Tuesday's Tales ~ Check/checked

Welcome to Tuesday's Tales  

 

Once again, many thanks to all those who drop by each week. I also appreciate, and often act upon comments and suggestions left.  Many thanks.

 

This week I am back with my current WIP. Amanda is at the same fairground as Josh and is still observing his actions when she thinks back 24 hours....

 

     Tamping down on her rising panic Amanda forced herself to turn her back on the mystery man and his interest in the other woman. After all why should it matter to her, she’d be here for a couple of days at the most, 24 hours if she decided to check out on sooner.

Something, she didn’t know what, had pulled her to the place. Well not exactly. She’d stopped to fill up her car with petrol and been fascinated enough to linger. Whether it had been the gold of the setting sun turning to fire and flaming the lacy silver clouds, or whether it has been the laughter drifting out from the open door of the café across the road. Perhaps it had been the sway of the trees turning almost black in the lengthening shadows. She didn’t know and at the time didn’t care.

The enchantment of the place had her parking near the café and walking in. People looked up, some nodded others redirected their attention to their companions while a couple watched her walk to the counter ordered a meal, and then followed her progress to an empty table near the window. Music, too loud to be described a ‘background’ forced the level of chatter up a decibel, and Amanda listened in to snippets of conversation around her.

“Time to let it rest.” Someone behind her had stated. The impatience in his voice was followed by a grunt while a woman chastised him for his intolerance.

“Don’t be daft woman; it’s time to let it be. They keep raking it up year after year…”

“If you’re so dead set against this fair, then why are you making such a large donation to the cause?”

A child at another nearby table set up a screech of discontent drowning out the man’s reply, and Amanda wished she could turn round and see the man whose generosity had been found out. But for what, she wondered, and sat back with a smile for the waitress who delivered her coffee and a piece of chocolate cake.

From her window seat she watched several diners leave and head for their cars. Couples, young and old, and a mother couple, the father carrying a child in his arms and the mother with a baby in one of those body-sling things that had become so popular. A fluorescent pink one, that almost glowed in the dusk. She smiled, and acknowledged the curl of envy that clutched at her belly. She’d always dreamed of having children. Lots of them. Four at least, perhaps more.

But time was a passing and the chances of her dreamed of family receded with each birthday. The buzz of her phone distracted her from the young family and she sighed when she identified the caller. Time seemed to be front and centre stage right now. Soon she would have to make arrangements for a temporary move to London while she worked on refining her film scores. Giving in to temptation she switched off her phone, smiled when the waitress stopped to ask if she wanted anything else. Another coffee seemed like a good idea, Amanda thought and stopped the woman long enough to ask for a recommendation on somewhere to stay overnight.

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Tuesday's Tales