Trophy Wife
A Promptoberfest story
© by Walter Reimer

Thumbnail art by  tegerio

Prompt: decorative


“Voila!” the artist, a short, lean bobcat, said as he pulled the sheet away. “What do you think?” he asked eagerly.

The tall, stout bear walked around the object and said, “You bronzed her.”

“Well, yes.”

“I just wanted her embalmed,” the bear said, his words punctuated with an irritated snort, “so she could be buried.”

The bobcat looked surprised. “What? That’s not what you said.”

“Eh?”

“Yeah, you were leaving and you said something about ‘trophy wife.’” The bobcat shrugged.

“That’s not what I meant,” the bear said.

“You should’ve been clearer.”

“I’m not paying you.”

The bobcat frowned. “I’ll sue.”

The bear shrugged. “Go ahead.” He gestured to his two aides, who wheeled the standing statue out of the studio.

One paused. “Hey, Boss?”

“What?” the bear asked.

“Well, we could, like, put her in the garden.”

“The garden?”

“Yeah, like a statue. A tribute to her.”

“Hmm. I’ll think about it. For now, put her in the garage,” and, disregarding the increasingly loud complaints from the bobcat, the bear and his entourage left the studio.


end