Maris woke before the sun, she tied her hair with leather and wrapped her body with water wicking. The tight-fitting fabric repelled water and protected skin against scrapes from corals and rusted metal. It was a luxury she couldn’t afford but diving was impossible without it. It was the only thing she owned, and she…
Terroir
“You the som?” a white-coated woman asks from the doorway. She wipes her hands on a towel and appraises me up and down. “Yes,” I say. “Jacoby Willis, the sommelier.” The Captain had joked I should pronounce the name like ‘jack-a-bee’, but I pronounce it the usual way. He had laughed over the job title…
In Defense Of Breakfast
“You won’t have the votes.” Alex shakes her head in disbelief. “But…We can’t just…” Brianna smiles sadly and grasps the younger woman’s shoulder. “I get it, this is your first time sitting at the table. You want to make your mark. But believe me when I tell you that this isn’t a fight you can…
Cindy
“You know, I really resent that term” “What would you rather be called?” I squint, unprepared for such a response. “I don’t know, maybe call me Cindy? That is my name after all.” “You have a name then?” Cindy rolls her eyes and I look back at my list of questions. “Well,” I regroup, “Mental…
The Nightly Knight
“Oh for Arra’s sake!” I turned and stared at the bottles behind the counter to hide my expression. “What?” Todd asked. “The third bloody time this bloody week!” I grumbled, grinding my teeth. “What is?” Todd looked at me and then the dusty bottles lined up on the shelf. “Bloody adventurers, that’s what.” Todd looked…
The Kindest Cut
“Hello! I’m Doctor Dillon. Please sit down.” The doctor shuffled through papers on a clipboard while nodding and muttering to himself. The curls of his hair sparkled in the fluorescent light. Jane sat in the indicated chair. Her eyes wandered over the diplomas on the wall. A poster hung just behind the doctor with a…
Dinner with Dante
Dante wears a crisp gray suit with the top button undone and his hair tousled, either in roguish indifference or meticulously sculpted to appear so. He has a drink already, something clear with ice and a lime wedge. He stirs it absently as I approach. He stares into the crowded restaurant dining room until he notices…
Bill
This is Bill. Well, William. Well, no one really knows his name. That’s how it goes with Bill. His brown shaggy hair is longer than normal right now. He should get a haircut. Soonish that is, a few more weeks won’t hurt but, I mean, it doesn’t look great. His eyes are dark and vaguely…