Short Story

The Deep End

Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬

Written for OLWG #420.
The prompts appear below.
Image created by Kevin @
The Beginning At Last/
No Theme Thursday.
This is my story.

© Kevin @ The Beginning At Last/No Theme Thursday

The rain hammered against the window of my crummy apartment, mirroring the storm inside me. Lil. Again. I’d walked out, slammed the door, raving like a madman about needing space, freedom, anything but the suffocating velvet of her gaze. Now, a week later, the silence was weighing me down, like a greasy donut in my gut.

Lil was trouble, pure and simple. You know the type. A goddam seductress. Lorelei reeling in her catch of the day. Delilah resurrected in a smoky jazz club. Every curve, every whispered word, a promise of something dangerous and intoxicating. I knew it, and still, I dove into the deep end head first every time.

Our story was a broken record. We met, sparks flew, passions ignited. Then, the inevitable crash. My fault, always. I couldn’t handle the intensity, the feeling of being utterly consumed. So I’d run. Like a coward.

This time felt different, though. The silence stretched colder, deeper. I pictured her in that dimly lit bar she loved, the one with the red velvet booths and the piano player who knew all her secrets. Was she there, laughing, her hand on some other guy’s arm? The thought twisted my insides.

Damndest thing! One minute I was home, the next I was at the bar. I’m not even sure how I got here. With shaking hands, I lit my Pall Mall and inhaled deeply. The joint was just as I’d remembered, smoky and intimate. And there she was, in her usual booth. Alone. And looking about a luscious as a mouthwatering slice of peach pie with two scoops of ice cream. A glass of Johnnie Walker swirled in her hand.

Image by Me & ChatGPT

My heart stuttered. I walked over, my steps heavy. She looked up, her eyes shadowed but still holding that spark that always drew me in.

“Hello, Sam“, she said, her voice low and husky.

“Lil.”

We stared at each other, the years of broken promises hanging in the air. Finally, I spoke. “I’m a jerk.”

She smiled, a sad, cryptic smile. “I know.”

“Why do you always take me back?” I asked, the question raw and desperate.

She reached out, her fingers tracing the line of my jaw. “Oh, Sam” she whispered. “You’re stuck in my head.”

The piano player started a slow, bluesy tune. I slid into the booth beside her, the familiar scent of Arpege filling my senses. We were back where we started, on the edge of another beginning, another inevitable end. And I knew, with a chilling certainty, that I wouldn’t have it any other way.

NAR©2025
#OLWG

Here are the prompts: 1) ‘a vamp like Theda Bara; 2) n’oubliez jamais (never forget). We can use one, two, or none at all. It doesn’t matter; we just need to be creative.

This is “You Go To My Head” by Diana Krall

OLWG#420- Charlie in Wonderland
No Theme Thursday: 6/5/25

All text, graphics and videos are copyright for Nancy’s Notes 🖊️ 🎶, The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk, The Rhythm Section, et al. and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.

29 thoughts on “The Deep End”

  1. Pingback: NTT Showcase: 6/5/25 – The Beginning At Last

  12. Wonderful writing, Nancy. … I loved that piece about the greasy doughnut, …(think it’s ages since I’ve had one) , … and I felt I could hear “play it again Sam,” in my head… it was the atmosphere, … so I started seeing (and hearing the words as) Humphrey Bogart, … off to hear the music now, …💫🎶🎶🎶💫

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    1. This genre is the most fun for me; there’s a lot we writers can do with it (like the greasy donut)! The song is one from the late 30s and I totally love it. Diana Krall does an excellent job as the sultry sexy singer. Thanks so much, Penn! I’m thrilled to know you enjoyed both story and song! ♡🎶♡

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