Silent Magic with a Twist of Romance

December 23, 2025 / roughwighting / 74 Comments

I may be wicked, sitting at a bar a day before Christmas with a priest who’s ten years younger than me, but I’m not going to skedaddle and leave behind the chocolate martini that he just ordered. (Didn’t See It Coming).

Besides, Thomas is looking at me quizzically, as if he has a question but is afraid to ask.

Me? I’d like to ask him where his church is located. Oh, and I’d also like to ask him if he has a brother, because strike me down, but I find this priest quite attractive. Continue reading →

Didn’t See It Coming . . .

November 29, 2025December 23, 2025 / roughwighting / 90 Comments

“I didn’t see it coming,” I said to Thomas.

I didn’t know Thomas. Well, not well. I’d just met him 35 minutes ago when I entered the bar. Alone. For the first time in my 54 years of life.

“You didn’t see what coming?” Thomas asked. Continue reading →

A Dog’s Best Friend

October 24, 2025 / roughwighting / 97 Comments

I can’t believe what I saw.

Charlie and I sat in his living room. Toto, Charlie‘s dog, a rescue who seemed a mix of German Shepherd and poodle, sat quietly by Charlie’s side.

I knew that Toto‘s presence was beneficial to Charlie, who was deaf with only partial eyesight. Despite this fact, my new friend was loquacious; he talked about dozens of topics with focused intelligence and wit: politics, religion, matters of the Spirit, and the Arts. Continue reading →

Carry On Conversation

July 27, 2025 / roughwighting / 75 Comments

She stows her carry-on in the overhead compartment, then sits next to the window. Unfortunately, this is not a trip for pleasure. Nor is it for business.

Stacey sits quietly, barely acknowledging the large man who arrives to the middle seat and sits with a “thunk.” Fortunately, she’d clicked on her AirPods even before her seat belt. The soothing sounds of Mozart surround her, helping her swallow the tears that want to explode from her red eyes. Continue reading →

Can’t Help Falling …

July 16, 2025 / roughwighting / 87 Comments

“It’s right under your nose! Can’t you tell?” Cindy asks, with obvious impatience.

“Nothing is under my nose nor under anything else on my body. You’re looking for something that’s just not there,” Jennifer replies tartly.

Cindy rolls her eyes. Maybe her still-single friend is still single at the age of 48 because she has no clue how to read the clues. Continue reading →