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

    Liked by 2 people

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

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I get the feeling he may very well have! Thanks

      Like

    2. 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

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

    Liked by 2 people

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

    Liked by 2 people

    1. He met his match with Bacall.

      Liked by 1 person

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

    Liked by 2 people

  6. Whoops! That escalated rather quickly.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. You don’t want to annoy Bogie!

      Like

  7. 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. Well, it was, in a way…

      Like

  8. 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. Death can be very romantic 😉

      Like

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

    Like

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

      Like

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

      Like

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

      Like

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

    Liked by 1 person

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

    Liked by 2 people

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

      Like

  15. Love the twist ending! Great story!

    Liked by 2 people

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

      Like

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

    Liked by 2 people

  18. 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. Got to wrap these stories up quick 😉

      Like

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

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, nice to see you back 🙂

      Like

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

    Liked by 2 people

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

      Liked by 1 person

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

    Liked by 2 people

    1. He was just testing her. She failed.

      Like

  22. 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

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

    Liked by 2 people

  24. 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. That’s why they never made the sequel…

      Liked by 1 person

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

    Liked by 2 people

    1. He dumped her very lightly…into that dumpster.

      Like

  26. 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. Thanks Lynn, glad you liked it 🙂

      Like

  27. 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. Thanks Thom, much appreciated 🙂

      Like

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

    Liked by 1 person

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

      Liked by 1 person

  31. 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. Ha, how civilised 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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

      Liked by 1 person

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

    Liked by 1 person

  34. Oh dear! Did you kill them all?

    Liked by 2 people

    1. All that deserved it.

      Like

  35. 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. It is an alternate ending, just without the fun 🙂

      Like

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

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Perfect, exactly as intended 🙂

      Like

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

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Love can do strange things to people.

      Like

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