Tuesday Tales: From the Word RUNNING

Wow! It’s the end of January already. Lots has happened in the first month of the year. While I’m triple vaxxed. I still came down with COVID 19. I wasn’t severely ill, although the cough did linger a few weeks. Glad that was all there was to it. Thank goodness for the vaccines.

Welcome to this week’s edition of Tuesday Tales. I’m contiuing with Royal Flush, my contemporary romance. Our word prompt this week is RUNNING.

Enjoy!

“I think you’ll like this place. It’s very popular with the tourists. It’s on a couple of microbrewery tours. If you want to, you can go inside and have a look at the brewery, but it would be rather warm in there today.”

“Maybe another time.”

They stood at the closed patio gate, waiting for the host or hostess.

“Hi, Pearl,” the hostess said, her broad smile visible through her transparent mask. “Long time no see.”

“It’s been a while, Melody,” she agreed. “I like your mask. It looks like the place is busy today.”

The redhead eyed him as if he were a slab of meat, and she was starving. “I haven’t seen you around here,” she purred, standing straighter, allowing her tight t-shirt to strain across her chest.

Seriously? The girl was barely legal. Besides he was quite happy with the one he was with.

“I haven’t been around. Table for two?”

Melody, as Pearl had called her, got the message, shrugged, and showed them to a table near the creek, the sound of the running water all but obscured by the music coming over the speakers.

“What’ll you have?” she asked, not quite ready to give up on him.

He turned to Pearl, “What do you suggest?”

“How about two samplers?” she asked. “You get to taste the six brews on tap for five dollars and then choose the one you liked best for a full pint afterward.”

“Sounds good,” he answered, smiling at the waitress to take the sting out of his rejection of her. He wanted his beer today, and if she weren’t happy with him, that could affect the service.

“Nice place. Come here often?”

Pearl shook her head. “No. Melody used to work at the diner with me. Apparently she figures the tips are better when alcohol’s on the menu. I was here for the first time a few weeks ago with Maggie and Dwayne for Blair’s husband David’s birthday.”

Melody delivered the wooden slabs on which sat six two ounce glasses of beer. “The dark one’s the stout, the one at the opposite end is the wheat beer. The others are numbered and can be ordered by the number. It’s Happy Hour, so you get whichever pint you would like for half-price.”

“Thanks,” Kyle said.

Melody nodded and went off to serve someone else.

That’s it. Stay safe and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales