The view of this picture reminds me of a really cool restaurant I visited in Haifa. It overlooked the Mediterranean. So, since it reminded me of a restaurant, I thought I’d dig out an oldie. This story first appeared on September 25, 2014.
Photo is courtesy of Rochelle’s friend from way back, Lucy. Thanks, Lucy!
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John’s blind date never arrived. He waited in his favorite restaurant for one hour, 55 minutes, five glasses of water and three breadsticks.
Julie, his favorite waitress, saw his sad look. “Um …maybe her phone didn’t charge. More breadsticks? More water?”
“No thanks, Julie. I’ll give her fifteen more minutes. After that, I’m going home.”
“My shift’s over now. I’ll have Brandon see to you, OK?”
“OK. Have a good night.”
Fifteen minutes later, Julie emerged from the kitchen spiffed, dressed splendidly and drop dead gorgeous.
She sat down by the stunned John. “Sorry, I’m late. I had to work.”
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wmqcolby 
Though I half saw it coming, I still laughed at the end
Well, you know, one thing I have learned about stories (and I learned this in script writing) is that,the audience is like a little kid who wants to hear the same story again and again. They can follow, they may even be ahead of you in the narrative, but that’s what they want. They want the “familiar.”
Yeah, it makes us feel smart
Such a good reflection!! Very true about the reader 🙂
Dear Cuz,
In some ways I think it’s cruel the way she took his kishkes out first and then “showed up” for the date. A good story, nonetheless. Five out of five bread sticks with a saucer of olive oil.
Shalom,
Cuzzin Shelley
Thanks … and seasonings, too, with those breadsticks. Love ’em! 😉
Of course, if you look closely, it doesn’t say who the blind date was (she was never mentioned). It might be Julie felt sorry for him and did him a really nice deed, which makes it that much more impressive. It can go either way, of course.
Ah for more words. Perhaps you should think about expanding this into a longer story. It could make great Hallmark movie.
(I miss breadsticks. 😦 )
Well, you know, I had an idea for that myself, so good mind reading on your part. Hallmark movie? Eh, not so much. Short film? Yes.
Well at least she knows that he’s persistent. I’m glad he pasted muster, although I think this Miss was being cruel.
Tracey
Thanks, Tracey. Like I told Rochelle, I never said in the story who the date actually was, so, it might be a nice thing she’s doing for him.
*passed muster, or maybe he passed the mustard.
Hahahahaha! Don’t worry, you’re still batting a thousand, Doc! 😀
Laughing.
His favourite waitress becomes beautiful lady?
Five out of five sexist clichés!
Thank-you … I think.
Actually, she did a good deed for him. Those are still in vogue, too.
It is cool, my comment referred to the old movie fave where the plain girl takes off her specs, shakes loose her hair and slips into a million dollar dress.
But sir, regardless, you cannot tell us how to read your story.
Five out of five happy endings.
The taking off of the glasses is a great bit, it’s a classic. Sexist? No. Overdone? Yes.
As to how to read my story? I get that.
I mean, hey, I’m getting comments, right? 😉
Ha.. I think I remember this one, still the end came as a surprise… waiting for the waitress could be another title.
Thanks, Bjorn. Yes, I’m glad you remember it. Of course, if I titled it Waiting For The Waitress, where would the surprise have been?
Oy! Yet brilliant… And not cool, Julie, not cool at all…
Thanks, Dale.
However, I never said the blind date was Julie. The blind date’s name is not there. So, we don’t know who it is. She could be feeling sorry for him and doing something nice for him. Besides, if I HAD mentioned a name anyway … where would the surprise have been?
I remember this story! I loved it then and I love it even more now. Thanks for the memory! Alicia
Well, thank-YOU, Alicia for re-reading it. I enjoyed writing it.
i didn’t see it coming. what a twist. 🙂
Excellent, Palridel, you’ve taken your first step into a larger world and a great one, too. 😀
Dear Kent,
One a number of levels, this story is a gift that keeps on giving. I am the guy clicking his ‘like’ button over and over again and I will not stop.
Yours,
Doug
Ah, mucho apreciado, Doug. Thanks!
Hah! I don’t remember this. Good story.
Thanks, Claire. It’s one of my favorites, even though I forgot about it myself! HA!
I enjoyed this. Good job he waited the fifteen minutes or she would have regretted her prank.
Yes. But, who says he was being pranked? The name of the blind date is not Julie.
It would be nice to not restrict this story with 100 words, even though the surprise would be there, but not as strong.
Ha! Nice twist there – I was not expecing that! Hope they had a wonderful evening
I’m sure they did. Julie seems to be so kind …. the type f gal I wish had done that for ME whenever I got stood up! 😀
Sounds like the kind of girl we could all do with in our lives. Lovely, warm tale
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Count me among those who didn’t see the twist coming! But from the comments, I’m confused: was Julie the blind date all along and didn’t say anything, or did she “rescue” her favorite customer? Either way, I hope it works out for them. 🙂
Well, Joy, since the name of the blind date was never mentioned, it must not have been Julie. But, people are assuming it was, even though there’s no evidence for it.
