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Chapter 5
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2024-10-29 19:42:56"I still can't believe you did that," I said as we both entered the apartment. "If Elise finds out, you'll be wrapped in plastic, sitting in the supermarket with the rest of the pork chop!"
"Azra, I can't believe you're concerned about it. I practically stole my girl back in front of the said girl," she said. "I bet Clarice herself didn't even see it coming. You should be happy for me."
"And you still have the decency to come back," Elise said with her arms crossed over her chest. She looked at us in accusation. I froze in the hallway with wide eyes.
"What do you mean? It's my apartment, too," Karmen said and walked off to open the fridge. Elise stared at the back of her head. If she could use heat vision, she would have roasted Karmen on the spot by now.
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It was Wednesday, the slowest day of the week, still too far from the weekend. I was sitting in the Deli having lunch with Elise when Karmen burst in, wild-eyed. She stomped up to our booth and sat down so loudly I was fearful for her tailbone. None of us said anything, so she stood up again and bellowed, "Well, if you must know, I got fired!""I'm not surprised," Elise said and went on to sip her lemonade. I tried to be empathic."What happened?" I asked. Celie came and placed some ice in our drink."Good news," she said. "If you're fired, here have some ice for the burn.""Leave her alone!" I exploded. Karmen slumped down again, resting her head on top of her folded arms like grade-school girls do during detention.
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The restaurant critic wrote about us. The review was a rave. I had it framed on my wall, and I told everyone I wanted to be buried with it. It said the desserts were— "surprisingly delicious and creative," the decor- "charmingly underrated," the service—"satisfactory," and the entertainment —"unparalleled in its energy which brought back childhood joy and pure comic appeal. Anyone who doesn't pay a visit for the sweets and the lovely atmosphere is a shame."I was so pleased.Then Karmen and Elise went to the hospital to check on Celie and make sure she wouldn't see the review and freak out to death.I knew we were going to get a crowd the next few days based on this, but nothing could have prepared me for what showed up on Saturday. The Gourmet Week a
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Business continued to bomb and by early next week, I was totally exhausted. There was no way I could continue to be a cook, dessert chef, and landlady for a going concern like a clogged pipe. Besides, Ms. McHugh could only cover for the morning shift. Now, the deli was making more than enough money to spring for another staff member, especially since I was working for nothing more than tips and glory.The Help Wanted sign spent about forty-five minutes in our window before I had to interview my first applicant. Guess who?"I love what you've done with the place," Clarice raved. "Do you know that the whole neighborhoods have been known to turn on one or two little renovations like this?""Do you have any restaurant experience?" I asked, figuring I would go through the m
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"Tell me," I said to Clarice. "When did you start to notice I exist?""Hmmm, is that a tone of sarcasm I hear?" she said.I pursed my lips."Well, this was the girl who went out of her way to date everybody I knewexceptme!""Azra, I can't believe you're still mad about it even now we're in bed?" she said with a disapproving look. "Can we talk about it in the morning? We have other important things to do."She went to kiss my lips and collarbones again. We hadn't even turned on the light yet, and we were both in Clarice's apartment. I had to take a moment to soak it up. Actually, I had to take a lot of moments to soak it up. After we left the fash
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Stressed Spelled Backwards |Lesbian Story| Chapter 17
In the movies, the hero jumps off a burning boat before the bomb blows up in a couple minutes, and gets to swim to the shore in safety, but in reality, I feel like I jump off a burning boat and get to float in triumph for a few seconds before I see the alligator.That's life for you.Before we came to America, we thought we had our goals figured out. Everything was clear and straight. But look at us now, going down detours and dead-ends while trying to beat the odds.Clarice and Elise both took the day off work to help me. Although Karmen was unemployed, she still insisted that it was also her day off from her day offs. And with Ms. McHugh, we completely emptied the deli.The sooner we got the work done, the less chan
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Ihad only a week to gather up the cash before the end of the month, or I could guarantee that the three of us would be homeless for real. I was hoping for Elise's modeling money to save the day, but she came at four in the morning and was greeted by two very light sleepers. One was ready to start another round of bickering while the other just waited to prevent it.Elise was carrying a big box of the Orion SkyQuest Classic Telescope. It looked expensive. It looked like the April rent. I was too frazzled for tact."You have to return it!""I couldn't do that," said Elise. "This is the last model and the company won't make another one like this again. Besides, it's already a little broken.""Are you serious?" Karm
