Lily Sawyers Book Blog: Spring Time Day a Weds Brief

It's that time of the week again. Weds Brief. Winter doesn't seem to want to really let spring take over. It keeps showing that it isn't quite finished. It's been sunny and chilly some days. Today it's going to be sunny until this afternoon.

This week's prompts are:

“Jesus, what did you do to me!"

“Is there anything else I need to know?”

“Is she supposed to be pretty?”

“Don’t lose the details.”

“I’m running out of time.”

“Don’t sweat the small stuff.”

“Everybody knows that.”

or use a department store

or use: dust, cart, bike

or pick a penny up

or have a character having a nose bleed

or use: cell phone, castle, foam

or use: lawnmower, jeans, toilet paper

or “If I could turn back time”

or “The world is a circle, without a beginning”

or “She held my heart within her hands”

or “These aren’t happy tears, you hurt me, you idiot!”

or “Don’t just stand there, run!”

Tom and Ben decided to get out while it was nice and sunny and enjoy their time off together.

Springtime Fun

Weds Brief

Ben never thought he’d be this happy. He and Tom were enjoying a day together. They didn’t get this kind of time often. Tom was working three days on and three days off at the firehouse, and Ben was working on the days Tom was off. He treasured these times together. Tom’s job was so dangerous, they never thought about what could happen to him. They tried to live each day as fully as they could.

Ben bumped into Tom’s back. He’d stopped suddenly. Ben watched Tom bend over and pick something up off the ground.

“A penny? It that what you stopped for, you picked up a penny? “

“Well, yeah, why not? Remember that saying ‘ See a penny, pick it up and all the day you’ll have good luck?’ Well, I pick them up all the time.” Tom took Ben by the hand, and they continued their walk down Main Street. Lancaster was a beautiful town, right in the heard of Amish country. In some places, you’ll see the horse-drawn buggies making their way to and fro. The tourist season was just picking up.

They found a small restaurant that had outdoor dining and grabbed a seat; it was just before lunch, so many of the tables were empty. The weather had been a roller coaster. Just when you thought winter was done, another cold front would come through.

“I can’t figure out how to dress anymore,” Ben told Tom that morning in their bedroom.

“Just put something light on, and this way you can always take your clothes off.” Tom laughed, realizing how suggestive his comment was.

“Oooo, I can take them off now if you’d like.” Ben wiggled his eyebrows at him.

“I’m going to take a rain check for now, tiger. We’ve got errands to do. I’ll make BBQ tonight for dinner, and then we can have dessert.”

“You better not forget.” Ben had a pouty look on his face.

“Oh, don’t worry. I have a feeling you won’t let me forget.” Tom put on a light jacket and Ben did the same.

Now they were sitting at a table, under an umbrella to protect them from the sun.

“Can I get you gentlemen something?” the waiter asked them.

“I’d like coffee,” Ben said.

“I’d like an espresso,” Tom told him.

“Are we going to stop over at Home Depot and pick out some new bathroom fixtures?” Ben had wanted to redo the bathroom in their bedroom for a long time, and they finally had the money to do it.

“Yeah, honey, that is one of the stuff on my to do list.”

“Help!” A woman could be heard screaming from inside the restaurant.

Tom was up off his chair and raced inside. He spotted a man standing beside a table; he appeared to be choking.

“I’m a firefighter. Did anyone call 911?”

“I called them,” one of the restaurant workers told him.

The woman, who was apparently with the man, was shouting hysterically. “Help him, he’s dying.”

“It’s going to be okay.” Ben had followed Tom inside, and was trying to calm the woman down.

Tom put his arms around the man’s mid-section and performed the Heimlich maneuver. A piece of steak came flying out of the man’s mouth and landed on the table. Tom lowered the man into a chair and talked calmly to him. They could hear the sirens as two paramedics came through the front entrance.

“Tom?” Billy and Judy from his firehouse were on duty today. “What do we have?”

Tom told them what had happened, and then stood aside while they went to work. The man was taken to the hospital. “Good job,” Judy said to him as she and Billy took the man out. The man had gotten some of his color back.

“Thank you for saving that man.” Another restaurant worker came over. There had been several people coming over to pat him on the back.

“It’s all in a day’s work.” Tom joined Ben outside at their table.

“That was amazing.” Their waitress had come out.

“I’m a firefighter, it’s all part of the job,” Tom explained to her.

“Well, your meal is on the house.” A well-dressed man had come out onto the outdoor patio. “Let me introduce myself. I’m Christian. I’m the owner of Matuzzo’s Café. I saw what you did in there, you saved that man’s life.”

“Like I told the waitress, it’s all part of my job. You don’t have to do anything special.”

“Hey, it’s my restaurant. Yourmeal is free.” Christian looked at Tom, then at Ben. He shook each man’s hand. “Give them anything they want on the house,” he instructed the waitress.

“But…” Ben started to protest.

“Your money is no good here.” He went back inside the restaurant.

Tom and Ben ordered the restaurant’s famous beef ribs off the menu.

Ben reached over and took Tom’s hand in his and squeezed it. “I’m proud of you. I don’t think I say it enough. But I think what you do is amazing.” He leaned over and kissed Tom on the lips.

“Honey, we’re all special in our own ways. You change lives too, giving people the chance to start fresh in a new home.”

They enjoyed their rib lunch and looked forward to going about their errands.

TBC

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