Early Bird Special (4 page)

"I'm fine with you humiliating yourself." He laughed and I couldn't help but smile.

"Okay," I let out a breath. "Here goes. Are you familiar with the Cabbage Patch Kids?"

"Um, yeah."

His scrunched face told me all I needed to know. He had no idea where I was going with this. "Well, my parents always made sure to be in the front of the line on Black Friday. They named me after a 1983 Cabbage Patch Kid doll, Francie Anabel."

The clap of his hands echoed in the air. "The middle name, too?"

I nodded.

"I honestly love it, Francie. That's awesome."

"My brother Teddy is name after Teddy Ruxpin."

He covered his mouth and stomped his foot on the ground. "I'm sorry. I know it's embarrassing for you."

I broke into laughter. All these years the name made me self-conscious, but when I heard Shane's sincere laugh, I realized how funny the meaning behind it actually was. "I promise not to name any future children Strawberry Shortcake or Jem."

Shane checked his phone and I realized he should head back to work in a few minutes. If I didn't ask him now, I never would get the courage to do so. Tomorrow would come and I'd go on about my life and probably never run into Shane again, at which point he wouldn't even remember me. Now or never.

"Shane, the reason I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh, yeah! It's so much fun making fun of your name I completely forgot."

"Okay, this may come off as too straight forward, and forgive me if it is, but .... "

"But what?"

He cocked his head as he asked, his full attention directed at me. His hazel eyes stared into mine, and if a car crashed into the building, I thought he might not even notice. I needed to just blurt it out. Say the words. Not even think about it. "Did you want to go out sometime?"

As his eyes widened, my heart dropped to my feet. If I thought telling him my name was embarrassing, this topped the cake. This was why I never had a boyfriend or a date. Even if a guy asked me, I fumbled my words somehow and used work as an excuse. I hated the rejection, so tried everything to avoid it. I got up, reached into my purse and started searching for my keys. "Sorry. I'll go."

Shane jumped up. "Wait? Why? Francie, I'd love to go out with you sometime."

I clenched my purse against my chest and smiled, and he returned the grin. I had no idea if this would go anywhere, if even beyond a first date, but I took the initiative and asked. Finally, I did something for me, put myself first, and it paid off. I, Francie A. Spiller, had a
date
.

THANK YOU!

Thank you so much for reading
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL
, and I hope you enjoyed every minute of this short story. I had a great time creating Francie, and I hope to continue her story one day in a full-length novel. This story wouldn't have happened without the help from Karan, who pushed the idea into my brain. She's been a burst of energy and motivation, and I am forever grateful to her.

If you liked this short story, you may enjoy my full length novel,
PIECES OF IT ALL
, now available on Amazon.
http://www.tracykrimmer.com/PiecesAmazon

My first Chick Lit / Contemporary Romance,
CACHING IN
, is releasing December 11, 2014 and can be preordered here:
http://www.tracykrimmer.com/CachingInAmazon

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EARLY BIRD SPECIAL
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