writing Prompt, where the prompt is “opposite” in exactly 44 words. Also written for Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Opposing Forces, where the words are “hard and soft” and “lend and borrow.” And for Ragtag Daily Prompt (lights & shadows)

Loaded Nachos

Fandango14 Comments

“I’m sorry for the delay,” the waiter said. “May I take your order?”

“I am not very happy with your service. I was getting ready to berate you to your manager when you didn’t respond to my waving at you or calling out to you,” Cliff said. “But in spite of how long it took you to get to our table, you’re finally here and I’m ready to order. We’d like a large platter of loaded nachos, but use the chips that are the kind with hint of citrus flavor and are crisp and crunchy. Make sure they are fresh and not stale. And we’ll also have a large pitcher of sangria. Make it snappy, will you?” Cliff added, snapping his fingers.

After the waiter left, Cliff turned to the other people sitting at the table and said, “So as I was saying, San Francisco is a very hilly city, but the section we live in is very flat and quite walkable.”

The waiter returned to the table and set down a huge platter of loaded nachos on the table. “Here you go sir,” he said to Cliff. “Just like you ordered them.”

The waiter turned and walked away, a sardonic smile on his face. Just like you ordered them, except for the two gobs of spit I added, he thought.

Written for these daily prompts: The Daily Spur (delay), My Vivid Blog (happy), E.M.’s Random Word Prompt (berated), Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (spite), Ragtag Daily Prompt (citrus), Your Daily Word Prompt (crisp), and Word of the Day Challenge (crunchy).

Also for the Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Opposing Forces Saturday Mix, where the words are “fresh/stale” and “flat/hilly.”

MLMM Opposing Forces — The Usual Time

Fandango6 Comments

“I’m going to leave her, she’s such a bore,” Martin said, stroking his lover’s smooth face. “You, on the other hand, are a truly fascinating woman.”

She removed his hand from her face and tenderly kissed his palm. “I’m not going to argue with you. I am an amazing, fascinating woman,” she said, “but let’s agree on one thing, Martin. You are a plaything for me. You are here solely to amuse me. Nothing more. Do not leave your wife for me. She’s probably as bored with you as you are with her. Work harder to be a fascinating man and I’m sure you two will rekindle something that has been missing for each of you.”

“But, but,” Martin stammered, “what about our arrangement?”

“Go home to your wife now, Martin,” she said. “As to our arrangement, you can come back to amuse me again on Wednesday night at the usual time.”

Written for the Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Opposing Forces prompt, where the words are:

  • amuse and bore
  • argue and agree

Photo credit: S-Lancaster@DeviantArt.

The Hitchiker

Fandango10 Comments

It had been a long day of driving when I saw someone standing by the side of the road with their arm extended and their thumb up. I usually don’t stop for hitchhikers because you just never know who you’d be inviting into your car. But as I got closer, I could see the hitchhiker was a girl, so I figured why not? She’s just a girl, how risky could it be? I decided to give it a go.

I slowed down and rolled to a stop just ahead of her. She was quite an attractive girl, maybe about 18 or 19. She pulled opened the car door, climbed in, and said, “Thanks for the lift.”

“No problem,” I said, smiling at her. “Where are you headed?” I asked as I pulled back out onto the road.

“Wherever you’re going,” she said. She didn’t look at me. Her eyes were looking ahead.

“I’m heading to Provo,” I said. “I teach at the university there.”

“Cool,” she said.

“Where are you from?” I asked.

“Here and there,” she said. Then silence.

We drove for about 30 minutes without conversation. I looked at my watch and it was almost 6:00. “There’s a diner and a gas station about a mile ahead,” I said. “We can stop, I’ll fill up my tank, and we can grab some dinner. Sound good?”

“Cool,” she said.

We were back on the road at around 7:30. When I usually make this trip I stop at a motel at around 9:30 or 10 for the night. I asked her if she wanted to spend the night. I offered to get her a separate room.

“Cool,” she said.

I pulled into the motel parking lot and told her to stay in the car while I checked in and got the rooms. When I got back to the car I lied. I told her that there was only one room left and asked her if she’d mine sharing. “It has two double beds,” I added.

“Cool,” she said.

When we got to the room, I went to the bathroom to wash up. Then she used the bathroom while I changed into my pajamas. She came out wearing just a skimpy t-shirt and panties. I got into my bed and slipped under the covers. She walked over and stood next to my bed and stared down at me. I looked up at her and said, “Do you want to share my bed with me?”

“Cool,” she said.

She crawled into the bed and was all over me. It was the most fabulous night of my life. We were at it into the wee hours and I was satiated and exhausted when we finally went to sleep.

When I woke up the next morning I was alone. I got out of bed, looked around, but there was no sign of her. There was also no sign of my wallet, my watch, my wedding band, my overnight bag, and my car keys. I ran to the window, looked out, and saw that my car was gone. Shit!

I saw a piece of paper on the night table between the beds. Written on it was, “Thanks for the ride, thanks for the dinner, thanks for the sex.”

“Not cool,” I said.

Written for Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Opposing Forces, where the words are stop and go and here and there.