Ooh yes! I love this Barrie, your story is perfectly plausible, an erudite rendition of those scrupulous and seductive eye's. They could tell thousand stories.
Perhaps she's dreaming of her own rendez-vous with a man otherwise taken, the passion that will follow when they leave for their own clandestine weekend in a hotel room which will have a 'do not disturb' sign hanging from the door handle? How she will persuade him with, her body, that she has taken hours in meticulous beautifying preparation to make so alluring that he will not ever want to return to his wife...
I love the low-key, almost slow-motion feel of this tricky little story. And I love this "a slim Manila envelope being removed from between the folds of a newspaper, to be replaced with the previously-agreed sum." I am sitting on the nearby bench! And this really popped off the page: "I intend to spend a significant part of the afternoon soaking off the stench of betrayal and the aroma of Turkish cigarettes." You found a terrific picture to work with, Barrie. This one was a real cracker!
Thank you so much, Sharron. There’s so much amazing art … I love the chance to make things up that are a long way removed from the artist’s idea. And I love that you picked out a couple of lines, including my favourite about bathtime. Thank you so much for the kind encouragement ✍️
Fabulous! Thank you so much, Barrie. I love what you can do with an art prompt. You’ve brought another interesting dimension to ‘Pauline’.
She is very enigmatic … it’s a fabulous picture, rich in possibilities for the idle pen of a fictioneer! Thanks for the suggestion.
It came via a comment from Liz Gwedham that it was like the beginning of a novel :)
Good suggestion, Liz!
Any eggshells walked on here belong to quails not common hens
Love it!
Thank you so much … ☺️ 💛
Ooh yes! I love this Barrie, your story is perfectly plausible, an erudite rendition of those scrupulous and seductive eye's. They could tell thousand stories.
Perhaps she's dreaming of her own rendez-vous with a man otherwise taken, the passion that will follow when they leave for their own clandestine weekend in a hotel room which will have a 'do not disturb' sign hanging from the door handle? How she will persuade him with, her body, that she has taken hours in meticulous beautifying preparation to make so alluring that he will not ever want to return to his wife...
Ah yes, that tale crossed my mind … a story for another day, perhaps. Thanks so much for reading, Susie, and for sharing.
A pleasure as always Barrie.
I love the low-key, almost slow-motion feel of this tricky little story. And I love this "a slim Manila envelope being removed from between the folds of a newspaper, to be replaced with the previously-agreed sum." I am sitting on the nearby bench! And this really popped off the page: "I intend to spend a significant part of the afternoon soaking off the stench of betrayal and the aroma of Turkish cigarettes." You found a terrific picture to work with, Barrie. This one was a real cracker!
Thank you so much, Sharron. There’s so much amazing art … I love the chance to make things up that are a long way removed from the artist’s idea. And I love that you picked out a couple of lines, including my favourite about bathtime. Thank you so much for the kind encouragement ✍️
Beautifully (un)woven, Barrie. A great read.
Ah, thank you, Matt. So happy you read it.