Serial Holiday Shorts: Mr. Mysterious
Today instead of an excerpt, I've got something new (and hopefully fun) to share. This is the start of a tandem story series I'll be writing with...well, myself. Or my alter-egos, that is. There will be a new flash fiction story posted on each major holiday throughout the year, starting with Valentine's day. Over here, we're following Laura Henderson, who really just wants to find her soul mate - only he's not cooperating very well. The first part of her story is posted below, in draft (read: unedited) format. The second story will be posted next week on Valentine's day.
There are two more parts to this story - Laura's best friends are following their own paths while she follows hers. They will be written by my alter egos in their respective genres, so if you're curious, you can read those particular story lines at their respective blogs. Jodi Perkins is taking a more erotic journey, and Melanie Donner...well, you wouldn't want to go home with her. You've been warned - check out those tandem plot lines at your own risk!
Now, get comfy and let me introduce you to Laura...
Mr. Mysterious: The Beginning
Laura took a deep breath, another sip of her drink, and flashed her two best friends a bright smile.
“This year, I think we should all make one goal - to spend the holidays with a guy. Or just the evening, anyway.”
Judging from the looks on their faces in the dim bar lights, Jodi and Melanie weren’t as excited about the plan as she was. Then again, they didn’t know about Mr. Mysterious. And hopefully they wouldn’t until she’d solved the mystery herself.
“The holidays are over,” Jodi said. “And next December is still a long ways off, as far as I’m concerned--”
Laura held up her hands, motioning for her to stop. “I don’t mean just Christmas. I mean all the holidays. Or the major ones, anyways. We’re all looking for men, right? So I propose that we all meet up at a different place for each holiday during the year and pick up a guy - any guy, to spend the evening with.”
She took another sip of her drink - some fruity concoction that was going down way too easily. If she didn’t slow down, she’d be asleep before what had become a weekly online chat session.
“Sounds dangerous,” Melanie commented, though she didn’t seem particularly opposed to the idea. She’d always been...different, and she’d never lost the goth look she adopted in high school, but rather refined it as she aged. Her long, crimson fingernails tapped thoughtfully on the pub table, thick rings flashing in the light from a disco ball.
Laura looked at her own short, manicured nails. Would Mysterious prefer something longer and more claw-like? She hoped not. Maybe she’d try a brighter shade than her normal french manicure for their first meeting.
Jodi sat quietly across the table, and Laura wondered what she was thinking. Tough and confident, Jodi had trouble finding men who could handle her particular personality. Would she be willing to at least give this whole thing a try?
“We could make it safe.” Melanie held up her cell phone. “Regular check-ins at specified times through the night would make sure we know if someone needs help. Don’t call or answer, we call the cops right away. And pictures of each guy before we take off with him. Or his driver’s license even, for an address.”
Laura nodded. “I wasn’t planning on a bunch of one-night stands. Just drinks, dinner maybe. See what happens after that.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “I just thought it would be a good way to make our holidays less bitchy, more potential action.”
Melanie nodded. “We do have a way of making holidays bitter, don’t we? And I’m all for more men.” She took a long sip off her own frozen drink. “I’m in. Jodi?”
Laura waited. At least Melanie would act as her safety net, but it would be more fun with Jodi there too. For starters, anyway. Besides, she needed to get out more. The woman was all work and no play these days.
Jodie finally nodded. “I’m in. So when do we start?”
Laura clapped, unable to contain her excitement. “Yay! I was thinking our first major holiday would be Valentine’s Day, of course. Doesn’t that make sense?”
Jodi rolled her eyes. “Because there’s nothing more romantic than meeting up with a complete stranger on a holiday where everyone fancies themselves in love, right?”
Melanie punched Jodi in the arm. “Knock it off. You agreed, now don’t spoil her fun.” She flipped her long black hair behind her shoulder. “So where should we meet, and when?”
Laura smiled. “I was thinking Charlie’s at six. That will give us plenty of time to check out our options as they come in.”
“Fine with me,” Melanie said, her eyes flitting over a group of college kids in the corner. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go make some young stud’s night. See you ladies on V Day.”
Laura shook her head as she moved away. Melanie rarely went home alone, and Laura could never decide whether she was jealous or happy for her. A little of both, maybe.
