IAIN KELLY

WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS

‘We’ll always have Paris.’

Yeah, right. Now look at those memories: faded, crumpled and tossed in the dumpster.

She was just like all the rest of those broads, dames and dolls.

As soon as she had stepped on that plane she had forgotten about me.

Back to her old life, her passionless marriage of convenience.

Well, I wasn’t about to forget Paris.

I’m a passionate romantic. It meant something to me and my heart doesn’t forget that easily.

That’s why I got on the next plane.

That’s why I confronted her.

That’s why I’m folding her body into the dumpster.


after
Copyright CE Ayr

Written for Friday Fictioneers hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields (more details HERE). The idea is to write a short story of 100 words based on the photo prompt (above).

To read stories of 100 words based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.


My new novel, ‘State of War’ is now available to pre-order on Amazon in eBook format, paperback coming soon. Have a look at the trailer below:

75 responses to “WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS”

  1. neilmacdon Avatar

    I like the nostalgia of the discarded memories combined with the brutally discarded body

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
  2. Tannille Avatar

    Never know who is going to turn a bit crazy. Has he done it before? Intriguing.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      I get the feeling he may very well have! Thanks

      Like

    2. Russell Avatar

      It’s a very good point you make Iain. One must be careful of the connections we make. Some may come back to get us when we’re not expecting!

      Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Reena

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Mike Avatar
    Mike

    Hell has no fury like a passionate chap, I pity his next conquest 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
  4. ceayr Avatar

    Bogie would never to that to Ingrid!
    I’m so disillusioned…

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      He met his match with Bacall.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Sandra Avatar

    You know, some guys just don’t take rejection. She needed to refine her insight before dumping him.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Sandra

      Like

  6. Varad Avatar

    Whoops! That escalated rather quickly.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      You don’t want to annoy Bogie!

      Like

  7. Susan A Eames Avatar

    And there was me thinking I was reading a sweetly romantic story! 🙂

    Susan A Eames at
    Travel, Fiction and Photos

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Well, it was, in a way…

      Like

  8. Anita Avatar

    He was the romantic type. But, he still went ahead with this cold-blooded murder.
    People and their scary moods. Some become painful memories who are tossed away…
    Very well expressed.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Death can be very romantic 😉

      Like

  9. talesfromthemindofkristian Avatar

    Hmm, “That could be the end of a beautiful friendship” 🙂

    Like

  10. granonine Avatar

    Well, there’s a guy who doesn’t deal well with rejection! Scary. Say no, and end up dead and folded into a trash bin. Chilling.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Just be careful who you choose to have an affair with – some kind of moral to the story! Thanks Linda

      Like

  11. rochellewisoff Avatar

    Dear Iain,

    Whoever said “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” never met this guy. The voice was retro and fun.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Well, we can’t be sexist about who is entitled to being scorned 😉

      Like

  12. trentpmcd Avatar

    Well, “Bogie” was best known as gangster before he found Paris, so I wouldn’t doubt he’d hunt her down… I used the same line as my title, but without any other references to the movie.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Yes, he can’t keep up a touchy-feely pretence for too long, better to be the hard man.

      Like

  13. trishsplace Avatar

    No! Straight into the darkness, Iain. Good little story!

    Liked by 1 person

  14. J Hardy Carroll Avatar

    Holy moses. I guess the photographer is rubbing off on you in more ways than one!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      It feels like a time to just be blunt about things!

      Like

  15. magickmermaid Avatar

    Love the twist ending! Great story!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you 🙂

      Like

  16. Kent Avatar
    Kent

    As a fan of Casablanca, I got it. Too funny an ending! Rick just dumped Ilsa — for REAL! This should have been the “alternate ending” to the movie. Well, if it were made to day, anyway.

    Five out of five “here’s looking at you, kid”s.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Yeah, none of this ‘Rick started to have feelings again’ nonsense.

