Welcome
to another MFRW Book Hooks hop! Today I’ve got a snippet from my
recently released collection of lesbian short stories, Burn, Baby:A Sapphic Six Pack.
This
excerpt is from “Rush Hour”, a fun story about the attraction between
opposites.
Nothing
is impossible, optimists will say. Have they ever tried to get a cab
during rush hour? In the rain? I’d been standing on Fifth Avenue
for twenty minutes, my briefcase clutched precariously under the same
arm that held up my umbrella, waving at the taxis filing by in slow
motion. Every one was full.
The
clock was ticking. I was due at Cipriani in less than two hours to
welcome the board of directors. I had to get home. A motorcycle
roared through the streaming gutters, nearly knocking me over. A
tsunami of dirty water rose to soak my pants. Thanks, buddy.
Now I really had to get home.
I
should have taken the subway. I didn’t want to ruin my suit in the
rain, but that hardly mattered now. I was just about to give up and
walk when I saw a cab with his light on, halfway up the block.
Juggling briefcase, purse and umbrella, I scrambled through the crowd
on the sidewalk. He might be my last chance.
He
was stuck in traffic. I prayed that the signal didn’t change. Just
as I reached him, a black-clad figure pushed past me and wrenched the
door open.
“Hey!
That’s my cab!”
“No
way, lady. I got here first.” The girl grinned at me, pale makeup
and purple lipstick giving her a ghoulish quality. She started to
climb into the vehicle but I grabbed her sleeve.
“I’m
late. I need this cab. It’s terribly important. You can take the
next one.”
“You
think that I don’t have important places to go?” She pulled her
arm from my grasp, further stretching her already misshapen sweater.
“I’ve got rehearsal in half an hour. Now get out of my way.”
She
tried to elbow past me. Desperate, knowing I’d feel bad later, I
snatched her shoulder bag and threw it on the sidewalk.
“You
bitch!” As she ducked down to pick it up, I slid into the taxi.
Before I could slam the door, though, she pushed in after me, jabbing
me in the ribs with her umbrella. The door closed just as the traffic
light turned green.
“Where
to, ladies?” The cabbie was torn between annoyance and amusement.
“Ow!
32nd and Lex, please.” I could barely get the words out.
“No,
don’t listen to her. Houston, near Varick. Step on it!”
“Ignore
her. I was in the cab first. If you don’t take me to Murray Hill
immediately, I’ll report you.”
~ ~ ~ ~
You
can buy the book at all your favorite bookstores.
Barnes
&
Noble:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/burn-baby-lisabet-sarai/1128902422?ean=2940155289302
Be
sure to visit the other authors who are participating in today’s
Book Hooks. You’ll find their links below.
2 comments:
What a dreadful dilemma, especially the ruined suit. This is very interesting and I wonder who will win the ride.
Vivid action and strong emotions. I'd definitely keep reading. I feel sorry for the cabbie's dilemma. - Ed
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