As I open the freezer for vegetables the familiar tone crackles over the speaker, a xylophone tinkling. I can not help gritting my teeth and slaming the door, cursing loudly. Though it is not the season for my ire: which the death-glaring mother agree’s with as she huff’s and hastens her trolley past; a wide eyed toddler oggling me from his seat.

I glare at her back as what I can only describe as...

Numbness segues to a dull thump where the table-leg had bludgeoned my skull, a stark contrast to the nights earlier libations; Rum’s heady flavours now soured by the metallic taste of blood. I stifle my groan as the bruises announce themselves from the beating I vaguely remember the beginning of. As my eyelids flutter open, my right eye painfully so, the darkness shifts but little due to a corse h...

The beam creaked protestation with his added weight; a long metalic groan. Her moonlit eyes swallowing the surrounding darkness with hope, pleading just one more sunrise.

“I… can’t”, he says, sweating profusely at the strain, biting and chewing his recent mental decleration to never let her go; now to never again swallow. Sweat lathered palms greasing their salvation.

Her scrunchy left with the ...

He stands, cane under wing, down stuffed into a tailcoat and his top hat slightly askew, an expectant beady eye magnified by a monocle.

“Good evening my good man, I am Frank” without waiting a reply he pushes forward, waddling his way under my arm into the foyer before my protestation. “Is your mistress in?”

“My apologies sir, she has stated she does not want to be disturbed”. Nonchalantly he ha...

“I love him”, I spurt. My hands grip the cold concrete counter top of the bar for stability: both for my life and my inebriated self as I teeter precariously on the bar stool.

“You love him…”, she said slowly, every syllable a stab from Bree’s bright red lips. She grips the bridal sash, squeezing it in a white knuckle death grip. Behind her skewed dimonte clad tiara I can see Ellen and Suz, the ...

Two of them. Or that was what my brain informed me. Two men, beating two cowering women. A dull slap as fist hit forearm, a mallet to a steak.

Sobbing.

The smell of last nights left overs from the two neighbouring leases, Stuckeys bar and Thai Now, assault my nose; A sour combination of aging seafood and stale beer. The latter causing my stomach to flip, a sobering reminder of my earlier consumpti...

Why now? Shit, he’s still as handsome as ever. He has no right to be so attractive at 40. Still those smouldering deep blue eyes. A full head of hair, in fact nothing on his body could be considered receding, which just make me hyper aware of my sparse forehead and now sorely lacking biceps. Who has time for the gym… honestly.

He sees me and saunters over taking the chair beside me.

“Should have...

“Why would your ex be a threat to my life?” He replied, eyes rolling. She ducked down behind him edging away from the cafe door, gripping his arms as she used him as a shield.

“You don’t know what he’s capable of, he’s dangerous I tell you.”

Derick smirked, “yes, I’m sure the placid accountant come day is a notorious villain by night. Thank god it’s morning and we have quite a few hours before t...

For he, in the exhale of whiskeys breath, through the haze of cigarette smoke, gave me advice like no other. And he, though sporting stained glass and leather bound upholstery, wore cracks and scratches upon his benchesa and staines from many years of abuse.

Dust linger in the far off corners of shelves. Cobwebs a fixture rather then a hinderence.

Even now I can hear the meandering of guests, tha...

Its not that he’s ugly; I mused over my dates appearance. Tussled brown curls framed his high cheek bones, his mischevious eyes judging me, an impish grin on his fulsome lips.

No. Not ugly.

But I know too much.

My ignorant Cupid. The heavily intoxicated, embarrassingly overbearing, suitor blind Cupid… or should I say mother, for even if this handsome face could win over my blackened heart I wou...