Tuned Out (The '86 Fix, #3)

by Keith A. Pearson

I’m not convinced. It seems my date had intended to spend the evening picking from a veritable buffet of potential suitors. Now she’s being offered a solitary sausage on a stick.

Where are you going?” “My sock drawer needs rearranging back at the flat. Charlotte offered to help.” “I’m guessing that’s a euphemism, otherwise she’s in for an underwhelming end to the evening.”

I don’t regret the gaming but, at seven-thirty on this drab Thursday morning, I might regret the lager. If I recall, Frank Sinatra had too few regrets to mention, but mine are certainly stacking up.

He might be right; Trivial Pursuits never had an ‘electrocution by antique radio’ category.

“It isn’t … you’re going to think I’m insane.” “To be frank, Vernon, I had you pegged as a cantankerous old git so insane would be an upgrade.”

A shag got me here so perhaps all it takes is a shag to get me home? It’s not exactly how HG Wells foresaw time travel but his story was, I presume, fictional.

“You can find pleasure in even the most mundane situation if you’re willing to look hard enough. Only lazy people get bored.”

There’s also a wholesome element to the experience; akin to eating a salad for dinner. It’s not exactly thrilling but you feel better in yourself afterwards.