Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
This is the Doctrine’s contribution to the Six Sentence Story bloghop.
Hosted each week by Denise, the rules are simple, the stories are always a surprise.
This Six is a direct continuation of one published several weeks ago. I had the experience last week of realizing how important it is to these ‘continuation Sixes’ that the Reader know the ‘previously on’ context. (Thanks out to Mz Avry and Ford for my getting a link into comments that made all the difference to Readers on the most recent [a Café Six]) Gonna try something different. Rather than a link, here is the ending of the previous installment):
“…Stepping through the glass ‘n brass door, the warm-Italian-cuisine/cigarettes-and-hormone scented atmosphere embracing me, I was brought up short by a woman, her back to the door as a twist in my stomach promised more misery, unless it decided on bliss instead; she was not one the interchangeable temps Lou hired to cover for the extended absence of the hostess who worked for Lou for as long as anyone remembers.
Diane Tierney turned with the grace and force of the changing of the season, her eyes taking inventory, her lips smiling in approval, “Ian, it’s March not February, you made it through the winter,” again a barely noticeable smile, “everything will get better”.
This week’s prompt word:
SILK
“Diane! It’s good to see you.”
The date on my birth certificate qualifies me to enter into a legal and binding contract, I hold title to real estate, a lease on my downtown office, I carry a license for a concealed weapon, earned a couple of graduate-level degrees and the best I managed was ‘Its good to see you’; from a corner of a nearly-sealed off room in my mind came the sounds of acne rumbling up to the epidermis and the imagined laughter echoing down the corridors of a high school that clearly is one stake short of being dead.
If there was a pin nearby to drop, I’ve no doubt the whooshing sound of it’s fall to earth would have drowned out the fifty-decibel stripper music coming from the brass pole and hormone side of the Bottom of the Sea; until, that is Lou Ceasare’s voice, from the last booth on the Lounge side, put to rest any question of how a Great White shark would sound if convinced to try and whisper as it closed in on its prey.
“Hey Devereaux! Get yer ass back here, I got a favor that I might let you do for me.”
This particular evening, the owner of the Bottom of the Sea Strip Club and Lounge was wearing a white shirt that appeared one size too small, a Zegna floral silk tie that cost more than the average car lease and a black suit coat with two gold cross pens in the breast pocket.
Lou smiled, I sat opposite him and thought about how much safer my previous job on an off-shore fishing boat was.
About clarkscottroger
A most atmospheric ink, Clark.
And your metaphors are top notch, as the usually are (they tell me “always” is reserved by the Pope )😆
Spring is upon us. Hope you are feeling better.
(Queen…yes, sir!)
thanks Nick.
yes
damn straight!
frankly, once I decide the course of action (admittedly brief as must be with Sixes) I sit back and watch Lou (and Diane) …and Ian (lol)
Nice description of a panic attack: “sounds of acne rumbling up to the epidermis and the imagined laughter echoing down the corridors of a high school” I hope the favor Lou wants done isn’t too difficult.
thats the thing about people like Lou, they’re more focused on the person they’re asking the favor from… they assume the person will accept the task because they are confident in completing it
I like the description of the expectant pin drop, Clark! That frozen in time moment is priceless!
With Lou Ceasare in a scene, it pretty much comes down to finds ways to infer his personality
So good!
Thank you, Miz H
All kinds of sounds going on, watta cacophany!
never (ok, hardly ever) a dull time at the Bottom of the Sea Strip Club and Lounge
When the latest place you fish is a hangout owned by a Lou, of course the boat was safer!
(Not, of course, that we don’t love Lou, but he’s not safe.)
thanks (I was going for that with Lou in this Six. ‘course, being such a short format not always possible) But on that subject I try to avoid limiting myself to what I know about a character that has established herself/himself in these stories… all the more tempting with people like Lou and therefore, probably what I should do
Love that description of Cesare: shark and the name of the club.
Coming up with the name of the club is one of my favorite parts of the writing process. I knew I needed a name so I went out on the web looking up strip clubs in my part of the country, New England. I must’ve visited fifty or sixty places (online…lol). Finally I saw on the webpage for the Bottom of the Sea restaurant a banner: “Fresh Seafood!” We own our own fishing boat!’
I had my name.
Lou does the Scott well
“Hey Devereaux! Get yer ass back here, I got a favor that I might let you do for me.”
Thank you