Fiction Friday- Rom Com

Brandi, you won!!

Check your email for info on your prize from Lisa Lickel. =)

Here is last week's story (credits at the end):

***

Dana H. Strauss reached out and grabbed a handful of little Tyler's shirt sleeve, successfully bringing the boy's department store antics to a halt. His sister Tina, on the other hand, still roamed free. And finding her amidst all the clothes racks would take some doing. Why she ever agreed to watch the little monsters for her old school chum was beyond her imagination. But here she was.

She stooped down digging through the rounders muttering, "When I get my hands on you..."

A throat cleared from behind her. She twisted her head and looked up at the linebacker in a suit. Not her best moment.

"Are you looking for something?"

She blinked and smiled. "A red dress. All I see is brown."

He grinned as his eyebrows twitched upward. "Is that right?" He pulled the other little terror out from behind the curtain, also known as his back. Tina's cheesy grin punched her in the stomach.

"She says she belongs to you."

Dana jumped to her feet and smoothed out her shirt. "Well, not technically. Just for today. I'm single." Heat flushed her cheeks. She did not just say that.

His mouth tipped up at the corner. "And I'm now officially late." He nudged the Tina toward her and scowled.

Dana eyed the green tie in his hand and saw his open collar. Last minute shopping. She could relate.

Only he didn't have to do it with the poster child for contraception. Ugh! If only she had as good a handle on the word 'no' as Tina did.

"Sorry you had to corral her for me, I--" Dana's words were cut short as the little girl stomped on her foot and ran in the other direction.

Dana, quickly shoved Tyler into the "hunk" and took off running in her high heels after the brat. Yes, brat, just like her mother was when she was young. Poetic justice to Dana's way of thinking. Her mad turned quickly into fear as she saw Tina exit the store's front door.

"Tina! Stop!" Dana sprinted as fast as she could in those accursed heels but the front door seemed a mile away.

A green tie floated to her feet as the man whooshed by her in a blur. Within seconds he reappeared, dragging Tina with a solid clasp of her hand.

"Th-thank you. Again."

"Don't mention it. Just uh... get these little escape artists home to their mother ASAP." He winked.

I picked up the tie from the floor and handed it to him. "Yes. I'm dropping them off right now. I'm sorry you're late for ... wherever you're going."

"Speaking of, I have to go. Job interview, big one. Sorry if I snapped at you, I'm kinda nervous."
The linebacker in JC Penney's version of Armani gave a final wave and disappeared. Dana whispered a quick prayer for her hero, limited by the kids and a ringing cell phone.

"Dana, how are the kids? Never mind, I can only imagine. I need one more big favor from you." Dana's friend rushed her words, most likely from her habitual three coffee a day habit.

"I don't know how it can get any bigger but go ahead, what do you need?"

"My boss just threw a last minute interview at me. He was supposed to give it but his daughter is in labor and this is the first grandbaby. He's on his way to get his wife and go to the hospital. I should only be a few minutes, the candidate's resume looks amazing. Can you pretty please give me a few more minutes and then bring Tyler and Tina to me at work?" Dana glanced down at the two making funny noises with their armpits and sighed.

"You owe me big, my friend."

She clicked her phone off. "Well good luck, Mr...?"

"Campbell. Mike Campbell. Thanks." He smiled at her before trotting off toward the cashier.

Dana watched him go, then strengthened her grip on each of the kids' hands and headed for the car.

Once she'd wrestled them into their seats, buckled them in, and got the doors locked, she pulled out of the lot just in time to see one Mr. Mike Campbell slide into the driver's side of a shiny, black Camry and roll up right behind her. She turned on her right blinker at the light. So did he.

Her heart quickened as his car trailed her down Rivertown. Was he following her?

The answer came all too quickly when she turned into the Golden Arches. His Camry flew by without so much as a wave. Of course. Disappointment dropped its weight onto her stomach.

Screams erupted from the backseat. No way she was going inside with those two. She pulled into the drive-thru and ordered two chocolate shakes and fries along with her Coke. That should buy her some quiet time. She needed it to work her thoughts of Mike Campbell out of her mind.

Couldn't she have met him any other day?

A sigh escaped. Today was yet another example of her infamously bad luck with men. Her friends would love this story. She'd settle for one with a happy ending. Whatever that was.

"Okay, Lord, I know you have a plan...maybe someday you'll whack me upside the head with it..."

***

written by: Jessica Patch, Susan, Jo, Julie Arduini, and myself

I don't know about you, but I want to read more of this! Was he going to the interview with her friend? Would he ask her to coffee afterwards? AHHH, it ended too soon. Ah well, time for the next story. Let's try another Rom Com. Jump in to play:

Brenda hoisted a bag over her shoulder, picked up her suitcase in one hand, laptop case in the other, and skittered down the aisle toward her gate. Why had she worn these accursed wedge heels instead of her comfy sneakers? She needed to be there five minutes ago. If she missed her connecting flight, she'd be stuck in new Jersey overnight. With him. . .