      Like

  17. neeltheauthor- author of WHEN LIFE THROWS THOSE CURVE BALLS Avatar

    Men can be as brutal in love as in war, what say! Loved the story Kelly.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Neel

      Like

  18. Alicia Jamtaas Avatar

    Like Rochelle, I really enjoyed the voice in your story. And, heck, bluntness counts for a lot when you only have 100-words.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Got to wrap these stories up quick 😉

      Like

  19. J.A. Prentice Avatar

    Great story! The voice is very strong and the character comes across clearly in so few words.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you, nice to see you back 🙂

      Like

  20. pennygadd51 Avatar

    Excellent writing, Iain. I loved your foreshadowing in line two! Holiday romances are playing with fire, aren’t they?

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      I hope most of them don’t end up like this! Thanks Penny.

      Liked by 1 person

  21. Nobbinmaug Avatar

    That’s very romantic. He’s no Rick Blaine. “I didn’t really mean ‘get on the plane.’”

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      He was just testing her. She failed.

      Like

  22. msjadeli Avatar

    Holy…………. the casual reference to dumpster in the beginning turns sinister at the end. You did a great job of cruising along so smoothly, then turning around with a left hook.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you 🙂

      Like

  23. plaridel Avatar

    good grief! to paraphrase an old saying, hell hath no fury for a man scorned.

    Liked by 2 people

  24. Dale Avatar

    Quite the romantic. Not. Unless he thinks that it is romantic to do away with she who dares not choose him!
    Not the end I’d want for Rick and Ilsa!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      That’s why they never made the sequel…

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Dale Avatar

        Haha!

        Liked by 2 people

  25. draliman Avatar

    Yeeks! Not a man to dump lightly. Nice one!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      He dumped her very lightly…into that dumpster.

      Like

  26. Lynn Love Avatar

    And that’s why she dumped him – she could see he had this in him all along! Nice mix of strong voice and extreme violence – I like the parallel folding and throwing in a dumpster, too. Nice symmetry

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Lynn, glad you liked it 🙂

      Like

  27. Thom Carswell Avatar
    Thom Carswell

    What happened in Paris should have stayed in Paris! A taut little thriller here, Ian, and a nice little study in victim blaming – in his eyes, she got what she deserved. Very scary!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Thom, much appreciated 🙂

      Like

  28. Shweta Suresh Avatar

    Well, that escalated quickly. Great take on the prompt.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Shweta

      Liked by 1 person

  29. Brenda's Thoughts Avatar

    Oh no! I started to worry when he took the next flight. She didn’t run far enough. It gave me chills, great job!! Hope you and yours are staying well, Iain!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Brenda, all safe here. I’m back at (a very quiet) work after 3 weeks of lockdown. Hope you are well too.

      Liked by 1 person

  30. Fatima Fakier Avatar

    That’s passion for sure, but it isn’t love. Brutal. As always I liked the way you crafted the story.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Fatima – a very twisted view of love for sure.

      Liked by 1 person

  31. michaelwynnauthor Avatar

    Well he just wasn’t prepared to let it lie. Revenge is best served in Paris with a light vinaigrette.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Ha, how civilised 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  32. Russell Gayer Avatar

    Whoa . . . this ist sounding like one of C.E.’s tales. That what we get for using one of his photos.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      I did take my inspiration from some of his finest work 😉

      Liked by 1 person

  33. Woman walking Max Avatar

    Like the journey from annoyance with the woman to the matter-of-factness of the dumpster. A dark story.

    Liked by 1 person

  34. Liz Young Avatar

    Oh dear! Did you kill them all?

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      All that deserved it.

      Like

  35. Eugenia Parrish Author Avatar

    Oh, my God! LOL and all that. I was having lovely memories of “Casablanca”, thinking that it might be a fun alternate ending, and then WHAM. Great job!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      It is an alternate ending, just without the fun 🙂

      Like

  36. tedstrutz Avatar

    Well, Iain, I thought this was just lovely… till the last line. Good one!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Perfect, exactly as intended 🙂

      Like

  37. subroto Avatar

    Well that escalated rapidly. He is probably the kind of lover who keeps a head count.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Love can do strange things to people.

      Like

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