Readers do tend to read what they expect instead of always exactly what you wrote; it’s an occupational hazard. Although wait.. just because the name of the blind date wasn’t mentioned doesn’t necessarily mean it wasn’t Julie. That’s a common name; he probably wouldn’t have jumped to the conclusion that it was the same Julie.
Ah, interesting take on that. Again, though, people have to read what’s there, not overthink it. But, art can be, and sometimes should be, interactive. No problem with that. Good thoughts on the story, Joy.
Naughty Julie 🙂 Fun read!
I’d kind of like to see for myself what she looked like … and it’s MY STORY!
This is delightful!
Thanks, Louise! Your words are sweetly pleasant. 😉
Dear Cuz Notnik,
You reveal in the first line that girl is blind. Perhaps she went to the wrong restaurant or didn’t have a braille app on her phone to read his text. Or, it could be that Julie misdirected her because she wanted that hunk, John, all to herself. This story is much more complicated than it appears to the casual romance reader.
Five out of five inquiring minds want to know,
Fester Ledbelly, PI
Dear Uncle Fester,
Love also is blind. Ask Connie.
(signed)
Not
Yes, she’s living proof.
Love it!
Thanks, Jell. 🙂
Julie must have fell in love with his patience. Didn’t see that twist coming. Good one.
Whenever I have been in a restaurant and my favorite waitress comes by, we always chat and laugh. I wondered what it would have been like if the waitress stepped in.
Aw! I just read Rochelle’s half and this is even more adorable. I think he’s found a keeper there.
Yes, I would say so. Rochelle did a terrific job. Inspiration just caught fire on that.
Great to see you again, Anna!
Sometimes ya gotta go with the flow. This story was begging for her side of it. Personally I think she had been carrying the torch for him for some time. She saw her golden opportunity. (That’s MY story and I’m sticking to it.)
Good story, Kent. She doesn’t seem like the kind to be cruel. I’d guess she was filling in for the date who didn’t show up. Good writing. 🙂 — Suzanne
You guessed correctly, Suzanne. Rochelle’s story tells it from her point of view. It’s linked up, too. Have a go at it, it’s great!
And thanks for reading. 🙂
I love that he measures time in food, really captures how bored he has gotten. Hope it worked out for those two. Twist: Julie apprehended the real blind date who turned up early and she is tied up in the back room. Julie stole her date clothes and got her man. Why else would she have nice clothes hidden away at work if she wasn’t the blind date herself? Julie is a dark horse…
Hahaha! Tied up in the back room. Now THERE’S motivation for ya.
Whoa! Laura, you really got on board with this story. I like these little speculative details. If you haven’t read Rochelle’s response, it’s linked up on her page, 100 words, her interpretation of Julie. Fun stuff!
Welcome to FF and so nice to meet you. 🙂
Ha ha ha! Men can be so blind to beauty that is not exhibited. Good for Julie!
Well, I don’t think we look our best in our work uniforms (unless we’re in the military). I like your interpretation of this. Bravo!
Thank you kind Sir!
Loved your take on this one.
Thanks!
I didn’t read all the comments, but the few I read people thought that the waitress was his date. I got the complete opposite feeling. I felt that Julie had an interest in John, and seeing her chance, stepped in and took her place. Be curious how this all worked out too.
R Todd like your different interpretation of the story. I thought Julie had just set it up so that she could observe John’s reaction to a stressful situation.
This is another good take on the story line. Much fresher approach. Thanks!
Thanks.
Yes, you are correct, R. I know that the proper way to read the story is to see what all is there first and figure it out. However, it seems this character John is so sympathetic with his plight and all and the kind waitress, Julie, seems to approve of him (being as she probably knew he was her favorite waitress) it seems logical. I have published this story before but I never thought it would have this kind of effect. Thanks for reading. 🙂
It’s a good story. Hits all the right buttons in the “feels factory.”
Schweeeet! Terrific! Thanks.
I really hope Julie won’t be disappointed. John seems to be on the dense side.
How so? We only know he is stunned, we don’t know the real motivation.
Hi Wm,
I’d like to think that she was stepping in for the missing date. However, it looks like she was the date because she has a change of clothes. Most waitresses are too dog-tired to change clothes before going home.
Did Julie want him to be happy she was taking over for the no show date because she wanted him to be indebted to her? Or, was she shy and liked him but created this date so she could step in and not be rejected? Perhaps, she wanted him to be happy that he had a date no matter who it was? Did he find his no show date on the internet dating sites? If he did, don’t they have photos on their site? Ohhhhh … so many questions. You need to continue with this one. BTW … why wasn’t he getting angry that his date was a no show? OK … that’s it. No more questions even though I have a lot more. Oh, and the breadsticks with dip before a date. Does the word garlic bring anything ot mind?
WOW … I’m farklempt.
