I first published this short story back in September 2013. I like it, so I’ve published it a few more times since. I hope you enjoy it.
Heads I Win, Tails You Lose
“Heads, we get married; tails, we break up.”
Judy nearly spit out a mouth full of her cosmopolitan when she laughed. If that remark came from a boyfriend, she might have been angry but coming from a total stranger, she thought it was the funniest pick-up line she had ever heard. She was sitting alone in this popular bar, and this was not the first line of the evening that she had heard, but it was intriguing. It got her attention. She turned on her bar stool toward the stranger. “What?” she shouted above the din of the bar.
In a slightly louder voice, the stranger leaned in and started to repeat his remark. “I said...”
Judy cut him off. “No, no. I heard what you said. What do you mean?”
The good-looking stranger smiled. “Well, that’s where all relationships are heading, right? You meet someone and down the road, you either break up or get married. I am just trying to save time. Heads, we get married; tails, we break up.”
“Wait! Wait!” Judy said with a grin. “If those are my only choices, I have to have a name.”
“No, that just makes breaking up that much harder. It’s easier if we don’t know each other’s name.”
“Yes, but what if it turns up heads and we get married? I have to decide if I like your last name, right?”
“No. You can keep your name, if you like, or you can hyphenate the names. It’s your call.”
Judy smiled. “No deal. I have to have a first name at least.”
“Okay, my first name is Bob.”
Judy stuck out her hand. “Hello, Bob. I’m Judy. Nice to meet you.”
Bob shook Judy’s hand. “Now that that’s out of the way, let’s flip the coin.”
Judy poked a finger into Bob’s chest. “No. No. No. I have some questions first.”
“Trust me, Judy. The less we know about each other, the easier it will be to break up.”
“Look! Either I get to ask some questions or no coin toss.”
Bob thought about it for a few seconds. “Okay, we each get three questions. You first.”
Judy took a deep breath. “Question number one; do you want kids?"
Bob’s eyes lit up. “Oh, yes! I love kids. Next question.”
Judy laughed. “Question number two; where would we live?”
“Wherever you like. I’d even be willing to live near your family.”
“Well, that’s good. Now the last question; does this line get you many dates?”
Bob laughed and shook his head. “Actually, this is the first time I have tried it.”
Judy nodded in agreement. “I thought so. Now you ask three questions.”
Bob thought for a minute. “Okay, here goes. What’s your favorite color?”
“What! Of all the important details you need to know before we get married, and the top of your list is my favorite color. Why?”
“If we do get married, I will bring you a rose every day in your favorite color.”
“Well, lucky for you, it’s red.”
“Very well. My next question is--what’s your favorite type of food?"
“Italian. Why?”
“If we get married, I will take you out for Italian every Friday.”
Judy grinned. “Sounds good. Last question?”
“My last question is--how am I doing so far?”
Judy nodded. “Actually, not too bad. Flip the coin.”
Bob flipped the coin up, but Judy intercepted it before Bob could catch it. She slapped it on the back of her other hand and removed her top hand to reveal heads. Then she picked up the coin and turned it over. “Really, Bob? A two headed coin?”
“I, I, I just wanted to increase my odds. How did you know?”
Judy smiled. “Let’s just say that this isn’t my first rodeo. How about we flip to see where you will take me for dinner? Heads for Italian and heads for Italian.”
Bob smiled. “Okay.”
Judy flipped the coin and caught it. Without looking at it, she slipped it into her pocket. “Italian it is.”
“Can I have my coin back?”
Judy laughed as she hooked her arm in his and headed for the door. “Don’t push your luck.”
THE END
Heads I Win, Tails You Lose
“Heads, we get married; tails, we break up.”
Judy nearly spit out a mouth full of her cosmopolitan when she laughed. If that remark came from a boyfriend, she might have been angry but coming from a total stranger, she thought it was the funniest pick-up line she had ever heard. She was sitting alone in this popular bar, and this was not the first line of the evening that she had heard, but it was intriguing. It got her attention. She turned on her bar stool toward the stranger. “What?” she shouted above the din of the bar.
In a slightly louder voice, the stranger leaned in and started to repeat his remark. “I said...”
Judy cut him off. “No, no. I heard what you said. What do you mean?”
The good-looking stranger smiled. “Well, that’s where all relationships are heading, right? You meet someone and down the road, you either break up or get married. I am just trying to save time. Heads, we get married; tails, we break up.”
“Wait! Wait!” Judy said with a grin. “If those are my only choices, I have to have a name.”
“No, that just makes breaking up that much harder. It’s easier if we don’t know each other’s name.”
“Yes, but what if it turns up heads and we get married? I have to decide if I like your last name, right?”
“No. You can keep your name, if you like, or you can hyphenate the names. It’s your call.”
Judy smiled. “No deal. I have to have a first name at least.”
“Okay, my first name is Bob.”
Judy stuck out her hand. “Hello, Bob. I’m Judy. Nice to meet you.”
Bob shook Judy’s hand. “Now that that’s out of the way, let’s flip the coin.”
Judy poked a finger into Bob’s chest. “No. No. No. I have some questions first.”
“Trust me, Judy. The less we know about each other, the easier it will be to break up.”
“Look! Either I get to ask some questions or no coin toss.”
Bob thought about it for a few seconds. “Okay, we each get three questions. You first.”
Judy took a deep breath. “Question number one; do you want kids?"
Bob’s eyes lit up. “Oh, yes! I love kids. Next question.”
Judy laughed. “Question number two; where would we live?”
“Wherever you like. I’d even be willing to live near your family.”
“Well, that’s good. Now the last question; does this line get you many dates?”
Bob laughed and shook his head. “Actually, this is the first time I have tried it.”
Judy nodded in agreement. “I thought so. Now you ask three questions.”
Bob thought for a minute. “Okay, here goes. What’s your favorite color?”
“What! Of all the important details you need to know before we get married, and the top of your list is my favorite color. Why?”
“If we do get married, I will bring you a rose every day in your favorite color.”
“Well, lucky for you, it’s red.”
“Very well. My next question is--what’s your favorite type of food?"
“Italian. Why?”
“If we get married, I will take you out for Italian every Friday.”
Judy grinned. “Sounds good. Last question?”
“My last question is--how am I doing so far?”
Judy nodded. “Actually, not too bad. Flip the coin.”
Bob flipped the coin up, but Judy intercepted it before Bob could catch it. She slapped it on the back of her other hand and removed her top hand to reveal heads. Then she picked up the coin and turned it over. “Really, Bob? A two headed coin?”
“I, I, I just wanted to increase my odds. How did you know?”
Judy smiled. “Let’s just say that this isn’t my first rodeo. How about we flip to see where you will take me for dinner? Heads for Italian and heads for Italian.”
Bob smiled. “Okay.”
Judy flipped the coin and caught it. Without looking at it, she slipped it into her pocket. “Italian it is.”
“Can I have my coin back?”
Judy laughed as she hooked her arm in his and headed for the door. “Don’t push your luck.”
THE END
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