The Dinner

by Dave Warner

A contemporary short story with a dash of humour set in inner Sydney. It’s raining cats and dogs, and Rick is being jabbed by the hot needle of panic. He’s running late now after dashing out to get last minute dessert for the crucial dinner party tonight where Rick and wife Vanessa are entertaining Vanessa’s boss and his wife. Rick carefully wheels his pride and joy, his almost-new Audi, around the block, looking for a parking space. He’d had everything set, the Audi tucked away in a nearby street so that Vanessa’s boss and wife could park in Rick’s little private space at the back of the house.

Friday night and in this fashionable inner-city suburb, it’s easier for a straight White male to win a Premier’s arts prize than it is to find a free space. But it’s okay, as a last resort Rick can park across his own driveway blocking in the boss’ car. Except that he can’t, can he? Some selfish bastard has already parked there. Enraged, Rick mangles the windscreen wipers of the offending car, only to learn when he joins the dinner party, that the boss and his wife brought two vehicles. Can Rick make good before the stroke of doom?

Audible Audio

Published February 23, 2021

About the author

Dave Warner is the author of fourteen crime novels, including the winner of the 1996 WA Premier’s Award for Fiction (City of Light) and the 2016 Ned Kelly winner of Best Australian Crime Fiction (Before it Breaks). He has also written a children's book series and seven non-fiction titles, and screenwritten for film and TV.

Dave Warner originally gained national recognition as a musician-songwriter in the late 1970s with Bob Dylan referring to Dave and Richard Clapton as his “favourite Australian artists”.
As early as 1973 Dave had formed Australia’s first punk band, Pus, playing early versions of tracks such as Suburban Boy and Hot Crotch which he was later to record with Dave Warner’s from the Suburbs. In 1975, Dave went to London and wrote many new songs which expressed a clearly-defined vision of Australia, including tracks such as Convict Streak and Oklahoma. Suburban Boy became the cornerstone of this new style of music, which Dave labelled suburban rock. Warner’s music is probably best described as Lou Reed meets Tomas Pynchon.

Dave's feature films include the cult-horror CUT (starring Kylie Minogue and Molly Ringwald) and GARAGE DAYS (co-written with director Alex Proyas). His many TV credits include scripts for MCLEOD’S DAUGHTERS and PACKED TO THE RAFTERS.

Dave was educated at Aquinas College and the University of Western Australia, graduating with a B.A. (Hons.), majoring in Psychology. Growing up an ardent supporter of the East Fremantle Football Club, his passion of Australian football remains.