TUESDAY TALES - NOW

 

Welcome to Tuesday Tales, where authors write to a different word prompt each week.  This week the word prompt is "now".  This week we have another excerpt from the Kenington State story. Don't forget to visit all the authors. You'll find the link to them HERE.

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“Kitty, do you mind if we use your old room?” Callie asked her daughter.

“Nope.”

“Good. Come in, Charlotte. Sit down at the dressing table. I’ll be right back,” Callie said, disappearing down the hall.

Charlotte stared at all the paraphenalia on the table. There were pencils in shades of blue, violet, and green. Pots half full of mysterious creams were clustered in a group. Some of those sparkled, while others ran the gamut from pink to peach.

“What are all these things for? It looks like the beauty counter at the big stores in New York,” Charlotte said, daring to pick up a pot of cream-colored goo.

 “They’re to make you beautiful,” Kitty said, pulling a chair next to her friend and plopping down.

“Hah!” Charlotte laughed. “You’ll need a whole lot more than a few pots of goop and colored pencils to turn me into anything presentable.”

Kitty gave her friend’s arm a gentle squeeze. “That’s not true. You’ll be surprised.”

“I certainly will. The mirror doesn’t lie.”

Callie swooped into the room, her arms loaded with supplies.

“Oh yes it does! You’ll see. When we get through with you, your real beauty will come forward.”

“What real beauty?” Charlotte drew her brows together.

“You’ll see,” Callie said. “Kitty, phone Pam. We need an appointment,” Callie said, fingering Charlotte’s thick, mahogany brown hair. “We need this gorgeous mop tamed before the dance.”

“Right, Mom,” Kitty said, picking up her phone. “Pam? We have a hair emergency. When can you squeeze us in. No, not for me or Mom, but for my friend, Charlotte. What? Perfect. We’ll be there.”

Callie picked up the tweezers.

“No time for that, Mom. Pam is holding a slot for us if we can be there in twenty minutes.”

“Oh, okay. Let’s go, now,” Callie said, dropping the tweezers on the dressing table.

“Pam? Hair emergency?” Charlotte pulled back her long hair with her hands.

“You have beautiful hair. But it needs to be shaped. You need a good haircut by a professional. We have a wonderful hairdresser who does our hair. She’s very talented.”

“Cut my hair?” Charlotte raised her eyebrows. 

“No, no. She’s not going to cut it all off. She’s’ going to shape it into a stunning hairdo. You’ll see. Trust us,” Callie said in a gentle tone.

That's all for this week. Thanks for stopping by. 

Tuesday Tales - Pearl

 

Welcome to Tuesday Tales! This week we're writing to the word prompt "pearl." When you fibish my excerpt, hop on over to the stories by the other authors. Find them HERE. 

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Summoned to the president’s office, Charlotte waited outside. The big wooden doors burst open and Callie Caldwell bounced  out. 

“Charlotte! How nice to see you. Kitty has put me in charge of getting you ready for the dance.”  

“I appreciate you taking the time to help me, Mrs. Caldwell.” Charlotte stood.

“Please call me Callie. It’s going to be fun.” Callie clutched her chin as she circled the young woman. “Hmm. Seems a complete makeover is needed.”

Kitty Caldwell joined them. “Exactly, Mom.”

“Is this gonna hurt?” Charlotte asked, her brows knitted.

“Just a little. Around the eyebrows,” Callie said, staring at the girl.

“Ugh.”

“It’s necessary. If you want to be, uh, noticed, by the right men,” Kitty said.

“It’s part of looking your best,” Callie said.

“I know, I know. I’ll do whatever you say,” Charlotte frowned.

“Hmm. I think I know who you’re talking about. A slightly older guy?” Callie asked.

Charlotte felt her face flush. She nodded.

“Okay then. We definitely need pearls. You know older guys like pearls on women,” Callie said.

Kitty nodded.

“Older guys? Which older guys?” It was the deep voice of the president, Mac Caldwell.

“Never you mind,” Callie replied, placing a firm grip on Charlotte’s shoulders. “Come with me. We need to get started.” Callie steered Charlotte toward the door.

Mac laughed. “Women and their secrets.” He shook his head.

That's all for this week. Thanks for stopping by. 

TUESDAY TALES - WORD PROMPT: YELLOW

 

and welcome! This is a small group of writers who write to a word prompt each week. This week the word prompt is "yellow." I have posted another excerpt from "Someone Like You", /When you've finished my story, read the excellent stories by the other authors. Find them HERE. 

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Charlotte went about sorting through her clothes, deciding what to take to her new home and what to throw away.

“Hmm. I’m going to need a dress for the dance,” she said to herself, rummaging through her closet. She came upon the dress she wore to her prom. It was old. Very old. The dress had been ivory, but now it had yellowed in places, making it look like something Cinderella wore before she became a princess.

“Ugh,” she said aloud. “I can’t wear this anywhere!” She threw it in the trash with such force she knocked the can over. “Piece of crap. I can’t wear anything like that. Professor Garrett is going to be there.” She sat down hard on her bed, fighting back tears. “I have nothing.”

Before she got into a full-fledged pity party, she got an idea.

“Kitty!” She picked up her phone and called Corey’s fiancee.

“Kitty, I need help. I don’t have anything to wear to the dance. It’s been years since I bought a fancy dress. I don’t even know where to begin, or where to go to find the right thing. Will you help me?”

“Are you kidding? Of course, I’ll help you. And we can ask my mom.”

“The President’s wife?”

“Yes. She’s my mother and she knows all about these things. She’d be great.”

“Oh thank you so much!”

“You’re going to be my sister-in-law. I’ll always help you in any way I can,” Kitty said.

“You’re the best!”

Charlotte hung up the phone. She lay back down on the bed and closed her eyes. Visions of exquisite gowns passed before her eyes. Yes, she’d enlist the help of anyone she could to help her be the belle of the ball. And get noticed by Professor Garrett.

That's all for now. Thanks for stopping by. Please leave a comment. 

TUESDAY TALES - "PEOPLE"

 

Welcome to Tuesday Tales. We have a short excerpt today from "Someone Like You", written to the word prompt "People." I hope you enjoy it and leave a comment. Then go on over to read the marvelous stories from the other authors. Find them HERE. 

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Charlotte managed not to get completely soaked running from the car to her father’s house. Her phone rang. It was her brother.

“Have you talked to dad recently?” he asked.

“You mean about selling the house and moving to Florida, yep.” She sank down in a comfy chair in the living room and watched the rain through the picture window.

“He’s crazy,” Corey said.

“No, he’s not. It works for me.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I’ve already found a place to live. A sublet, actually. And I think I’ve found a workshop, too.”

“You have? Where?”

Charlotte filled him in on the sublet situation, but hesitated when it came to the details for her workshop.

“Derek is going to let you have that space? How much?” Corey asked.

“Well…” she hesitated.

“What?”

“Four hundred a month,” she said, pushing up from the chair.  

“Can you afford that?” he asked.

“Yeah. I have some orders already for that table.”

“Derek doesn’t have the final say, does he?”

“Maybe not. But he said four hundred, People have to honor their word.”

“The way he feels about you, he might give it to you for free,” Corey said, laughing.

“Funny you should say that,,,” she began.

                                                                                                                          

 That'a all for this week. Thanks for stopping by.