Small Places : Nick L Belardes [61 of 128]

• Nineteen.
• At work, construction workers pound on cubicles. Milt stands over them like a mad scientist gazing into a rat maze. Me: "What's going on?"
• Mulani looks cute in her pigtails. She says, "We're downsizing. Literally. Milt wants to make the cubicles smaller." Me: "The man is sick."
• Mike: "Why not just make each cubicle the size of a yoga mat and have hard drives wired through our navels?" I pray Milt didn't hear him.
• Katie has on a fluffy leopard print coat. Her fiery hair is slickened. "I see they're fixing your kennels," she says. "Wanna see mine?"
• Me: "Hi Katie." "Coffee?" she growls. Me: "Why not? We've gone to the coffeehouse every day this week." Besides,
• I like being seen with her. We pass Mulani. I sense a disturbance in the Force.
• I smile as Katie and I head away from the cubicles into the elevator. "What's wrong with me?" Katies says as we walk.
• "No. No. Don't answer. I can take the rejection." Me: "Why aren't you happy with your man?"