Erosion – Friday Fictioneers, November 2015

 

Tom places one glass of wine on the table.

I look up, catching Sal’s expression.

“Not drinking, Sal?”

“Apparently not.”

The waiter arrives.

“A 6 ounce steak for my wife, hold the sauce. And a green salad.”

We eat in silence; Sal eyes my steak-and-ale pie with fries.

“Holiday plans?” she says, finishing up.

“Divorce lawyers don’t take vacations,” I say.

“We’re going sailing this year,” says Tom. “Sal’s really excited.”

“I thought Sal hated boats?”

“Just needs to apply a bit of self-control,” he says, going for our coats.

Sal meets my gaze.

I open my diary.

“Tomorrow at ten?”

November is always a bad month for me, and this month was sizing up to be even worse than usual. But my mood has been lightened by three pieces of good news in the space of a week: a competition win, a photo being published in a waterways calendar, and winning a year’s subscription to a writing magazine for submitting a ‘prize’ letter on unfair competition conditions. This doesn’t quite match the occasion when, as a hard-up student, I bought five tickets in a raffle and won first, second and third cash prizes, but it felt pretty good nonetheless. Onwards and inwards to winter…

My photo was taken at West Bay, Dorset, and it’s the very beach where the TV serial Broadchurch was filmed.  Thanks to Rochelle for choosing it, and for her support and unfailing patience as she steers the Friday Fictioneers boat through the wintry waters.  Looking forward to her new book Silt and Ashes coming out next month.