Wordzzle #16

The words for this week's ten word challenge were: spaghetti, larkspur, Prilosec, roaring lion, adamant, green green grass of home, paradox, filibuster, face cream, trout fishing

Mini Challenge: jury of ones peers, barking dog, a wing and a prayer, liver, sprained ankle

Go to the Raven's Nest for the rest of the stories and guidelines.

Sgt Johnson smiled across the dinner table at Zan and took another bite of spaghetti. He once again noticed the larkspur glint in her eyes. The blue tending to almost purple was fascinating to him. He remembered he needed to take his Prilosec and reached into his pocket to retrieve the pill he'd placed there. He swallowed it unobtrusively with a sip of the house wine, knowing that he was escaping the fierce heartburn that would have come on after this dinner like a roaring lion.

His doctor had been adamant that he continue the pills and treatment. He had expressed his concern for Johnson by reminding him that his taking a dirt nap beneath the green, green grass of home became more of a reality with each time he failed to take the pill. The paradox was that Johnson rarely had acid reflux unless his case was going badly, then whatever he ate, be it spicy Tai food or oatmeal gave him excruciating heartburn.

He listened for a minute as a wife at the next table went on a filibuster about her husband's drinking and he countered he needed it to sleep with a harridan covered in face cream. Of their upcoming weekend plans the husband voted for trout fishing and the wife wanted to go antiquing. "A match made in heaven" Johnson thought to himself as he turned his attention back to Zan.

"So they finally tracked down the neo-fascists that murdered Carla" she stated. 'Yes they did" he replied. "Though it will be hard seat a jury." When you're a whacked out fascist it's hard to be judged by a jury of one's peers if there aren't any." "At least I hope there are not any more barking dog crazy neo-nut jobs out there."

"How do you do it Paul, how do you deal with all the violence and weirdness? She asked. "Sometimes only on a wing and a prayer baby; I get depressed and disappointed just like everyone else" he replied. "But I know I've got you to come home to and that's a pretty good thing for me."

Zan picked at her liver manicotti and reached down to rub her sprained ankle. She was glad she'd taken the redeye to Miami. Something was bothering Paul about this latest case and he needed some TLC. Well, that at least was no mystery. When it came to loving and caring for each other it came very naturally indeed. She reached across the table and gently wiped a bit of spaghetti sauce from his chin, then leaned in closer and licked the spot sensually with her tongue. As she looked at him he caught the glint of larkspur in her eyes and a gleam of something else as well.

"Let's get out of here" he said as he smiled.

RT