Random Writing Thursday

Oneword.com has the prompt "assume" today. Here it is. Assume.

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"Oh, well, I assumed...." She began only to be cut off.

"Why on Earth would you assume something like that?" His voice was harsh and incredulous, driving her quickly toward fury.

"Because. It. Is. Obvious." Each word was bitten off to keep the cursing from flowing free. She was at work, after all, and needed to reflect that in her language. But making a simple mistake was no reason to treat her like an idiot.

"How? How is it obvious."

"You're wearing a skirt."

"It's a kilt. Haven't you ever heard of kilts?"

She eyed the ruffled bottom of the pink plaid A-line doubtfully, but chose another oddity to make her point. "A blouse."

"Men need shirts too. Did you want me to run around bare-chested?"

She shook her head, but that brought up another point she was nearly sure of. "You're wearing a bra."

"It's a fracking back brace. I hurt my back last week -- lifting something heavy." He put a supportive hand on his lower back while the other crossed defensively over his B-cup chest.

She paused, considering the situation. Hair? No, even she knew some men had long hair. That would be an easy one. Was it even worth arguing? She couldn't quite stop yet. "You're legs are shaved."

"I ran a marathon last week and needed to wear pantyhose for leg support. Have you ever tried putting pantyhose on hairy legs?"

She eyed his freshly shaved legs and painted toenails in strappy sandals and just couldn't keep going. The entire situation had gotten much too ridiculous. It has started out much too ridiculous, with his furious scream and threats. She pressed three fingers into the bridge of her nose, partially to ease the tension and partially to hide the laugh that threatened to erupt. Every argument had a point where concessions needed to be made, and this was it. She could be the bigger... person.

"Oh," she said finally, "OK then. I'm very sorry for the misunderstanding. SIR. Welcome to the gift shop. Let me know if you need help finding anything."

The petite blonde nodded autocratically, enjoying his victory.

"Thank you." He tossed his head with a practiced move that made his hair flow back over his shoulder and sashayed through the gift shop directly out of the museum. All that argument for a word.