Veranda Wedding

By R. A. Yates

Cate woke to the smell of burnt eggs and coffee, which wafted under her bedroom door. The dull ache in her head reminded her of the previous night's drinking. She steadied herself on her bed and leaned over to pick up a pistol that she kept next to the big lamp table, one she rarely used because the bulb frequently burned out, leaving the room dark. With it drawn and held in front of her, she took a deep breath and opened the bedroom door, slinging it open. She gasped, her heart skipping a beat as she took in the strange scene before her. A partially naked man with an American flag tattooed on his arm stood at her stove. His shorts hung low on his hips. He was wearing a prosthetic leg decorated with stars and stripes. She had no idea who this person was or why he was cooking in her kitchen, let alone where he had come from and how he had gotten into her home. As if sensing her confusion, he slowly turned to face her. "I am Cate," she said. "What are you doing in my house?" The man's eyes darted from the stove to a plate of food, which he lifted gingerly and set on the table beside him. "I'm Jack," he said, his voice low and even. "You were singing your heart out at the karaoke bar last night. You had too much to drink, got sick on stage. Your friends tried to help you - one of them even cleaned you up - but they eventually left without you." He nodded toward the sash that was draped across her chair. "I figured those were your bridesmaids." Jack took a seat across from her and began telling her about the previous night. How she stumbled onto the stage with a mic in hand, belting out an eighties rock tune. How she fell apart halfway through and regurgitated all over the place. Jack told her that he could not leave her there like that, so he walked with her as she struggled down Bourbon Street, slipping through crowds of drunken partiers and strippers on their way home. They made it all the way to Canal Street before she finally hailed a cab - by flashing her breasts.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0C2SCKVHS
• ISBN13: 9798391554950
• Release Date: April 2023
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 141 Pages
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.3" x 5.0"