For a change of pace, a short story, rare for me.
The Naked Truth
by MeeAugraphie
03/08“Why did you take her there, Jeff? You know she hates that tree. She associates it with loneliness; one lone tree, stark naked in the middle of nowhere, man doomed to live alone in his or her own mind. And at 4:30 p.m.? How unromantic can you get? I told you to do it here, the lake, at dusk. Just the two of you sitting on the dock, nature your backdrop, constellations at ready to share the night sky with the stars in Sarah’s eyes when you proposed. Any woman would succumb to your charm here, Jeff. Why didn’t you listen to me?”
“I did listen to you, Amy. Every word. I bought her the ring you thought best, the small simple solitaire instead of the one you blurted to the jeweler ‘was so crass only a tart would wear it.’“
“Flaunt, Jeff. I said only a tart would flaunt it. It was gaudy…”
“Amy, am I not wearing the white linen shirt and black jeans you suggested?”
“You only got one thing right! You didn’t take wine, you are lugging around a six pack of Dos XX. She doesn’t drink beer! Proposals need to be perfect.”
“And this would be perfect? Dusk? Lake? Crickets drowning out the city?”
“Yes.”
“Leaves rustling? Fireflies? Isn’t that Cassiopeia?”
“It is.”
“Want another beer?
“Yeah”
“… Amy?”
“What, Jeff?”
“Are you going to succumb to my charm or not? You said any woman would.”
Nature strained to hear her quiet response.
This was written based on a contest prompt from Jason Evans of The Clarity of Night, last March. I wrote it then, but apparently never entered it for I found it in my drafts today. The winning entries are found here. Some great reading there if you missed it the first time. Amazing where a simple tree photo takes people.
While you are there, definitely check out this short story he wrote this January for another of his contest prompts: 5 Minutes.