Have a fabulous weekend …
Iz 😎
Okay…this is where I butt in. My take is that perhaps she had clothes in the backroom because she’d picked it up at the cleaners. There are times when I was waiting tables that I’d want to change just to feel clean, depending on how far she had to go home. That’s MY take on it. 😉 Gracias for putting up with me. 😉
Shalom y paz,
Rochelle
Wow! This … just … doesn’t … END!
I’m LOVIN’ IT!
¡Yo tambien!
LOL …. coming from someone who has worked in the business I’d say that it’s another way to look at it. BTW – Who sends clothes to the cleaners, now-a-days? 😃 No los hacen en Florida … Wash & Wear and flip flops. LOL
Hay sido un buen cuento con muchas opiniones. Buena semana para todos …😎
I wholeheartedly agree. This is bigger than I ever thought it would get.
Wow, Iz, you sure did a LOT of thinking on this one. I never thought of the change of clothes being the “inconsistency” here (after all, why WOULD a waitress have a nice change of clothes unless she was stepping out?). You found a great reason for her to be the date, even if it wasn’t my intention. Fan-TASTIC job!
Now, as to the actual date details themselves, I only had 100 words to do this and a lot of questions are being asked … which is what you want because people seem to be wanting to fill in the details themselves. I have never had this happen before. Also, the event, which is what happened to me several years ago (before social media), is probably a bit dated being as how we have more communication avenues.
When I posted this story back in 2014, it got decent comments, but this time, I couldn’t believe the firestorm it set off.
Five out of five Columbos for this one. Nice work, Detective. 🙂
I like it better if she is not the girl he is waiting for. It seems cruel if she is.
That is my choice.
I do get to choose, right?
Absolutely you get to choose, Dawn! That’s why we’re having a great conversation in the comments. You bet!
LOVE this! Didn’t see it coming, and so enjoyed the twist. Great job, Kent! Now, having read Isadora’s lengthy missive and your response… I’m surprised. I thought you planned it that way. That Julie was the date all along, and simply got stuck working. I like that angle…
Thank-you for your kind comments, Dawn. A pleasure, as always.
Yeah, when I wrote this, I saw it as Julie doing the guy a favor, but at 100 words, a lot got left to the imagination. So there are holes enough to drive a train through. I liked Rochelle’s take on the story and all the contributions people made on this. I haven’t had a response like this in awhile.
I’m loving the impromptu collaboration and the response. 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 Five out of five whoopee cushions.
Ha!
I love Julie already.
Yeah, she sure is a treasure. Thanks, Patrick! Nice to see you again. 🙂
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Great story… Loved it 🙂
Why thank-you, Tena. I hope I can read yours, except it doesn’t look like your page is open for business yet. I’ll be by, I’m sure.
Should be up now – https://tainiwrites.wordpress.com/2016/12/12/friday-fictioneers-dangerous-storm/
Good on you, Julie. Whether you kept him waiting to check out his reaction, or stepped in to rescue him – I like your style. Good story, Kent.
For some reason I find it sweet.
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So glad I came back to read this one and the comments! Firstly, it’s a great story. Made me laugh out loud and had a feel-good ending that made me think about the story long after it had finished. The comments have been really interesting. It’s been a great example of how once a story is written, the writer no longer has control over how it’s going to be interpreted. As a writer, we become quite attached to our characters (especially the nice ones like Julie) that it’s hard when people say bad things about them or misinterpret their actions. I’m going to bring this up at my writers group this week as it’s a really interesting topic of discussion! Also, I love the sequel last week… a very funny follow up!
Well, I must say, Jessie, I am extremely flattered about this. Thank-you very much. You know, this reminds me of an art exhibit at a museum that was a series of molded women’s naked torsos. Someone overnight put shirts on them. The artist who created the series didn’t consider it vandalism, he thought it was quite funny. He seemed to be a good sport about it because he believed art is, and probably should be, interactive. We discuss the work, but, in his case, they added to it just like people did in my story. You might want to make that statement in your writer’s group, too. Hey, why not?
I will! I’ll report back after tonight’s meeting 🙂
Great! I’d love to hear how it went.
We had a great discussion thanks to this piece at my last writers group. Thank you for creating such controversy for us to talk about! I read the story aloud then asked the group to explain what they think happened. I got mixed responses, from Julie was the blind date (and mean) to Julie was the blind date (and was held up unexpectedly from working) to Julie was the blind date (and smart about checking him out beforehand) to Julie not being the blind date (and simply being a sweet lady trying to cheer a man up). We talked about how when people misinterpret a story’s original meaning, it can actually increase the value or success of a story. And we talked about how stories that have multiple ways of deciphering them are usually the best stories. I’ve never seen 97 comments on a FF piece before so you should be very proud of how this piece has made everyone stop and think. Keep them coming!
Ninety-seven? Really??? Wow! Incredible. I have had only one piece get more — 113. Now, I include my comments to the comments in that number as such because it’s all about discussion. Gee whiz! Some four ways of interpretation. I never thought of that. Pretty good. Oh, if only ALL our stories could be like that, huh? Well, tell the group thanks for me and I’ll try to flummox a few more people sometime again. 😀