"Did you know that we can take a tax deduction for the cost of renewing our liquor license?" Vince asks, sifting through a stack of last night's receipts ( Read more... )

In my dream, I'm standing in the middle of a dance floor in a poofy, hideous bridesmaid's dress, and the only other person there with me is the six year old flower girl, because we're the only single females left in the room.
Around the edges of the dance floor among the assembled wedding guests, I recognize a lot of the women from the last several ( Read more... )

The first thing I notice is that my hair hurts. When I open my eyes, the room spins a little, then spins back the other way, so I close my eyes again. I hear a scratching sound coming from my bedroom door, and it's even more irritating than usual. "Fuck off, bitch," I croak in the general direction of my roommate's cat, on the other side of the ( Read more... )

Thursday afternoon at the Pub isn't particularly busy, so I spend a few minutes opening the mail I grabbed on my way out of the apartment. One larger envelope catches my eye immediately, since it was originally sent to me at the Bar's address and someone forwarded it. I rip it open, and the tell-tale tissue paper reveals that it's a wedding ( Read more... )

It's about half past seven on a Saturday in early November. I've been on since four, and I'm still not used to the fact that it's already starting to get dark by that time of the afternoon now that Daylight Saving Time is over. It makes me feel like it's later than it really is, so even though I'm a night owl, I keep checking my watch to see how ( Read more... )

"This is the room you'd be getting - it was great for me because it's the furthest from the bathroom, so I could sleep through my roommates' showers, since I work nights ( Read more... )

Friday evening, for the first time since January, I see Bonnie. I don't see her at the Bar in her old Coors gear, or run into her on the subway; I see her on the side of a bus stop shelter in midtown. She's gazing at me seductively from a fashion advertisement, and it absolutely stops me in my tracks. I'm grateful that Jenny isn't with me, ( Read more... )

Jenny's getting out of a taxi in front of my building as I walk up, and she smiles when she sees me. "Hey, baby," she says, "I hope you don't mind, we got done with that EBT earlier than expected." She's carrying her briefcase, her purse, and a bottle of wine. The plan was for me to cook dinner for us both tonight, but I wasn't expecting her for ( Read more... )

Sunday late at night I can't sleep, and I can't sit still. I wash pots, clean the bathroom, dust my bookcase, and when that's not enough, I throw on a pair of jeans and take a walk around the neighborhood. It's all bakery deliveries and dog walkers at this hour. It's a little cooler, but still humid, and by the time the sky starts getting ( Read more... )

It's a few minutes before I'm really sure I'm awake... my senses cross wires for a moment, and I'm sure I feel coffee on my neck. No, I smell nibbling. When I finally open my eyes, I see the top of Gary's head, and I understand that he's nibbling on my neck, and the coffee must be brewing in the kitchen. As marvelous as the nibbling feels, I'm ( Read more... )