Small Places : Nick L Belardes [79 of 128]

• Twenty-Five.
• I proudly hang my Milt-moon drawing. Across from me Mike designs a poster that looks like Buildicon products actually do invade planets.
• Wireless devices appear to beam wi-fi lasers. Me: "Nice invasion ad. You should add explosions and Army tanks."
• Mike: "Invasion? There's no invasion. Well, not an intended one. Not a bad idea actually for these RadioBlast products."
• I change the subject: "So, did Joan call you?" Mike: "Yeah, but I couldn't understand her. Something about 'Kill Milt with cigarettes.'"
• "Maybe I shouldn't have jammed Joan's foot so hard in the meeting," I say. Mike: "You stepped on Joan's foot and you're alive?"
• I look at Mike and wonder why Joan let me live. "She was foaming at the mouth," I add, hoping to justify my near-death office moment.
• We take the conversation to a local bar. "Milt's gone off the deep end," I say, remembering the snail dream. "He can't manage people."