Dirty Secrets Read Free Page A

in the doorway of her office.
    “What?  Who?  Did you finally get some last night?  Who’s the hot piece of tail?  Robynne asked.
    “I just quit,” Adele said. 
    Like a shot to the arm, the words hurt at first, but now she felt relief coursing throughout her body.
    “Congratulations.  It’s about time,” Robynne said. 
    “You can leave with her,” Mindy said with her hands draped across her massive breasts.
    “You know I can curse you out in two languages, right?  Spanish or Korean, you pick.”  Robynne said, proudly showing off the wares of her unique heritage.
    “Shut up Robynne, with just one a nod of her head, she’ll grant your wish and you’ll be out of a job,” Adele said. 
    “You watch too much TV.  She’s bluffing.  Besides, who would help her count to ten?”  Robynne said.
    “Adele you have five minutes before I call security.  Get your shit and get out!”  Mindy said.
    “Call them, maybe they can beat the ungrateful she-devil out of you,” Adele said.
    “You will regret this.”  Mindy slammed the door and the frame wobbled.
    “I’m so proud of you.  You’re my hero.  You finally put on your big girl panties,” Robynne pulled Adele into a bone-shattering hug.
    “Why, I just quit my job.  I’m jobless.  I’m unemployed.  You’re squeezing me to death,” Adele said, trying to break free.
    “I’m not worried, and it’s called a hug.  Did I pop your precious space bubble?”  Robynne’s laughter filled the room. 
    “Is it because I’m a penny pinching miser?  Okay, you can let me go now,” Adele said.
    “I will see you at home…maybe.  CT wants me to stay at his place,” Robynne said.
    “Are you two gonna make love faces tonight?  Ewww. Nasty,” Adele said.
    “It’s a strong possibility.  He crossed the three month finish line.  The first prize is this booty.” Robynne smacked her ass for emphasis.
    Adele grabbed a small box from the supply closet with the intention of storing her mouse pad, some well worn stress balls, photos of her parents and an impressive candy stash:  a paltry accumulation of items summed up the five years she spent toiling at Corentini.  She picked up her box, took one last look around and headed for the door.
    Chapter 5
    Adele paced back and forth across the hard wood floors of her apartment.  After catching a cab home, she made and then neglected a tuna sandwich after a few bites.  It’s festering remnants sat on the dining room table.  Construction next door made it impossible to sleep, but a stubborn Adele tried nevertheless.  She studied the crevices of the ceiling for fifteen minutes, but sleeplessness pull her out of bed.
    She couldn’t grasp the concept of being home at two in the afternoon on a Monday.  She powered up her laptop and then stared at the balance of her savings account until her eyes crossed.  A combination of thriftiness and a healthy inheritance from her father’s estate left her with a good amount of savings in the bank. 
    Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her Italian dictionary peeking out from under Robynne’s Condè Nast Traveller magazines.  She threw it across the room where it landed on a white leather sofa. 
    The apartment’s black and white motif reminded Adele of a waiting room.  Robynne’s muses, two cats named Ebony and Ivory, purred on a red coffee table.  The well-done Picasso copies--courtesy of Adele--bought from a sidewalk artist in The Village, added a badly needed color infusion in their anemic apartment.  Adele clicked on the close button of her bank’s website only to be inundated with pop-up advertisements from various companies. 
    “Come experience the island paradise of St. Lucia,” an ad blasted from her speakers.  The steady beat of steel drums brought the Caribbean into her living room.  A grinning couple broke through crystalline, blue water.  They ran in slow motion leaving footprints in the whitest sand Adele had ever seen.  She tried