Blogging A to Z, B is For Blind Date

by Karina Fabian

It's B day for Blogging A to Z, so here's a little excerpt from my story, "My Big Fat Zombie Wedding" that appeared in The Zombie Cookbook from Damnation Books.  This was my first zombie story, ever, incidentally, and it was such fun, I went on to write other stories and two novels.

The bright Louisiana sunlight shone through the diner windows, making Vida long to head home and go to bed. Night shift at the museum could be brutal. However, Stella had called her just before she'd gotten off work and told her she had big news--news that would change Vida's life. "I have found him!" she'd declared.

Now, Vida sighed and studied the coffee in her cup before addressing her friend. I should have ordered a double espresso instead of decaf. Fatigue. That's the only reason I'd consider going on a blind date.

"Come on, Stella: 'Great personality'? You know that's the kiss of death, right?"

Stella arranged her many silk scarves and wagged a jeweled hand at her. "Darling," she said in her mystical French Quarter accent, "you told me yourself you wanted a quiet man, good listener, great personality, and looks were not important."

Vida frowned. At forty-two and forty pounds overweight, a small-town girl new to the big city, she was finding her choices limited. Still...

"Lay it on me. How bad is he?"

Stella laughed. "Oh, but you underestimate me!  He is an older man, but very well preserved. Easy on the eyes, I promise you."

"Okay. Then what's wrong with him?"

Her friend gave an airy shrug. "He...has an odor; it's inherent to his condition."

Vita bit her lip. 'Condition' was the polite way of saying 'paranormal.' She'd met a lot of paranormals, and they all seemed, well, ordinary--once you got past the fur and fangs and odd diet choices. It's not that she was prejudiced; she wanted to keep an open mind. Yet...

Stella was still talking up the guy's charms. "And since you can't smell, anyway, you are a perfect match. Now I will warn you, he may seem a little stiff at first, but I know you're going to find him funny and engaging--and once he warms up to you, he'll be with your forever."

Vida smirked. "'Till death do we part?"

"Darling, death is not going to keep this man from you."