The professor wore the required shirt and shoes. He expected service.
Yes, his pants were missing. So were his underpants, his socks and his wife of 38 years, if anyone cared for details.
The girl behind the counter gaped at him, her mouth a perfect O. The professor set down a bottle. “It’s all in your imagination,” he told her. True enough. What could she see beyond the counter-top? A man in bifocals and a wrinkled shirt. “Let’s get on with it.” He pulled a bill from his shirt pocket, and unfurled it beside the register.
She rang him up.
I wrote this story for the 100 Word Challenge #336 at Velvet Verbosity.
Ha! What an unexpected scene, and therefore a delightful story overall.
This was really cute. I especially liked how you worked his inciting incident into the description:
“Yes, his pants were missing. So were his underpants, his socks and his wife of 38 years, if anyone cared for details.”
That’s exactly the sort of thing I like to (try to) do 🙂
You know, they never do say anything about pants. it’s always “no shirt, no shoes, no service.” Never “no pants no service.” That joke has been run through in my family countless times!
Funny, that’s great 🙂
“It’s all in your imagination” or, perhaps, in his. 🙂 This is great.
Good thing those counters are kind of high. Funny story.
Yes. Or the professor kind of short — and close. Obviously the clerk has seen enough! I don’t think he cares, but just wants to complete the transaction.
Ha! Details can make all the difference!