Of all the gin joints in all the world...

by Maleghast

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Caitlin studied the menu, holding it in front of her face as Paul was shown past her table with his dinner companion. Why did he have to go and choose this evening to come to their restaurant? She had picked the one where they had dined together most often before she caught him banging the new girl. She had hoped that shame would have kept him out of here; clearly the soft-shell crab was far too enticing.

It was bad enough trying to look comfortable with eating alone in a restaurant. She had male friends who simply did not understand her discomfort at doing this – for them dining alone was a pleasure. They loved to be waited on without having to discuss car-pooling or office politics or any number of other quotidien concerns, and never had such luck when dining with their wives. To dine alone for a woman was almost to say ‘I am alone and I cannot cook’.

Once they were seated she peeked over the menu. He was holding her spindly cuckoo hand, looking into her eyes and laughing. Caitlin just wanted to cry.

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Comments

Average Reader Rating: 5.0 stars out of 5

  1. Of all the gin joints in all the world...

    PyroPunk 51 (PPP LoA)'s Buddy Icon PyroPunk 51 (PPP LoA)

    Posted 6 months ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    I liked the way you described dining alone, Even without an ex at the next table, it can be uncomfortable. At least for me it is. I could picture her sitting there. Well done.
    LoA

  2. Of all the gin joints in all the world...

    Krulltar's Buddy Icon Krulltar

    Posted 6 months ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    I like the story, even though I’m not sure what a spindly cuckoo hand looks like. Would it be boney and gaunt?

  3. Of all the gin joints in all the world...

    Maleghast's Buddy Icon Maleghast

    Posted 6 months ago

    Hey there PyroPunk 51 (PPP LoA)... Glad that you liked it, and thanks for commenting :-)

  4. Of all the gin joints in all the world...

    Maleghast's Buddy Icon Maleghast

    Posted 6 months ago

    Hey there Krulltar… Glad that you liked the story, thanks for stopping by. I was using the word cuckoo in this context in it’s more metaphorical sense, in that cuckoos are usurpers, pushing the rightful residents out of the nest, which is what the woman with Paul has done to Caitlin.

  5. Of all the gin joints in all the world...

    Krulltar's Buddy Icon Krulltar

    Posted 6 months ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    I feel down right silly now…I had invisioned a Cockatoo not a cuckoo. :O

  6. Of all the gin joints in all the world...

    THX 0477's Buddy Icon THX 0477

    Posted 6 months ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great stuff from start to finish, from the abruptness of ‘banging the new girl’, to the daring use of quotidien, through an amusing exploration of male vs female difference, and then ending with an emotion-packed last paragraph. Excellent!

  7. Of all the gin joints in all the world...

    SKermitgorf's Buddy Icon SKermitgorf

    Posted 6 months ago

    clearly the soft-shell crab was far too enticing, great line as was, the cuckoo line , very catty. this is the 1st of read of your, it wont be the last.

  8. Of all the gin joints in all the world...

    Maleghast's Buddy Icon Maleghast

    Posted 6 months ago

    Hey there THX 0477 … Thanks for stopping by (again), it’s really great to get feedback, but when people say such nice things that really makes my day :-) Really glad that you enjoyed this.

  9. Of all the gin joints in all the world...

    Maleghast's Buddy Icon Maleghast

    Posted 6 months ago

    Hey there Kermitgorf… Thanks for dropping by and for commenting :-) Really glad that you enjoyed the cuckoo line in particular – catty was exactly what I was going for, so I’m glad that it came across.

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