The Man on the Corner

By Top Writers Block

Who is The Man on the Corner; the man who seems to be waiting? To the observer he is sometimes sinister, mysterious, or romantic. Seven authors each have a different explanation. It is an excellent means of discovering new authors to add to your favorites. When you have found the story that touches you in some way, please leave a review.
All the authors' proceeds go to Sea Shepherd, who has taken it upon themselves to protect our seas and the life within.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Top Writers Block
• Release date: Jan 31, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310214523

Top Writers Block

Top Writers Block is a diverse and eclectic group of talented writers who decided to write stories together - just for the fun of it! We are happy to announce that authors proceeds have always gone, and will continue to go, to Sea Shepherd.fr every time Smashwords has made a payment! Thank you to those who have supported the group, independent authors, and Sea Shepherd. Our collections are usually written with one theme or genre in mind. Each author contributes when they have the time, so some of the collections have as many as twelve authors participating. Every collection has something new, with stories and poems ranging from romance, drama, and adventure to mystery, fantasy, and horror. All the Top Writers Block's proceeds will go to Sea Shepherd, so by buying you are helping to keep our oceans alive! Thank You all so much!

Book preview

Collection of Short Stories

by

Top Writers Block

‘The Man on the Corner’

Copyright©January 2014 Top Writers Block

Published by Top Writers Block at Smashwords

ISBN: 9781310214523

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

http://suzystewartdubotbooks.weebly.com

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of these authors.

Credits

Book cover photo & cover design : Suzy Stewart Dubot

Table of Contents

Missing the Mark by Elizabeth Rowan Keith

The Corner Between Duty and Honor by David H. Keith

The Man on the Corner by Don Bick

The Autograph Hunter by Barnaby Wilde

An IQ and an Alcove by Bill Rayburn

The Man on the Corner by Melissa A. Szydlek

The Morning Paper by Suzy Stewart Dubot

Morning Break by Elizabeth Rowan Keith

The Fourth Plinth by Barnaby Wilde

Coming to Terms by Suzy Stewart Dubot

Missing the Mark

by Elizabeth Rowan Keith

©2014 by Elizabeth Rowan Keith

Elizabeth Rowan Keith is an American researcher, writer and artist who lives under the grand sky of the northern Great Plains. She and her collie, Belle, tend many gardens and trees. Elizabeth and her husband, David, own and operate November First Publications.

Mickey arrived at his usual hour. It was a slow night at the bar. From the look on his face as he assessed the other patrons, I knew he wasn’t sure of success tonight, no matter how hard he worked the room.

Walking to his usual stool at the dark corner of the bar, Mickey removed his Italian leather jacket to reveal his crisp, white Armani shirt, its top two buttons open, as always. His green eyes scanned for possibilities.

Grabbing a napkin, I slid a glass toward Mickey. It held his standard tonic water with lime on the rocks. He glanced at me with a weak smile.

Looks like a thin night, Kelly, he said, as he slid a crisp $50 bill my way.

Mickey no longer said Keep the change. I’d long begun to accept the bill as assurance he could work the territory without complications from my direction.

There are a few fish out there, I encouraged him. Drop your line and see what happens.

I stepped back in front of the glasses I’d been wiping, my back to the room. Mickey went to work. I could see him in the mirror behind the bottles along the bar back.

He typically approached women alone or in small groups, usually from their upper-30’s to mid-60’s. He had a way of finding the vulnerable, the desperate, and the adventuresome. One of the first things I’d noticed about Mickey was his ability to gauge a mark.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw him ask a few women to dance, and at the point each one stiffened and stepped away, I knew Mickey had failed those attempts.

Next he slipped himself smoothly into a seat at the tables of women in pairs. That didn’t work either.

Current possibilities exhausted, Mickey returned to his tonic water and lime at the corner of the bar. He would wait there for additional possibilities to arrive. He was the picture of patience.

I motioned at Mickey to ask if he wanted another drink. He waved his hand to let me know he didn’t.

Mickey once told me that in his business, it was all about the odds. So he kept trying. The night was young and there was plenty of time to establish himself with at least one or two.

I’d seen plenty of rejections, and a good share of acceptances. He had an arsenal of approaches. Some were slow and subtle. Some were direct and to the point. As a professional, he usually knew what sort of approach to adopt with each prospective client to assure the maximum desired outcome. Sometimes I didn’t see him again for weeks or months.

Mickey is good at what he does. At least, as far as I can tell he is. Nothing ever really seems to surprise him, and he seems to be up for whatever it takes to close the deal. Tonight was something of an exception, though.

Tonight two women arrived, ordered their drinks at the bar, and settled at a table nearby. They were in their late-40’s or early-50’s, tastefully dressed, and held a lively discussion between themselves.

As their posture relaxed, Mickey donned his coat, picked up his glass, pressed his face into a charming smile, and moved to the table to sit in a chair between both of the women. Oozing charisma, he quickly put both women at ease with practiced conversation.

Soon he leaned forward to engage them both in a quiet exchange. He seemed confident enough to choose the direct approach.

Full of sensuous intent, Mickey said, "I will come home with you and do anything you want for $50."

One woman fell back in her chair with her eyes slightly wide and her mouth fallen open. Her surprise quickly gave way to amusement.

The other woman hardly missed a beat. Taking her wallet from her purse, she removed two $20 bills and a $10. She placed the bills on the table and slid them toward Mickey. He focused his smile and leaned forward to adhere himself to his first conquest of the night.

Mickey reached for the money. Before he could fully grasp it, the woman clasped her hand over his.

Speaking in a low, sultry tone, she leaned forward and said, I want you to clean my house.

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The Corner Between Duty and Honor

by David H. Keith

©2014 by David H. Keith

Dave is an unrepentant Hippie nature child who still firmly believes in such outdated concepts as peace, love, sustaining our Earth, and Freedom, including the inviolable right of the First Amendment. He currently works as a writer, editor, and medical professional. He has been a newspaper reporter, photographer, Army combat medic, paramedic, and teacher. In his life are two phenomenal women: his beautiful wife, Elizabeth, and their dog, Belle.

The whup whup whup of helicopter blades diminished as SGT Jason Fraser, known as KC to his team-mates, led his team away from the landing zone and toward an outcropping of rocks some 150 meters away. That was the designated staging area for the assault force KC