Sunday November 6th, 2011

The exercise:

Upon our return to Osoyoos, let's go with: the godfather.

Kat and I got back safely this afternoon after a long but uneventful drive. We did see some snow at the sides of the road, but thankfully none of it where our car would have to deal with it.

Had a great time seeing friends and family in Vancouver and we're hoping to get back there a little more often than we have so far.

Mine:

The bartender has the Amaretto in one hand and the Scotch in the other before I even manage to make my way to the bar. As I slump onto my stool he slides the cocktail in my direction without a word and leaves to take an order from another customer.

I take a sip and collect my thoughts. It's been a busy day and sleep isn't likely to be in my near future. Not with my troubling client due to arrive at any moment.

Taking another sip, I catch the bartender's eye as he passes and nod my gratitude. He shows no sign that he noticed but I know there will be another Godfather in front of me before my first is in the same area code as finished.

There's a slight lessening in the volume of the room and that's all I need to know that my client has arrived. She's a looker, all right; I'm not going to pretend I haven't noticed. But as long as she's paying my electricity bill I'm not doing anything more than noticing. After that, well...

"Good evening Detective," she says, taking the stool next to mine. "You look like you've been working hard. I trust the results match the efforts?"

"Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't." I take another sip and watch her chew her bottom lip. I continue on before my imagination takes over. "And this time, they do."

"Lucky for me."

"We'll see how you feel about that after looking at these." I pass her the envelope and look away. I don't want to see that pretty face while she surveys the proof of her husband's true nature.

5 comments:

morganna said...

The Hut couldn't deliver. Something about a wrong phone number. So we turned to the Godfather. Thirty minutes later, he came through. Piping hot pizza right at our door. Mmm. Delicious.

Greg said...

@Morganna: nice twist! And now I'm hungry for pizza....

@Marc: sounds like you had fun! Was it all good nostalgia, or are there still parts of the city that make you glad to have left?
I like the way your stories always have more hope in them than conventional Noir, and I particularly like the last paragraph and its reveal.

The Godfather
"I've made tomorrow 'Bring your Godfather to school' day," said Miss Devonport, glowing with the inner smugness of all Religious Instruction teachers. "I think it'll be good for the children, and we can check on their spiritual upbringing."
"You can't do that!" Miss Snippet was so angry that her hair was almost standing up on end.
"Why not? Does it offend your secular sensitivities?"
"No! We're re-enacting Lord of the Flies tomorrow!"

Anonymous said...

The Godfather

It was initially the pizza he loved, he'd travel across states just to get a taste of it, so good was it.
Then, after he had met “the one”, he married and moved again. 
Soon they were blessed with a child, a precious cargo, a treasure of the heart. They picked a name that suited the little one. Now, to choose the godparents wisely - no ordinary folk for this wee one. “Yes! My sister and her husband, they are the ones to whom we would entrust our treasure!” he said, and so, with much wisdom and joy, the godmother and the godfather were appointed.    

(write bite aka world of exp. g'day marc, welcome back)

Marc said...

Morganna - I, too, could go for a pizza right now.

Greg - traffic is easier to deal with when you know it's just for a couple days. Otherwise... yeah, pretty much all good.

I'm not sure the godparents will enjoy that particular re-enactment. But then again, maybe they will!

Writebite - funny, the prompt was inspired by my wife's brother calling last night and asking us to be his daughter's godparents.

And thanks, good to be back :)

Anonymous said...

how special for you marc!