A Prompt Writing

It was a strange engagement. But she had her own reasons for wanting to go through with it. And so did he.

She waited for him at that bar on Third Street. A friend of a friend had referred him. She had been assured that he could get the job done. They'd never met before, but somehow she knew she'd know him when she saw him. The bar smelled of smoke and rain and made her feel claustrophobic, and if the flourescent light above the bar kept flickering, she'd lose her nerve.

"Another?" asked the ever-attentive bartender. He wasn't used to seeing women in his bar; he couldn't even remember the last time he'd served one. She was a newcomer to the place and as such was worthy of suspicion. Her appearance did nothing to bolster his confidence in her. Her wet hair was matted to her forehead, and her mascara had run just enough to make the dark circles under her eyes noticeable.

"No thanks," she said. "I'm drivin'." Eventually I will be anyway, she thought.

She took a long drag on a bummed cigarette. She'd picked a poor day to quit. She could quit tomorrow. All this would be over tomorrow. Today was a day for a smoke. She finished sipping the gin and tonic she'd ordered over an hour ago. She shouldn't even be here. She should have left half an hour ago. Where the hell was he? She didn't have all evening to wait. She did have a schedule to keep, places to be, things to do...

She was seething by the time the bell atop the door jingled.

Funny, she thought. Seems kinda outta place in a joint like this.

"Did someone call a tow truck?"

"It's about time you showed up," she sighed. "I've been waiting forever. My car won't start, and I have an engagement at a gallery in ten minutes. You know I'll never make it in time to give my opening speech, and even if I did I couldn't give it looking like this. Do you know what kind of important clients..."

"Will you be payin' with cash or credit?" he interuppted. "If it's credit, I'm gonna need to see some ID."

*This story is based on a prompt (at the top in bold) provided by the Writers Digest website circa January 28, 2011. I can't be serious all the time. : )