RustCity 17 Flash Fiction: Rue Allyn

Today we have a third alumni of both RustCity and Alpha Heroes Five Words -- please welcome Rue Allyn, who's going to start us off in the Contemporary Realistic category!

Welcome back, Rue, it's great to see you again! Would you like to introduce yourself?

Hi, I’m Rue Allyn author of historical, contemporary, and erotic heart melting romance novels. I can’t think of a better way to start the Rust City Contemporary Flash Fiction than with a man in a tool-belt.

Well when you put it that way, it's pretty hard to disagree.  Shall we get right to it?  In this category, authors can sample any genre or mainstream story they'd like; bring in or kill off characters-- as long as they use normal human powers to do so. What's the catch? I gave Rue five random... ish... words to incorporate into her story. They were: Escapism, Detroit, Rust, Alpha, and Herald. And I must say, she delivered!

Doll-Face

It just wasn’t right. From his position balanced just above the gutters, Van (short for Donovan) Herald stared at the new arrival stepping onto the roof from the ladder at the far end of the early art-deco period house. He was boss, the alpha-dog, on this Detroit rehab project and no hoity toity woman from Bloomfield with a rep for ball-busting was about to tell him how to do his job. That the network paying him and his crew insisted Arielle Feroce be allowed to inspect all work was irrelevant. He and the gorgeous preservation specialist had a history. One he’d prefer to forget.

July was a damned hot time to install a copper-clad roof. He mopped sweat from his forehead and bare chest and watched disaster approach.

She walked confidently toward him, showing no fear of falling from the edge of the three-story building—four if you included the attic rooms sheltered by the cooper clad roof. Skin-tight jeans covered her long legs and were tucked safely into quality steel-toed boots Her toolbelt emphasized the sway of her curvy hips. The yellow construction site vest did a poor job of hiding the shape of her generous breasts, unlike the white helmet that covered every lock of her long auburn hair. He met her blue-eyed challenge through the lenses of her safety glasses. The gaze was sharp and assessing despite the smile that curved her pink mouth revealing a glimpse of her pearly whites.

She was made for sexual escapism, and he couldn’t suppress a man’s natural response to a pretty woman. Nonetheless, he didn’t want her here. Women on a construction site always brought trouble. This woman more than most.

He focused on sorting through the box of period accurate cleats used for fastening the copper panels to the roof deck. Let her wait. She needed to know who was in charge.

Her steel-toed boot began to tap.

“Something I can do for you, Honey?” She hated being called ‘honey.’ But the name should do the job of putting her in her place. He didn’t bother looking up as he chose a cleat and set it into position.

She sighed. “Why yes, doll-face. I need you to come with me to check some rust stains on the foundation. We may have a serious problem.”

They had a problem all right.

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Hee hee! I gave this piece its working title, but it may change when we see where the story goes. In the meantime, I love Doll-Face! There's definitely gonna be some sparks here. Find more from Rue at her website.

Con Information:

Don’t miss your chance to meet some amazing authors at Rust City Book Con next August! Come join us as we celebrate the authors who write the stories we love to read in the Motor City!

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