“Her bodice heaving she strained against him, hoping at last this was the man to deflagrate her.”
I stopped reading, took off my glasses, wiped them, steadied them back on my nose and tried again. Yes, it was still there! I sighed.
Joyce Hunibun, one of the best selling authors(esses?) we had, seemed to be doing it again. How being an editor at Hearts and Roses publishers has widened my vocabulary! I went to the dictionary, not there. I used the online approximator, no synonyms, just a link to the definition. Subsonic combustion, burn down. What on earth was the woman thinking?
I used the highlighter, popped in a comment suggesting deflower as the word and continued reading. If you can call that reading. Checking for typing errors, spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, contextual mistakes. Oh dear, sometimes it seemed my brain was being numbed by the pulp that daily poured across my desk. 5 books a week, read and edit, or read and reject. But we needed 3 per week from each editor, so one had to be fairly lenient.
I finished “Her Heart’s Desire”, flagging it as acceptable, needing discussion with the author, with the kind of money Joyce made for us, I would be stupid to reject any of her work. But I felt sure that no chemical engineer, no matter how her auburn hair whipped across her cheeks as she surveyed the pipeline, was likely to still be a virgin at the age of 29 and a half, pretty much an ‘ice princess’. The job description would probably have to change to assistant or something similar. Travelling with her boss, the engineer. Maybe an older woman, to keep the female competency idea alive in the book.
I sent off the standard text message to Joyce. Book needs discussion, call for appointment.
Immediately the message system flashed back. “in the building, where are you?”
Typing fast I replied “Floor 3 cubicle 16 on the right from the first door”
A few minutes later I heard footsteps, not the pattering of high heels as I expected, but quiet ones, sounding more masculine than the little woman I imagined Joyce to be.
A head peering around the cubicle wall. Male, familiar somehow.
“You paged me”, he said.
“I was expecting Joyce Hunibun” I said, looking sternly at him, hoping he wouldn’t frighten her away.
“At your service” he said, smiling.
“Deflagrate!” I said, pointing to the screen. How could you!
My husband smiled and said “aha, you have my secret. The engineering world hasn’t been paying well, but Joyce, well she does!”
Pulling up a chair he said “and now my pretty editor, help me find a less technical term for how he sets her aflame with passion.”
Hahaha……… I wondered where this was leading. 😉
hehe
Really enjoyable, with an unexpected ending. 🙂
glad you enjoyed it
excellent, great twist 🙂
thank you
too funny! – love the the ending, I would never have guessed it…
thanks Ruth
Hehehe…love it.
thanks babe!
😀 Was wondering what you had in mind..
that everyone would find something different to do with it 😉
Very funny
🙂
*giggle*
Ha I soooo didn’t see that coming! Great suff, thank you!
Thanks, I had fun with it!
Still toying with ideas but they aren’t really going places. Not impressed with myself at all
some weeks its more difficult than others.maybe your muse is allergic to fire?
It’s all burnt out at this stage – too cross actually, grrr…burn it, burn it, burn someone instead?
maybe that’s your post, coming along nicely 😉
add a few pics of the burnt out wrecks of what’s left?
maybe?
Boum!
LOVE it, Sidey! Deflagration by any other name….
Thanks Kate
sorry this is a bit late, wonderful word, http://elspethc.wordpress.com/2012/07/26/sideys-weekly-theme-deflagrate/
should have said – wonderful post – what’s in a word? especially a new one?
exactly, there can be so many things in a new word
Wonderful, Sidey. You made me smile through my fatigue. 😀
That is good 😉
Bwahahaha!!!! And him an engineer!! Do I detect a trace of misogyny in him?
Probably more a case of a man not understanding a woman?