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First Edition Design Publishing - Eric Burbridge

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120 pages

English

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Description

A collection of short stories that covers several genres and several poems. A few stories are bases on several experiences and there's sci-fi, horror and characters getting their just desserts.

Sujets

Short story

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Publié par	First Edition Design Publishing
Date de parution	15 mars 2015
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781622878307
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0360€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

Consolidated Separates Too

A Collection of Short Stories
By

E. B. Burbridge
Consolidated Separates Too
Copyright ©2015 E. B. Burbridge

ISBN 978-1622-878-30-7 EBOOK

January 2015

Published and Distributed by
First Edition Design Publishing, Inc.
P.O. Box 20217, Sarasota, FL 34276-3217
www.firsteditiondesignpublishing.com

ALL R I G H T S R E S E R V E D. No p a r t o f t h i s b oo k pub li ca t i o n m a y b e r e p r o du ce d, s t o r e d i n a r e t r i e v a l s y s t e m , o r t r a n s mit t e d i n a ny f o r m o r by a ny m e a ns ─ e l e c t r o n i c , m e c h a n i c a l , p h o t o - c o p y , r ec o r d i n g, or a ny o t h e r ─ e x ce pt b r i e f qu ot a t i o n i n r e v i e w s , w i t h o ut t h e p r i o r p e r mi ss i on o f t h e a u t h o r or publisher .
Table of Contents

15 Minute Depression Session
A Nobody@Everybody’s
Ama
Auditor
Car Sitter
Devil’s Cage
First Sale
Gluttony
Have A Seat
Legs Of Streeterville
Little Roland
Lucky
Not Worth It
Numbness
Opportunity
Pinpoint
Powerless
Rewriter
Rotation
Serve And Protect
Snowbound
Thanks
Too Smart?
Transporting Tron
What A Day
15 MINUTE DEPRESSION SESSION

“You gave me a twenty dollar bill, Mr. Earl Winsom.”
Earl leaned into the small window of the secretary’s cubicle. Marie snarled at him and recounted the money. Earl felt all eyes on him. “If I offended you asking why you’re wearing plastic gloves, I’m sorry. But, that’s why you missed the two twenties. Its new money, it stuck together.”
The expectant mother mumbled something in Spanish. She rubbed her fingers together and picked up the bill. “OK, watch this, Mr. Winsom.” She balled up the money and straightened it. The bills separated slightly.
“See, I told you.” Earl laughed and looked around at the people in the waiting room. “Do we get to see Dr. Robbins or what?”
Marie sighed and wrote the receipt. “Yes, Mr. Winsom, here’s your receipt, have a seat. Dr. Robbins is running late, but he should be here any minute.”
“Do I have a balance?”
“You always have a balance…forty dollars. Are you going to shock me and pay?” She brushed her long black hair back and tied a band around it.
“No, not today.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
Smart butt. Well one thing about the irritating conversation with Marie, it took his mind off his early morning gout flare-up. He hobbled to the seat next to his wife’s next to the water cooler. Small plastic chairs lined the wall of the waiting room. Three doctor’s practices were squeezed into the suite. The wallpaper started to separate and patients expressed contempt for the oversized abstract paintings that attempted to hide the ripples.
Their doctors told them to lose weight, but Robbins said the same thing. Why would a shrink tell them to lose weight? He rubbed Tammy’s knee and whispered in her ear. “Let’s hope he’s near.”
“We’ll be in and out in less than fifteen minutes.” Tammy said.
“You hope. Robbins got nerve telling us to lose weight. I’m only two fifty and you’re at two that’s not too bad. We look good for fifty plus with salt and pepper hair. I still love those hazel eyes, but look at these people.”
“What’s wrong with the people? Nothing I see.”
“Relax, you will.”
She adjusted her blouse and reached into the magazine rack. “Here read something, you’re upsetting me. I don’t need to be stressed when he gets here.”
Earl spread the magazine cross his lap and tried to concentrate on an article in the New Yorker. A young lady with an I-PAD sat across from him. She crossed her legs and kept tapping her foot to some kind of rhythm.
It was nerve racking!
He caught her eye and smiled. She frowned and swiped the surface of her tablet. How do you tell her to stop? Ask her a dumb question, but remember you’re in a psychiatrist office. She could be crazy. Ignore it, talk to your wife. “Tammy you want to get breakfast after this?”
“Um…maybe, maybe not.” She continued to page through her book. The door opened, an elderly couple struggled to get in. The old man’s scooter got hung up on the threshold. Earl got a whiff of whiskey. No wonder he had trouble. He held the door and the guy’s wife thanked him.
“That was nice of you, Mr. Winsom.” Tammy smiled and continued to read.
Earl sighed, “That idiot should know how to get through the door by now.” He looked at his watch. “Where the hell is the doctor?” Tammy gave him a reassuring rub on the leg. “If we’re late with the insurance premium I wonder what they’d think about that.”
“I’m OK with it, Earl…my goodness.”
“You pay good money for service, not to mention the co-pay.”
The door opened, in walked a young guy in dirty worn jeans and a soiled t-shirt. He shouted in his phone and startled everybody. “I’m at the doctor’s office I’ll call you back.”
“Ten minutes…ten more minutes and we leave, I can’t take it.”
“OK, Earl.” Tammy said. The door opened again it was Dr. Robbins he spoke to Marie and grabbed some files. He stood in the middle of the waiting room and apologized for being late.
The Winsom’s greeted Dr. Robbins and sat on a contemporary leather sofa. Earl’s complaint it was too spongy meant nothing. The corner office with more tasteless oil paintings overlooked the building parking lot and Eastern Ave. The breath taking autumn view of colors eased Earl’s anxiety. Earl insisted on being formal with his former brother in law. He’d been divorced from Jasmine for years when they started seeing Robbins. Their choice of doctors was limited by the HMO. Small world, but what could he do about it?
“Earl, Tammy says you think taking your med’s causes the weight gain. Why is that?”
“Well look at you, Robbins, you’re tall, medium built, graying around the temples and your glasses aren’t thick as mine. Why do you care? I see you’re still packing them in, Robbins. When do we get the full hour?”
“See what I mean, doctor?” Tammy asked.
Doctor Robbins looked at his watch. “Earl, take the medicine. You might have gained because you don’t take it. Lose it regardless, both of you. Don’t play with your depression. You have regressed; you don’t need that emotional toxin, suspicion and paranoia. Remember, I’m not just a shrink, but an MD. I’ll determine when and how you stop the medication.” The doctor scribbled something in his notes and gave the Winsom’s a prescription. “Stick with it; I’ll see you in three months. OK, Earl?”
“OK.” Earl checked his watch, fifteen minutes to the second. Nice work if you can get it.
*****
Earl Winsom handed Marie eight ten’s. “That should cover my balance. And how are you today?”
“I’m fine Mr. Winsom, you look well and you’ve lost a lot of weight.”
Earl smiled. “Fifty pounds in three months. I love it.”
“Have a seat the doctor will be right with you.”

