I love it when character wordplay really clicks. I'm working on a story featuring a couple of pulpy crimefighters that I've written before. This will be the third story I've written where they work together. One of them, I write often. This is a scene where they aren't in costume, nothing life or death happening, just old friends running into each other at an event and falling into familiar banter. I love it when the characters make my job easy.
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After another round of introductions were made and the lieutenant governor scampered off to do a little gland-handing, which he referred to as “going to work,” William offered a grin.
“The lieutenant governor, eh?” he said playfully. “I’m surprised, Ellen.”
“How so?”
“I never expected you to settle for anything less than the top dog. Dating the lieutenant governor seems a bit beneath you.”
Ellen shrugged. “There are worse places to find yourself, believe me,” she said before taking a sip of her champagne.
“Fair enough,” Benedict said without blushing. “Still, it’s a step down, isn’t it? I’m surprised you didn’t set your sights on the governor himself.” He nodded in the direction of the dais where the governor was talking with some reporters before the official ceremony started.
“Nah. He’s a nice enough fella. Just not my type,” Ellen said.
“Oh?” Nora asked, curious.
“He has a fatal flaw I just couldn’t get past.”
“What’s that?” Nora asked before sipping her champagne.
“He suffers from blissful marriage syndrome.”
Nora nearly choked on her bubbly beverage.
“I hear that’s serious,” Benedict added deadpan.
“Terminal,” Ellen added, equally as deadpan.
Nora chuckled at their wordplay.
“I may be many things,” Ellen added for clarification. “Homewrecker is not one of them. You’ve got to draw the line somewhere.”
“It’s good you have scruples,” Benedict said before taking a sip from his own glass.
Nora shushed him, playfully backhanding his arm.
“Ignore him.”
“I usually do,” Ellen said with a smile.
Suddenly, Benedict was feeling outnumbered.
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After another round of introductions were made and the lieutenant governor scampered off to do a little gland-handing, which he referred to as “going to work,” William offered a grin.
“The lieutenant governor, eh?” he said playfully. “I’m surprised, Ellen.”
“How so?”
“I never expected you to settle for anything less than the top dog. Dating the lieutenant governor seems a bit beneath you.”
Ellen shrugged. “There are worse places to find yourself, believe me,” she said before taking a sip of her champagne.
“Fair enough,” Benedict said without blushing. “Still, it’s a step down, isn’t it? I’m surprised you didn’t set your sights on the governor himself.” He nodded in the direction of the dais where the governor was talking with some reporters before the official ceremony started.
“Nah. He’s a nice enough fella. Just not my type,” Ellen said.
“Oh?” Nora asked, curious.
“He has a fatal flaw I just couldn’t get past.”
“What’s that?” Nora asked before sipping her champagne.
“He suffers from blissful marriage syndrome.”
Nora nearly choked on her bubbly beverage.
“I hear that’s serious,” Benedict added deadpan.
“Terminal,” Ellen added, equally as deadpan.
Nora chuckled at their wordplay.
“I may be many things,” Ellen added for clarification. “Homewrecker is not one of them. You’ve got to draw the line somewhere.”
“It’s good you have scruples,” Benedict said before taking a sip from his own glass.
Nora shushed him, playfully backhanding his arm.
“Ignore him.”
“I usually do,” Ellen said with a smile.
Suddenly, Benedict was feeling outnumbered.
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I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek at tonight's writing.
Bobby
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