Small Places : Nick L Belardes [27 of 128]

• Mulani: "She's only clothed from the waist up, a corset." Me: "Right now?" I look. "No, you idiot. When they, you know," Mulani says.
• As I sit down at my desk I suddenly realize that if Buildicon is the social heart of Americana I'd rather be in Brazil with Kira de Frito.
• I want to be carrying around platters of pineapples, wear an oversized cabana shirt, and see Kira scream "Carnival!" in her coconut bikini.
• I'd rather it be Mulani than Kira de Frito. Let's eat, let's dance, let's get away from the color grey in a seaside town filled with color.
• Except there will be copacabana boys by the hundreds. I can't bear the thought of losing Mulani to a pineapple plate distributor.
• "Ay!" I yell. "Is there no justice?" Mike looks at me. I don't think he cares that I yelled.
• He's busy designing a robotic ad for Buildicon. Me: "Do we have to sing a musical?" Mike: "Yes. Can we make one up?"
• Me: "Of course. I don't know any actual words or tunes. Do you?" Mike realizes he doesn't know any musicals either, but we sing.
• He leads. Next door is the president's office. He doesn't say a word. He knows we're crazy.
• He's also happy because I know Margo in Orders just intercepted a fax that he paid $300,000 for a turbo prop.