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| Alarmingly Strange Stories |
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The Escape |
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| . While waiting for dinner, I realize my entire life is bullshit. I stare at Denise across the plush table set for four. Our wineglasses are full, and we'd been having a great time. Except that we are still waiting for Mr. Brothers, my boss, to show up and give me the raise and promotion, officially making me the general manager of Cassull-Thomas department store. Denise is still talking. Waving her long, supple fingers as she speaks, she smiles - waiting for my answer. "I'm sorry, what were you saying, Hon?" She cocks her head and stares at me, "were you not listening?" "Yeah. I just couldn't hear you for all the other people around." "Well," she makes her face a caricature of annoyance, "I asked, are you going to buy that Cherokee you've been eyeing with the bonus?" "I don't know. I could use some more speakers for the entertainment center." I take another drink of the wine. I've gotta get out of here. "Don't you have enough? I mean, we already can't turn it up all the way because it gets too loud." Yeah, but when you sit in the recliner you can only hear the speakers to your left, so I thought if I get another speaker on the right, I'll finally have surround sound for the whole room." "If I was going to get as much money as you'll be making, I would probably use it to move to New York so I can get my career off the ground." Denise raises her glass in salute; "you're really lucky, you know. I mean you like your job so much, and you're so good at it. And I'm just struggling to get by while I wait and see how my future will turn out." "I guess," I reply. "But you'll do all right. You've already got your portfolio sent out to all those companies, and you've got resumes out all over the place. Besides, in the mean time you know you'll always have your job at Cassull-Thomas." "Yeah, if Cindy doesn't fire me." Don't worry about her. Since I finally got you to stop showing up late, she doesn't have any reason to complain." "Except she hates me!" "It doesn't matter. The bottom line is that you sell clothes. You're one of the best in the department, and I know I won't take her seriously so long as you keep up the good work. Come on, you've even got a little slogan for it. That kind of dedication can't be faked." "I don't know, you're the only one who likes my slogan, and it's really for my designs, anyway. When I was modeling, I learned that all the big designers had these sayings they told us, you know, to get us pumped up or whatever, so I thought I'll make my own before I got famous." "Still, I have to admit, 'If I can make people look better, they'll feel better, too,' is pretty good." I smile. God I hate that slogan. . |
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