EXCLUSIVE AUTHOR FLASH-FIC: 'Jumbo Popcorn - Extra Butter' by Leigh Jarrett
We at Kimmers' Erotic Book Banter provided author Leigh Jarrett the below photo prompt and asked her to write a five-hundred word or less short story EXCLUSIVELY for our readers. Although she went a teensy bit over who are we to complain? *winks*
Once you read Jumbo Popcorn - Extra Butter we're certain you will agree. Be sure to stop by and visit Leigh to let her know how much you appreciate her talent!
Jumbo Popcorn - Extra Butter
by Leigh Jarrett
I looked into the backseat of my '67 Mustang and wondered if I'd done the right thing. Telling Daniel I had a thing for him had spilled from my mouth before I'd realized the confession was sitting upon my tongue, waiting for the ideal moment to expose itself. It was half-price Tuesday; our new favorite movie lighting up the screen, us sharing a jumbo popcorn—extra butter, and rolls of laughter erupting between us. It had seemed so perfect—the moment. Until I nudged Daniel and spoke those words.
Watching Daniel's house I could see the light in his bedroom switch on, illuminating the rooftop below his window. He moved back and forth in front of the light, creating a shadow that hindered its effort to defeat the darkness outside. I turned the radio up, filling the cab of my car with music from some new 80s station, and crossed my arms. Daniel had said he'd only be a minute. Maybe he wasn't coming back down at all.
He'd gone quiet at first, Daniel. Stopped laughing—ignoring the movie, then looked down into his lap as if he'd find the perfect response there. If there was one, he certainly hadn't found it. He'd scrubbed his face with his hand then looked straight at me, furrowed his brow, and rose out of his seat. I'd considered sulking, heartbroken, remaining behind, but had decided to chase after him instead. I'd found him leaning against my car.
The light shining through Daniel's bedroom window disappeared as its source was shut off, infusing the interior of my car with a heavy blackness. Not a single light took its place. He wasn't coming. I looked into the backseat again, then back up at Daniel's house. It shouldn't have happened that way.
He'd smirked at me, then smiled and stuffed his hands into his pockets. It had been more than I'd been expecting, if I'd been expecting anything. I hadn't meant to express my feelings for him at all, convinced my admission would ruin our friendship. Yet, there he'd stood, waiting for me.
I reached back, and brushed some popcorn off of the backseat and onto the floor. I hadn't realized I'd brought the jumbo popcorn—extra butter along with me when I'd fled the movie theater. Fully popped corn, crushed pieces, and kernels littered the entire back of my vehicle. He hadn't wanted to be in the front seat as we'd sat there talking. I peered up at Daniel's house again—still nothing.
He'd questioned me. On things I knew—and things I didn't know, about my feelings for him. Had it come on suddenly? Or had it grown slowly, over time? Had I always been attracted to him? Or had I always thought we'd only ever be friends? Why now? Why had I decided to tell him now? There was no answer to that question. I hadn't. I hadn't decided at all. I never would've decided—never.
I jumped, startled—distracted by my thoughts, when the passenger door opened. "Sorry I took so long." Daniel beamed at me, his grin visible even in the dim light. "Where are we headed?"
Anywhere. I would've driven him anywhere—his exuberant, loving kiss infusing my cheek with warmth. I would've driven him anywhere.
Meet the Author
Leigh Jarrett is unabashedly queer, quirky, and passionate. Lover of antique stores, the smell of lye and oil as it turns to soap, and the sound of ocean breezes passing through the ancient Douglas firs of Vancouver Island's Cathedral Grove.
In her hometown of Kelowna, BC, Leigh can be found nestled up with her fabulously supportive wife, her trusty laptop, and their persistent treat seeker, Miss Mimi-dog, affectionately nicknamed "Muffin Head".
Having been bullied as a child for being "different", writing, and publishing LGBTQ Romantic Fiction has given Leigh an opportunity to express her uniqueness, inspired by the LGBTQ community she now calls home. Her contemporary works highlighting their struggles, while celebrating their diversity, and affirming their most basic of human rights—to love and be loved. And her Paranormal and Fantasy works simply sharing the "weird kid" geek residing within her. Leigh also writes under the pen names Gavin E. Black for Erotica and Sara J. Miller for Young/New Adult fiction.
For more from Leigh be sure and visit her website!
