The Hairdresser (Lynette) I’ve always hated going to the barbers. Maybe it dates back to some traumatic event in my childhood, like being dragged there screaming by my father, but truthfully, I just don’t know. I just know that all through my school years I hated going to the barber. I guess by the time I was in college I was old enough to get over that minor phobia, but I got through by snipping at my own hair, which was...

The day I slept late that July was unforgettable. I had just graduated high school and was gently preparing to go off to college, but mainly that summer I was relaxing – sleeping late and not having many plans. My sister was travelling somewhere in Europe and my parents were both working long days, probably thinking about my college expenses. We also had a house guest for a few weeks that summer. Leigh Chandler was an old...

I couldn’t believe that my mother had “volunteered” me to help one of her church friends. I didn’t know the woman well and was just back from a long road trip to a rock concert two states away. I was tired and only wanted to sleep but my mother figured it would be good for me to help her friend move into her new apartment. She had even made travel arrangements that I knew nothing about until she shook me awake that mornin...

The call from Lena was unexpected. Colin hadn’t spoken in a while and she made it sound as casual as she could when she asked if he would have lunch with her and help evaluate a job opportunity. As casually as he could, Colin accepted, they settled on the following day and he suggested an up market sports bar that was close to the midpoint between their offices. When he put the phone down Colin took a deep breath and sigh...

The world was a shitty place. Not only was my sister on my case in the worst way, but I had a headache like someone had been testing nuclear weapons in my head, courtesy of a monumental hangover. The way Alice was going on at me it was hard to figure out which was worse.  “You insulted my friend,” my sister Alice was saying for the hundredth time, loud and angry. “You were pissed and you insulted her. You embarrassed me y...

Best Friend’s Mom (Valerie) I was transfixed, literally. It was impossible for me to move as I looked out of my bedroom window that summer afternoon, down into my neighbor’s yard and saw Bobby and Valerie DeJong fucking. Their son, Chet, had been my best friend through high school and I knew the family well, but this was the first time in my 18 years of existence on the planet that I’d witnessed a couple in the flesh, scr...

Customer Service Not many people would view being a parking attendant as a glamorous job. Certainly Nate didn’t expect it to be the kind of job where he’d get much pussy. He expected, and got, long, lonely hours, a stupid shirt with a logo on it, a tiny booth, and no heater. So far the September nights had been kind to him, but God only knew what it would be like when the really bad weather hit. Still, the money was okay...

I’d met Adele a couple of times before she turned up on my doorstep. She seemed nice enough, but the truth was that after a messy divorce I was happy to be living alone in my town house with no yard to look after, no crappy social events to attend and no one to look after but me. All I wanted at that time was to get my work done, come home and eat takeaway in front of a ball game. Sure, that would change, but at that time...

Judging Amy Everyone was glad Amy was coming, everyone except me that was. It wasn’t that I hated my younger sister’s best friend, just that I was always unsettled around her. But, here I was, facing Amy’s company for two whole days before my sister flew in from Atlanta and my girlfriend headed off to Las Vegas for a girls’ weekend. Being alone with Amy for nearly two days did not fill me with enthusiasm. “You should take...

Correct Exposure (Teacher Petting) I was always amazed at how someone from my past unfailingly seemed to turn up on opening nights of exhibitions. It didn’t seem to matter which city I was in, some old school friend, long lost family member or an acquaintance from the photography fraternity seemed to find the ads for my openings in the small print and turn up to say hi. And, to be truthful, I didn’t mind one bit. It wasn’...

Come With Me Carmen’s vacations were always interesting. Sure, a lot had to do with the fact that she chose nice places to vacation, but selecting a new lover, which was always part of her vacations, usually made them all the more memorable. Whenever she arrived at her holiday destination, she had no idea who that lover would be, and she made a point of never deciding until the last minute. It was always someone she’d jus...

Mom’s Best Friend “You are joking. Please tell me you’re joking?” I doubted my mother understood the desperation in my voice, but I was disgusted and disappointed. How could she do this? “I’m not joking Chris.” My Mom was still calm, oblivious to reality as usual. “I told Megan to call you. She’ll be in town next week and I thought it would be wonderful if you could take her to dinner. It’s not like you have this busy soc...

Practice Makes Perfect Coffee isn’t really my thing. I say that a lot, and it’s mostly true, even though I stop to pick up a latte on my way to work, every day, at the same coffee shop. Sometimes I sit in the coffee shop on the weekend too, just to get out of the house while I work on a few things, using their wireless connection. But really, I’m not big on coffee. I guess it’s easy to think otherwise, but I never have mo...

Just A Little BitGerry looked forward to his lunches with Tammy. He was careful to call it “lunch”, rather than “lunch date”, because he just couldn’t quite be sure what was developing between them… or if it was anything at all. He liked her, and she seemed to like him, but there was just that horrible thought in his mind that she wasn’t interested in him beyond sharing some time at lunch.Tammy was pretty; there was no do...

Man’s Best Friend I had nothing planned. It was supposed to be my normal Sunday afternoon – put the TV on, find some sport to provide some background noise… and catch up on some work, maybe even have a beer or two. I’m not saying I had my priorities right but life had been that way for a few years now, not enough hours in the work week to keep up, so my Monday morning started on Sunday afternoon. I didn’t quite live alone...