Thursday, January 24, 2013

To Serve with Dinner


The following tiny fiction was written for a Visual Dare (VisDare 4: Steps). It took roughly thirty minutes, and is 133 of the 150 maximum allowed words. Thanks to Anonymous Legacy for posting a great creative challenge! I always love to see what others come up with in response to a prompt.


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Choosing an appropriate wine to accompany poached halibut was the least of her worries, but she was happy to have an excuse to disappear for a few moments. A hostess must at least seem as though she is taking great pains with the details, she reasoned, stepping barefoot down the smooth stone staircase.  The familiar damp, earthy smell of the cellar made her smile. Although dinner would be delicious—about that, there was no doubt—the seasoning might not agree with her guests. She had never been able to please them before. No matter what she did or said or cooked, ridicule followed. There was no reason to try to please them now. She tapped her fingernails lightly on the rows of bottles, searching for a nice crisp white although she preferred red.