‘I used to ride in a topless car,’ Carol says, pausing in the doorway to watch her grandson guide the stolen convertible through the streets of San Andreas.
Liam, too engrossed in GTA to look up, humours her with a nod.
‘It belonged to Michael Featheringly-Tupp, the local magistrate’s son.’ A slow smile spreads across her face, wrinkling the skin around her eyes. ‘He’d take me and Ruby Wilson out in it. A vintage red Bugatti. Chrome headlamps, leather seats, and a dashboard of the most beautiful varnished walnut. We thought we were quite the ticket, me and Ruby, riding topless with Michael.’
Liam stifles a laugh but doesn’t take his eyes off the screen. ‘You mean an open-topped car, Gran. Not topless.’
Carol’s lips thin as she turns away. ‘Less of the cheek, young man. I know what I mean.’
She returns to the kitchen and flicks on the kettle. As she waits for it to boil, she closes her eyes and thinks back to the summer of 1967. The throb of the engine, the cool rush of air on her face, and the whip-sting of Ruby’s long hair flicking her breasts.
Jacqui Pack lives in the UK and holds an MA in Creative Writing (Distinction) from the University of Chichester. She was awarded Long Story Short’s ‘Story of the Year 2009’, was among the winners of The London Magazine’s ‘Southern Universities Short Story Competition’ and has been longlisted by Retreat West and Flash 500. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications, including Litro Online, Fictive Dream, Selcouth Station, Bonnie’s Crew, Eunoia Review, Bandit Fiction, Storgy, and Spelk. http://jacquipack.jimdo.com @JPCertHum
'Riding High' was first published by Free Flash Fiction in August 2021.
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