Small Places : Nick L Belardes [20 of 128]

• Back to number two.
• Early on at Buildicon, Mike said: "You've only worked a week and you're already stinking up the office with that salsa!"
• It's such moments where I'm most calm. I stood next to a big bowl of my salsa. I calmly handed Mike a tortilla chip. He raised an eyebrow.
• Mulani then stepped from her office. Two eyebrows went up as Mike dipped. He took a bite. He chewed. He double-dipped and that was that.
• Mulani smiled as she tasted the salsa. Soon afterward I couldn't keep middle management fingers from greedily grabbing food from my desk.
• Everyone stopped by but the corporate prez. He's kind of like one of those weird beasts in Star Wars than can't be swayed by the Force.
• This Force was a salsa I swore, "I will never share such a guarded secret with others."
• Ten days later I posted the recipe on willieboy.com.
• By the way, in regards to the fourth workplace axiom, after three weeks of exceptional behavior, slack to your heart's content.