
Image : Pixabay
He talks about her all through lunch at work, over the radio blaring eighties hits. ‘There’s a heat between us when we touch. It’s animal,’ he says. His mate turns the radio up a notch.
She’s out with a friend getting a manicure and when asked about him she shrugs, turns back to her celebrity magazine, the candid snap of a drunken starlet. ‘Have you seen the thighs on her?’
He buys a ring second hand, too big for its velvet box. When he buffs it on his sleeve and holds it to the light, it glows white hot, a supernova caught between his fingers.
She booked the restaurant – mid-price but not too shabby – and part way through dessert, he drops to one knee and her heart sinks. She’s just taken a mouthful of pavlova and before it melts on her tongue, before she has chance to speak, she sees the size of the diamond. Suddenly, his tight suit looks hipster cool, his features chiselled not gaunt. ‘Okay.’ She smiles through a mouthful of cream.
Fifteen years later, the ring is on the table between them, a chunk of gaudy ice. Funny how that stone never seems to catch the light anymore.
Written for Stephanie at Word Adventure’s #tuesdayuseitinasentence. Today the prompt word is HEAT. See here to join in and to read the other tales.
The title is a play on the Oasis song, Champagne Supernova.
Aced it! And in the last line, and in the mouth full of cream, eek gads! Brill!
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Ha! I liked the mouthfull of cream too – as in ‘the cat that got the cream’. They’re both coming at it from the wrong place – different but both wrong. Thanks Bill 🙂
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Too realistic, that.
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🙂
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Another fine conjuring, Lynn.
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Thanks so much, Tish 🙂
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Great character study, Lynn. Both coming at it for the wrong reasons, and eventually paying the price. Although I feel worse for him than her; at least he really fancied her. I liked the mouthful of pavlova too — brilliant how you capture in so few words how horribly unromantic those hoped-for romantic moments can turn out in real life.
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Very true. A truly flawed relationship – didn’t work wel for either of them, did it? We’re all misled about romance – it’s very different in real life from in the movies! Thanks Joy 🙂
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I’ve often wondered how many of those restaurant proposals were videotaped and then the video was destroyed because it turned out the other person said no. Ouch!
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Yes, absolutely. It’s like the men who propose on TV shows or at public events – the girl always says yes, but are some of the yeses down to the pressure of being in the public eye?
How many of the weddings actually come off? Be interesting to know.
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Good point – I always assumed that the “no” responses just don’t make it to television. But maybe the other person says “yes” — maybe pressured, maybe caught up in the moment — and then changes their mind.
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I suspect this happens – who’d want to be the lass that says no in front of millions?
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Funny and yet tragic. What a waste. All the wrong reasons… at least I dare hope there were no kids.
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Thank you Stephanie 🙂
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God, what a depressing story! Where do you meet these people, Lynn? Honestly though, this is a very acute character study of a match that wasn’t.
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Haha! Thanks Jane.Awful or not, I’m glad you felt they were truthful – that’s the main thing for me 🙂
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That’s why they were awful. I feel I know them 🙂
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… Even if you don’t want to! 🙂
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A brilliant then and now, Lynn.
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Thank you so much Chris 🙂
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Loved, absolutely loved it! As if it was all happening in front of my eyes!
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Thank you so much Sreeja, that’s so kind of you. Not a tale of true love, just making do, sadly. Thanks for reading
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Go to the top of the class… oh! you’re already there.
Brilliant. If I were to compile a short collection of your stories, this would be feature in it. Not one word too few or too many.
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Ah, thank you dear Jane. This had a mixed reception, largely I think because both characters were flawed and going into the releationship for all the wrong reasons. But then people do do that. Thank you so much for your support. You’re very kind 🙂
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Kind? Huh – you wouldn’t say that if you knew the games I’ve been up to recently 🙂
I liked their flaws – perfection is dul, dull, dull 🙂
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Yep, no fun to read – or write – about perfection. We’re all so damn flawed anyway, aren’t we?
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Not ‘arf… 🙂
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🙂
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