© irene waters 2014
Janelle felt the men watching. She affected them with her perfect body. And she was pretty if not beautiful, although she had to say it herself. Why didn’t they ask her out? She was a girly girl. Even her iphone was pink.
“A bun please.” Her soft, sensual voice floated to the watching men but their eyes had gravitated to her hip. The gun resting in the holster, as cold and hard as the buns she was buying were soft and doughy. She wept, realising the buns were more desired than she.
In response to Charli’s prompt for the 99 word flash fiction
About Irene Waters 19 Writer Memoirist
I began my working career as a reluctant potato peeler whilst waiting to commence my training as a student nurse. On completion I worked mainly in intensive care/coronary care; finishing my hospital career as clinical nurse educator in intensive care. A life changing period as a resort owner/manager on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu was followed by recovery time as a farmer at Bucca Wauka. Having discovered I was no farmer and vowing never again to own an animal bigger than myself I took on the Barrington General Store. Here we also ran a five star restaurant. Working the shop of a day 7am - 6pm followed by the restaurant until late was surprisingly more stressful than Tanna. On the sale we decided to retire and renovate our house with the help of a builder friend. Now believing we knew everything about building we set to constructing our own house. Just finished a coal mine decided to set up in our backyard. Definitely time to retire we moved to Queensland. I had been writing a manuscript for some time. In the desire to complete this I enrolled in a post grad certificate in creative Industries which I completed 2013. I followed this by doing a Master of Arts by research graduating in 2017. Now I live to write and write to live.
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
Some men like girls with guns. The right guy just hasn’t shown up yet.
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Perhaps. But perhaps the combination of beauty and a gun is too much for most.
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Your post speaks to her loneliness. I think if she keeps her confidence in herself, and stays true to herself, the right guy will come along.
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They say there is someone for everyone.
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Great shot (no pun intended). I love people watching and making up stories about their lives. Ah…so fun.
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One of my favourite activities. Most dog walks I have determined the life (sometimes the many possibilities of their life) of at least one person we have passed. This girl came as a bit of a shock – sitting eating breakfast in my favourite bakery the gun brought a chill to the air. It is not a sight we see in Australia – guns exposed for all to see.
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Love it, Irene.
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Thanks M-R
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I remember the morning well. Not something you see often is a gun on ones left hip. Obviously she was left handed.
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or she liked to eat her buns right-handed and still be ready for a quick draw.
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Your story reminds me of the first time I ever saw an American cop in 1979 sitting at a doughnut bar with a gun on his hip. He was grossly overweight, so unlike our then British Bobbies. Loved your flash my friend, and also rather enjoyed the tasty photograph 😉
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Superb bread and buns. Yes it was the first time I have ever seen an exposed gun except I guess on uniformed police but they seem to be much smaller and certainly not as prominent I guess as they have the handcuffs and all manner of other paraphernalia hanging off the belt as well. Made me feel not quite so safe in a place where you feel crime doesn’t really happen.
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She was gunnin’ for a bun! That’s quite the hip ornament in the photo. The flash picks up on her internalizing what the gun possibly protects. It’s interesting, too that bread making has long been associated with women along with softness and pink…seems like a clash of subliminal messages. Great flash!
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Yes I hadn’t realised until recently the association with bread and women until I picked up a book from U3A called the bread maker. It was a publisher’s readers copy and I only read a couple of chapters as to me it was out and out porn. I often wondered whether it was finally published (I guess it must have been) and it must have been considered good to be kept, finally being donated to the library.
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Well instant death machines on the hips of either sex creep me out. About as attractive as a pink iPhone tbh. Can’t say I’m surprised she doesn’t get asked. But I’m only an old bloke so what do I know. Beautifully captured Irene. A piece of flash that has thought provoking depths.
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Thanks Geoff. Creeps me out also and an old bloke was young once so I guess your memory goes back that far. Creeps me out to. The kind of thing you expect in an American movie but not at my local bakery.
Hope the retinas stayed intact and you are enjoying NZ and your birthday.
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So far scratched and bruised but all attached. Hope you presentation went well too
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Glad to hear it. I too survived.
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