The End
A NOBODY@EVERYBODY’S

In high school I discovered I can touch a woman and tell she’s ovulating. I don’t know what it is, but I haven’t been wrong yet. No, I’m not a doctor; I’m nobody; just a regular guy with a good job and a beautiful wife.
Along with the magic touch when I rise to the occasion I stay there for hours and it takes all day to get me to give it up.
Women love that!
I became famous and made the ladies bathroom wall.
Vince Gimble don’t come!
That got me a lot of attention. I slept with two different girls a week. Not bad for a skinny guy with a broken nose and a cocked eye. The athletes and pretty boy’s had nothing on me, I did all their girlfriends.
In my sophomore year of college I met Loraine. I came on too strong, too arrogant. She set me straight; she wasn’t a pushover. But, when we did hook-up, I treated her with respect. She was my first six footer with captivating smooth, long legs, a narrow waist, flat stomach and midnight black hair. I enjoyed looking in those truthful eyes that highlighted a good face and a flawless complexion. She possessed a power…a gift; I couldn’t hold out like I did with the others.
She got me to give it up, not too quick, but over and over.
We’ve been married six years and we’re happy with three kids.
The problem: she wants more. We have enough, a one, two and three years old. Jesus, I need a break. After that many kids Loraine still looks good. A lot of women spread like melting butter; not Loraine The only way to tell is her stretch marks and they’re fading. She hugged me this morning and the ovulation alarm went off. I froze. “What’s wrong, Vince?”
“Nothing.”
“You sure?” I nodded and she pulled me toward the bedroom.
I eased away. “I’m running late, keep it warm for me.”
“It’s best when we rush.” She fumbled with my zipper.
“Loraine…don’t.” I squeezed her hand and moved it. “That’s how Jerry got here.” That wiped the smile off her angular face and confusion replaced the passion. I left her standing and didn’t feel bad about it.
In a couple of days she’ll cool off, but in the mean time I cannot sit in Everybody’s Sports Bar forever. My plan is simple stay drunk and don’t go home. Stay drunk sounds good for the time being.
I made a monumental decision to have a vasectomy. And, I’m only thirty. I think about that with every swirl of the straw in my scotch on the rocks. I stared in that drink long enough. I turned and smiled at the lady next to me. Her shoulder length brunette hair covered only part of her gold hooped earrings. Hazel eyes, pink lip gloss and a sharp nose will attract all the dogs in the place. A well-dressed guy two stools down checked her out in the bar mirror. He got up and she turned and touched my hand. He got the hint and sat.
“Hello, I’m Sharon,” she said, in a soft and smooth voice. I nodded. “I wondered when you would stop stirring that drink. She rubbed my hand.
“I’m Vince, nice to meet you.” She was ovulating. She’s going to make somebody happy.
“I made that move to send the gorilla down from me a message. I hope you didn’t get the wrong idea.”
“No, no, that’s alright.” I did g