"No, Trevor. I've told you."
He reached out. "Lexi—"
"No." She withdrew her hand. "Don't."
"Don't what?" he asked.
"Just...don't."
He looked at her across the coffee table. Around them the life of the city went on. People walked past the sidewalk cafe, going about their lives.
Anger swelled. "Look Lexi. For God's sake. Everything can't be—"
"Can't be what? Tell me that. Can't be what?"
He opened his mouth to answer, but she continued. "I live my life as I choose." Each word was bitten off, sharp around the edges. "I never asked you to change how you live. Don't you dare ask me to."
He almost growled as he forced himself to speak.
"You're so damned inflexible."
"Ha!" She laughed, she actually laughed at him.
"I distinctly recall you saying I was incredibly flexible." Her voice was a soft purr.
"You know damn well what I mean."
She stood and threw twice the cost of their coffee on the table.
"Give the change to the young one serving us. Maybe you'll find her more biddable."
Before he had a chance to reply, Lexi spun on her heel and stalked away.
Damn.
He stared at her as she advanced through the crowd, people moving smoothly out of her way, till she was lost to his sight.
Entrances and exits, he thought. Her specialities.
Lexi was special in every way he knew, and probably some he didn't. He smiled ruefully and looked down at his coffee.
A screech of brakes, tires protesting their abuse, brought his head up with a snap.
He stood up quickly, bumping against the table. Coffee sloshed over the rim of his cup and splashed his camel hair coat.
He moved quickly along the path she'd taken. People were milling about. A car stopped.
But no Lexi. It was just some near-accident.
He stood at the edge of the street, his heart racing. Again he smiled ruefully. Even when she wasn't around, she could get his heart racing.
How was he going to live with her? Living without her didn't seem possible - or worthwhile
Trevor looked down and swore. Brushing at the stain on his coat, he stepped from the curb.
He never even saw the car.
Oh that was a tasty twist.
ReplyDeleteGut-clenching twist. Excellent! You take us up to a high tension, let us relax back down to normalcy, then throw us under the bus...literally. :) Bravo!
ReplyDeleteNeither Trevor nor I saw that coming. Cool - love a surprise!
ReplyDeleteYou just never know. I like the details -- like the camel hair coat. Good job.
ReplyDeleteCrap! I felt like I was Trevor and what a drag it is to die and not take Lexi with me.. Very nicely done
ReplyDeleteOh man, that was mean. I guess he wasn't the only one who didn't see the car. Great Story!
ReplyDeleteYour Lexi character is interesting, it feels like you were trying to tell us there was more to her than he (or we)will ever know. Something dangerous. I must be seeing vampires everywhere these days, because that was my immediate thought when she called the waiter "young one". Or is that just how you male writers make your female characters mysterious? :-)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, this was very realistic, I could see it playing out in my head like a short clip of film...enjoyed it, thanks!
Inflexible, is she? What did Trevor want her to do? How did he want her to change? This fleeting incident refers to so much, but tells so little. Like the conversations we overhear in real life, the bits of things that send us on a flight of speculation, and maybe even distract us enough not to notice the oncoming car ...
ReplyDeleteCruel ending, but a powerful piece of flash. Well done.
Jeff Posey
I never saw the car coming either. Nice job.
ReplyDelete~jon
Life is so unfair at times. Good job of foreshadowing your ending.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading and commenting, everyone. This story, or the relationship between Lexi and Trevor anyway, morphed as it was written. Lexi became a far more powerful character in her own right.
ReplyDeleteWhile I'm not sure she is dangerous, in any vampire-ish way, she is a very strong character. The reference to "young one" wasn't, at least I don't think so, simply a way this male writer made his female character mysterious. Lexi's not a "flighty young thing" (the waiter may not be either) and she's simply suggesting that, if that's what Trevor is looking for, that ain't her.
Glad you all enjoyed it - and thank you again.
Cool story - death by irony. Liked the snappy feel of the pace, helped by the well written dialogue. Another greta bit of flash.
ReplyDeleteI love it - "death by irony".
ReplyDeleteRe-reading this, in the light of all the comments, I've just realized that Trevor now has the answer to his "How was he going to live with her?".