The Inlet Inn: A Short Story

As Nell and Asa walked up the steps to the Inlet Inn, Asa pulled out a small prescription bag from his breast pocket and said, “I need to make a delivery to one of my customers upstairs. I’ll come down to the ballroom when y’all start to play.” They stood on the veranda facing each other uncertainly as the scent of hush puppies and clam chowder wafted out of the large inn. Nell was still outraged by her fiancé’s harsh words regarding her Jake and Miss Bessie / and she now questioned his interpretation of the fight on front street. She balled her fists as if to stop herself from launching at him. “Asa—,” but then without warning he was pulled her into a strong embrace. He whispered into her ear, “I know how stupid I can get, but I can’t see …show more content…
She turned to see a bobbing head of blond curls make its way through the pressing crowd. “You sound stupendous,” said Buddy Taylor “Thanks Buddy, but we hardly got started. I usually don’t see you on the dance floor.” “I’m a real heeler in the not ballroom. Ladies don’t seem to appreciate dancing with a nose in their bosom.” “Picky, picky,” said Nell. Then she added, “Now with these new dances like the Charleston, you’re not really holding the girl like you are in a waltz. You dance separately.” Buddy leaned in toward her and lowered his voice, “I’m really more of a back room kind of man.” “That don’t surprise me at all. “I've seen some of the rooms you've furnished at this inn. You got talent,” Nell said. “Well, this Raleigh crowd’s got some money. That’s a fact.” He eyed the room. Nell had the impression was a short Daddy Warbucks scanning each person’s wallet and worth. “Yeah,” he continued in a distracted sort of way, “the lumberyard pays the bills, but design is what I love. It’s a lot more fun to spend the afternoon drinking Boiler Makers and hanging wall art, than planking wood. Oops! Is it against the Eighteenth to say that?” “I