Short Story Saturday (Dec. 28, 2013)

This short story is a follow-up on the list of 25 words that I posted yesterday. No, I didn't write the story overnight. The list of words and the story is actually from a writing exercise I did in 2010. Being the over-achiever that I tend to be, I used all of the words on the list in my short story, not just the requisite 20. They're underscored here so you can see them.

Here's my effort in a piece I called "Let the Festival Begin."

"Let the Festival Begin"

 

The view from Nashville carried the economist through a long night. His election to the United Association meant the end of frugality. He would get to plan the conferences and conventions for the next two years. Larry had no intention of working with a budget.  And unlike the previous United Association vice president in charge of customer satisfaction, he had no intention of being an absentee elector. That chap’s term could best be described with an eraser – none of his austerity policies were taken seriously.

 

“Let the festival begin,” he declared at the airport.

 

The view from the first-class passengers’ lounge was spectacular and the layout of the hors’ doerves unrivaled. Larry had had his fill of the sugar-free lemonade and stale cookies usually served at gatherings of economists. The United Association executive board members knew how to live it up, and it began in first class.

 

“Let the sugar rush begin,” he declared as he cut into a generous slice of decadent cheesecake.

 

With an eye on the monitor so he wouldn’t miss his flight out of Nashville, Larry sampled all of the delights of the buffet, then settled in a leather massage chair to peruse the complimentary magazines.

 

An ad for a red Dodge Viper appealed to him. As vice president in charge of customer satisfaction, the first customer who had to be satisfied was Larry himself. As soon as the votes were tallied and his election declared official he’d begun the benefits of the position. His healthcare plan was now on par with those of U.S. senators. Other perks included generous clothing and expense accounts, a liberal cosmetics and accessories allowance for his spouse or partner and his pick of a luxury vehicle that would be leased in his name and paid for by the United Association during his full term of office.

 

Larry the economist figured it was his time to enjoy the fruits of his labor, nevermind the non-sequitur situation. He had to block a few votes to ensure his victory and it had been worth it.

 

“Mouse no more,” he said.

 

He glanced at the digital display on the wall. When he stepped onto that plane, he would be entering a new frontier. The boulevard of dreams and the land of excess awaited him.

 

He closed the magazine, then grinned when he saw the ad on the back cover. “What happens in Vegas…”

 

“Vegas baby,” he said to himself as he left the first-class lounge. “Let the play begin.”