Lilly Jean sat beside
Howard; flipped open her menu. “I ain’t saying good morning to you, Dumbass.”
Howard swiveled upon
his stool to acknowledge his stepmother, a woman three years his junior, and
was accosted by her cleavage. He turned away; added three packets of sugar to
his coffee.
“Must you store your drink there?” Bitsy
nodded at the sports bottle tucked in Lilly Jean’s ample bosom. “You’re
nauseating my customers.”
“I don’t think so.”
Lilly Jean reached into her purse; withdrew a pick. “Ever since I came to town,
business has picked up for you.” She fluffed her hair then whipped out a can of
hair spray.
“You’re not
spraying that in my diner.”
Lilly Jean frowned
and pulled out a bottle of red nail polish. “I don’t think Daddy Sheriff
brought me here for love, Howie. I think he brought me here to fix you.” She painted her pinkie. “But I don’t think you’re the fixable type.”
Howard took a sip
of coffee.
“Your daddy never said
a thing about you when he proposed. I’m
not sure I woulda’ married him, had I known.
I got things to do, Howie.” She made her hand into a loose fist, turned
it over and began blowing upon her nails.
“Did you know, I was…”
“Runner up in Miss
Tennessee. You might have mentioned that.” Bitsy said.
“I was also in a
television commercial.”
“For shoes.
You ordering today, Lilly Jean or did you mistake my restaurant for a
beauty parlor?”
“This ain’t no
beauty parlor, Bitsy. Coffee, black. And toast with a smidge of butter. Don’t
be letting that cook of yours butter it so much I have to wring out the bread.”
She spread the fingers upon her right hand. “I been here eight months and not
one woman has made any effort to get to know me and you know why?” Lilly Jean
leaned towards Howard; made to whisper. “They’re all jealous.”
For the first time
in eighteen years, Howard snickered.
This was written in response to this week's Trifecta Writing Challenge. The word was ample. This is a rework of something I wrote earlier. Hoping to return to this story soon.
This has also been linked to
Yeah, Write.
Labels: fiction Trifecta Writing Challenge