Tuesday Tales: Writing Skinny

Welcome to Tuesday Tales, a weekly blog featuring authors posting excerpts from works in progress based on word and picture prompts. I’m pleased you stopped by today. This week’s word prompt is skinny. Enjoy the other talented authors of Tuesday Tales.

Rena was doing her best to handle drink orders for a limo full of revelers and keep up appearances of not caring a whit whether a certain otherworldly hunk showed up tonight. She suppressed an urge to growl aloud, “Like he promised he would!” She wasn’t even sure she wanted him to come. His male presence scattered her, turned her equilibrium topsy turvy. She gave a sigh of relief when a crew of her favorite regulars came in. She hurried toward them as if they were the last lifeboat. “How are the Merry Musketeers?”

Sunny’s face looked crestfallen, black clouds obscuring her usual disposition. “I gained six pounds over the holiday, Rena. These pants?” She pinched a tuft of fabric. “Exercise shorts.” Her voice gained in volume. “Exercise shorts? I ask you!”

“You look gorgeous — as always, Sunny,” Rena hurried to assure her, taken aback by the unusual ‘woe is me’ mood.

“That’s sweet of you, but oh my God, I have a catalog shoot in two weeks! I shouldn’t even be here tonight.” She turned toward the door.

Arty snagged her arm. “Oh, no you don’t, pet. It’s all for one.”

Sunny’s bottom lip quivered.

Pearl spoke up, widening her eyes at Rena. “I told her I was sure you could concoct a skinny drink.”

Rena took charge, leading Sunny and the others to their usual table by the window. “Of course I can make a skinny drink, and with nothing substantial missing. A splash of my new favorite gin — brimming with the sugar-free flavors of raspberry, peach, saffron, and rose. It’s actually a sipping gin, believe it or not. Add a serving of sugar-free tonic water, some lime wedges, and you’ll have a drink fit for the gods, I promise.”

“And what will I snack on when I get the munchies?”

Rena’s mind flew. “Hold on! I’ve got just the thing.” Moving fast, she grabbed a few bags off a display clip and hurried back to the table. She set down the prizes. “Chili lime sunflower seeds.”

Sunny’s lips widened into a grin. The night was back in flow.

I hope you enjoyed the snippet based on the word prompt skinny. Thanks for stopping by. Read the excerpts of all the talented authors at Tuesday Tales.

Cheers & Happy Reading!

Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic in Romance

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