Short Stories to Entertain

It is quite a long walk to Wood Green Tube Station from where Larry lives but that is what people who live in London do isn’t it? They walk, up to a point, then they get a cab or a bus or a Boris Bike. For Larry the thirty minutes did not seem too bad today mainly because it was dry. When it was wet the walk could be purgatory even with an umbrella. The driving rain, if it is driving, soaks his trousers and the drips from the umbrella get down his neck as he moves it to avoid poking people if the street is busy. But it is all worth the effort if you are going on a first date and are excited, nervous even. And Larry was nervous. He is always nervous around women. There is no real reason, he just can find them intimidating sometimes, at first mostly. He is reserved, shy maybe, afraid of upsetting or saying the wrong thing or just simply making a hash of the whole date. It is not an acute affliction but bad enough to make the first date approach something of a challenge. Initial contact w...

The only reason I found out we were all going to die was because I fell in love pretty much as soon as I saw the mid-length bright red skirt and long blonde hair swirl across the restaurant. Then meander lithely around picking up cartons, bags and boxes and spray the red surfaces of the chrome tables. Within moments the place was pristine and ready for the next influx of diners who, as I watched, were already pouring through the doors to queue at the ordering screens and flick through menu options.    The place displayed an ambience of desirability. The lighting just right. Long tubes strategically placed within the high ceilings gave perfect illumination during long dark winter evenings. Big windows but positioned so there was no blinding light during hot summer days. Plenty of tables but spaced generously giving a sense of openness. Background music played but it was what I would describe as happy sounds, almost beguiling.      I had a seat in the corner way...

  LIQUORICE STREET - A thrilling crime drama of theft, kidnap and murder is published. Buy -  https://www.amazon.co.uk/ Old Man is a barber but he has a secret with a dubious and very lucrative sideline. His past, though, is about to catch up with him. His son, Crispin, knows all about crime. It’s what he does. One problem: he’s about to get mixed up in murders and kidnapping not of his making. A body is found washed up on the river bank. DI Dave Simmons investigates and discovers a trail of events and murders that he struggles to connect. Crime boss Ron Draper is on the hunt for something - and those involved with it - and isn’t fussy how he achieves his goals. The results give Dave plenty to look at but nothing much to discover. Dave has history with both Old Man and Crispy, which adds to the difficulty of an already complicated case. How do a watch collector, a pair of twins and a thrill seeking city banker fit into the scenario? Struggling to make any progress Dave has to ...