The Two-for-Sixty Plan by Jeff Esterholm

Sixty, is it? Blake Craig stretches, the fresh sheets she’d put on yesterday now the field of last night’s lovemaking, the faint musk, the dried fluids, stiff patches dappling the middle of the bed. Blake smiles. What’s he thinking, lovemaking? A randy romp, like they were twenty again. He ran a hand across her side […]

Playdate by Jeff Esterholm

Drallmeier listened as the voice on his phone directed him to the elementary school’s playground. His four-year-old nephew, Jackson, whined for a cold juice box. “Not now, man.” He took a wrong turn and the app on the phone recalibrated. He squeegeed his bald, sweating scalp with the palm of his hand. “When we get […]

Payday Friday by Jeff Esterholm

He met her the first time at Otto’s. Payday Friday, he wanted to meet her again. A date he’d call it. A short drive from the plant after showering, slap on the bay rum. “Someone’s getting some tonight?” He grinned, blushed. Anders shrugged, a young twenty-five. She wouldn’t expect him. The wind barreled off Lake […]

Closing Time at Mom’s by Jeff Esterholm

More than once Jimmy LaCoursiere’s tire chains saved the DeSoto from a slippery carom on Duluth’s west end streets. He knew where it was, but with the physicality of the weather he moved at a crawl, looking for the neon, the perceived warmth.

He found a space a block away, bulldozed the snow and parked. Cassie had said, Mom’s Diner, let’s meet there at bar time.

Cassie asked Jimmy to drive up from St. Paul. That was the plan.