British Flash

By UKMAT

Enjoy this entertaining collection of flash fiction stories, each one a short but sweet expression of what it means to be queer in Britain, past and present. All these stories reflect the iconic sights and national character of the British Isles: a taste of our idiosyncrasies and eccentricities, but also an unashamed representation of the love, loyalty and laughter of our people.

Follow the British way of life from historic villages to modern cities, from the countryside to the sea, through history and with a fantasy twist, in gardens, shops, campus and the familiar, much-loved local pub.

The stories cover universal themes of romance, desire, remembrance and reconciliation. The authors range from multi-published to up-and-coming, and they all share a passion for their characters, whether through great drama, erotic excitement, humour—or a combination of all three!

This anthology is a souvenir of the 2011 UK Meet, an occasion for GLBTQ supporters to get together in a relaxed setting to celebrate and chat about the fiction community they love.

Contributing authors: Alex Beecroft, Victoria Blisse, Stevie Carroll, Charlie Cochrane, Sophia Deri-Bowen, Erastes, Lucy Felthouse, Elin Gregory, Mara Ismine, Sandra Lindsey, Clare London, JL Merrow, Josephine Myles, Zahra Owens, Jay Rookwood, Caroline Stephens, Stevie Woods, Lisa Worrall and Serena Yates.

• Language: English
• Publisher: UK MAT Publishing
• Release date: Jun 8, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458157072

UKMAT

UK MAT is a team of five UK based GLBTQ romance authors who wanted to do something to raise the profile of UK set GLBTQ fiction. Our first project is a free anthology of flash fiction written by attendees of the second annual UK Meet of GLBTQ fiction. The UK MAT team are Alex Beecroft, Charlie Cochrane, Clare London, JL Merrow and Josephine Myles.

Book preview

Index

The Worst Pub in London by JL Merrow *

Josh finds working at the Forlorn Hop duller than ditchwater—until a tall, dark stranger walks in and he's swept off his feet. Literally.

Our Place by Clare London **

How can you know someone through short trousers, spots and secondary education, and then when they’re a man and you’re still beside them, find some other yearning for them?

We’ll Always Have Brighton by Zahra Owens **

Two men meet on a cold and rainy day in Brighton They have a painful history and they have a hotel room—can they forgive each other before they go inside?

Commission and Omission by Charlie Cochrane *

Arromanches, 1994. Visits to the D-day beaches have become a pilgrimage for Stephen. He counts his life as starting in 1939 and finishing in 1944. Here.

Paint by Stevie Carroll ***

Her most successful art has been created on living human bodies, and at last she has found her muse: Layla. Now, working with a different type of pigment, artist and muse can create a work of art for their eyes—and lips—alone.

Ben’s New Colleague by Serena Yates *

When Ben Imberg's secret crush leaves for Scotland to be with his new boyfriend, Ben is devastated. Meeting Ron Linsley, the new head of the Science Department at the Komlos Foundation, however, gives him new hope...

Giving It Up by Josephine Myles *

Gay men can't donate blood without breaking the rules, can they? A student protester caught in the act is mortified to have to explain himself to the bloke he fancies.

Thoughts in Spring by Mara Ismine *

Ash is looking forward to a peaceful weekend—but a rook with other things on the brain messes up his plans and his house at the same time. Will Ash survive the weekend with his sanity intact? Will the rook keep its feathers?

Mouth Almighty by Victoria Blisse ***

Boyfriends Ben and Pete share everything, including their appreciation of good, local cheese—and the delicious young lady in the cheese shop who's more than willing to serve them!

Reunion by Lisa Worrall *

Toby had hated every second of school, so why on earth would he want to attend a reunion? Well, there was one reason—Mickey Hayes, the captain of the cricket team. But Mickey hardly knew Toby existed—or did he?

While the Boys are Away by Lucy Felthouse ***

Amelia's with Toby. Gemma's with Rob. But when the four of them go camping together, it soon emerges that Amelia and Gemma are more than just good friends!

