Names Stories

Lisa wasn't a big fan of Christmas. Her surname, Toe, meant the seasonal Miss L. Toe jokes had plagued her for years. She had toyed with the idea of using her middle name instead, but Camilla Toe hadn't seemed like much of an improvement. Talking about the cross she had to bear wasn't something Lisa usually did, but it was Christmas Eve, and she felt a little conversation might lift her spirits. "I think I'll just stay in...

My first husband was Rich, a terrible husband only two seconds long The man who owns me is Rich, keeps me in a castle and I taste his dreams The man who borrows me is Rich too. My husband is John The glory of Galway is Jon The other John plays too rough for me The sweetest John can't ever let himself have me; a good man. The first Richard made me poor The second Richard showed me my worth The last Richard is just borrowed...

She twirled around the pole, false enthusiasm on her face. She could have chosen a gem for her stage name: Ruby, Jade, or Sapphire. Perhaps a different virtue: Faith, Charity, even the popular but inaccurate Chastity. But looking out across the sea of half-seen faces, leering gazes that represented a new transmission for her car or books for school, or just another chunk for her nest egg, the young woman knew she’d chosen...