This was written for the CTR 'Oops' Challenge. We were given a picture of a man in a car, eating and talking on his cell phone. The picture was entitled "Oops" and we had to write a story based on the picture. This is what we came up with.

 

Oops Challenge: Would You Like Fries With That?

 

By AJ

 

 

"Finally!" Adam quickly backed the Prius into the compact parking space just ahead of a lurking SUV. He had been circling the lot for almost ten minutes, almost ready to risk a parking ticket in another lot rather than waste any more time.

 

He should have known better than to leave at lunch time. The faculty parking lot was always crowded but it was worse at the beginning of the fall quarter. Many of the coveted spaces were occupied by visitors who ignored the permit system.

 

"Visitors," he reminded himself out loud, "who are here to pay their children's tuition, the tuition that pays your salary." Which didn't change the fact that the time spent circling the parking lot had eaten into the short period of time that he had for lunch. His sit-down lunch had already turned into a drive-thru lunch. Now that was going to turn into a 'bolt down your food' lunch on his way to the latest unnecessary faculty meeting. Why were new department chairs always so insecure and power hungry at the same time?

 

He unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door, took the fast food bag in one hand and reached for the Coke in the cup holder in the other. The flimsy cardboard buckled in his hand, the lid popped off, and he dropped the bag to grab the cup before its contents cascaded across the upholstery. He heaved a sigh of relief as he took a napkin from the bag and wiped up the drops that had splashed. Seb would never let him live it down if he had the first spill in their new car, especially after he had made such a big deal about keeping it clean.

 

His cell phone rang and, setting the cup safely on the ground outside the car, he flipped it open, answered it and grimaced at the sound of the chair's voice. "Yes, sir. I'm in the parking lot; if you'll give me a minute to get up to my office-- I know, but if you let me get to my office--" With an exasperated sigh, he settled back in the driver's seat and took his hamburger out of the bag.

 

 

"God, what a day," Adam said as he came in from the garage, briefcase in one hand and a bag of books in the other. "I swear I'm never dealing with a new chair again. I'll retire first."

 

"Maybe you should take the job next time they offer it to you," Seb suggested, taking the books and briefcase and setting them on the table.. "Then people would have to deal with you instead."

 

Adam shuddered. "Not worth it." Now that his hands were free, he pulled Seb into the expected welcome home kiss .  "Mmm, you taste good."

 

"Raspberry-mocha latte." Seb indicated the Starbucks cup on the counter. "Josh gave me a ride home and we went through the drive-thru. He doesn't mind people eating in his car."

 

"Don't start, Seb," Adam warned. "Not today. And you know the rules about having caffeine this late in the day. You've heard them often enough."

 

"It's decaf. And I didn't ruin your day, so don't take it out on me, ok?"

 

"Sorry," Adam apologized. He rubbed the back of his neck wearily. "I need a beer. There are a couple more books on the front seat of the car. Could you get them for me?"

 

"Sure," Seb agreed obligingly. "Why don't you go sit down and I'll bring you the beer after I get the books."

 

He shouldn't have snapped at Seb, Adam thought regretfully as he kicked his shoes off, collapsed onto the couch and picked up the television remote. Jose jumped up on his lap and he rubbed the cat's ears affectionately. "How was your day, cat? Want to trade places?"

 

A door slammed and he heard Seb's quick steps in the kitchen. "Adam!"

 

"In the living room, Seb." He half-turned, holding out his hand for the expected beer.

 

"What is this?" Seb asked ominously, holding a limp french fry between thumb and forefinger.

 

"It's a french fry," Adam told him irritably. "Where's my beer?"

 

"And where do you think I found it?"

 

"How the hell am I supposed to know?" Adam turned the TV on and began flipping through channels. "Why are we playing 20 questions about a french fry? And where's my beer?"

 

"I found it," Seb waved the fry menacingly in front of him, "on the floor of the car. You ATE in the car! We have a rule about eating in the car, remember? Because it's new and we want to keep it looking new and when people eat in the car they always spill things even when they don't mean to."

 

"I had to go through a drive thru for lunch." Adam leaned around Seb to see the TV.

 

 "You Ate in the car. If I can't eat in the car, you can't eat in the car. It's a rule, remember?"

 

"It was parked."

 

"You ATE in the car!"

 

"Sebastian." Adam warned. He started to apologize, then realizing that Seb wasn't as mad as he appeared, relaxed and let him enjoy the moment.

 

"I don't get to eat in the car!" Seb pointed out inexorably, still waving the evidence.

 

Adam took the rapidly disintegrating french fry and set it to one side. "It was parked. I wasn't driving while I ate."

 

"You're in BIG trouble, old man!"

 

"Seb, I do *not* sound like that," Adam protested, stifling his grin.

 

"You know what would happen if *I* ate in the car?"

 

Adam saw the gleam in Seb's eye and headed it off right then. "No. I am NOT writing lines for you, Sebastian."

 

"Well, that's a double standard." Seb flopped onto the couch.

 

"Well, of course it is. The whole relationship is based on a double standard," Adam pointed out, then grew serious for a moment. "Is that a problem for you?"

 

"No," Seb grumbled. "But you owe me."

 

"I do," Adam acknowledged. "What do you want?"

 

"A 'get out of discipline free' card."

 

"No."

 

"But, Adam! You OWE me!"

 

"Not that much." Adam put his arm across the back of the couch invitingly and Seb moved into the embrace. "But you can have an 'eat in the car free' card."

 

"While it's moving?" Seb asked suspiciously.

 

"While it's parked."

 

"Well, that's no fun! Who wants to eat in a parked car? Besides you?"

 

"Take it or leave it."

 

"I'll take it," Seb grumbled, "IF--"

 

"If what?" It was Adam's turn to be suspicious.

 

"It comes with dinner out tonight. *Not* in the car," he hurried to add. "At a real restaurant."

 

"I thought we were having pork chops tonight." Adam sniffed the air, suddenly realizing that he didn't smell dinner cooking. "What happened to them?"

 

"We were going to," Seb confessed. "But I-- I kind of--"

 

 "You forgot to take them out of the freezer?"

 

 "But I didn't eat in the car," Seb reminded him virtuously.

 

Adam laughed. "Ok, dinner at a real restaurant and an 'eat in the parked car free' card. After I take a shower. Deal?"

 

"Deal," Seb agreed and then added magnanimously, "and I'll even help you with the shower."

 

 

The End