Fiction friday #172

This week’s Fiction Friday prompt:

Use one or more of these words in your story (but resist the temptation to look them up first!)

* Periapt

* Vilipend

* Embrangle

This week’s prompt struck me as rather interesting and fun. Anyone that knows me on a personal basis knows of my propensity to substitute words at sometimes inopportune times (the result of my speech impediment). I used my own personal experience in conversation and used a bar that I frequent for the setting. Let me know what you think.
Oh, and the definitions are at the end of the story. I didn’t want to put them at the beginning because it would ruin the telling.

Lewis thumbed the bill of his faded John Deere cap, looked down at his elbow resting on the counter, and chuckled to himself. Grabbing the sweaty Heineken bottle in his right hand and lifting it off the counter top, he replied to his friend “you and your damned funny words. You’ve been looking at the dictionary again, haven’t you Ricky?”

Looking ahead into the mirror on the wall, Ricky smiled to himself and proudly proclaimed “yeah, I have.” The lights glimmering off the liquor bottles in front of the mirror reminded him of an easier time; a time when he was carefree and didn’t have any obligations. He didn’t know why – they just did.

“What the hell does that mean, anyway – periapt?”

“I don’t know. I don’t ever read the definitions.”

Lewis was in the midst of a swig and upon hearing his friend’s response began to laugh, spilling the fizzy cold ale down his chin and onto his shirt. Ricky, amused at the sight, yelled “bartender! Bib!”

“Jackass” Lewis said as he wiped the beer from his face with the back of his hand.

“Whatever, bro. It’s all vilipend.”

Lewis’s face turned red and the vein in his forehead bulged. He roared with a laughter that drowned out all others in the bar.

“Lew … Lew … calm down. Easy bro, easy. I don’t want you to have a hernia. Calm down. It wasn’t that funny.”

“You have a way, Ricky. You know that?”

“You and your damn dictionary reading ass. You make me laugh, man.”

Lewis and Ricky noticed in the mirror a woman walking behind them. She had short blonde hair, had the lightest skin, and wore jeans that looked like they were painted on. Her loose fitting blouse offered, as they imagined, a wondrous view when she leaned over. As she reached the door, the two friends turned their heads to witness her exit.

Ricky emitted a lowly “hmmm …” and shook his head “… whew!” to which Lewis replied “man, I’d like to embrangle her ass.”

Ricky turned his head to his friend with wild eyes and pursed lips. He could feel the pressure building in his gut and the smile forming on his face. His eyes began to water and his lips parted, releasing a bellowing laugh. Lewis followed suit.

—–

Definitions:
periapt: a charm or amulet
vilipend: to regard or treat as of little value or account -or- to vilify; depreciate
embrangle: to embroil

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