3WW, "Invitation"

The words over at Three Word Wednesday are brandish, forbid and manage.

Invitation
“You’re certainly not the man I though you were,” she cried through an expensive silk hanky. “And I forbid you to make a fool of me one more time.”

“Excuse me?”

“That’s it, I just can’t take it anymore.”

The train has lurched to a stop. She bends forward, brandishes the rounded softness of her cleavage, an extended view I cannot turn away from, then brings her manicured hand across my face. The sting of its surprise manages to bring tears welling to the corners of my eyes.

She exits the train and for the next two stops, I feel the heat of the passengers' perturbed stare all over me as I try and sink into the robin’s egg-blue plastic seat and rub the prickly sting of my red-raked cheek.

My walk to the office is consumed with nervous confusion. I get to my desk, finger the breast pocket of my dress shirt. Again and again.

I pull out the business card between two fingers, feeling the creamy ivory cardstock that’s embossed with a single telephone number in chunky black type.

On the back, written in a tight, perfect script is one word…

Dinner?

Comments

VL Sheridan said…
Run. And don't look back.
Altonian said…
"Dinner for one, please James. Mr. Otis regrets....."
Monica Manning said…
And all this time I thought it was only women who went after the bad boy (or, in this case, girl) image.
Jae Rose said…
A nice train ride in the first-person..makes it more of a sting to the cheek..more confusing..maybe she issued him with the entree..Jae
Jae Rose said…
Did you lose all your comments to blogger too? Jae..
Sheilagh Lee said…
I posted before but I'll say it again great story Thom and very surprising love the twist
Anonymous said…
That was awesome! I love reading your stuff, Thom.
The details are perfect: the manicured hand, the expensive hanky, the tight perfect script, creamy ivory cardstock... Wow :)

My only nitpick is the line, "The sting of its stinging surprise manages to bring tears welling to the corners of my eyes"; the repetition threw me a bit.
Would you mind overmuch if I suggested that "The stinging surprise" might work better?

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