"it's hot and sticky but it seems a shame to let the weather have all the fun"
Donna often struck up conversations with strangers, and on a hot, humid day, she found herself doing so once again. George had been sitting alone when Donna joined him on the bench in the square, and the notable weather became...
"A flawed piece of decision-making turns out to be a stroke of genius"
With heavy traffic causing everything to come to a standstill, the poor ventilation on the bus made the trip even more uncomfortable than Brian had expected.The suspension of train services that weekend had forced everyone onto alternative transport, and Brian's...
"Kerry does things her way and it pays off"
Kerry smiled when she saw the postmark on the letter. Although she belonged to a generation raised on electronic communication, handwritten thoughts felt special to her, despite the teasing her preference drew from others.Wanting to give it the time she...
"Boundaries are seen as a challenge, rather than an obstacle, as a search for opinion brings unexpected memories."
"It's Happiness Day today. What makes you happy?"Lisa had been asking the question for an hour to passers-by outside the station and was beginning to feel a little weary.Martin hadn't seen Lisa leap out from the shadows with her microphone,...
"a quiet birthday gets rescued by a push in the right direction"
"I've spent years having guys talk to my tits, but that's the first time anyone's used them as an airbag!" Josie said to Mick, as they chatted in the cafe.Mick had felt embarrassed when his loss of balance on the...
"A sad event reunites them and presents an opportunity to continue a journey"
Fiona's passing had come as no surprise, and her strict instructions that her send-off should be a joyful occasion hadn't either. Many of those in attendance had only previously met in the virtual world, although some knew each other far...
"being on call spoils the party but could make the evening elsewhere"
"I think that's my nomination for hostess of the year in the bin," Fiona said, looking at her guests with a frown.Being on-call was easy money, but once in a while, Fiona was reminded of its perils. She had invited...
"Alerted by the sound of distress, Harry discovers a way to show his true colours behind his shyness"
"I'm sorry to have scared you like that," Nicola said, passing Harry a coffee and sitting beside him on her sofa.Nicola had only moved into her new flat a couple of weeks earlier, and getting to know one of her...
"a mishap reconnects them and it seems too good an opportunity to turn down"
'Smuts!'As Joe looked at the message on his phone, he smiled with a surge of nostalgia that he knew only Katie would understand. Almost two years had passed since Joe and Katie had shared their harmless mischief online, but seeing...
They'd met when in the shopping centre, demons kept at bay,Her task? To introduce herself, no shyness in the way.The story he was writing was the icebreaker she sought.However, when she questioned him, his answer needed thought."My tales are meant...