Vanessa stood behind the card and gift store counter, her feet aching and her head pounding. She hated Valentine’s Day. It was an annual reminder that she’d never found true love. She was well past forty now. She used to date frequently, but...
Read MoreHe peeked into her room to see if she was awake. Mrs. Mackey, who was dying of breast cancer, had been in and out of the hospital frequently, staying four days, then five and now, ten days.
As the medical floor’s unit manager, Mr. Brand had few actual management responsibilities. True, he supervised two ward clerks, but most of his day was spent...
Read More“We were all in on it. But at the trial? I got away with it. I was the only one."
"I know. Not enough evidence. What of it?"
“My father paid off the judge." A sly smile crossed his lips.
Bruno slapped his nephew hard. He didn’t even look around to see who might be watching. In a controlled voice he said...
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It was almost midnight, time for Bobby to leave. He had promised Tricia he would be at her parents’ home by 11:45, maybe sooner. She wasn’t feeling good, had a mild fever and a cough, or she’d be with him at the party. Every year for last three years, they went to Marc’s New Year’s Eve party. When she told him that morning...
Read MoreMickey stood in the long line at the grocery store, waiting impatiently to check out. He had a few items, last minute stuff his wife Gloria needed so she could bake her fifth pie, this one apple. He and Gloria always wound up arguing around the Holidays. She insisted on...
Read More...We shared a few beignets over coffee. We both sat facing the other diners. “Hey, Casey, check out this woman at the next table...”
Read More...The man was brushing his wife’s hair. “Why hello,” he said. “My wife says you’re a quiet one. Nothing to say except ‘can you raise your arm a little higher....’”
Read MoreShe sat on her bunk, reading the letter again. The woman in the bunk on the opposite side of her cell was staring at her. “Good news or bad, Macy?”
Macy looked up and smiled. “It’s both, I guess. Frank got out three weeks ago. He’s in a half-way house and it looks like he may have a job working for his brother Benjamin.”
Krystal nodded. "So, the bad news is...
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Early on a rainy October morning, Ruth boarded the train in Memphis. This being her first train ride, she searched for a window seat. She was on her way to Kansas City where her Aunt Connie lived. Not quite twenty years old, she was nervous about traveling so far from home.
The conductor walked down the aisle, bellowing, "Tickets...tickets, please"
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Lester walked out of Meg’s Grill toward his patrol car, looking neither left nor right. But, as usual, he could feel everyone’s eyes on him. Meg’s had plenty of tables outside during the summer, always full. He knew what her customers were thinking. Sometimes, someone would say something sotto voce that he caught anyway. That morning it was...
Read More“I’m 45,” she said.
Kevin looked her over, trying to discern whether she was being truthful. She looked younger. “That’s an opening line I won’t soon forget...”
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No one watching Matt crouching at the net, completely focused, would ever imagine that only 90 minutes ago, he had held up a convenience store. Using a Smith and Wesson 38, he got away with one hundred and twenty-two dollars. He also pushed a customer out of the way so he could swipe two...
Read More“Yeah, I dumped that stock just in time. I saw what was happening in the electronics space and I bailed. Even made a few bucks,” Ernest said. He was standing near the deli counter of the grocery store chatting with...
Read MoreJason worked as hard as he could to get ready for his first performance on stage in front of a live audience. He doubted he was ready, but that didn’t matter now. It was open mic night and he was staring at the brown walls in the comedy club’s green room waiting his turn. Two other guys nervously...
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Here he comes, Ruth," Nancy said.
Ruth, a short woman with deep blue eyes, didn’t bother to ask who was coming. She already knew who it was. She smiled and turned to face him from her position behind...
Read More“I know! Yes, I’ll be home in time. Yeah, bye.” Pete, who had turned sideways when he picked up his cell phone, swiveled his chair back to face the bar. He looked at the television on the wall, but wasn’t really watching. He took a sip of his beer and picked up his cheeseburger. “I swear that woman exists just to...
Read MoreValentino LaManna’s baby was sick. The doctor came to their tiny walk up and examined the infant. He looked at the immigrant parents, his eyes as sad as he could make them, and shook his head. As soon as the doctor left, the woman spoke to her husband. “Prendi il Sacerdote,” she wailed...
Read MoreJust a few minutes before his shift started, Ray eyed himself in the office mirror. He had to admit he looked good in his cleaned and pressed, gray security guard uniform. Tonight, would be his first night on duty. He was set to work the four to twelve shift with Carl, who would show him the ropes. Starting tomorrow night...
Read MoreClayton was not an animal lover. He had no use for pets and thought that dog and cat lovers were crazy. He lost several girlfriends because they had pets, or wanted one. He was engaged once to a lovely woman until she announced that she wanted a Labrador Retriever for her birthday. He refused. In hindsight...
Read MoreThe Gulf water is calm this morning, the sounds of the tiny waves breaking on the sand are soothing. I’m standing on the deck, looking at the beach, turning my head slowly from left to right as if I might see her. I’m working on a plan to...
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