Every once in awhile, I get a wild urge to try and write a short story. And they usually end up being short. Like: 2 pages short. I never seem to finish them. I run out of steam and give up.
But I always have fun finding one that I started and put away somewhere.
And since I can't think of a blog topic today, I'm going to bore you with the beginning of a short story that I found stashed away in a mini-notebook. I stuffed it into a box of bills. Maybe it should have stayed there.
What do you think? Should I try to finish it?
*****
Josie applied the Pucker Pink nail polish with extra care that morning and added an extra boost to her red teased hair. And the "piece de resistance"- her leopard jumpsuit.
It wasn't every day that her quaint little motel would have no vacancy. All the folks coming into town for the unveiling of the new casino had her booked solid for the next three months.
Perhaps all her hard work had finally paid off. At least the few extra dollars had earned her the sexy black stilettos and the expensive "balconette" bra that she kept pushing up and adjusting.
Besides that, she looked marvelous. Although she still retained a bulge of stubborn love handles, her body had slimmed down nicely due to cases of Slim Fast and some little yellow pill a patron had recommended.
Josie felt sleek and beautiful. And she knew her customers would appreciate her fine sense of style. Was it such a bad thing that she flashed a little extra cleavage at the menfolk?
Of course, she wouldn't ever let it go further than a friendly tease- after all, she was a married woman. She and Stan had been married for thirty two years. And they had taken turns running the Two Rivers Motel for nearly as long. She worked day shift. Stan worked nights. They rarely saw one another except to arrange schedules and to balance the books. They had not shared a bed in over twenty years. Even at Christmas and New Years, the motel had to be open and running. They couldn't afford to close down for any type of holiday or refuse their best customers.
The motel was Josie's life. And one she knew she could never escape from.
However, now that the little town of Rebel was beginning to boom, Josie was excited about the prospects. She imagined new flowers in the window boxes, flat screen TV's in every room, and the stained shag carpeting replaced with a nice neutral Berber.
That morning, Josie stirred a bit of vodka into her coffee and took a long swallow. The sun was just coming up and she had awhile before last nights guests began to rouse and leave for breakfast.
The Fish House Cafe' was just a block away and known for their cheap, but appetizing breakfast buffet. Josie loved their evening salad bar and usually had Stan deliver her takeout before they changed shifts. And their All-You-Can-Eat weekend seafood specials were absolutely delicious!
Even though Patty Tyler's place was a bit run down, Josie knew that the casino would change all that. The vinyl chairs with their duct tape patches and the ceiling tiles with water spots would soon be a thing of the past. And once all the new business came pouring in, Josie hoped Patty would replace the plastic flowers with more sophisticated centerpieces.
Patty and Josie were completely opposite, but still good friends. Patty stopped by the motel a few days a week to share a drink- almost always some fruity, alcoholic mixture, complete with umbrellas and miniature swords for their cherries.
Josie always did everything with flourish.
Patty was not quite as flamboyant, shying away from any sort of animal print, tall heels, boob-age or flirtation. She had sensible style- preferring jeans, tee shirts and tennis shoes while working- as well as when entertaining friends. Comfort was a priority- besides, her customers came in the Fish House Cafe' for good food- and nothing else. So far she had managed to make a profit and secretly hoped that her clientele would prefer home cooked meals over the ones being served at the casino.
Patty had never been married. In fact, her short hair and somewhat masculine manner always had customers questioning her choice of lifestyle. But those suspicions could never be further from the truth. She had just never found that special man. And at age forty, she had just about given up.
"Someday he'll walk right in that front door," she had told Josie. "He'll order a full stack of pancakes, black coffee, and leave a five dollar tip. Then he will come back and court me every day for six months. We'll get hitched at the Raccoon Creek Chapel, raise alpacas, and sell the cafe."
They both laughed.
But Patty had left Josie thinking about her own marriage. How weak and pitiful and unfulfilled it was! She wished to Heaven that life could be as simple as Patty hoped.
She began to cry into her vodka-spiked coffee, as blobs of dime store mascara painted black lines down her face. How could she be so happy and so sad at the same time?
A red diesel truck disturbed Josie's pity party and she quickly readjusted her makeup, her jumpsuit and her smile- just as the jingle of the office door announced new customers. Two good old boys stepped inside- their young, muscular bodies tight beneath their faded jeans and J.C. Penny polos.
Josie licked her lips, smiled a toothy grin, and greeted them with a believably cheerful "Howdy!"
"What can I do fer y'all today?" she asked.
"Reservation for Montgomery", the short one said, staring at her atrocious garb.
Josie ran a glossy Pucker Pink nail down the ledger and verified their room.
"Two nights. Double beds. That will be $122. Cash or credit?"
Soon vehicles began pulling in and registering at the Two Rivers Motel. Josie was so busy that she didn't have time to brew another pot of coffee for the customers. Luckily it was a warm day and the patrons were toting coolers or taking advantage of the new soda machine that Stan had leased from his friend Roger Marriott. And Josie made a mental note to tell Stan what an excellent idea that had been.
By one o'clock, her rooms were completely filled and paid in advance. And most of her customers were already headed for the Nugget Casino down by the river.
Josie returned to her desk, flipped off her heels, unbuckled her bra, and collapsed on the pink daybed. There she fell asleep, dreaming of alpacas in leopard jumpsuits -eating stacks and stacks of Patty's pancakes.
****
Well, that's a far as I got! Feel free to leave an honest comment or criticism!
To be continued????