Nessie by Caroline Stephens **

The thrill of a mystery no-one's ever solved has kept marine biologist Jude Hannigan in the Highlands for months. Now his time is up and his sunny home in Malibu calls. But quiet and sexy Callum McAllister might just tempt him to stay by the banks of Loch Ness—monster or no monster.

Slap and Motley by Sandra Lindsey *

Terry and John are old friends, new lovers. But Terry doesn't know everything about John—as an unexpected gift is about to reveal!

Like a Girl by JL Merrow *

Her name's Nina, and she punches like a girl. And what the bloody hell's wrong with that?

Last Client by Jay Rookwood *

Jon Brickman is strong. Jon Brickman is independent. Jon Brickman needs no-one's support.

Or so he thinks.

Sunshine Superman by Elin Gregory **

In the summer of ’68, Sam Yelf was young, innocent and knew all the words to Donovan’s ‘Sunshine Superman’ by heart. Forty-odd years on he might be a little hazy about lyrics but there are things, and people, whose memory will never fade.

Escape to the Country by Stevie Woods ***

It wasn’t to escape the pressure of a Season in London that Stephen and Andrew left town for the country. It was for the privacy, the freedom, in which they could express their love for each other.

Prince Charming’s Buttons by Stevie Carroll *

Ash slides between genders off stage as easily as changing from one role to another on stage. As both Jen's girlfriend and Colin's boyfriend and with their current production of Cinderella drawing to a close, Ash needs to take the next step in managing the two relationships.

Yesterday Upon the Stair by Erastes **

Old lovers, reunited. But the years they were apart have marked them both.

Benefits of Peace by Alex Beecroft *

In the balmy summer days of the 1930s, what could be more peaceful than punting on the Cam? But punting, Timothy discovers, is harder than it looks. Still, with a handsome English student to befriend, fortune favours the brave, does she not?

They Who Come After the Stories End by Sophia Deri-Bowen **

Everyone knows the great love stories: Jane Eyre and Mr Rochester, Rick and Ilsa, Scarlett and Rhett. But what of those stories that were thought of, but never written, the ones that lived only in daydreams? Meet Tup and Davies—two characters who might have been.

End Note

Heat levels:

* Perfectly Decent

** A Teasing Glimpse

*** The Full Monty

The Worst Pub in London

by JL Merrow

Josh flicked a beer towel at an imaginary cockroach then did it again, harder for good measure. It made a nice slapping sound on the bar. This is probably the worst… snap …pub… snap …in London, he sang aloud to the tune from Sweeney Todd, doing a little twirl behind the bar.

Nice voice, but if you want to get mistaken for Helena Bonham Carter you’re going to need bigger tits, a gravelly voice commented, making Josh drop the Bacardi Breezer he’d been using as a microphone.

Shit! Ouch! The bottle survived the fall, but Josh wasn’t sure his foot had. Sorry, he said, face burning as he tried not to hop too obviously. I didn’t hear you come in. What can I get you?

The stranger was tall, dark-skinned and way too heavy-set to have moved so silently. He looked Josh up and down with soft brown eyes that crinkled up readily at the corners. I’m starting to wonder if it’d be safe to have anything here. You don’t serve pies, do you?

Josh grinned back at him, feeling a tiny flutter in the region of his midriff at the sight of that smile. "Wondering what’s happened to all the customers, are you? No, it’s always like this here. They don’t call it the Forlorn Hop for nothing—all the old customers have died or moved away, and the new lot want something more trendy. We get a couple of old fogies in for a pint most nights—and I mean a pint—but during the day it’s as dead as the filling in one of Mrs Lovett’s finest. Don’t know how the old man keeps it open, to tell the truth."

Maybe it’s just a front. Drug deals in the tap room, prostitution in the lounge. Money-laundering on the side. The stranger leered. Maybe it wasn’t just beer you were offering me there?

Josh allowed his eyelashes just a hint of a flutter. We do have a comprehensive range of spirits and mixers, he said coyly. Perhaps if you told me what you like?

Well, I know it when I see it. That dark smile was suggestion itself. I’m Devlin, by the way.

"Devlin? Sounds kind of naughty. I like that in a man. I’m Josh. So