The Shot Heard Round the World

by Jeff Baker

Author’s Note: The draws for the October 2023 Flash Fiction Draw Challenge were A Romance on the Interstate involving a Rusty Musket. Here’s what I came up with.

The two forty-something men’s car barreled down the interstate.

“Hey! Slow down, will ya?” Rusty said. “You want us to get pulled over?”

“Speed limit’s seventy around here,” Tony said.

“Oh yeah. I keep forgetting.” Rusty said. “Changed it since we used to drive home from college.”

“That would be screwy if the cops pulled us over and found that gun in the trunk of our car!” Tony said.

Rusty laughed. “Then they’d see it’s falling apart and hasn’t fired a shot since Concord Bridge rudely unfurled in Seventy-Five.”

“Yeah, and it’s rustier than you are!” Tony laughed.

The two men both laughed. Then Rusty sighed.

“You know, I really lucked out the day I found the perfect man to go antiquing with…or to do anything with.”

“Yeah!” Tony said with a broad smile. “If we weren’t heading home I’d kiss you right now! But I guess I’ll have to wait!”

Rusty pointed ahead. “Don’t have to wait. Rest stop ahead,” he said.

“Well, I guess we don’t have to wait,” Tony said, flipping on his turn signal.

“Yeah, because I can’t wait,” Rusty said. “Three bottles of unsweetened tea! Yipes!”

The two men laughed again as they turned into the rest stop.

—end—