Her phone buzzed against the table, and it was all she could to keep her expression neutral as she picked it up. It was early, but she knew it was him. It had to be him.
Jodi drained the last of her drink. “Charlie’s it is, then. I’ll be there.” She pulled a bill out of her wallet and laid it on the table. “I think I’m going to head home. It was a long day at work, and I’m beat. Do you need a ride?”
Laura shook her head, barely comprehending Jodi’s question as she read the words on the tiny screen. Realizing she needed to reply, she forced herself to look up.
“I’m fine, thanks.” She smiled, feeling a little guilty that she’d rather respond to his text than chat with her friend. “Thanks Jodi. I really feel like good things are going to happen for us this year. Don’t you?”
Jodi shrugged as she got up. “I honestly don’t know, but whatever happens will be something different, and I think we all need to shake things up, right?”
“Right.” Laura nodded. “I’ll see you next month then. Can’t wait!”
She turned her attention back to her phone as Jodi left, reading the words on the screen again.
“Where are you?”
Her fingers flew across the small keyboard. “Out with friends. Where are you?”
“Working tonight. Wish you were here.”
Her heart fluttered. “Me too. Chat later?”
“Sorry, can’t. Tomorrow?”
Laura sighed, feeling like every ounce of energy had just drained out of her body.
“Of course.” She hit send, and then typed out another message.
“I want to meet you.”
Her thumb hovered over the send button, but she hesitated. They’d never talked about meeting. What if he didn’t want to? What if this was all just a friendly bit of online flirtation?
She considered some of the things they’d said...done, together online, and took a deep breath. Better to know now if it was just one-sided.
She pushed send, and then waited.
Ten minutes passed, then twenty. She gathered her things and went home, feeling like a pathetic loser when she placed her phone on the nightstand. He must have turned his phone off. Or maybe it was out of batteries.
Or maybe he just didn’t want to meet her.
She tossed and turned for an hour, sleeping fitfully for the rest of the night. He still hadn’t replied when her alarm finally went off, and she mulled all the possibilities around in her head while she showered and got ready for work.
That night, she waited online in their private chat room for two hours, but he never logged on.
Exhausted and feeling like an idiot, she sent Mr. Mysterious one final text before crawling in bed.
“Valentine’s Day. Charlie’s. 7pm.”
There are two more parts to this story - Laura's best friends are following their own paths while she follows hers. They will be written by my alter egos in their respective genres, so if you're curious, you can read those particular story lines at their respective blogs. Jodi Perkins is taking a more erotic journey, and Melanie Donner...well, you wouldn't want to go home with her. You've been warned - check out those tandem plot lines at your own risk!
Now, get comfy and let me introduce you to Laura...
Mr. Mysterious: The Beginning
Laura took a deep breath, another sip of her drink, and flashed her two best friends a bright smile.
“This year, I think we should all make one goal - to spend the holidays with a guy. Or just the evening, anyway.”
Judging from the looks on their faces in the dim bar lights, Jodi and Melanie weren’t as excited about the plan as she was. Then again, they didn’t know about Mr. Mysterious. And hopefully they wouldn’t until she’d solved the mystery herself.
“The holidays are over,” Jodi said. “And next December is still a long ways off, as far as I’m concerned--”
Laura held up her hands, motioning for her to stop. “I don’t mean just Christmas. I mean all the holidays. Or the major ones, anyways. We’re all looking for men, right? So I propose that we all meet up at a different place for each holiday during the year and pick up a guy - any guy, to spend the evening with.”
She took another sip of her drink - some fruity concoction that was going down way too easily. If she didn’t slow down, she’d be asleep before what had become a weekly online chat session.
“Sounds dangerous,” Melanie commented, though she didn’t seem particularly opposed to the idea. She’d always been...different, and she’d never lost the goth look she adopted in high school, but rather refined it as she aged. Her long, crimson fingernails tapped thoughtfully on the pub table, thick rings flashing in the light from a disco ball.
Laura looked at her own short, manicured nails. Would Mysterious prefer something longer and more claw-like? She hoped not. Maybe she’d try a brighter shade than her normal french manicure for their first meeting.
