Paid Date -- a Flash Fiction Piece from Water and Earth

[This is a piece I had intended for a flash fiction collection, but the editors decided it didn't fit the anthology style closely enough. Too cryptic, too much happening in one thousand words, too much unspoken history, too much off-beat vernacular, too experimental, not adherring to their concepts of genre. 

If I re-worked it to fit (such as here or here), it would be a different story, and I don't have time right now anyway. So I'm posting it here, in the month I originally wrote it, even though the current form has some more recent editing.

For the curious, this is the seed from which my yet to be published story Water and Earth came.

JMR201807241230]

[There's a possibly improved version, here. JMR201808132019]

Paid Date

by Joel Matthew Rees, November 2017
(written in the hospital)

Copyright 2017, 2018 Joel Matthew Rees

"Hey, Bru, who's your friends?"

Bruce raised his fist for a back-hand bump. "Yo, Kurt. These're my real homies. Rob's just back from his mission in the Ukraine, and Gar's headed for his senior year at college. Have a chair?"

Kurt sat at the table. "Hi, Bru's bros. So what's up?"

Gareth leaned forward. "Bru says you get around."

Kurt gave him a blank look.

"Women!" Robert enthused.

Kurt tilted his head and thought. "Naw, dating a different girl every other week at college is not what you call getting around."

"Do you kiss 'em all?" Robert was not to be discouraged.

"Bruce, homies or tennis team, this is a breach of etiquette. Why am I here?"

Bruce backpedaled. "Guys, I don't know why I let you talk me into this."

Gareth glanced in the direction of the diner's counter and leaned forward, speaking in a low voice, "Got a favor to ask. Could be worth your while, like a fifty spot."

Kurt frowned. "The way this starts, I have doubts."

"Uhm, guys." A girl's voice broke in from behind Kurt. "I don't own this place. Someone has to order something."

Did Bruce think he noticed a flash of recognition in Kurt's eyes?

"Got something 100% from the tree, no added sugar?" he asked without turning around.

"Apple or mango today," the girl replied with a laugh, "if reconstituted's okay."

Was there some unusual color in his twin's voice?

"Mango sounds good. Rob's buying."

Robert looked startled.

"Just kidding." Kurt turned to look at the girl, who was checking her order book. "I'll take a large mango."

She didn't look up.

The brothers laughed, but Kurt's ordering had made it hard for them to delay. So they each ordered something to drink.

"That was easier than usual. Thanks, guys." She returned to the counter.

"Your sister." Kurt observed, watching her retreat. "Bru's twin. Brianna, right?"

"Yeah."

"She looks like you, Bru."

Bruce was looking at his feet again.

"And, if I were guessing," Kurt continued, "you three had the stupid idea to try to pay me to insert her into my dating schedule."

"Is it really so stupid?" Robert asked defensively.

"Ask Bru."

Bruce wouldn't look up.

But, somehow, when Brianna returned with their drinks, the four were talking like old friends.

"Tell you what." Kurt swirled his ice as he turned and watched Brianna's retreating form again, thoughtfully. "I'll forgive you guys if you can take me in a little hoop." He nodded at the park visible through the window, across the street.

"Huh?"

"Three on one." Kurt grinned.

"Bru tells me you're cocky, but, ..." Gareth laughed. "Forgive means what?"

"I refrain from punishing you for asking me to insult your sister by accepting money to take her out."

Robert raised his eyebrows. "If you win?"

"I choose your penance."

"Let's see how good you are." Gareth snickered, but Bruce rolled his eyes.

The boys paid for their drinks and went outside into the summer heat.

An hour later, they filed back inside, sweating profusely and laughing.

"So, what's this penance we have to do?" Robert asked as they sat down.

"Let's see if we can make the punishment fit the crime."

"Ahem!" Bruce signaled.

"Uhm, the boss says, ..." Brianna had come back to their table.

"I could use a small burger and a salad after that workout. What about you guys?"

The three brothers looked at each other.

"Didn't someone mention a canceled project and some leftover funds?" Kurt prompted.

"Uh, I guess so." Gareth hesitated.

"Well, I could think of worse things to do with it, if the money were mine," Kurt said pointedly.

That persuaded the brothers, and they each ordered something, talking while they ate. They all waved goodbye to Brianna as they left.

Some three weeks later, Kurt and the three brothers were playing two-on-two in the park.

"You know," Kurt said as Gareth rebounded, "you guys still haven't done penance."

"Foul!" Gareth called. "Who can play with you tossing comments like elbows?"

Everyone laughed.

Robert leaned on his knees and breathed hard. "Wasn't the penance to quit pushing Bree to date?"

"How many dates has she been on since?"

"Two last week, and she's got one tonight."

"So, basically she just needed less interference from you guys." Kurt stole the ball and passed it to Bruce, who dropped in an uncontested layup. "Let's go for some food," he added.

The four crossed the street.

"Hey, Bree!" Four boys chorused.

"Hi, guys, ya eatin' today?"

"Yeah. Mom'll complain, we know." Robert laughed.

"She might, but I won't!" the chef called out from behind the grill.

Brianna laughed, too.

Talking with the three brothers after they ordered, Kurt watched Brianna thoughtfully.

"I don't get it." Gareth was watching Kurt's expression.

"What?"

"You do like Bree."

"Yeah."

"Kurt says he's going to ask her out back at school, and we should give her static about it.  Reverse psychology. " Bruce explained.

"What's with the whispering?" Brianna called from behind the counter.

"Kurt says he thinks he's in love with you," Gareth called out. "Ouch. Now he's kicking me."

"I'll kick him, too, Ddaear Tywysog." Brianna laughed as she brought the brothers' orders.

"Toy arg divvy what?" three voices asked in unison as she returned to the counter and Kurt watched in a daze.

"Dywysoges Dŵr. Ti'n cofio!"

"Of course I remember," she smiled as she came back with Kurt's food. "And you can call me when we get to school next week and my brothers are mostly out of the way."

Kurt looked chagrined. "You're gonna make me wait 'til we're back at school to figure out why I've been pretending we haven't met?"

"Well, I appreciate it, anyway." Brianna winked at Kurt.

"Wait," Bruce guessed, "I let my twin sister go to Wales without me for a little family history research with Mom and Dad, because I have basketball camp. And she comes home with the coolest boyfriend, but then I have to re-introduce you two a year later?"

"Not exactly." Kurt hedged.

"Close enough." Brianna smiled.