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
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
Of course, we didn't get the rent-free deal with Celie. We still had to pay her every month, but she did give us a 30% discount and offer me a job as a pastry chef in her deli.Karmen was promoted to a manager, who would have to manage three new staff in total. Even it was just a title, she seemed pretty pleased about it. I personally promoted Clarice to my own sales rep. She was very persuasive and good at introducing my dessert menu to the people. She could still do a side modeling if she wanted to. Elise also held a part-time position as my social media agent. She set up an Instagram profile dedicated to my dessert making. It became a hit among all the young baker-wannabes.Soon news reporters came to our place and asked to film me. My fame began to soar up, and then people started calling me 'Dessert Princess' on th
Elise leaned forward and tapped the taxi driver on the shoulder. The middle-aged man with thinning gray hair turned around."Pardon me, sir, but after you let us off, you should go straight to the repair shop," she said. "Your engine is quite loud and the air-con isn't working very well."The balding man scowled back. Karmen nudged me in the ribs."Don't tell me she's going to be like this the whole time," she whispered.Elise and Karmen were both best friends of mine. They were frenemies to each other. Karmen nicknamed Elise, Princess Peach.But I knew we were all in perfect agreement with her about the car's lack of proper care. All of us were sweating buckets the
My parents called at six-thirty in the morning. I slept talking through the whole conversation. I yawned out that everything was perfectly fine. We got the nicest and safest place to stay. The last part was still in question, but I wouldn't tell them that.Then it was Elise and Karmen's parents calling. They weren't too happy to be woken up at this hour either, and after the reporting time was all over, we agreed that it was wise to go back to sleep.When we woke up again, it was one-thirty in the afternoon.Karmen let out a huge yawn as she stretched."I dreamed about my mom calling me this morning," she said."Everyone's mother called, Karmen," I said. "In real lif
"What? You can't leave now!" I raged. "You knocked her out cold! We have to help her.""But when she wakes up, she's going to be mad!" Karmen flinched and rubbed her forehead.I grabbed her by the elbow and dragged her back to the crime scene. We pushed through the crowd of spectators to where Karmen's victim lay. Guess who was at the center of everything, directing traffic, barking orders, and applying wet towelettes to the Elven Princess? That's right. The Princess Peach.Soon the unconscious girl came to and was on her feet again though dripping with water. She cleaned up a little, and we hustled her out for some air. Even after that vicious coco-bump and drenching with alcohol, you could tell she was still great-looking. She was tall and slender, with a really natu
Karmen was floating around the apartment in her red spaghetti strap dress. She was trying to make Elise jealous that she had a date with the Elven Princess tonight."I believe in miracles," she said, dabbing perfume over her person in front of the mirror. "If good things don't work out, better things will."As I listened, I tried not to think about Clarice Kingsley and her long beautiful mermaid hair."Where are you going to take her to?" I asked her."Somewhere fancy and romantic, of course," she said. "I wouldn't take a girl to a lousy place.""Well, just remember that you're still unemployed," Elise said.Karmen
"Istill 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.
Elise was invited to stay and have dinner with the executives and celebrities almost every night. Sometimes, we didn't even see her for a whole week. She would call to tell me she was in Barcelona or Mumbai doing a photoshoot. Sometimes, we didn't hear a word from her.Once, Karmen just lost it and jammed all Elise's clothes into her suitcase, zipped it up and left it out in the hallway. I wasn't there to stop her. I was in the café trying to find any job online. Then at one in the morning, Elise showed up, good-natured as ever, suitcases in hand."Sorry," she said and began to unpack.Karmen blew up. "Sorry?Sorry?We're almost homeless, and you're out there having a damn good time. Now, what are we supposed to do, go down to the street and s