Jodi sat quietly across the table, and Laura wondered what she was thinking. Tough and confident, Jodi had trouble finding men who could handle her particular personality. Would she be willing to at least give this whole thing a try?
“We could make it safe.” Melanie held up her cell phone. “Regular check-ins at specified times through the night would make sure we know if someone needs help. Don’t call or answer, we call the cops right away. And pictures of each guy before we take off with him. Or his driver’s license even, for an address.”
Laura nodded. “I wasn’t planning on a bunch of one-night stands. Just drinks, dinner maybe. See what happens after that.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “I just thought it would be a good way to make our holidays less bitchy, more potential action.”
Melanie nodded. “We do have a way of making holidays bitter, don’t we? And I’m all for more men.” She took a long sip off her own frozen drink. “I’m in. Jodi?”
Laura waited. At least Melanie would act as her safety net, but it would be more fun with Jodi there too. For starters, anyway. Besides, she needed to get out more. The woman was all work and no play these days.
Jodie finally nodded. “I’m in. So when do we start?”
Laura clapped, unable to contain her excitement. “Yay! I was thinking our first major holiday would be Valentine’s Day, of course. Doesn’t that make sense?”
Jodi rolled her eyes. “Because there’s nothing more romantic than meeting up with a complete stranger on a holiday where everyone fancies themselves in love, right?”
Melanie punched Jodi in the arm. “Knock it off. You agreed, now don’t spoil her fun.” She flipped her long black hair behind her shoulder. “So where should we meet, and when?”
Laura smiled. “I was thinking Charlie’s at six. That will give us plenty of time to check out our options as they come in.”
“Fine with me,” Melanie said, her eyes flitting over a group of college kids in the corner. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go make some young stud’s night. See you ladies on V Day.”
Laura shook her head as she moved away. Melanie rarely went home alone, and Laura could never decide whether she was jealous or happy for her. A little of both, maybe.
Her phone buzzed against the table, and it was all she could to keep her expression neutral as she picked it up. It was early, but she knew it was him. It had to be him.
Jodi drained the last of her drink. “Charlie’s it is, then. I’ll be there.” She pulled a bill out of her wallet and laid it on the table. “I think I’m going to head home. It was a long day at work, and I’m beat. Do you need a ride?”
Laura shook her head, barely comprehending Jodi’s question as she read the words on the tiny screen. Realizing she needed to reply, she forced herself to look up.
“I’m fine, thanks.” She smiled, feeling a little guilty that she’d rather respond to his text than chat with her friend. “Thanks Jodi. I really feel like good things are going to happen for us this year. Don’t you?”
Jodi shrugged as she got up. “I honestly don’t know, but whatever happens will be something different, and I think we all need to shake things up, right?”
“Right.” Laura nodded. “I’ll see you next month then. Can’t wait!”
She turned her attention back to her phone as Jodi left, reading the words on the screen again.
“Where are you?”
Her fingers flew across the small keyboard. “Out with friends. Where are you?”
“Working tonight. Wish you were here.”
Her heart fluttered. “Me too. Chat later?”
“Sorry, can’t. Tomorrow?”
Laura sighed, feeling like every ounce of energy had just drained out of her body.
“Of course.” She hit send, and then typed out another message.
“I want to meet you.”
Her thumb hovered over the send button, but she hesitated. They’d never talked about meeting. What if he didn’t want to? What if this was all just a friendly bit of online flirtation?
She considered some of the things they’d said...done, together online, and took a deep breath. Better to know now if it was just one-sided.
She pushed send, and then waited.
Ten minutes passed, then twenty. She gathered her things and went home, feeling like a pathetic loser when she placed her phone on the nightstand. He must have turned his phone off. Or maybe it was out of batteries.
Or maybe he just didn’t want to meet her.
She tossed and turned for an hour, sleeping fitfully for the rest of the night. He still hadn’t replied when her alarm finally went off, and she mulled all the possibilities around in her head while she showered and got ready for work.
That night, she waited online in their private chat room for two hours, but he never logged on.
Exhausted and feeling like an idiot, she sent Mr. Mysterious one final text before crawling in bed.
“Valentine’s Day. Charlie’s. 7pm.”
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