My thanks to author Bill Brown, who bought Herbert Asbury's Gangs of New York, to Jack of Chase, who purchased a Robin Cook thriller, and to the young lady who spotted Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned as I was closing shop. Special thanks to Amazon.com, which paid me for a May Kindle download that occurred in the UK. Had I not been prompted to set up payment acceptance form overseas, I would never had know about it. If Amazon had kept the royalty I would have been none the wiser. Kudos to Bezos and company.
Here's an excerpt from a short story, Distinctions, part of the Billionths of a Lifetime collection. It was inspired by a raucous night on the town:
I was unable to resist desert, pecan pie,
although I was stuffed. I resolved to work out harder than usual tomorrow. When everyone had
finished his coffee, Joey asked for the bill, which was more than $500. The others were surprised it
wasn't greater. I was shocked, although I knew it would be a tax write-off. God bless America, I thought.
"How much would it take to get you to
walk around the restaurant in your underwear?" said Bobby to Phil.
"I wouldn't do it in here," said
Phil, blowing smoke over his head, sitting back, legs crossed, an arm around the chair beside
him. "Gimme a hundred and I'll do it outside."
The same $75 was raised. I felt an acute
resistance within me. I was sure Phil would do it, and I cringed at the thought of those who
would be offended. And I didn't want to see him make a fool of himself, although he was eager to
accept the challenge, to prove his superiority to the others, even at the lower
rate. As I saw it, he knew he
would never match them in wealth, education, or background, so his only
recourse was brazenness. None of the
others would dare parade about midtown in his underwear, none would ever match him in
"sickness." I found it sad, although no malice was intended by anyone
except, perhaps, Bobby. I was reminded of a
short story wherein an unfaithful wife had her adoring husband masquerade as a fool at a party, where he
suffered fatal realization. I doubted the present consequences would be as
dire, however.
We left the place with great anticipation.
As soon as we'd gathered outside, Phil began to strip, to the delight of everyone. The
temperature was about 50 degrees this April night. Phil stood proudly in his
briefs, black dress socks sagging
about thin ankles. He held his arms out at his sides, inviting all to behold.
"Am I sick or what?" he
demanded. Everyone concurred.
"Look at those socks!" Bobby cried
out, beside himself.
I stood apart, embarrassed yet amused as he
accepted congratulatory high-fives. It was a harmless prank. I hoped the public would
perceive it as such. Phil handed me his clothes, not trusting any of the
others, and set off along 72nd Street,
smiling, belly protruding and supported
by spindly legs taking long strides. I laughed so hard I collapsed
into a squat trying to draw breath, which was difficult on a bloated stomach. My vision blurred at the
force of my mirth. Those he passed were amused rather than offended. And he did not go quietly into the
good night. He talked up a storm, avoiding, however, eye contact with
passersby.
I lagged, still in a squat. I did not rise
until I noted the amused stares of the people seated just beyond the window of the restaurant. I
looked away, irked at my self consciousness, certain it was assumed I was drunk. I slipped into a
nook, hiding, intending a practical joke of my own, worried only that a
policeman would appear and slap Phil
with a summons for indecent exposure. I didn't have the heart to make him wait long, however. He dressed
on Lexington Avenue, boasting as he pulled on his pants, assuring everyone he would do it again if the
money was right.
"I'm no fool," he boasted. "I
got seventy-five tamatas in my pocket. Go 'head and laugh, douche bags. Who's better than me?"
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
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Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tinyurl.com/l84h63j
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tinyurl.com/l84h63j
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