Mission Possible January 2010
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is outlined below. Write a story using the month, setting, words and phrases that follow.
Month: January
Setting: Florida
Use at least ten of these twelve words: legendary, toast, knife, school, intriguing, feast, forever, kitty, fresh, romance, picturesque, photogenic
Base the story on one of these two phrases. Winter wonder or A new lease on life
Mavis growled. She shivered and pulled the beach blanket tighter around her. The tumble of the waves onto the Florida beach in January was neither picturesque nor photogenic while the temperature hovered on the underside of forty degrees.
“It’ll be warm. There’ll be lots of people. So much nicer than Boston and all that snow and ice,” Mavis mimicked her friend Samantha. Sam, Mavis was certain, remained tucked cozily beneath the blankets of her bed in their hotel room, warm as toast. The breeze kicked up, ruffled the blanket. The cold pierced like a knife edge more keen because of the unexpectedness of it. The disappointment of the loss of the longed for sun and sand. “At least it’s supposed to be cold with snow and ice.”
“You must be from the school of hard knocks.”
The words on the deserted beach should have startled Mavis. But the deep gravelly purr sparked an intriguing curiosity. The voice was definitely male, a species as sparse as a feast in a famine since Sam and her arrival three days ago. Mavis tried not to shiver as she eased her hold on the blanket and tried to unhunch shoulders stiff with cold as a pair of large sandaled, male feet strolled into view beside her chair. “I’m from the school of enjoying Florida’s legendary good weather,” she quipped as she followed the long lean bare legs upward. Young or old? she wondered, then inwardly snorted. She was fifty-five. Breathing, Sam had told her, was all that was needed for a man to be attractive.
“This weather would be considered balmy in Fargo, North Dakota.”
A smile threatened to warm the chilled muscles of Mavis cheeks when she saw the bottom of a heavy parka just above the hem of the man’s shorts.
“A boy scout, ehh? Always prepared?”
“Lessons from Minnesota,” he quipped as he took hold of the arm of her chair and sat on the sand.
“We might be fresh from the farm but no fools there.”
“At least no cold ones unlike we imprudent Bostonians.” Mavis met his gaze. Keen sky blue eyes set in a face as wrinkled and worn as hers transfixed her. She watched as he flicked out a hand to the cuff of her jeans.
“You were bright enough not to wear shorts. Thomas Mecham, by the way.”
“The parka is a better chip in this game,” she chuckled. “Mavis Turner.” The grin they shared hinted at romance. It warmed Mavis like no Florida sun could have. She turned her gaze momentarily out to the incoming waves. The sky was still dull and overcast without the warmth and sparkle of a bright sun. Winter wonderlands come in all forms, she thought. One just has to recognize them.