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Just Another Happy Hour
Published
July 2006 online, Flash
Flooding
She
wrote her number on a napkin and dropped it in his suit
pocket. She had the bartender bring him a drink on her
and when the bartender brought it over he pointed her
out. She nodded and smiled when he raised his glass in
thanks. She unbuttoned one more button on her blouse when
she went to the ladies room. She got off the barstool
and sat around the piano listening to Sam J. singing and
playing. She swiveled in her chair and let her skirt ride
up showing more great leg. She had another drink and sang
along on a couple of old standards. Her voice was good.
She decided she needed to dance and went looking for her
fantasy man. He was nowhere to be found. She went back
to the bar and tried to figure out which of her actions
turned him off.
Paul
Beckman works as a real estate agent to feed his writing
habit. Some of his other publishing credits include The
Connecticut Review, ONTHEBUS, Other Voices, The Writer's
Voice, Playboy, Fiction Warehouse, Northeast Magazine, 5
Trope, Exquisite Corpse, Sugar Mule, Parting Gifts, Web
Del Sol, CollectedStories.com and River Babble. Contact
Paul at paulbeckman@rcn.com.
Big
Wheel Keeps on Turning
Billy
and Danny were seven years—only
four days separated their birthdays. They lived next door
to each other and were best of friends, as well as cousins.
Their
fathers were brothers, two years apart, and only tolerated
each other because of their wives who were not only sisters,
but also twins and inseparable.
The
fathers, by circumstance, both worked selling insurance and
ended up living close to each other because of their wives.
They were very competitive; their sons and wives were not.
So
when Danny got a big wheel for his birthday Billy got one
also, only a more expensive model, which he did not appreciate.
He wanted the exact same one as Danny and his father was forced,
once again, into retreat mode, and exchanged it.
The
kids loved their big wheels and Billy's father made a track
in the back yard where they could race them. Danny's father,
not to be outdone, created an obstacle course for the big
wheels.
One
Sunday, soon after both were built, the boys were out in their
backyards while their fathers sat on their decks ignoring
each other.
Billy
said to Danny, "C'mon, I'll race you around the track."
Danny
said "Okay" and yelled to his father to say "Go!"
when they were set up. Danny's father turned to his brother
and said, "Five bucks on Danny."
"You're
on," said Billy's father.
By
the time Billy and Danny were in their teens they were no
longer best friends - only competitors for the sake of their
father's bets. Their one on one basketball games became vicious
and their backyard wrestling matches usually ended up with
something bloody or sprained. They competed for girls, grades
and power but mostly to please their fathers.
The
sister mothers told their husbands that if they let the boys
go through with drag racing they would leave them, but the
lure of the competition between the brothers was too great.
At
the funeral the sisters sat silently apart and haven't spoken
since, although they continue to live next door to each other.
Neither brother wants to be the first to move.
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