Gator Wave by David F Berens

Author:David F Berens [Berens, David F]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tropical Thrillers Press
Published: 2020-05-30T16:00:00+00:00

28

The Big Reveal

Chad Harrison aka Cap Wayfarer always enjoyed eating at local establishments and turning down the requests for pictures and autographs he received. He once grabbed a photographer’s ridiculously overpriced Hasselblad camera and tossed it into the lobster tank at the Islamorada Fish Company. As a matter of actual fact though, such requests and intrusions were becoming less and less frequent since it had been over eleven years since any of his books had rated into the top one hundred bestsellers on any mainstream list. And being recognized wasn’t what it was in the eighties. His file photo at Knoxnews.com was a picture his second girlfriend—or was it third—had taken of him sitting in his prized Sun Dolphin Aruba 10 Foot Sit-In Kayak. The color— Opulent Orange had cost an extra two-hundred and fifty bucks—almost as much as the sticker price on the thing.

Tonight, he’d brought his current girlfriend out to eat. Thankfully, she was too young, and perhaps too stupid, to know anything about fine dining, so he’d brought her to one of the tourist traps along the highway. It was reasonable and usually the service was okay, but Chad was particularly upset that no one, not even the vacationers sitting at the table down by the pier, recognized him. He sighed as he perused the menu of fried and tossed and breaded bottom-feeding fish offerings.

“Oooh,” his girlfriend said, flipping her platinum blonde bangs to the side, “I’m gonna get the grouper basket.”

She said it in a way that made him think she considered it to be a specialty, a prized dish, an award winning entrée. He pursed his lips and hid the fact that he was repulsed by the plebianistic offerings on the twenty-two page menu.

And that’s when the ding alerted him to a new email on his phone. He was thankful for the interruption to their riveting conversation. He stood and put his phone to his ear.

“Sorry, doll,” he mouthed, holding his hand over the speaker portion of the iPhone, “Gotta take this.”

She nodded dutifully, batting her eyelashes over wide eyes in response to how important her boyfriend was and flashing don’t-you-wish-you-were-me glances at all the people who just happened to look her way—at this particular moment, there weren’t any, but she saved the special look for another day.

“Should I order for you?” she called as he walked away.

“I’ll have whatever you’re having,” he said and pushed through the front door.

The email was from the paper. It read like a generic notice, but it was only sent (via non-bcc’d-email addresses) to him, Dori Handler, and Rex Kiser—the three editorial writers on staff.

He mumbled aloud as he read the email.

Something, something, something. The McGlashen group that acquired Blight House Inc., publishers of Knoxnews.com, WaveRunners, and Tropical Thriller Press is filing for bankruptcy. Staff writers are still employed for now, but to keep delivering quality journalism and reporting, some downsizing must occur.

Your current pay period will end at midnight tonight and any and all unpublished articles that you have delivered to the editor will remain property of Keysnews.

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