No Action Is Required

20250424

Prompt from DailyPrompt.com

[Miss Teagan. I will be at the Chained Swans this evening at 20:00. If you are not interested in this opportunity no action is required.]
Joan turned the embossed envelope over in her fingers. Distantly admiring the flowing cursive of the letter. Was it written with a fountain pen?
What most struck her about the envelope, besides the heaviness of the paper and the embossed golden swirls, was the lack of any address or postage. Someone had personally delivered this to her cubbyhole. So it had to be from another resident of this block of flats. Right?
She didn’t know any of her neighbours. And while none of them looked like a creepy stalker, and she’d never flattered herself as the type of woman who could inspire such passion, you never knew.
“If you are not interested in this opportunity no action is required.”
Which made it nice and simple. Right? Just don’t go.
But… that very promise, that all she had to do was not show up and it would be like this never happened, made it intriguing. Was this in fact a classy-but-shy flirtation? After all, a fella sitting in the local pub at… She looked it up. 8pm. Sitting in the pub at 8pm on a Thursday was a perfectly normal thing to do. Nobody would bat an eye.
So if she didn’t show up, he’d be the only one who ever knew.
Well, she supposed it could be a woman. Did lesbians send fancy letters to each other? She wasn’t ‘in’ on all this culture stuff. But, while that would be an awkward reveal, it might end in making a friend.
Whereas if it was a guy… and he turned out not to be her type… well, it might end in making a friend. She chewed her lip.
“Opportunity” was an interesting choice of word. Maybe the mysterious letter sender was actually trying to make friends? For all she knew they’d written this to the entire apartment block. If she knew any of her neighbours she’d ask.
Well… just showing up to the pub this evening wasn’t a big ask. She could have a light tea then treat herself to dinner out. Dress nice but very casual, didn’t want to show up ready for a date only to find out it was something different. Especially if it turned out to be some silly prank. No, she’d act like she’d just fancied a good pub dinner and a drink or two. So if the mysterious letter writer didn’t show it wouldn’t matter.
Joan nodded and set the letter to the side. Finally ready to move on to her after-work routine now that puzzle was mentally settled.
Send that email for Daryl, get the laundry done, grab a bite to eat, tidy through, then shower and get changed and… see what this “opportunity” was.

Prompt was “Write a piece which starts with a letter.”