Gonna try doubling up the 100 Words emails for the rest of the week, so you’ll get the same number of stories, but fewer messages in your inbox. Let’s see how this works.
9-26-2023
I know the effect I have on you. It’s not like you have a poker face. But what would you rather I say? “That’ll be debit, and by the way, I forgot to ever learn to make friends and I say so little to anyone else in the course of my day that sometimes I warm up my voice before I get to your lane so it doesn’t crack when I open my mouth, so thanks for this little smidge of connection”? You gotta admit, “there’s no price tag on this, it must be free!” is a lot less awkward.
9-27-2023
He crashed the wedding reception, thankful he’d scored clean clothes at the shelter that morning, thinking only of grabbing food and getting out. The old woman he sat down next to raised an eyebrow. “Richard?” “Mm hmm,” he grimaced, mouth already full of baked chicken. “Where have you been?” she tut-tutted. She introduced him to the bridal party, snapped at him to follow when her taxi came, bid cold good night in her apartment. That was three days ago. He slept on the couch, cooked her omelets. They wordlessly watched TV together. He had no idea what to do next.