Grasping for Straws: Short Stories

A teenage buffet manager meets the girl of his dreams during a robbery, a street beggar befriends a stranger for a free meal, and a wine snob tries falling in love with a high-priced, terrible tasting vintage. Grasping for Straws is a fun and quirky collection of eleven stories, where the secret to getting out of trouble begins with pretending you are not already in over your head. I'll Take My Gun to Go - Running an all-you-can-eat buffet gets a bit dull sometimes except for the day Brian's dream girl comes walking in through the front door. Never mind that she doesn't know he even exists. Never mind that a gun-toting, nylon stocking-hooded robber is about to hold him up for all his cash. Brother Lao - A case of mistaken identity can happen anywhere, even on the streets of Imperial China four hundred years ago when a hapless beggar confuses a stranger for someone else. No harm done though especially when a free meal is involved, right? The Emperor's New Bottle - I've got a problem. Rent is due next week and my roommate's spending his portion on expensive wine. To make matters worse, the wine is terrible. What is one to do? Mad Dash - Staying up late, sleeping in and cutting class. No big deal unless losing a couple hundred dollars is the consequence. Don't want to lose the cash? Then it's time to get out of bed, throw on your clothes and abandon any semblance of dignity to do whatever it takes to get to class on time! Chicago Typewriter - A newspaper journalist, a mobster's wife and a hailstorm of bullets. An exclusive story just might be in the making, assuming they can both make it out alive first! Make Up or Break Up - Robert has been having an affair for some time and has decided to call it off. The decision was the easy part. The hard part will be telling both his mistress and wife! Profile Picture - I received a text message tonight from a Japanese flight attendant inviting me to dinner. We've dined together several times before and she's a good woman, but I wonder if I'll be able to tell her what's on my mind, and in case you were wondering, no, it's not THAT. Moving the Mountain - Molly is stuck in an abusive relationship and at her wits end. Not sure what to do, she's about to get some help in an unexpected way. Shanghai Affair - Wei Liang is a man of the world in 1930's Shanghai, struggling to balance the demands of filial piety and modern living. His greatest challenge though won't be what to do with his life, but rather whom to spend it with in this story of tradition and transition. The Speed of Thought - This afternoon I bought the two-seat roadster I've been dreaming about for the past few years. Unfortunately, life became a bit difficult when my wife found out. With a new baby and plans for me to go back to school, I can understand her concern about finances, but darn it, I really want that car! Two Scoops of Doom - One cup of ice cream, that's all it could take to crash the family business. Life can be rough running an all-you-can-eat buffet, but Brian's never had so much riding on so little, trying to please a threatening woman and her spoiled daughter while finding himself at odds with the mantra "the customer's always right."