Welcome to the Call Me MAYbe Flash Fiction Challenge!!
All stories begin with "The phone rang" and are no more than 1,000 words. Deadline to submit is May 31. For full contest rules and prize list, visit this link: http://mystiparker.blogspot.com/2013/04/next-month-call-me-maybe-flash-fiction.html
# 17: Trusting Friends
by
M.C.V. Egan
The phone rang. It was
three a.m. and Lacey was sound asleep and in no mood to answer. It rang again
and she looked at the screen. She almost decided to let it go to voicemail, but
answered
instead. She could tell that Randie had been drinking by the tone and
pitch of her voice.
“Sorry it’s late but I
really need your help.”
Lacey answered with a soft
sleepy voice, almost a whisper.
“Randie is three a.m. this
better be important”
“Jack is sleeping with one
of my friends.”
That got Lacey’s attention
as she sat up in her bed.
“What? Who?”
“I am not sure, but it is
one of my friends with brown hair, that’s why I called you.”
“Did you see him?”
“No I didn’t. Don’t laugh,
I called a very reputable psychic and she told me he was going to ask me to
marry him, but that he was unfaithful.”
“Oh please it is 3:00 a.m.”
“She was really good, she
saw images, and she described how he was one of the tallest men she ever saw.
Then she described his fancy office and she said he was a lawyer. She described
my fancy large wedding and the bouquet-she said it had Sunflowers and Daises,
YOU KNOW those are my flowers!”
“Those are your favorite
flowers. That is odd.”
“I know! She said that
clairvoyants see images; they don’t hear voices, or talk to the dearly departed.
She saw the images and I interpreted what they meant to me.”
“So she asked you
questions?” The sarcasm in Lacey’s voice had a touch of mean.
“No, No she said that she
saw a man near me and described Jack to a
“T” and then she said that he was going to ask me to marry him sooner
than later. Then she got snippy because she wanted to find her own Prince Charming.”
Lacey and Randie both
laughed.
“I know, weird huh? But then we talked about
Jack and she described the wedding and she said he was sleeping with one of my
friends.”
“When did she say you were
going to get married?“
“She’s clairvoyant and she
sees images and not calendars!”
“I am guessing that was her
line?”
“Yeah, she said that
sometimes she sees snow, of the color of fall leaves, but all she saw was green
and sunshine, which is like all year in Florida. But she said when an image is
so clear it means sooner than later and to get a nice manicure to go with my
big ring.”
“A big wedding? That sounds
expensive if you called she could probably tell it was Florida by the area
code.”
“Hmmm, maybe; but I know
she is a reputable psychic. I told her my folks could not afford anything like
that, but she said someone had money; and Jack does. Then she started whining
again about her future; she said that she something about forewarned and
forearmed, and she saw six bridesmaids and one was sleeping with Jack. Who do
you think it is?”
“She was whining about her
future? I am confused? How do you know she is a good psychic?”
“Lisa called her a year ago
and she got everything right. The psychic lady said that she can see everyone
else’s future but not her own. All these wonderful futures for her callers”—Randie
laughed.
“Then she said; when is it my turn to be Cinderella? Can you believe it? But then I asked if she
saw any bad stuff in my future. She described the bridesmaids and said that one
was looking at Jack like she was still sleeping with him.”
Lacey got out of bed and
walked into the next room.
“Aren’t you seeing other
guys?”
“Well, yeah, but not his
friends! I think it’s Lisa, she sleeps around.”
“Anyhow she told me that I
better not toy with a man’s emotions because the whole no greater fury than a woman scorned was probably written by an
angry violent man. You don’t think Jack’s violent do you?”
Lacey’s heart began to beat
a little faster.
“No not Jack, but I guess anyone who feels
betrayed or hurt is capable of revenge.”
“That was EXACTLY what the
psychic said and she said that a lawyer’s job is to fight and retaliate. So do you
think I should stop seeing other guys? What if it’s my last chance to have
fun?”
“Randie, maybe you should
just brake up with Jack and move on. Can you imagine spending the rest of your
life wondering if he is with someone else?”
“I know, I would have to
get rid of all my good-looking friends, I can’t trust anyone except for you. I
would not mind being Mrs. Lawyer. But that is not the point why would Jack
sleep with one of my friends, and worse yet why would a friend sleep with Jack?”
Lacey’s fingers combed
through her hair, it felt softer and silkier than any other time she could
remember.
“You know what they say; what goes around comes around…Just confront him.”
“Right, what if he IS the
violent type?”
“So you want to marry him,
but you don’t want to know if he is the violent type? Also it is kind of
mean
to pin it on Lisa.”
“Silky brown hair and she’s
the type. Thank goodness for your red curls! Ha,ha, otherwise I might not have
called.”
Each step Lacey took as she
walked back into the bedroom added a bit of discomfort, she looked at her
reflection in the mirror. The Keratin and change of color had not been her
idea.
The phone slipped out of Lacey’s
hand making a crashing sound that woke up the man in her bed.
He opened his eyes and reached
over and caressed her arm.
With great discomfort she smiled as he said,“You look so beautiful
Rannn…Lacey; so beautiful.”
****
M. C. V. Egan is the chosen pen name for Maria
Catalina Egan, author of The Bridge of Deaths. Originally
from Mexico City, Mexico; M.C.V. Egan has lived in various parts of the USA as
well as France and Sweden. She is fluent in four languages; Spanish, French,
Swedish and English.
She lives in South Florida with her husband,
teenage son and five pound Chihuahua.
Mysti, what a riot I never imagined my little story with images! Thanks for posting...it was great fun :)
ReplyDeleteGreat job on this, M :) I liked the ending especially. Happy writing!
ReplyDeleteThanks, I love to add a twist to the ending, cannot always pull it off.
DeleteAh, the little twists that slide at us sideways! Good "hiding" of the truth. I did not suspect her until she ran her hand through her hair -- and then to learn that Jack is with her right then! Whoa!
ReplyDeleteI laughed when I read this paragraph...
“No I didn’t. Don’t laugh, I called a very reputable psychic and she told me he was going to ask me to marry him, but that he was unfaithful.”
And in the end, the psychic, odd though she was, beamed into the truth.
- judy
Thanks! what a fun comment, so glad that you enjoyed it.
DeleteAbsolutely loved this one. I never saw it coming, the end. It also made me want to stop writing novels and write short stories myself. I am amazed how well established the characters were in such a short time, yet mere stereo-types.
ReplyDeleteI really loved this story, it reminded me how poignant and quick witted shorts are. Really well done, such a fun read.
THANKS CHRISTOPH!
ReplyDelete